These aircraft were redesignated LB-30A. This forward fuselage is made possible through a gift of Jim Sowell, whose father, Billy Z. Sowell, flew a B-24 with a photo reconnaissance squadron. In January 1939, the USAAC, under Specification C-212, formally invited Consolidated[7] to submit a design study for a bomber with longer range, higher speed and greater ceiling than the B-17. In October 1944, two RAF Liberator squadrons (357 and 358) were deployed to Jessore India in support of British SAS, American OSS and French SIS underground operations throughout SE Asia. Intercepted just short of the target, the B-24 came under attack from JG 1's Messerschmitt Bf 109s. B-24, also called Liberator, long-range heavy bomber used during World War II by the U.S. and British air forces. Lloyd H. Hughes, Maj. John L. Jerstad and Col. Addison E. Baker—were killed in action. The U.S. Navy had been using B-24s with only minor modifications as the PB4Y-1 Liberator, and along with maritime patrol B-24s used by RAF Coastal Command this type of patrol plane had been quite successful. B-24 Photos of LIberator Bombers in Wendling England Base of the 392nd BG during World War Two. II radar, which together with the Leigh light, gave them the ability to hunt U-boats by day and by night. This mission was being filmed by the War Department to be used for training and news footage and was titled Mission To Koror And Arakabesan, Palau Islands. They were equipped with signal lighting, provision for quantity discharge of pyrotechnics, and were painted with distinctive group-specific high-contrast patterns of stripes, checkers or polka dots to enable easy recognition by their flock of bombers. RAF Liberators were also operated as bombers from India by SEAC and would have been a part of Tiger Force if the war had continued. The Mark II was the first Liberator to be equipped with powered turrets, one plane having them installed before leaving San Diego, the remainder having them installed in the field: four Browning Boulton Paul A-type Mk IV with 600 rounds of .303 in the dorsal position; and a Boulton Paul E-type Mk II with 2200 rounds in the tail (later increased to 2500 rounds), supplemented by pairs of guns at the waist position, a single gun in the nose and another in the belly, for a total of fourteen guns. This wing was highly efficient allowing a relatively high airspeed and long range. Long-range naval patrol versions often carried a light defensive armament. The inboard propeller windmilled to a stop. By the end of World War II, the technological breakthroughs of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress and other modern types had surpassed the bombers that served from the start of the war. Additionally, the Liberator equipped a number of independent squadrons in a variety of special combat roles. Giorgerini, Giorgio (2002). The Secret War, by Brian Johnson, Pen And Sword Military Classics, 1978. Such were the production numbers it has been said that more aluminum, aircrew, and effort went into the B-24 than any other aircraft in history.[45]. Thousands of B-24s flying from bases in Europe dropped hundreds of thousands of tons of high explosive and incendiary bombs on German military and industrial targets. This role was dangerous, especially after many U-boats were armed with extra anti-aircraft guns, some adopting the policy of staying on the surface to fight, rather than submerging and risking being sunk by aerial weapons such as rockets, gunfire, torpedoes and depth charges from the bombers. )[9] The wing was also more susceptible to damage than the B-17's wing, making the aircraft less able to absorb battle damage. Learn how and when to remove this template message, British and French purchasing commissions, South West Pacific theatre of World War II, Watch video of B-24 production and testing, List of Consolidated B-24 Liberator operators, National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, List of surviving Consolidated B-24 Liberators, National Museum of the United States Air Force, Accidents and incidents involving the Consolidated B-24 Liberator, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, "The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress vs. the Consolidated B-24 Liberator", "A Brief History of the 44th Bomb Group. Ferry Command's Atlantic Return Ferry Service flew civilian ferry pilots, who had delivered aircraft to the UK, back to North America. The C-87 was not always popular with the aircrews assigned to fly it. The B-24 Liberator. It entered US service in early 1942. Ford B-24L-5-FO Liberator 9491 44-49491 of the 308th Bomb Group. The B-24 was “unloved” for a lot of reasons. The aircraft that the USAAF requisitioned from the delivery process were in an unarmed state