Usage
Australia, Britain, Canada, and the United States used the B-24 Liberator.
During World War II B-24 Liberators dropped 635,000 tons of bombs and shot down 4,189 enemy planes.
Pearl Harbor
There was one B-24 Liberator destroyed on the ground at Hickam Field, Hawaii on December 7, 1941. Its mission was to be flown by 1st Lieutenant Ted S. Faulkner in reconnaissance flights over the Japanese held islands in the Marshalls and Caroline Islands. Lieutenant Kunikiya Hira, from the carrier Shokaku was flying a Aichi D3A Type 99 "Val" dive bomber when he destroyed Faulkner's plane.
Evacuation of Java
B-24s were used to help evacuate personnel and cargo from Java to Australia because of its large fuselage.
United Kingdom
A modified B-24 was used by Winston Churchill as his personal transport, the LB-30 Commando.
41 / 42 RAF squadrons were equipped with the B-24.
1,668 Liberator VIs and VIIIs were supplied to the Royal Air Force (RAF). A total of 1,694 B-24s were supplied to Coastal Command and Bomber Command.
The RAF Transport Command had three squadrons equipped with the Liberator C.VIIs. These were primarily used in the Far East from 1944 to 1945.
In March 1945 Liberators from five squadrons sank seven U-Boats within six days.
Pacific
It was decided to concentrate the use of B-24s in the Pacific due to its long range.
Australia
Australia received 275 B-24Js, B-24Ls, and B-24Ms and 12 B-24Ds.
Canada
1,200 B-24Js were delivered to Canada.
First Use of the LB-30
During the night of January 16-17, 1942, three LB-30s, with two B-17Es, attacked targets in the Celebes. These three LB-30s were part of the 7th BG (bomber group). The mission was led by Major Austin Straubel, and the other two were piloted by 1st Lieutenant Jack Dougherty and 1st Lieutenant William E. Bayse.
United States First Use of the B-24
The first delivery to a combat unit was in April 1942.
In June 1942 B-24s based in Egypt were used to attack Romanian oilfields.
Bomber Groups
At their peak usage there were 6,043 B-24s on active service in 46 United States Army Air Force bomber groups.
Germany
A captured B-24 was used on covert operations.