SEPTEMBER 2024

GERMAN ASSUALT & TRANSPORT GLIDERS

Many thanks to Richard Davies for his presentation on German Assault and
Transport Gliders, and their Motorised Versions.
 
Originally conceived for Operation Sealion, the proposed invasion of Britain, these aircraft were used in the Mediterranean and Eastern fronts during WW2 and could deliver formidable amounts of much needed supply items and troops.

There were a lot of interesting facts covered and to name a few:- The versatile DFS glider which was used from 1939 until 1945.

Was first used in the assault on
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fort_Eben-Emael> Battle of Fort Eben-Emael in Belgium during early May 1940 (the first ever assault by glider-borne troops), and later in the rescue of Benito Mussolini.

The Me 321 Gigant glider which could carry incredibly heavy loads, including artillery and armoured vehicles, and therefore had to be towed before getting airborne.

One of the more interesting towing aircraft was the Heinkel 111Z-1(Pictured below)

The Gigant was experimentally fitted with aircraft engines and was eventually developed into the ME 232 which had the greatest cargo carrying capacity of any in its class during WW2. (Below)

The "D" series had a crew of five - two pilots, two<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_engineer> flight engineers, and <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio>  radio operator. Two gunners could also
be carried. The flight engineers occupied two small cabins, one in each wing
between the inboard and centre engines.

It was vulnerable to air attack and ground fire however, as in one instance
an air convoy of 27 in the Mediterranean were intercepted by allied fighters and 17 of the 27 ME 232s were shot down despite having fighter escort.

Some very informative videos were shown in the second half of the meeting

Many thanks to Richard for highlighting this often-neglected side of WW2
aviation.

MAY 2024

MERLIN ENGINE

The presentation was on the MERLIN ENGINE and the presenter was DAVID DUNSIRE.

The Merlin played a key role in winning the air war in all theatres for Britain, Dominion, and United States air forces.

Development of the Merlin under Ernest Hives was covered as were the
challenges which occurred when fitting it into the various aircraft in which it was used.

The difference, during the battle of Britain, between the fuel injection of the Daimler Benz engines used in the Bf 109s and the carburettor flooding or fuel starvation while following the Bf 109 in a dive of the Spitfire 1s and 2s were also explored.

This problem was ameliorated by the installing of a device developed and
installed after the battle by a lady engineer called Tilly Shilling. (The small device, featuring a small hole, was ribaldry called Tilly Shillings orifice!)

David, being a retired Boeing pilot, has a great interest in Stanley Hooker who developed the supercharger and especially the two-stage, two speed supercharger which returned the advantage to the Spitfire IX over the Fw 190 which up to that point had a distinct advantage over the Spitfire V .

Some very interesting and understandable graphs were shown, showing the improved performance of aircraft, both Fighters and Bombers as the merlin engine was further developed.

The transformation of the Mustang with the Merlin was discussed as was the engine's production in the United States.

The staggering number of aircraft in which the Merlin was installed were flashed up with many of us feeling deflated as there were some we had never heard of!

A very interesting Video followed by a handout on the Merlin engine, which
is definitely worth a read.

FEBRUARY 2024

DOUGLAS DAUNTLESS

The presentation was on the DOUGLAS DAUNTLESS and the BATTLE OF MIDWAY.
Presenter was Ian Cameron.

Although Midway was an US-Japanese air/sea battle, if it had been lost there would have been very severe consequences for the Britain in the Indian Ocean.(e.g. Ceylon being occupied)

Both the American and Japanese strategies and aircraft were covered, and it was surprising how many aircraft were based on the Midway Atoll.

The Japanese plan was to draw the American fleet into a full naval battle and destroy it and the American plan was to discover the Japanese fleet first and destroy all their aircraft carriers.(The Americans had sent their Battleships back to the American east coast).

The Americans had two key advantages:- They had broken the Japanese code and
they had radar which the Japanese did not have.

They also had better search facilities, especially from 20+ Catalina Flying Boats based on Midway.

Four Japanese carriers were sunk vs one American one, a catastrophic defeat
for the Japanese.

The video highlighted the Dauntless Dive Bomber which was responsible for
sinking all four Japanese carriers.

