Short Stirling - Questions ...........

[K4KittyCrew]

Hi folks,

I wonder if anyone can bring me up to date with these two questions.

* Which Short Stirling has the most number of operations to it's name?

Also

* What was the largest number of Stirlings flown on an operation and when ?

I thank you in advance.
Cheers,
John

[AlanW]

Not sure if this is the highest number but.....120 went to Dortmund on the night of 23/24 May 43,

107 to Le Creusot 19/20 June 43.

117 to Krefeld 21/22 June 43.

[Theletterwriter]

According to Bryce Gomersall's book "The Stirling File" by Air Britain, LJ514 : EX-B with 75 operations for 199 Squadron.

Cheers

Douglas

[K4KittyCrew]

Thank you gentlemen, I appreciate you responses. I reckon 75 ops is a pretty good effort considering the climate of the war when the Stirlings efforts were at maximum force.
Cheers,
John

[smudgersmith218]

Gents,

I think from memory, Hanover, September 1943, 130 + Stirling's dispatched. Also I believe Douglas is correct with 75 op's flown by a 199 (RCM) Stirling.

Not bad for a bomber loathed by everyone except those who flew them.

[Theletterwriter]

As an addition to my previous post from Bryce Gomersall’s “The Stirling File” : Revised Edition published in 1987 by Air Britain ISBN 0 85130 152 5, there is a list of Stirlings which were recorded as having 50 or more operations :

75 operations : LJ 514 – 199 Squadron
71 operations : LJ 538 – 199 Squadron
70 operations : EF 431 – 90 Squadron & 149 Squadron
69 operations : LJ520 – 199 Squadron
68 operations : EF411 – 149 Squadron
67 operations : N3669 – 7 Squadron & 15 Squadron
63 operations : N3721 – 218 Squadron
63 operations : W7529 – 7 Squadron
60 operations : N3720 – 218 Squadron
60 operations : LJ525 – 199 Squadron
60 operations : LJ542 – 199 Squadron
59 operations : BK781 – 90 Squadron & 149 Squadron
59 operations : LJ557 – 199 Squadron
58 operations : EF441 – 90 Squadron
58 operations : LJ543 – 199 Squadron
58 operations : LJ611 – 171 Squadron & 199 Squadron
57 operations : BK687 – 218 Squadron
57 operations : BK816 – 15 Squadron, 622 Squadron, 199 Squadron, 90 Squadron & 149 Squadron
57 operations : EJ122 – 90 Squadron and 149 Squadron
56 operations : LJ516 – 199 Squadron
56 operations : LJ568 – 149 Squadron, 171 Squadron and 199 Squadron
54 operations : BK784 – 90 Squadron
54 operations : EE896 – 90 Squadron
53 operations : LJ544 – 199 Squadron
52 operations : EE963 – 149 Squadron
51 operations : EJ109 – 149 Squadron
50 operations : BF570 – 149 Squadron

As Steve indicated, LJ514 was a RCM Stirling and all 199 “LJ coded” Stirlings were likely to have spent the vast majority of ops on RCM. It is, with hindsight, that we can see that losses on RCM ops were much lower than when 199 were a Main Force Squadron and, consequently, total number of ops were higher for individual aircraft.

If we wish to identify aircraft with the most bombing ops, the high score 90 and 149 Squadron aircraft or the Stirling Mk. 1 series aircraft would probably hold that claim to fame.

I know there is another thread on the forum about Stirling books but if anyone has the chance of obtaining The Stirling File, it is certainly worth consideration. It is packed full of data about the Stirling and is a credit to its author, Bryce Gomersall.

Douglas

[Pilotdreamer]

I am surprised that 214 Squadron did not have any Stirlings that did not reach at least 50 ops.