A_M_W_2015_05_

BRISTOLBRISTOL BEAUFIGHTERBEAUFIGHTER M kMk.X.X 5959

the first two Beaufighters arrived

between Christmas and New Year's

Eve, 1940. These were straight-

up fighters (Mk.IF) while a third

(R2152) received on January 2,

1941 had some, albeit unspecified,

coastal features incorporated. This

partially converted machine may

be cited as being the very first

Beaufighter Mk.IC (C for ‘Coastal’)

by some, but squadron records

suggest it was very much a hybrid

suitable purely for crew training.

In addition to the task of

producing combat-ready crews

with just four Beaufighters (the

fourth arrived on January 15) and

eight Blenheims, the squadron

was forced to dedicate one of

its precious Beaufighters to the

development of a coastal-specific

airborne radio installation (ARI,

or avionics suite in today’s

language), in cooperation with

the Coastal Command Tactical

Development Unit located across

the Bristol Channel at Carew

Cheriton. This remained the

situation until March 8, when the

“first three Beaufighter I aircraft

(T3228, R2269, and T3230)

operationally equipped to Coastal

Command Standards” arrived from

Bristol’s Filton works via 33 MU at

Lynham. When taken on strength,

it was discovered that the MU had

failed to install the wing machine

guns, general-purpose wireless

gear, or dinghies! Presumably, the

mid-fuselage long-range fuel tank,

navigation equipment (including

some coastal-specific ARI

components such as the direction-

finding loop), were deemed

sufficient by the MU. As March

turned to April, the number of

new Beaufighter Mk.ICs increased,

and squadron ground crews busied

themselves installing radio gear,

dinghies, and Browning machine

guns, while training escalated

towards operational readiness.

After a move to Aldergrove,

Northern Ireland, 252 Squadron

was declared operational on

April 6, 1941, and launched the

Command’s first Beaufighter

operational sorties – Mk.ICs T3235

and T3228 on convoy escort – at

06:05 hrs that very day.

By April 16, first blood had been

drawn...Beaufighter Mk.IC T3237/

PN-K, with Irish ace Flt Lt ‘Bill’

Riley (a veteran of Gladiator ops

in Norway and Hurricanes during

the Battle of Britain; he achieved

the rank of Wing Commander in

1942) at the controls, shot down

a KG 40 Fw 200 Condor, and later

that afternoon his colleagues Flg

Off Lane (pilot) and Sgt Cross

were lost, in Beaufighter T3238/

PN-S, to the guns of a Bf 110

off Norway. While there were no

survivors from the Fw 200, Lane

ditched successfully, after which

he and Cross were rescued and

became POWs.

MARITIME MAULER

the first two Beaufighters arrived

between Christmas and New Year's

Eve, 1940. These were straight-

up fighters (Mk.IF) while a third

(R2152) received on January 2,

1941 had some, albeit unspecified,

coastal features incorporated. This

partially converted machine may

be cited as being the very first

Beaufighter Mk.IC (C for ‘Coastal’)

by some, but squadron records

suggest it was very much a hybrid

MAULER

404 Squadron TF.Xs attack a minesweeper off the French coast, on August 8,

1944. Despite the condition of the photo, the strike wing story is immediately
      communicated here. Cannon and R/P have already done serious damage but the
      flak continues to come up, appearing as little white balls. (Melson collection)

Torbeau! Beaufighter VIC ITF JL832 was ‘A’ of 254 Squadron when posed for

this 1943 photo. The TF.X inherited many features from this variant, including

torpedo crutches, strop release and tensioning gear. (author’s collection)

NE221 on a test flight, carrying

a retrievable drop-practice (no

propulsion) torpedo. This aircraft

illustrates certain features of the

production standard delivered to

the service in late 1943. Dive brakes

are still present and wing gun blast

tube ports are blended neatly into

the finish of the wing leading edges.

(author’s collection)

This is an example of the short-lived mostly white ASW scheme applied to some coastal Beaufighters, either already in service or on delivery in mid-1943. The specification

called for Extra Dark Sea Grey uppers, which included most of the upper wing and tailplane, except the leading edge. Serials are Light Slate Grey and the red dope around

the wing fillets was to fasten fabric strips over the fillet attachment screws, for they would come loose when the cannon were fired.

LZ293 prior to receiving its 236 Sqn markings in the summer of 1943

58-64_History.CC.indd 59 19/03/2015 15:16