Vultee A-31 / A-35 Vengeance

Anonymous, 06.09.2022 22:14 The Vengeance was created in response to a British request for a dive bomber in response to the reputation of the German Ju87 Stuka. The only problem with the Vengeance was that, by the time it got into production, the Stuka no longer enjoyed such a formidable reputation anymore and nobody wanted dive bombers anymore. It was not a question of whether the Vengeance was a good aircraft or not, it was simply that there was simply no longer any requirement for a large, two-seat, land-based dive-bomber anymore. Fighter-bombers such as the Hawker Hurricane and Tempest, Beaufighter and Mosquito, P-40, P-47 and P-51 had demonstrated that they could do the job almost as well as the Vengeance could do, and do more besides. A few ended up being used by the Australians in New Guinea, and by the British and Indians in Burma, but that was all. The USAAF never used the Vengeance at all because their idea of an attack bomber should be was the Douglas A-20. In the end, most of the 1,528 Vengeances built ended up going straight from the production line to the scrap heap. reply

chris penistone, e-mail, 11.03.2017 00:12 my father now deceased was a PT instructor with the IAF from 43 to 45. His squadron was equipped with the Vultee Vengance. Clifford Penistone sadly died aged 91 but never forgot his comrades from that era. I have photographs of his time in India. Unfortunately I do not know the squadron number but I believe the aeroplanes were very active.... KOSBIs I believe were helped on at least one sortie. any help here is appreciated. CP. 2017 reply

capt m russell usn r, e-mail, 16.12.2016 21:55 I had the good fortune meeting flt lt james galbraith who flew vengeance in Burma after the war he became a teacher and an air training corps officer 187 Worcester sqdn he lived in comer road st johns Worcester does anyone know him pls contact me reply

Peter C Smith, e-mail, 08.12.2016 20:14 I am updating my 1982 book on the Vultee Vengeance, so am on the look out for original photographs that I may be allowed to use, and (authenticated) accounts of actions. Thank you. Peter C Smith reply

Barry, 29.07.2016 13:02 This baby did get some undeserved "bad press". When initially deployed to India it took a long time to get up to operational standard. In fact after receiving it's aircraft in autumn 1942 it wasn't until April 1943 that the C.O. of 82 squadron (the first Vengeance unit) could report that he had serviceable aircraft that could be used every day. The four wing guns would overheat and jam and the rear gun mounting was just the other side of inadequate. Coupled to this there was constant oil leaks, faulty piston rings and problematic electric fuel pumps with which to be contended. However, at the end of the day it was a very accurate bomber and suffered a low attrition rate whilst fighting the Japanese, possibly helped by the lack of fighter opposition. Of all the bombers serving in the far East the Liberator enjoyed 50% accuracy, the Mitchell 60% but the unwanted Vengeance achieved 100%. reply

Peter Herlihen, e-mail, 14.05.2016 10:47 My uncle, William Pedersen, was a photographer with 12 squadron RAAF witch flew Vengeance from Batchelor in the Northern Territory Australia. There are some photos in the Australian War Memorial. reply

Klaatu83, e-mail, 23.04.2014 22:54 The Vengeance was ordered by the British in reply to the success of Germany's Junkers Ju-87 Stuka dive bombers early in World War II. However, by the time the Vengeance became available, the idea of using large, singe-engine, two-seat dive bombers had been discredited, and the Vengeance had become largely redundant. Consequently, they were relegated to service in Burma and New Guinea, mainly with the Indian Air Force and RAAF. The U.S. Army Air Force did not use them at all, and the AAF designations A-31 and A-35 were applied to aircraft that were really slated for lend-lease to the British or Australians. reply

Neil Kershler, e-mail, 13.01.2014 00:59 There is a Vengeance in a private collection just outside Sydney Australia (Narellan). On a visit to the US Air Force Museum at Dayton some years back they told me that they were very interested in acquiring the aircraft. The only other example, they told me , was in Perth Western Australia. reply

David Parcell, e-mail, 13.04.2012 21:59 My father flew the Vengeance for the RAF in India during the war. I have a few pictures of some in flight, e-mail if interested. David reply

Tim Holliday, e-mail, 20.09.2011 18:08 My Uncle "Sandy" Morrison of Perth, Western Australia was a backseater with the RAAF during WWII. I know very little of his time in service but survived the war. reply

barry mayner, e-mail, 04.08.2011 16:16 I have a picture of FD108 Vengeance 111 in RAF markings (no unit code), does anyone have any references to this aircraft. The picture shows the aircraft armed with gunners machine gun so may be in India /burma. Dakota in background, second picture front view with grouncrew on aircraft. Possibly type c'ish hangar also in background Barry Mayner reply

piers beeland, e-mail, 17.06.2011 16:22 Trying to ascertain involvement of father-in-law, Sidney Staton, RAF, who worked with a, in his words, flight of Vultee Vengeances in Burma. Beyond that, he isn't saying much. Before Burma he served in UK, various locations, recalling 214 Sq'n also some time in Nova Scotia. Can anyone help me? reply

charlie ness, e-mail, 26.11.2010 08:18 Nice article, but I do wish the writer would use the proper names for the guns, in this case 0.303 and 0.50. They were made by Browning,and that's what Browning called them . There are many photos of Vengeance in RAF service, in the 84 Sqn Museum (if it still exists). It was used by 45,82,84 and 110 as a bomber in the far east and by at least 5 squadrons in England as a target tug. I remember a very involved discussion of it in Salalah (Oman) in '66 with 3-4 RAF personnel on 84 and an American oilman who had flown them in USN. -Remembered then to be a very tough,capable aircraft. reply

Almont Baltzer, e-mail, 27.10.2010 04:40 Anyone having photos of the Vultee Vengeance in the RAF please contact me mCheers Almont Baltzer reply

Sara Mosher, e-mail, 26.06.2009 17:31 My father Ken Mosher was a WOp /Air Gunner with 110 Hyderabad Squadron. I'm in contact with Edward Helliwell, another pilot Reg Duncan and relatives of others who flew with the squadron. Learning much and always looking for more information on the squadron and the Vultee Vengeance! Thanks for this page! reply

Edward Helliwell, e-mail, 28.10.2008 21:29 I flew Vengeances with 110 Squadron and found it stable and easy to fly. The accuracy of bomb placement was amazing, we often had to hit one end of a bridge; at the battle of Kohima the target was two adjacent sides of the tennis court, the other two being occupied by our troops. I do remember one catching fire though at start up! reply

Richard Miller, e-mail, 29.05.2008 18:32 There was a Vultee aircraft plant and airport (Now "queen city" airport, on Lehigh Street) built near Allentown, PA during the war, in the early 1940s. Little was advertised about it, of course. However, rumor has it they never produced a single plane. Does anyone know anything about that operation? reply

David Foster, e-mail, 10.02.2008 12:08 The Veangence was used operationally by the RAAF, as Paul's note implies. Not just by the RAF and RIAF. A very accurate dive bomber, it was loved by the army but out of favour with air forces who preferred fighter-bombers that were far less accurate. The correct use of this aircraft could've saved a lot of Australian and US soldiers lives in New Guinea. reply

Bill Cole, 23.01.2008 11:29 There is a color photo of a woman building a Vengeance in 1943 at the following url. www.flickr.com /photos /library_of_congress /2179038448 /in /set-72157603671370361 / reply

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