OCTOBER 2023

PETLYAKOV PE 2 tactical bomber

Many thanks to RICHARD DAVIES for his presentation on the Russian PETLYAKOV PE 2 tactical bomber.

This versatile aircraft , often described as the Russian Mosquito was one of the outstanding tactical bombers of the war.

The PE 2s development was covered amid the background that Vladimir Polyakov and his development team were in prison at the time!

It was used in the dive bomber, level bomber, ground attack and photo reconnaissance roles.

The Russian air force was a tactical one, whose main task was to support the Red Army on the ground and the PE2 became a key component in this role.

Its speed was such that escorting aircraft often had a problem keeping up with it!

The Video clips shown, although in Russian, gave an excellent overview of this important aircraft.

The Russian air force were initially caught with inferior aircraft at the beginning of the German invasion but later developed aircraft that played a key part in grinding down the German armies on the Eastern front!

JULY 2023

MORANE SAULNIER MS.406 fighter

Many thanks to Steve Gover for his presentation of the French Morane Saulnier MS.406 fighter which had never been presented at the club before.

Steve is one of the founder members of the club and has always presented aircraft which have often fallen of our radar screens.

The Morane’s development was covered as was its role in the battle of France.

Thereafter Allied pilots encountered it as opposition over French Vichy(German puppet) controlled territories such as North Africa, Syria and Madagascar.

Reasonably well armed and manoeuvrable it was a worthy opponent in the hands of an experienced pilot.

The video that followed Steve’s presentation gave further information on this often-overlooked aircraft.

APRIL 2023

HAWKER TYPHOON

Many thanks to Adrian Gurr for presenting the HAWKER TYPHOON.

We were taken through the early and later development of the Typhoon and Adrian also covered the development of the Hawker Tornado an aircraft which I for one had never heard of!

It was highlighted that because of the Typhoon's poor high-altitude performance due, among other things, to its thick wing and initial problems with its Sabre engine, the aircraft was almost rejected by the RAF.

Its salvation was the intro by the Luftwaffe of fast low flying hit and run nuisance raiders such as the FW 190 and Bf 109G on the UK which even Spitfires had a problem catching. Most of the Typhoon's teething problems had been sorted out and, as it was the fastest aircraft at low level available it was the obvious choice to intercept this new menace at low altitude.

Later it was recognised that its rugged structure made it ideal for the dangerous business of ground attack and by D-Day onwards it was the foremost allied ground attack aircraft armed with 4-20mm cannon plus having the ability to carry 2000lbs of bombs or 8 rockets.

A cab rank system was introduced after D-Day whereby Typhoons flew waiting
on standby to be called when needed.

Because at a distance it could be misidentified as a FW 190 some were
unfortunately lost to friendly fire.

The black and white D Day stripes painted prominently on the wings
significantly reduced those tragic occurrences.

The creative presentation was followed by excellent video clips.

AUGUST 2024

P51 MUSTANG

The aircraft covered was the P51 Mustang in RAF Service and the presenter was Ian Cameron.

One of the surprise aspects of the presentation was that it was the British
Purchasing Commission which opened an office in NEW York and asked North American Aircraft to develop a new fighter for them.

The aircraft had to have range, speed, and good armament.

The result was the Allison engine Mustang I and 11 with two 90 Gallons wing tanks which gave it double the range of a Spitfire V and a speed significantly greater than the Spitfire below 15000 feet. (It unfortunately
did not have a double super charger.)

The Mustang I and the more powerful II were allocated to Army Co-operation and were extensively employed in low-level photography and ground attack.

The Mustang II was the first allied fighter to fly over Germany.
 
The Mustang III was conceived by a Rolls Royce test pilot who thought thatthe Alison-engined Mustang had excellent flying characteristics but thought that if it could be fitted with a merlin engine the aircraft's altitude could be significantly increased and so after much coming and going between
Britain and the United States, the Mustang III (RAF designation) was developed into what many have claimed was the best fighter of WW2.

Used initially to escort bombers including USAAF B17s and B24 Liberators until the Americans got their own Mustang squadrons up to full strength and they would also escort Lancasters and Halifaxes during daylight raids later in the war.

