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Aviation History
1936
1936 - 1697.PDF
d FLIGHT. JUNE 25, 1936. their aerodromes. What "heavies" were within striking distance were, for the moment, being held back until the exact location of the main enemy munition bases was determined. Rapid reprisals were the trade of the Blenheims. Their range was well short of that of the '' heavies,'' but their superlative speed and medium-weight bomb load placed them in a class which was much to be desired. Their power—provided by two highly supercharged Mercury radials rated at 720 h.p. at 12,500 ft,—was not far short of twice that of the standard heavy bombers in the Ser vice a few years before. It was arranged that the eight squadrons should join company a few miles out to sea. Each was detailed to concentrate on one of the four aerodromes from which the enemy squadrons were known to be operating, but all were to fly together almost as far as the first of the objectives. A rendezvous for the return journey was agreed upon. At 5,000 ft. over the Channel the eight squadrons con verged as though their glistening metal skins were drawn by some invisible aerial magnet. Resolving themselves into a - pattern which appeared to be designed for the amusement of Hendon crowds, but which in reality was planned to permit the most effective defensive cross-fire, they headed out to sea, climbing as they went to a height where their supercharged engines would drive them at their best operating speed. Raider Meets Raider Before long their crews were to witness one of the strangest episodes in the history of war, when, flying be tween 12,000 and 16,000 ft., they sighted the raiding enemy force and passed within three or four miles. Neither group dared deviate one degree from its set course, for an engage ment would have ruined any chance of success in its primary mission. A hundred miles from his target, the leader of the Blen heims began to notice that the roads bore what he knew to be groups of marching men, which became more fre quent and intense the farther he flew. Although from the height at which he observed he could decipher very little with accuracy, he knew that vast bodies of troops were moving in towards the coast, and that, although it was impossible to detect movement of any kind, it would be a matter of days only before the eastern coastal dis tricts of England would be open to air attack by machines operating from bases just across the Channel. He was amazed that he had not yet met with any opposition from the ground or the air. Actually, there was little, he mused, to be feared from "Archie," for it was unlikely that the advance guard of the raiding forces would be equipped to tackle a formation of this magni tude. Cold comfort, though, because mingling with the throbbing purr of the Mercuries, he could detect a high- pitched whine. Here they were. They would have to be good to break the Bristol for mation. What luck. Fanhar 34s. No more than 250 flat out—if that. But plenty to cope with. There must have been fifty of them. And he was the bull's-eye. Funny. Here he was leading a British force in the first aerial battle since 1918, and all his duty required of him was to open the throttle a bit wider. Then a pneumatic drill got to work on his windscreen and instrument board. It danced around gaily, shattering the glass and clipping fragments from the casings. A boost gauge gone; a rev. counter .... Then they left him alone for a time, and he was able to see the other fellows break away toward their respective targets. His should turn up at any minute. Those were the three farms. A tunnel mouth. Points. Sidings. A Base Attack Precision bombing is made none the more precise when enemy fighters are doing everything they can to ensure that no bombing, whatever the variety, shall be done. But the Blenheims managed to produce such a baffling pat tern of craters on the aerodrome and to modify the out line of surrounding buildings to such an extent that the rear air gunner of the leading machine, as he slammed home one of his few remaining magazines, was able to con sole himself with the thought that the personnel of certain squadrons, in the somewhat questionable event of their return, would go without their tea. There was no time to circle the rendezvous for long. No time even to get an idea of the number of Blenheims which had "made it." The various formations rejoined the main body as best they could in face of the perpetual onslaughts by the Fanhars, and with all possible speed the British force headed for home. The fighters had gone. Eight of the Blenheims were down. From subsequent reports it seemed that about the same number of Fanhars had fallen to the Blenheim gunners. As the Blenheim formation lost height over the Channel the crews could see Ansons and destroyers circling dark objects in the water. They were unaware of the great battle fought over the Channel that afternoon : of the way the Gladiators and Furies had-torn into the enemy for mations on their way to London. Of the machines which reached the Metropolis the majority had released their bombs south of the river. Whether by accident or judg ment, a complete salvo fell in Kingston not many hundred yards from the Hawker factory. Three hundred dead were reported from the suburbs, and a quarter that number from the city. A number of large fires were started by crashed enemy aircraft, eight of which were brought down in the London area. * * * London trembled at the thought of the night, and turned for consolation to the night fighters, anti-aircraft guns and searchlights, the sound locators, and the Observer Corps.
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