THE FAIREY BATTLE - A story of an outmoded Aircraft, and WW1 officer mentality.

[Phil Perry]

Historian writer friend BP, with his latest missive. . . .

 

 

The Fairey Battle – The slaughter of the RAF’s Advanced Air Striking force, May 1940

 

 

Some of you may recognise the box art from the old Airfix Fairey Battle kit.

 

12 Squadron aircraft going in against the bridges over the Albert Canal.

 

“Good-morning, good-morning!” the General said

 

When we met him last week on our way to the line.

 

Now the soldiers he smiled at are most of 'em dead,

 

And we're cursing his staff for incompetent swine.

 

“He's a cheery old card,” grunted Harry to Jack

 

As they slogged up to Arras with rifle and pack.

 

But he did for them both by his plan of attack.

 

Siegfried Sassoon

 

Having read a recent excellent essay on the Rolls Royce Merlin engine, I asked why some aircraft such as the Fairey Battle were so hopeless, despite having this outstanding engine. Other friends nailed it: too big an aircraft, three crew and a single engine. I decided to do some research on the Fairey Battle light bomber and uncovered a sad, depressing and all too frequent story of British Service personnel sacrificed needlessly because of inferior equipment, coupled with senior officers’ incompetence.

 

The Battle was a single-engine light bomber designed and manufactured by the Fairey Aviation Company. It was developed during the mid-1930s for the RAF, as a monoplane successor to the earlier Hawker Hart and Hind biplanes. The Battle was powered by the same high performance Rolls-Royce Merlin piston engine that provided various contemporary British fighters, however the Battle was weighed down with a three-man crew and a bomb load. Despite being a great improvement on the aircraft that preceded it, by the time it saw action, the Battle was relatively slow, limited in terms of range and was quickly found to be highly vulnerable to both anti-aircraft fire and hostile fighters, possessing only two defensive .303” machine guns.

 

 

The Hawker Hind that the Battle replaced in 1937

 

Operational History

 

No 63 Squadron RAF was the first to be allocated the Fairey Battle in June 1937. To the aircrews it was a vast improvement on the Hind and Hart biplanes, spacious and able to carry twice the bombloads of its replacements. It was also the first Merlin powered aircraft to enter RAF service, beating the Hawker Hurricane’s debut by several months. Unfortunately due to the development of single seater fighters in Germany, the Battle was obsolete by the time that war broke out in September 1939. There being no replacements available at that time, the ten Battle Squadrons formed the vanguard of the Advanced Air Striking Forces (AASF), sent to France during the “Phoney War.” The Battle has the incredulous distinction of shooting down a Messerschmitt BF 109 that must have been flown by an exceptionally inept or unlucky German pilot on 20th September 1939, during a patrol near Aachen.

 

Nonetheless, the Battle was hopelessly outclassed by Luftwaffe fighters, being almost 100 mph (160 km/h) slower than the contemporary Bf 109 at 14,000 ft (4,300 m). The Battle's defence consisted of a single .303 in Vickers K machine gun mounted in the rear cockpit and a single forward-firing .303 in Browning machine gun in the starboard wing.

 

The command structure for the British Forces in France was convoluted, inefficient and should be a teaching point in the Joint Services Staff College of how not to set up a command structure. General Lord Gort’s British Expeditionary Force (BEF) Headquarters was at Boulogne-sur-Mere, while the Headquarters of the AASF was at Rheims. Air Vice Marshall Barratt had under his command 135 serviceable light bombers, but political considerations stipulated they were not to be used until the Germans attacked. The Air Tasking Orders issued from BEF Headquarters were hopelessly out of date and the targets had moved on in the fast-moving Blitzkrieg operations.

 

The Battle light bombers were ordered to perform unescorted attacks against targets that had moved or at known pinch-points that were extensively protected by mobile flak and fighter screens. This put the aircraft at risk of attack from Luftwaffe fighters and within easy range of light anti-aircraft guns. In the first of two sorties carried out by Battles on 10 May 1940, three out of eight aircraft were lost, while, in the second sortie, a further 10 out of 24 were shot down, giving a total of 13 lost in that day's attacks, with the remainder suffering damage. Despite bombing at dangerously low levels their attacks had little impact on the German columns.

 

During an attack on a German troop column on 11th May 1940, seven out of eight aircraft were shot down as well as six Battles from the Belgian Air Force. The following day an attack was ordered on the bridges over the Albert Canal by No 12 Squadron. Only five aircraft were left and the Squadron survivors flew into a barrage a light flak and fighters. Four aircraft were shot down and one crash-landed back at its base. Two Victoria Crosses were awarded for the mission, both posthumous. Flying Officer Garland and air observer/navigator Sergeant Gray of P2204 coded PH-K, were awarded the medals for pressing home the attack in spite of the heavy defensive fire. The third crewmember, rear gunner Leading Aircraftsman Lawrence Reynolds, received no award because he was not deemed to be part of the crew’s decision-making process. A shameful event as the air gunners were not then constituted aircrew and were all volunteers from the ground crews. Although Garland's Battle destroyed one span of the bridge, the German engineers quickly erected a pontoon bridge to replace it.