pre-delivery, so the aircraft had to be given armament. The 36th Bombardment Squadron was the Eighth Air Force's only electronic warfare squadron using specially equipped B-24s to jam German VHF communications during large Eighth Air Force daylight raids. By Brendan McNally B-24 Liberators bombing Tours in France. BOAC also flew trans-Atlantic services and other various long-range air transportation routes. Long-range anti-submarine Liberators played an instrumental role in closing the Mid-Atlantic gap in the Battle of the Atlantic. With production totaling 18,482 units, the B-24 Liberator was the most numerous U.S. combat type of WW2.The B-24 served in the thick of the fighting on every front and in a variety of roles, including bombing, maritime reconnaissance, anti-submarine warfare and transport. Along with the B-17, the B-24 was the mainstay of the US strategic bombing campaign in the Western European theater. Naval B-24s were redesignated PB4Y-1, meaning the fourth patrol bomber design built by Consolidated Aircraft. Over 5000 orders for this version were placed in 1945, but were cancelled due to the end of the war. On May 4th, 1945, A B-24 nicknamed Brief was sent on a mission to destroy anti-aircraft installations in Koror, the capital city of Palau. The name "Liberator" was originally given to it by the RAF, and subsequently adopted by the USAAF as the official name for the Model 24. Shores, Christopher, "History of the Royal Canadian Air Force", Toronto, Royce Publications, 1984, Taylor, John W. R. "Consolidated B-24/PB4 Y Liberator. It was used on penetration missions in RAF bomber streams at night in Luftwaffe markings. The specification was written such that the Model 32 would automatically be the winning design. Post was the only reporter assigned to a B-24-equipped group, the 44th Bomb Group. The first British Liberators had been ordered by the Anglo-French Purchasing Board in 1940. Liberators were equipped with ASV Mk. The Ninth Air Force moved to England in late 1943. The C-87 transport derivative served as a longer range, higher capacity counterpart to the Douglas C-47 Skytrain. Liberators remained in service until 1948, when they were replaced by Avro Lincolns. The tail gunner's powered twin-gun turret was located at the end of the tail, behind the tailplane. The 449th Bomb Group was originally equipped with sixty-two B-24H Liberator heavy bombers. Some were fitted with belly pack containing fixed, forward facing cannon. The gradual arrival of many more VLR and in October, PB4Y navalized Liberators for anti-submarine missions over the Mid-Atlantic gap ("black pit") and the Bay of Biscay was an important contribution to the Allies' greater success. The B-24 design underwent almost continual engineering changes resulting in a series of production models. The Singing Cowboy Gene Autry served in the Air Transport Command (in the same squadron as Barry Goldwater), and described flying the C-109 over "The Hump" as "the thrill that lasts a lifetime".[38]. Continued development work by Consolidated produced a handful of transitional B-24Cs with turbocharged instead of supercharged engines. The B-24N was intended as a major production variant featuring a single tail. In Eighth Air force combat configuration, the aircraft carried 8000 lb (3600 kg) of bombs. In addition, the small number of Liberators operated by No. [citation needed]. Colonel Leon W. Johnson, the 44th's commander, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his leadership, as was Col. John Riley "Killer" Kane, commander of the 98th Bomb Group. Project A led to the development of the Boeing B-29 and Consolidated's own B-32 and B-36.[8]. The navigator and bombardier, who could also double as a nose or wiggly ear gunner (guns mounted in the sides of the aircraft nose), sat in the nose, fronted on the pre-B-24H models with a well-framed "greenhouse" nose with some two dozen glazed panels in total, with two flexible ball-mounts built into it for forward defensive firepower using .30 caliber (7.62 mm) Browning M1919 machine guns. Mar 31, 2020 - Explore Al Mangani's board "B-24 Liberator" on Pinterest. The Royal Air Force received about 2,100 B-24s equipping 46 bomber groups and 41 squadrons; the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) 1,200 B-24Js; and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) 287 B-24Js, B-24Ls, and B-24Ms. Each of the B-24 factories was identified with a production code suffix: Consolidated/San Diego, CO; Consolidated/Fort Worth, CF; Ford/Willow Run, FO; North American, NT; and Douglas/Tulsa, DT. The US Navy’s primary dive-bomber at the war’s start, the Douglas SBD Dauntless earned its reputation—and helped earn victory—at the 1942 Battle of Midway, sinking four Japanese carriers. Consolidated