5 Things You Never Knew About The B-24 Liberator

The B-24 Liberator was a heavy bomber that flew farther, carried more bomb load, and together with the B-17, was the backbone of the USAF during WWII. 

Here are five interesting facts about the Liberator: 

5. The very first US B-24s were destroyed during the attack on Pearl Harbor

The first American Liberator was lost to the enemy on December 7th, 1941. This would be the famous aircraft of Ted Faulkner.

In the days before Pearl Harbor, a top-secret spy mission was ordered. This mission was a photo-reconnaissance flight over the Philippines. However, on the days that followed, only one of the B-24s would make it to Hawaii as scheduled because other planes encountered engine trouble – Faulkner’s B-24.

The first bomb dropped on Pearl Harbor landed close and destroyed their hangar. The Liberator caught on fire and killed the crew’s navigator. Another one of Faulkner’s crew would be killed on a strafing run by Japanese fighters later in the day.

4. One of its unique features is its bomb Bay doors

When we look at conventional bombers during the time, very few had a roller-type door. The B-24, unlike most aircraft of the time, had a tricycle undercarriage. Meaning, it didn’t have any wheel in the tail so the bomber rested level on the ground instead of on the tail wheel. 

A roller-style bombay door allowed a payload to be loaded from the ground. As a bonus, it was also more aerodynamic than the target, making it a major asset compared to the B-17.

3. The Liberator had a lesser-known role

The important role that the B-24 served in WWII apart from high altitude bombing is its anti-submarine role. This is one of the most crucial yet overlooked jobs of the heavy bombers in WWII. 

2. It did have its key weakness

One of the Liberator’s shortcomings that caused higher losses in combat would be it would be weaker wings. This was because of one key feature – its outward folding landing gear. The B-24 had gear that folded outwards into the actual wing itself. 

As a result, some of the strength of the wing had to be lessened. This caused a slightly vulnerable wing area. The lethal aspect of this weakness made it almost impossible for the crew to bail out. With a wing collapse, it’s highly impossible to escape with immediate G forces. 

1. One of its unknown stories would involve captured German Liberators

While there were three different B-24s captured by the KG 200, a German special operations unit that flew captured enemy aircraft, there’s one aircraft in particular that had a fascinating story. 

On March 29, 1944, a bomber of the 449th bomb group took off from Southern Italy to bomb a key target. This was the B-24D ‘Sunshine’. Along the way, they would encounter engine trouble as she started losing altitude. The crew was forced to turn to neutral Switzerland. 

However, the crew was shocked when Italian soldiers approached them. Turns out, they didn’t land in Switzerland- they landed 3 minutes short of the border in fascist Italy. The crew would go on to become POWs. 

Sunshine would then be used in covert operations penetrating Allied bomber formations and acting as a stealth aircraft until April 1945 when she was shot down by German anti-aircraft gunners unaware she was being flown by the Luftwaffe.