38 RAF CENTENARY CELEBRATION BOMBERS
(^19182018) FAIREY BATTLE
Above right
Based at Écury-sur-
Coole in France, Battle
I P5232, piloted by Flt
Sgt G T Barker, attacked
the bridges at Sedan on
the afternoon of May
14, 1940. It was shot
down, and only
one of the three
crew survived.
PETE WEST
Above
Based at Kaldadarnes
in Iceland, Battle I
L5343 of 98 Squadron
force-landed on
September 13, 1940.
After an epic salvage
it was acquired by
the RAF Museum on
November 21, 1972.
Beautifully restored,
it returned to display
at Hendon in 2010.
RAF MUSEUM http://www.
rafmuseum.org
M
any readers will regard the
Battle as a dismal failure. It
had many limitations, but
was the best in its class at the time;
there was nothing to put in its place.
Branding the aircraft as a disaster is
to decry the incredible valour shown
by the aircrew that did what they
could to face the German Blitzkrieg
of May 1940.
The Battle was a modern,
monoplane rethink of the incredibly
successful Hawker Hart and Hind
line of light bombers. But a concept
that worked in the late 1920s and
early 1930s was eclipsed by the
rapidly changing technologies that
heralded the start of World War Two.
The prototype took its maiden
flight on March 10, 1936 and in May
the following year the Battle entered
service with 63 Squadron at Upwood.
On September 2, 1939 – the
day before war was declared – 226
Squadron became the first Battle unit
to deploy to France as part of the
Advanced Air Striking Force (AASF)
intended to deter any German
ambitions to expand westwards.
After the Battle of France and
Dunkirk, Battles were quickly
replaced and in 1941 the type was
withdrawn from operational flying.
Battles were adapted to support roles,
as pilot conversion and gunnery
trainers and target-tugs, and served
on until 1944.
ACT OF FAITH
With just less than twice the power
of the Hart, the Battle carried the
same defensive armament (single fixed
forward-firing gun and a manually
operated one in the dorsal position)
and twice the bomb load. Yet it was
only 57mph (91km/h) faster and,
crucially, was more than twice as
heavy, fully loaded.
Battles were underpowered, sluggish
and pitifully armed – which made
them easy meat for the far faster,
exceptionally agile Messerschmitt
Bf 109s they would encounter on
the way to a target – and formed the
most numerous bomber element
of the AASF: the RAF had slightly
more than a thousand on charge in
September 1939.
With Hawker Hurricanes heavily
committed, the Battles went into
combat largely without escort.
Despite being well trained and highly
motivated, their crews, flying into the
teeth of the Luftwaffe, were doing so
as an act of faith.
BLACK TUESDAY
German tanks, artillery and troops,
supported by wave after wave of
Luftwaffe aircraft, crossed into
Type: Three-seat light bomber
First fl ight: March 10, 1936; entered service May 1937
Powerplant: One 1,030hp (768kW) Rolls-Royce Merlin II V12
Dimensions: Span 54ft 0in (16.45m), Length 42ft 2in (12.85m)
Weights: Empty 6,647lb (3,015kg); all-up 10,792lb (4,895kg)
Max speed: 241mph (387km/h) at 13,000ft (3,962m)
Range: 795 miles (1,279km)
Armament: One machine gun in starboard wing, another in rear position. Up to
1,000lb (453kg) of bombs
Replaced: Hawker Hart, Hind and Vickers Wellesley from 1937
Taken on charge: 2,200, including sub-contract to Austin Motors
Replaced by: Bristol Blenheim IV and Handley Page Hampden from 1939, Handley
Page Halifax and Vickers Wellington from 1940
FAIREY BATTLE
1937 TO 1944
BATTLE
FAIREY