Need help deciphering Typhoon attack diagram from an RAF veteran

[FTC_Mars]

Hi all, I came across an article about an RCAF veteran where he drew a diagram of flight patterns - the article claims they are ground attack patterns he used flying Typhoons.  The diagram is full of operational acronyms and numbers that I'm having a bit of trouble making sense of.  Can anyone help decipher it?

 

Here is what I have so far:

• The 3000 is the min-height to stay above light flak over the front lines.
• The "100/600" slope at the bottom appears to be a firing window denoted by feet AGL - I can't tell if it's for rockets or strafing.
• Q* are Allied forces WW2 Q-codes
  • QFM - recommended mission height
  • QFE - altimeter setting above sea level
  • QDM - heading to home airfield?

 

Thanks!

[LukeFF]

On 7/5/2021 at 4:26 PM, Garafrax said:

The "100/600" slope at the bottom appears to be a firing window denoted by feet AGL - I can't tell if it's for rockets or strafing.

 

All the Canadian Typhoon squadrons employed bombs, so it's probably referring to strafing.

[=/Hospiz/=MetalHead]

To be honest it doesn't look like attack pattern. Absolutely zero information about armament or ordnance usage.
With all that radio bearings (QDR QDM), radio beacon info, reversal patterns, and minimum safe height info, I would say it's some kind of early type of instrument approach diagram. Even the 100/600 slope looks more like a vertical approach profile, with some kind of distance marker indication, than strafing attack pattern.

Now look at this:


This is an example of modern instrument approach plate. Looks pretty similar to me.

[JimTM]

The bottom, right, near the middle looks like it could be the morse signal from the radio beacon (rectangle in the middle).

Edited July 7, 2021 by JimTM

[=/Hospiz/=MetalHead]

1 hour ago, JimTM said:

The bottom, right, near the middle looks like it could be the morse signal from the radio beacon (rectangle in the middle).

NDB beacons are usually identified by 3 letter ID, transmitted as morse code on given frequency, so you are probably right. I am not sure if that was the case 80 years ago, though.

[JG1_Vonrd]

Yeah, it's definitely a hand drawn approach plate. Reference the "Cone of Silence" drawing...

 

Final approach segments of low-frequency radio instrument approaches were normally flown near the range station, which ensured increased accuracy. When the aircraft was over the station, the audio signal disappeared, since there was no modulation signal directly above the transmitting towers. This quiet zone, called the "cone of silence", signified to the pilots that the aircraft was directly overhead the station, serving as a positive ground reference point for the approach procedure.

 

Maybe it's a page of notes from ground school.

[busdriver]

On 7/5/2021 at 6:26 PM, Garafrax said:

The diagram is full of operational acronyms and numbers that I'm having a bit of trouble making sense of.  Can anyone help decipher it?

 

As @JG1_Vonrd states, it's a hand drawn NDB approach. On the right hand side you see "Front 270 QDM" which is the inbound course to fly. On the left side you see "Back 090 QDR" which is the reciprocal heading.

[Guest deleted@83466]

What are the chances that torn out notebook page is from the 1940s?…and I’m asking because if so, I’m just learning now that they had already invented those kinds of procedural approaches, procedure turns, very precise bearings every step of the way, etc…back in the days of the Typhoon. I thought that even the commercial traffic was largely seat of the pants, John Wayne slaps Robert Stack kind of thing, and that these types of standardized procedures came about in the late 50s.  Not that it’s that interesting a subject, but what’s the history of all that?

Edited July 8, 2021 by SeaSerpent
Better spelling=better thread hijacking :)

[AndyJWest]

The article linked in the first post seems to have been copied from here:

https://legionmagazine.com/en/2019/01/douglas-gordon-part-2-the-troubles-with-typhoons/

 

This labels the diagram as showing 'night-time approach patterns'. I don't think that RAF fighters were normally equipped for such approaches during WW2.

[JG1_Vonrd]

I don't know when the actual approach charts became standardised but I really doubt that they were as per the drawing presented as an "attack diagram". I don't doubt the basis of Douglas Gordon's stories but I think that the author Steven J Thomas made a mistake captioning the drawing. 

I do know that the ILS system that is still extant today began in the mid / late 1930's but I doubt that there were many precision approaches available in WWII. Ground Controlled Approach using radar was much more likely and was the primary means of IMC landing for the military through the 50's and into the 60's I think. 

Here's a link to a glidepath transmitter from about 1945... 25 awesome watts of power!

https://radionerds.com/index.php/AN~CRN-2

Edited July 8, 2021 by JG1_Vonrd