Aircraft tripled the size of its plant in San Diego and built a large new plant outside Fort Worth, Texas in order to receive the massive amounts of knock down kits that the Ford Motor Company shipped via truck from its Ypsilanti Michigan Facility. The RAAF Liberators saw service in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II. These Liberators operated from both sides of the Atlantic with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command and later, the US Navy conducting patrols along all three American coasts and the Canal Zone. Before the Leigh light not a single enemy submarine had been sunk in over 5 months, but in combination with radar it was so overwhelmingly effective that many German submarine crews chose to surface during the day so that they could at least see the aircraft attacking them and have a chance to fire their anti-aircraft weaponry in defense.[26][27]. Fifteen of the 15th AF's 21 bombardment groups flew B-24s. Early in the campaign, the C-87 was the only readily available American transport that could fly over the Himalayas while heavily loaded, rather than relying on circuitous and highly dangerous routes through valleys and mountain passes, but the type was not very popular with crews: they complained of various hazards including the fuel system, engines and cockpit accessories, while the type was notorious for leaking fuel tanks and mid-air fires a constant danger. Although the B-24 Liberator shared the honours with the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress of being the principal American heavy bomber of World War II, it was a much later design, being orginally built to meet a U.S. Army Air Corps requirement outlined to Consolidated early in 1939. B-24s were also used by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps for ASW, anti-ship patrol, and photographic reconnaissance in the Pacific Theater, and by the U.S. Coast Guard for patrol and SAR. The USAAF transferred some aircraft to the RAAF, while the remainder would be delivered from the USA under Lend-Lease. Nach dem Aus für das Model 31 (als Prototyp XP4Y, später Corregidor genannt), einem als Nachfolger des Patrol Bombers Catalina entwickelten Flugboots, hieß diese Baureihe werksintern Model 32. [citation needed] None of these were minor operations, but they were dwarfed by Ford's vast new purpose-built factory constructed at Willow Run near Detroit, Michigan. The belly turret was a periscopically sighted Bendix model. The C-109 was a dedicated fuel transport version of the B-24 conceived as a support aircraft for Boeing B-29 Superfortress operations in central China. The RAF found, as did the US, that global war increased the need for air transports and early type bombers and seaplanes were converted or completed as cargo carriers and transports. The relatively thick wing held the promise of increased tankage while delivering increased lift and speed, but became unpleasant to fly when committed to heavier loadings as experienced at high altitude and in bad weather. In addition, the 36th BS flew night missions with the Royal Air Force Bomber Command 100 Group at RAF Sculthorpe. Fifteen were sent to the SW Pacific (including some to Java to assist the Dutch East Indies), while three went to Alaska, six to Midway Island immediately after the naval battle in June, and six were lost in various accidents. In the B-24Hs used for this purpose, the nose turret was removed and replaced by a "carpetbagger" type nose. Although the B-24 did not meet Project A goals, it was a step in that direction. The Willow Run Bomber Plant was completed in 1941, and it was the largest factory in the world under a single roof. [28] The B-24 was vital for missions of a radius less than 1,000 mi (1,600 km), in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters where U.S. Navy PB4Y-1s and USAAF SB-24s took a heavy toll of enemy submarines and surface combatants and shipping. Three more 0.50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns brought the defensive armament up to 10 machine guns. They also flew C-47s, Douglas A-26 Invaders, and British de Havilland Mosquitos. In early 1942, with the need for a purpose-built transport with better high-altitude performance and longer range than the Douglas C-47 Skytrain, the San Diego plant began sending B-24D models to Fort Worth for conversion into the C-87 transport. Plans originally called for 2,000 C-109s to support 10 groups of B-29s (approximately 400) in China, but the capture of the Mariana Islands provided a far more easily resupplied location for raids on mainland Japan, and the plans were greatly scaled back. Failing to do this meant that the B-24 flew slightly nose high, and it used more fuel. Thus the first six YB-24 were released for