 

On 14 May 1940, the AASF was tasked with a desperate attempt to stop German forces crossing the Meuse and launched an all-out attack by every available bomber against the German bridgehead and pontoon bridges at Sedan. The light bombers were attacked by swarms of opposing fighters and were devastated. Out of a strike force of 63 Battles and eight Bristol Blenheims, 40 including 35 Battles were lost. Finally the mauled crews had a reprieve as the Battle was switched to mainly night attacks, resulting in much lower losses. The continual tasking of inadequate aircraft against heavily defended targets with no fighter cover, was in my view tantamount to a war crime.

 

However, the Hurricane fighters based in France were having their own problems. The Hurricane could hold its own against the twin-engine Messerschmitt 110, but the BF 109 was far superior and so were the Luftwaffe tactics. It the period 19th May – 1st June 1940, the RAF lost 119 Hurricanes, 75 Spitfires and 242 other types. Despite the French Air Force flying their fighters south to Algeria to preserve them and their pilots, the French demanded that the British send ten more fighter squadrons to France. Air Chief Marshall Dowding, C in C Fighter Command flatly refused Churchill’s request, as the fighters would be needed to fight the inevitable Battle of Britain. Churchill showed his vindictiveness when after winning the air battle, he forced Dowding to step down.

 

 

The remains of a downed Battle. The only real winners were the French scrap metal dealers

 

The few remaining aircraft of the AASF were evacuated to Britain on 15 June 1940. In six weeks almost 200 Battles had been lost, with 99 between 10 and 16 May. The Battle continued in a front line role for a short period of time. The aircraft was flown against the massed barges in French and Belgian ports, assembled in preparation for Operation SEALION. Their last combat sortie of the French Campaign was mounted on the night of 15/16 October 1940 by No. 301 (Polish) Squadron in a raid on Boulogne, and Nos 12 and 142 Squadrons bombing Calais. Shortly afterwards Battle squadrons of No. 1 Group were re-equipped with more potent Vickers Wellington bombers. Battles were operated into 1941 by 88 and 226 Squadrons in Northern Ireland and 98 Squadron in Iceland, for coastal patrol work.

 

The last combat operations carried out by Fairey Battles were during the Italian and German invasion of Greece, from the end of 1940 until April 1941. A few Fairey Battles of the RAF and about a dozen belonging to the Royal Hellenic Air Force, took part in bombing enemy infantry formations. Most of the aircraft were destroyed on the ground, by Luftwaffe air attacks upon the airfields of Tanagra and Tatoi north of Athens, between end of March and mid-April 1941.

 

 

The Fairey Battle suffered the highest loss rate pro-rata of any aircraft that has been in RAF service. It was underpowered and obsolete by the time war broke out, but so was the Blenheim, Bloch and Dornier 17. The high losses were due to sending the aircraft in penny-packet suicide attacks, against targets thick with defences and with no fighter cover. The aircraft had its failings, but nothing like the failings of senior officers who produced the Air Tasking Orders. The tragedy is that young men died because of the shortcomings of older men, fighting the last war. ‘Twas ever thus'

 

H/T BP.

 

 

[IBob]

Thanks for a most excellent writeup.

 

1940 Fairey Battles.

 

2017 inflammable building cladding.

 

How is it that the people who make these decisions always seem to be comfortably insulated from the results of their stupidity and incompetence???

 

 

[facthunter]

Britain wasn't really ready for the war. It's surprising just how much good stuff came out of such a small country when they got going. The Landed Gentry feature prominently in officer ranks. Perhaps a weak link in the command system. Nev

 

 

[IBob]

The Landed Gentry feature prominently in officer ranks. Perhaps a weak link in the command system. Nev

I'm not sure I agree there, Nev: while I wholeheartedly agree that such an arrangement (and that was exactly the arrangement) is going to result in some some very stupid men of rank...you've also got to think the the Brits had been fighting wars for centuries, and mostly winning...

I think the British class system, obnoxious though it is, produces individuals who are sadly stunted in some ways...yet oddly capable of real heroism...or something that looks very much like it...when put to the test...

 

Or that's how it used to look.......I've no idea how the current shower would measure up...

 

 

[facthunter]

i'd put more trust in good farming lads who analyse situations and adapt to what happens in front of them, use the rules when they work and prepared to discard them when necessary. Perhaps there's not a lot of that versatility/ initiative about these days. You aren't there to think. THAT makes you too hard to manage. Nev

 

 

[IBob]

i'd put more trust in good farming lads who analyse situations and adapt to what happens in front of them, use the rules when they work and prepared to discard them when necessary. Perhaps there's not a lot of that versatility/ initiative about these days. You aren't there to think. THAT makes you too hard to manage. Nev

While the Italians are traditionally the butt of many military jokes, the reality is that they do think......and so resist regimentation.

As the old man quietly said at the end of Catch 22...they've been at it for 2000 years........and have worked a few things out.