The IIIs range was enhanced by an extra fuel tank behind the pilot seat, and this was used first after take-off even before the auxiliary fuel tanks attached to the wing were released.

It was also utilised in the ground attack role, as a dog fighter and as an interceptor of the VI flying bombs which were such a menace during 1944.

During WW2 there were 31 RAF Squadrons which had been equipped with Mustangs.

The presentation was followed by videos one of which featured the voices of
RAF pilots who flew the Mustang during WW2.

APRIL 2024

MARYLAND & BALTIMORE BOMBER

The presentation at the above meeting was on the Martin Twins- the MARYLAND
and BALTIMORE bombers.Presenter was ADRIAN GURR.

Prior to the meeting Adrian took the innovative step of sending an overview
of the Martin Company for attachment to the Newsletter. Started by Glen Luther Martin in 1912, Lockheed Martin is now the largest US
defence manufacturer, with 2023 revenues of $67.6Bn. It is headquartered in
North Bethesda, Maryland.

The document highlighted the astonishing fact that the Company nurtured Engineers and CEOs of many of the most prominent American Aero and Aerospace
Companies, and Glen Martin also taught William Boeing how to fly and sold
him his first airplane!(Nice one)

The Maryland followed by the Baltimore filled a welcome gap in the RAF and
Commonwealth air forces light Bomber arm, especially as the older Blenheim was coming under increasing pressure in North Africa, the Mediterranean and
later in Italy.

The Maryland was originally ordered by the French, and after the fall of France, part of the French order was transferred to Britain.

Allied Forces used it in the Mediterranean, North Africa, where, ironically, it was also used by the Vichy French against the allies!

Often deployed for photo-recce missions, a Maryland bomber photographed the
Italian fleet before and after the
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Taranto> Battle of Taranto on 11th
November 1940.

Produced in large numbers, the Baltimore was not used operationally by the
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States> United States armed forces, but eventually served with the British, Canadian, Australian, South African, Hellenic and the Italian air forces.

Crews praised the aircraft for its heavy armament, structural strength,
manoeuvrability, bombing accuracy and relatively high performance, although
complained of cramped conditions similar to the Maryland.

Used in the Western Desert and Mediterranean theatres - as well as a bomber, the Baltimore's roles included
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerial_reconnaissance> reconnaissance, target-towing, <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maritime_patrol_aircraft> maritime patrol, night intruder and even served as a highly uncomfortable
fast transport.

Adrian then added some very informative videos, one of which was the Martin
factory in war production.

Well done to him also for adapting and updating a core Power Point kindly
sent to us by our South African sister branch.

It is challenging enough presenting one aircraft never mind two!

DECEMBER 2023

HAWKER TEMPEST

Many thanks to Adrian Gurr (Once misidentified as Al Gore) for his presentation on the Hawker Tempest.

This was Adrian’s follow up from his excellent Hawker Typhoon presentation earlier in the year.

Once the Typhoon had found its forte as an interceptor for intercepting fast low flying raiders and as a superb ground attack aircraft, Hawker turned their attention to overcoming the Typhoon’s poor performance at higher altitudes. One of the key changes was a thinner wing which housed – four 20 mm canon, a longer fuselage, a more powerful engine, and the Tempest was born.

A 2260hp Napier Sabre engine in the Mk V and a 2590hp Bristol Centaurus radial engine in the later Mk II(don’t look for logic here) gave the Allies their fastest aircraft available at medium altitudes.

Held back to initially intercept the V1s, the Tempest went on to be a potent ground attack and interceptor over Europe- respected by both friend and foe!

Videos highlighted the development of the Tempest, the interceptions of V1s, gun camera footage, and the dangers of the ground attack role.

SEPTEMBER 2023

ARADO 234 JET BOMBER

MMany thanks to David Dunsire for presenting the Arado 234 jet bomber.

The world’s first operational Jet Bomber of which several 100 were produced, the Arado 234 was in active service during the latter part of WW2 and gave both the RAF and USAAF quite a challenge.

Overshadowed in history by both the ME 262 and ME 163 Komet the Arado was never-the-less a formidable adversary.

David took us through the aircraft’s stages of development and its operational history.

Allied fighters found it almost impossible to intercept on reconnaissance flights and its attacks on the  Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen were also covered.