direct purchase under CAC contract # F-677 on 9 November 1940. The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber that entered service in 1941. A fully navalized design was seen as advantageous, and Consolidated Aircraft developed a purpose-built long-range patrol bomber in 1943, designated PB4Y-2. [44] Production took place at 5 plants. Following the Japanese surrender the RAAF's Liberators participated in flying former prisoners of war and other personnel back to Australia. The B-24 Liberator saw service in every theater of operations and served in every branch … B-24 AIRCRAFT PHOTOS. Also, most naval aircraft had an Erco ball turret installed in the nose position, replacing the glass nose and other styles of turret. The design was simple in concept but, nevertheless, advanced for its time. The B-24 was rapidly phased out of U.S. service, although the PB4Y-2 Privateer maritime patrol derivative carried on in service with the U.S. Navy in the Korean War. Die B-24, in Diensten der britischen Royal Air Force (RAF) Liberator genannt, war ein viermotoriger schwerer Bomber des US-amerikanischen Herstellers Consolidated Aircraft (ab 1943: Consolidated Vultee). The route was named Kangaroo Service and marked the first time that Qantas's now-famous Kangaroo logo was used; passengers received a certificate proclaiming them as members of The Order of the Longest Hop. The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. [29] The B-24 came to dominate the heavy bombardment role in the Pacific because compared to the B-17, the B-24 was faster, had longer range, and could carry a ton more bombs.[30]. In 1943, the model of Liberator considered by many the "definitive" version was introduced. Consolidated, Douglas and Ford all manufactured the B-24H, while North American made the slightly different B-24G. This model introduced self-sealing fuel tanks, a 2 ft 7 in (79 cm) plug in the forward fuselage to create more space for crew members and, more vitally, ever more equipment such as ASV Mark II radar (anticipated early in the Liberator's development when Reuben Fleet told the engineering team he had a gut feeling the nose was too short). [13] Of the 177 B-24s that were dispatched on this operation, 54 were lost.[13]. The F4U Corsair entered combat in 1943, and gave Allied naval aviators a winning edge against their opponents. The waist gun hatches were provided with doors, with the ball turret required to be retractable for ground clearance when preparing to land, as well as for greater aerodynamic efficiency. [21] Thornton's Statistical Control group demonstrated that Eighth Air force B-24s were taking lower casualties than B-17s because they were being given shorter, safer missions. Liberators were introduced into service in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in 1944, after the American commander of the Far East Air Forces (FEAF), General George C. Kenney, suggested that seven heavy bomber squadrons be raised to supplement the efforts of American Liberator squadrons. This was a major component of the USSTAF and took a major role in strategic bombing. The added advantage was the American types could be assessed in the Europe war zone earlier. Fuel leaks inside the crew compartment from the hastily modified long-range fuel system were an all-too-common occurrence. Autry, Gene with Herskowitz, Mickey. If you love warbirds then you are no doubt familiar with Witchcraft the world's only airworthy B-24J Liberator. While aircrews tended to prefer the B-17, General Staff favored the B-24 and procured it in huge numbers for a wide variety of roles. In some groups an observer officer flew in the tail position to monitor the formation. [15] The occasional need for crewmen to move around inside from fore to aft within the B-24's fuselage during a mission over the narrow catwalk was a drawback shared with other designs. "Consolidated B-24 Liberator. The radio/radar operator sat behind the pilots, facing sideways and sometimes doubled as a waist gunner. Earlier in the war, both the Luftwaffe and the Royal Air Force had abandoned daylight bombing raids because neither could sustain the losses suffered. The B-24 variants made by each company differed slightly, so repair depots had to stock many different parts to support various models. Two were shot up by Japanese fighters, but both managed to land safely. The upper gun turret, when fitted, was located just behind the cockpit, in front of the wing, and was operated by the flight engineer, who sat adjacent to the radio operator behind the pilots. The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was a 4-engine, twin-tail heavy bomber designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego. Early model Liberators were fitted with a top mounted