RAF History - Bomber Command 60th Anniversary

Royal Air Force Bomber Command 60th Anniversary

Fairey Battle

Born out of the belief that small, light day-bombers could be a useful weapon of war, the Battle was hopelessly outclassed in its short wartime career with Bomber Command.

Although the original specification was very advanced when the aircraft was first proposed to meet Air Ministry Specification P27/32, issued in 1933 to find a modern replacement for the existing Hawker-designed biplane day-bombers then in service. The first Battle took to the air some three years later, in March 1936, but had undergone a number of design changes, many of which added weight to the aircraft (such as the addition of a third crew member), thus decreasing the marginal performance.

Despite this, 155 aircraft were ordered before the first aircraft had flown, and, against the wishes of senior commanders, more were requested in rapid succession until some 2,200 had been produced before the final aircraft left the Stockport factory of Fairey in October 1940.

First deliveries to the RAF were made to No 63 Squadron at Upwood in May 1937 and about 1,000 aircraft were in service with the RAF by September 1939. All operational Battles with Bomber Command were under the command of No 1 Group, whose 10 squadrons of Battles were despatched to France on the eve of hostilities to form the Advanced Air Striking Force (AASF).

During the period of the 'Phoney War', Battles mainly flew armed reconnaissance around northern France and claimed a notable first for the RAF on 20 September when the gunner of a No 88 Squadron shot down the first German aircraft of the RAF's war. But success was short-lived and the aircraft became easy-meat for the single-engined German fighters now making their presence felt. On 30 September, five unescorted Battles of No 150 Squadron were shot down by Me109s whilst on patrol.

With the surprise German thrust through the Low Countries in May 1940, Battles were pitched into combat, making attacks on German troop columns and strategic bottlenecks in an attempt to stem the advance. Indeed, such was the pace of Blitzkrieg, that aircraft sent to attack targets in one location often arrived to find that the front line had moved on somewhat and had to amend their attacks accordingly.

The very first VCs of the war were also awarded to a Battle crew in May 1940. Flying Officer DE Garland and his observer, Sergeant T Gray, were posthumously honoured after a courageous attack by aircraft of No 12 Squadron on the vital bridges crossing the Albert Canal near Maastricht. Although Garland succeeded in bringing down one span of the bridge, German engineers quickly erected a pontoon bridge further along the canal and the advance was only temporarily halted.

In spite of mounting odds, the Battles were still being committed on ever-more desperate raids. On 14 May, 71 aircraft from Nos 12, 103, 105, 150 and 218 Squadrons were ordered to destroy enemy pontoon bridges at Sedan; Forty aircraft were lost to enemy fighters and mobile anti-aircraft batteries. Other missions were, in terms of percentages, equally disastrous and the remaining aircraft were withdrawn from France to England in June 1940 to serve again with No 1 Group.

Throughout the summer, Battles carried out attacks against Channel ports before retiring from operational duties with Bomber Command by the end of the year. Surviving aircraft were used with air gunnery schools and as target tugs both at home and throughout the Empire training system for some years.

Date Last Updated : Wednesday, April 6, 2005 2:40 AM

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