Allied counter measures were also discussed.

At the end of the evening, we were a lot better informed about this often sometimes overlooked aircraft.

JUNE 2023

HANDLEY PAGE HALIFAX

Many thanks to Matt Salmon for his very informative presentation on the HANDLEY PAGE HALIFAX.

The Halifax, along with the Avro Lancaster, formed the backbone of the night bombing campaign against Germany.

Although eclipsed by the Lancaster, the Halifax was absolutely vital as the night bombing campaign against Germany gained momentum.

Matt also showed that the Lancaster had one large unobstructed bomb bay, enabling it to carry a single 12,000 lb bomb. However, the Halifax had an important advantage over the Lancaster. In an emergency, the roomier Halifax was easier to abandon which resulted in a superior survival ratio of Halifax crews compared to those in the Lancaster.

Different marks were discussed as was the flexibility of the Halifax e.g., specialised versions were developed for troop transport, paradrop operations, electronic counter measures and clandestine operations.

Aircrews rated the Mark 111 particularly highly.

Some Halifax aircrew experiences were also highlighted.

Many thanks also to Keith Collier whose father had flown in the Halifax as a bomb aimer and who presented his father’s flying logs, anecdotes, and brought along mementos for the club to examine.

MARCH 2023

B-29 SUPER FORTRESS

Many thanks to Richard Davies for his presentation of the B29 Superfortress.

Richard went through the development of this, the most modern bomber of WW2
and its early deployment in China supplied from airbases in India.

Bases in China had to be supplied over the Hump of the Himalayas.

Used only in the Far East the B29 had quite a few gremlins to sort out before it was fully deployed in 1944, but once put on active service proved devastating for Japanese cities and industry.

The American island-hopping in the Pacific was not only to eject the Japanese but also to make available airstrips for this very large aircraft.

Also, as the islands nearer Japan were taken, airstrips for escorting
Mustangs and Thunderbolts (P47N) were made available.

Low level fire bombing at night, where most of the gunners were left behind
were particularly devastating.

Better remembered for its dropping of the Atom Bomb, it was pointed out that the fire bombing of Tokyo with its mainly wooden structures killed more people than the A-
bomb dropped on Hiroshima, which along with the bomb dropped in Nagasaki
ended WW2.

The B29 was also used at the start of the Korean war and used by the RAF as
the Washington.

Richard, in his usual modest way, has asked me to point out that he had a record club turnout! (He needs a lot of humouring).

JULY 2024

JUNKERS 88

The presentation at the above meeting was on the JUNKERS 88 and the presenter was PETER O'BRIEN.

Peter took us through the development of the Ju 88 in its different forms including Bomber and Night Fighter versions.

One unusual form was the Mistel. This was a Strike Aircraft Complex and was a high-powered guided attack aircraft. The combat component of the complex was the Ju 88 bomber, which was fitted with a large warhead with an explosive material weighing between 1,800 and 2,000 kg instead of a cockpit.

The attached aircraft was a Fw 190.

Videos showing groundcrew readying and fitting the defensive armament, a video of the Ju 188 flying, something rarely seen plus some of the other advanced Junkers aircraft which were too late to enter service.

MARCH 2024

BOMBER COMMAND

The presentation at the above meeting was on Bomber Command in the Battle of
Britain. Presenter was Ian Cameron.

While Fighter Command rightly takes much of the credit for winning the Battle, Bomber Command also played a key role in helping win the Battle of Britain.

Key moments highlighted were the Bombing of the Dortmund- Ems Canal which
slowed down the delivery of invasion barges to the coastal ports.

The Bombing of the Barge ports which, while not destroying a large number of
Barges, forced the Germans to disperse them, thus missing the

Important 21st September 1940 best tide for invading Southern England.

But most of all, retaliation for bombs accidently dropped on London by the
Luftwaffe by a raid on Berlin by Bomber Command, took the pressure off the
RAF fighter airfields as the Luftwaffe then, also in retaliation, turned
their efforts on London.(Churchill was unaware that the London Bombing was
accidental)

This enabled Fighter Command to rebuild and defend London without the
previous heavy attrition on their airfields.