 

 

[facthunter]

I like Em. Years back a cleaner at a school where I was teaching who had been in Tripoly during WW2 told me of when they over ran somewhere in that area of North Africa, there were heaps of Italian POW's who couldn't wait to help aussies service and get going the larger Italian trucks that were all over the place. Nev .

 

 

[IBob]

As for the farm boys...and the landed gentry, come to that: probably depended what sort of action you were involved in:

 

The regimented Romans made easy work of the farm boys, as did Chaka's regimented Zulus round half of Africa. But then the regimented Brits didn't have it too easy in the New World, and the Gurkhas, their wits sharpened by years of border work around the Pathan, were then very good in the jungle with the Japanese...

 

Now it's all moved on so fast and so far, it's boys in tin huts in Wyoming taking out people with turbans on the other side of the world...and all the rest of this is just historical reminiscences, wouldn't you say?

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Thanks for a most excellent writeup.1940 Fairey Battles.

2017 inflammable building cladding.

 

How is it that the people who make these decisions always seem to be comfortably insulated from the results of their stupidity and incompetence???

To use a comment already in the above article Bob. . . .'TWAS ALWAYS THUS'

 

 

 

 

 

[kaz3g]

Thanks Phil.

 

I read a lot about aviation leading up to and through WWII and there were so many poor decisions you have to wonder at the tenacity of the pilots who kept going back despite the odds.

 

The Boulton Paul Defiants were another disaster that cost the lives of highly experienced men until they were finally taken out of daytime service.

 

Stories of the Battle of Britain 1940 – Death of the Defiant — Battle of Britain | 1940 | Defiant | history

 

Kaz

 

 

[onetrack]

One of the problems with War is the rapid advance of technology and the inability of many of the leaders to grasp the new trends. Then there was the long lead time in the development of new and improved equipment.

 

It really was a great deal of luck and the forethought of a few clever men, that produced the likes of the Spitfire and Kittyhawk in time to make a sizeable dent in the Luftwaffes dominance.

 

I have nothing but complete admiration for those brave blokes who threw obsolete aircraft into battle against superior forces, knowing full well their chances of survival were slim.

 

The British failed to grasp the Germans insistence on massive firepower requirement, at every stage of their equipment development. A trend followed by the Americans, many of whom possess German ancestry.

 

The British were content to fit a couple of .303 MG's to aircraft, while the German aircraft carried .50 cal and 20mm cannon.

 

Witness the Germans turning the 88mm - formerly, solely an AA weapon - into a straight-out anti-tank gun for field use.

 

Hundreds of brave Australians met their demise driving pathetic little Bren carriers straight into 88mm's - when they still wouldn't have been safe in Grant or Sherman tanks.

 

There were many subtle decisions with far-reaching effect, that changed the course of WW2. One, was Hitlers insistence that all armaments production had to become complete, finished equipment.

 

He failed to grasp the importance of sidelining components from production, to be held as spare parts in reserve. He was intent on "showing numbers" in operational items.

 

As a result, even minor breakdowns in Luftwaffe aircraft meant that the engineering and maintenance crews had to cannibalise otherwise operational aircraft (that may have been undergoing maintenance), to keep others flying.

 

This led to a serious decline in the numbers of operational aircraft available, as compared to the numbers on paper.

 

 

[Ben SVD]

Fairey Battle currently undergoing restoration at South Australia Air Museum. Well worth a visit. Apparently only 4 of kind left worldwide

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Fairey Battle currently undergoing restoration at South Australia Air Museum. Well worth a visit. Apparently only 4 of kind left worldwide

Thanks for that Ben, one of our guys at the flying club mentioned that he thought there was one being restored somewhere in Australia. I can now tell him where !

 

 

[onetrack]

Not a lot of people are aware that a section of the near-new International Harvester factory in Geelong was utilised by the RAAF, to assemble Fairey Battles that were imported from the U.K. in CKD form.

 

The huge and modern IH Australia factory was only completed in March 1939, and had only just started to produce agricultural products, when it was largely turned over to the War effort, and agricultural item production took a back seat.

 

Not only new FB's were assembled at IH Geelong - Australia also got a lot of used (ex-RAF) FB's, that had to be reconditioned.

 

Some were suffering from quite severe corrosion, and much effort went into repairing a number of them - but some were beyond repair, and were used for spares and instructional airframes.

 

We received 370 FB's during WW2 (up to 1943), according to ADF Serials. It's reported that in addition to the FB's, a substantial number of Kittyhawks were also assembled at IH, and the factory produced around 500 aircraft in total during the War.

 

World War II - North Shore: Geelong's Boom Town 1920s-1950s - Culture Victoria

 

 

[Phil Perry]

I have some old sepia photographs taken by my Maiden Uncle Jim,. . memory awoken by that picture of the Hawker Hind above.

 

He was trained as an engineer / gunner on the Hawker Hind Biplane in Mersa Matruh ( Libya ) in 1938 - 39. After after the outbreak of hostilities, he was transferred to a Wellington Bomber squadron and failed to return after a propaganda leaflet raid over Norway. From the humorous comments on the backs of some of these pictures which somehow made their way to my Mother to be. . . I really wish that I could have known the man. . . Sad.