turret, a tail turret and single machine guns located in the waist and in the glazed nose. The Liberator carried a crew of up to 10. American Liberators flew from Nova Scotia, Greenland, the Azores, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Panama, Trinidad, Ascension Island and from wherever else they could fly far out over the Atlantic. The first aircrews chosen for this operation came from the anti-submarine bomb groups because of their special training in low altitude flying and pinpoint navigation skills. Uomini sul fondo : storia del sommergibilismo italiano dalle origini a oggi. Twelve thousand saw service with the USAAF, with a peak inventory in September 1944 of 6,043. Being on long-distance patrols, they generally flew outside the range of enemy fighters. After company executives including President Reuben Fleet visited the Boeing factory in Seattle, Washington, Consolidated decided instead to submit a more modern design of its own.[5]. Milano: Mondadori. Byrne, John A., The Whiz Kids: The Founding Fathers of American Business and the Legacy They Left Us, Currency Doubleday, Page 50. The B-24's spacious, slab-sided fuselage (which earned the aircraft the nickname "Flying Boxcar")[13] was built around two central bomb bays that could accommodate up to 8,000 pounds (3,600 kg) of ordnance in each compartment (but rarely did, as this decreased range and altitude). [40], Two squadrons of the South African Air Force (SAAF) also flew B-24s: 31 and 34 Squadrons under No 2 Wing SAAF based at Foggia, Italy. Compared to the B-17, the proposed Model 32 had a shorter fuselage and 25% less wing area, but had a 6 ft (1.8 m) greater wingspan and a substantially larger carrying capacity, as well as a distinctive twin tail. At Willow Run, Ford produced half of 18,000 total B-24s alone. ", This page was last edited on 13 March 2021, at 20:09. The B-24 Liberator was a powerful symbol of US industrial might, with more than 18,000 produced by the war’s end. This is a list of United States Army Air Forces B-24 Liberator combat units during World War II including variants and other historical information. [19] When France fell in 1940, their aircraft were re-directed to the RAF. Although only 287 C-87 and eight U.S. Navy RY variants were produced, they were still important in the Army Air Forces' airlift operations early in the war when aircraft with high-altitude, long-range heavy hauling abilities were in short supply. One of the most frequently discussed arguments to come out of World War II is which was the “better” bomber, the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress or the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. "Misadventure at Mauritius.". The B-24 is painted with the markings and nose art of Mr. Sowell’s plane, Over Exposed. Here is a look inside the WWII documentary film, CREW 713. B-24 was used in World War II by several Allied air forces and navies, and by every branch of the American armed forces during the war, attaining a distinguished war record with its operations in the Western European, Pacific, … The Consolidated Aircraft Company PB4Y-2 Privateer was a World War II U.S. Navy patrol bomber that was derived directly from the B-24 Liberator. Crew size was up to ten, and range was up to 3,000 miles. In comparison with its contemporaries, the B-24 was relatively difficult to fly and had poor low-speed performance; it also had a lower ceiling and was less robust than the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. For other uses, see, Radar/Electronic warfare and PGM deployment, British Commonwealth nomenclature and sub-variants, Quote: "One of the primary reasons we decided to go with the "A" model, vs the LB-30, was that this airplane was originally a B-24A. The first Liberators in British service were ex-USAAF YB-24s converted to Liberator GR Is (USAAF designation: LB-30A). The tail plane featured two large oval vertical stabilizers mounted at the ends of a rectangular horizontal stabilizer. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models designated as various LB-30s, in the Land Bomber design category. After the transfer of the B-29s, the C-109s were reassigned to the Air Transport Command. Since the aircraft had been designed to be a bomber that dropped its loads while airborne, the C-87's nose landing gear was not designed for landing with a heavy load, and frequently it collapsed from the stress. Willow Run had the largest assembly line in the world (3,500,000 sq ft; 330,000 m2). 