Although bombing of key strategic targets such as synthetic oil production
plants was often inaccurate, due to the rudimentary navigation aids of the
day, it was important to show the world that Britain was not taking the
German Bombing lying down.

Some informative videos were also shown.

Four Victoria Crosses were won by Bomber Command members during the Battle
of Britain and Battle of France.

Strangely only one VC was earned by Fighter command during the Battle of
Britain.

carriers.

NOVEMBER 2023

DOUGLAS DAUNTLESS

The presentation was on the DOUGLAS DAUNTLESS and the BATTLE OF MIDWAY.
Presenter was Ian Cameron.

Although Midway was an US-Japanese air/sea battle, if it had been lost there would have been very severe consequences for the Britain in the Indian Ocean.(e.g. Ceylon being occupied)

Both the American and Japanese strategies and aircraft were covered, and it was surprising how many aircraft were based on the Midway Atoll.

The Japanese plan was to draw the American fleet into a full naval battle and destroy it and the American plan was to discover the Japanese fleet first and destroy all their aircraft carriers.(The Americans had sent their Battleships back to the American east coast).

The Americans had two key advantages:- They had broken the Japanese code and
they had radar which the Japanese did not have.

They also had better search facilities, especially from 20+ Catalina Flying Boats based on Midway.

Four Japanese carriers were sunk vs one American one, a catastrophic defeat
for the Japanese.

The video highlighted the Dauntless Dive Bomber which was responsible for
sinking all four Japanese carriers.

AUGUST 2023

SHORT STERLING BOMBER

(Many thanks to Richard Davies for chairing this meeting and this is his summary)

Many thanks to John Lester for his presentation on the Short Stirling Bomber.

John in his usual style, described his role during the war in repairing many damaged bombers, and the complex procedures for repairs at the airfields, and transport to the massive hanger's at Madingley for ongoing repairs.

Thanks must also go to Adrian Gurr who talked through the wartime career of Flight Engineer Kenneth Chapman who served on Stirling Bombers.

 It is a real privilege to have a club member who has actually worked on WW2 aircraft.

MAY 2023

V2 ROCKET

Many thanks to Peter O'Brien for his excellent presentation on the V2
rocket.

Due to its speed and descending from a high altitude it was impossible to intercept, and because the launch pads were mobile, they were challenging to destroy on the ground.

Peter took us through the V2's construction which was often undertaken by slave labour under terrible conditions.

At least 10,000 concentration camp workers died in the process ofmanufacturing it!
 
A video clip of a launch sequence undertaken by an apparently captured
German launch crew, still in their original uniforms was shown.

The missile had a maximum range of about 320 km (200 miles) and a one-ton warhead.

Most of the 4000 fired during the last months of the Second World War were
aimed mainly at London and Antwerp.(Where supplies were being shipped in
from Britain)

At wars end there was a concerted effort by the Allies and Russians to recruit the scientists who had worked on the V2 with many ending up in NASA.

(No questions of war crimes re slave labour seem to have been taken
forward).

FEBRUARY 2023

BRISTOL BEAUFIGHTER

The aircraft presented was the Bristol Beaufighter and the presenter was Ian
Cameron.

The Beaufighter became Britain's premier night fighter after its introduction in September 1940 during which time many of the night fighting Radars and other technologies were developed.

To such an extent that the night sky over Britain became very dangerous places for the Luftwaffe and eased the way for the De Havilland Mosquito which took over the night fighter role from 1943.

Interestingly the USAAF used the Beaufighter as their main Night fighter until 1944.

While the different Marks of Beaufighter were being used as night fighters
the aircraft also became the RAF Coastal premier anti-shipping aircraft.

An important strategy was to use Beau wings which incorporated cannon, rocket firing, and torpedo launching aircraft while attacking shipping. Cannons to suppress defensive fire, rockets to punch holes in infrastructure and torpedoes to sink the ships.

Australia made good use of the Beaufighter which contributed to the first Japanese ground defeat of the war in New Guinea.

Mystery aircraft quiz no.1. Posted 18/04/2020

Can you identify the aircraft from the clues below?

Mystery aircraft quiz No.4 Posted 23/08/2020

Can you identify the three new aircraft

from the clues below?

Pictures courtesy Joby and Ian Cameron.