After reading the Bomber Command I was wondering if you kindly could tell us about the "Offset technique"? I think you´d be the specialist on this one, I believe. AS well wonder if you could tell about the Cochrane´s " The 5 Group corckscrew"? How different was it from the original?
Normal Pathfinder marking tended to mark directly on the target. A major problem with this method was that accurate bombing would quickly obscure these markers with smoke and dust; 'backers up' would try to re-mark but this could be very difficult in the middle of a raid. Under Cochrane's direction, 5 Group tried various different kinds of marking, including the 'timed run' and 'offset marking'. The idea of the offset technique was to mark an area away from the main target ; the Master Bomber would transmit further instructions to the main force who would use a 'timed run' from the offset marker to - hopefully - bomb on target without obscuring the primary marker. 5 Group also of course used low-level marking with 617 and 627 Squadron Mosquitoes. All this was to strive to achieve greater concentration of bombing and accuracy; but also there was a personal element - Cochrane and Bennett ( of the Pathfinders ) really didn't get on at all and were constantly trying to 'out-do' each other. The '5 Group corkscrew' was in fact, I believe, championed by Group Captain John Searby of 44 Squadron. It was a continuous rolling-and-dipping to a set pattern, allowing the gunners a good all-round view. But it was physically exhausting for the pilots, and the crew could suffer from appalling airsickness...
I goofed slightly there , Searby was of course with 83 Squadron, PFF and his thoughts on 'corkscrewing' can be read in his excellent memoir, ' The Everlasting Arms ' ( Kimber, 1988 ).