518–20. Crews flew with the bomb day doors slightly open to dissipate potentially explosive fumes. The US policy at the time, despite neutrality, was that American requirements could be deferred while its Allies could immediately put US production into the war effort. All armament and armor was removed and in some cases the tail turret. LB-30As were assigned to transatlantic flights by RAF Ferry Command, between Canada and Prestwick, Scotland. The cargo versions, C-87 and C-109 tanker, further increased its overseas presence, especially in Asia in support of the XX Bomber Command air offensive against Japan. Its first flight was on December 29, 1939, and it began service in 1941. The navigator's position was relocated behind the pilot. The first USAAF Liberators to carry out combat missions were 12 repossessed LB-30s deployed to Java with the 11th Bombardment Squadron (7th Bombardment Group) that flew their first combat mission in mid-January. Also, the necessity of range increased the importance of weight and aerodynamic efficiency. In all, 18,482 B-24s were built by September 1945. Wingspan: 110 feet Post and all but two of the 11 men aboard were killed. One was written off due to battle damage and the other crash-landed on a beach. The bomb sight was located below the turret. Post and five other reporters of The New York Times were granted permission. It had been sent to the Central Pacific for a very long-range reconnaissance mission that was preempted by the Japanese attack. Lindell Hendrix, later a test pilot for Republic Aviation, flew B-24s for the Eighth Air force. The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) took delivery of its first B-24As in mid-1941. It saw use in every theater of operations. Armament: Eleven .50 caliber machine guns. Later D models were fitted with the retractable Sperry ball turret. The sole B-24 in Hawaii was destroyed by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. Only one B-24 was officially delivered to the USSR according to the Lend-Lease agreements, stranded in Yakutsk while flying a government mission to the Soviet Union in November 1942. On December 29, 2019, the Consolidated B-24 Liberator, one of the most famous bombers of World War II, turned 80 years old. Later modifications gave it a single tail and yet another type of engine packages bring it to near C-87C configuration. See more ideas about nose art, wwii aircraft, wwii bomber. In his autobiography, Fate is the Hunter, the writer Ernest K. Gann reported that, while flying air cargo in India, he barely avoided crashing an improperly loaded C-87 into the Taj Mahal. Maximum Range: 2,850 miles Several storage tanks were added, allowing a C-109 to carry 2,900 gal (11,000 L) of fuel weighing over 22,000 pounds (10,000 kg). [13] The 44th Bomb Group flew the first of its 344 combat missions against the Axis powers in World War II on 7 November 1942. These three units then joined the two 9th Air Force B-24 Liberator groups for low-level attack on the German-held Romanian oil complex at Ploiești. Browning M2 .50 guns were fitted throughout; single .50s were mounted in the nose, two waist positions, and a single ventral tunnel; a twin .50 manual mount in the tail was substituted for the British tail turret with 4 .303 Brownings, and a Martin powered turret with two .50 supplanted the intended Boulton Paul dorsal turret. The maximum take off weight was slightly raised to 64,250 pounds, the maximum altitude lifted from 21,200 to 24,000 feet but the maximum speed was reduced to 263 mph, largely as a result of increased drag.[9]. More than 18,400 of this type were built, making it the most produced American wartime aircraft. More than 18,000 were built. According to the Willow Run Reference Book published 1 February 1945, Ford broke ground on Willow Run on 18 April 1941, with the first plane coming off the line on 10 September 1942. After the Fall of France the French orders were in most cases transferred to the United Kingdom. The aircraft were all modified for logistic use in Montreal. [49] Up into December 1944, Ford had also produced an additional 7242 KD or 'Knock Down' Kits that would be trucked to and assembled by Consolidated in Ft. Worth and Douglas Aircraft in Tulsa. The C-87A was a dedicated VIP series built in small quantity. Munson, Kenneth, "Bombers 1939-45, Patrol and Transport Aircraft", Macmillan Publishing Company, Inc., New York, Blandford Press Ltd., 1969, LCCN 77-92035, page 156. The C-87 had a large cargo floor, less powerful supercharged engines, no gun turrets, a floor in the bomb bay for freight, and some side windows. Essentially the same as the B-24H; but early "J"s were equipped with the Convair (merged Consolidated/Vultee) A-6A nose turret, instead of the Emerson A-15 turret, due to a limited supply of the Emerson turrets. The XB-24 was then re-designated XB-24B—these changes became standard on all B-24s built starting with the B-24C model. B-24 Liberator color ww2 airplane B-24 Liberator Bomber 8th Air Force Drops Bombs On Germany.