British Military Aviation in 1942 - Part 3

Part 2 | Part 4

8-9 March
The first electronic navigation aid is brought into service by RAF Bomber Command - 'Gee' is employed for the first time by RAF Bomber Command. The target for this raid, the German industrial city of Essen, is attacked by a force of 211 aircraft. However, industrial haze prevents accurate bombing.

12 March
The Empire Central Flying School is formed at Hullavington from the Central Flying School.

20 March
Ten Hawker Hurricanes and nine Bristol Blenheims from Magwe attack Mingaladon, destroying sixteen Japanese aircraft on the ground and eleven in the air. In the following 24 hours 230 enemy aircraft attack Magwe, destroying eleven Hurricanes and all but six Blenheims.

20-21 March
The Luftwaffe launch a devastating series of raids on Ta'Kali in Malta, demolishing virtually every building on the airfield.

During 21 March, the first phase of Operation Scantling/Picket witnesses the arrival of a further nine Supermarine Spitfires on Malta, escorted by two Bristol Blenheims. In the second phase of this operation on 29 March, a further seven Spitfires, three Blenheims and two Bristol Beauforts are flown to the island.

27 March
The Japanese launch a three-day assault on Akyab, destroying a further seven Hawker Hurricanes. The surviving aircraft are evacuated to India. Over 8,600 civilians are airlifted to safety by Douglas Dakota transport aircraft of No.31 Squadron RAF and the 2nd Troop Carrier Squadron, United States Army Air Force (USAAF).

28-29 March
RAF Bomber Command mounts its first concentrated raid against a German city. A total of 234 aircraft are despatched, of which twelve fail to return. The target is the ancient Hanseatic port of Lübeck and the attacking force drops large numbers of incendiaries which destroy most of the wooden buildings in the old town. A series of similar raids are subsequently carried out against the port of Rostock. Such is their effect that the Germans for the first time use the phrase Terrorangriff (Terror raids) to describe them.

April
The Blitz on Malta reaches its height during this month. A total of 9,599 sorties are flown by the Luftwaffe against Malta, during which 6,500 tons of bombs are dropped. No fewer than 44 aircraft are destroyed on the ground, 82 damaged and a further 20 fighters are destroyed in combat over the island. The Luftwaffe loses 45 aircraft.

4-9 April
On 4 April a Consolidated Catalina patrol aircraft of No.205 Squadron RAF reports that a Japanese carrier task force is approaching Ceylon. On the following day, 150 Japanese aircraft attack Colombo harbour in the hope of surprising the Royal Navy's Far Eastern Fleet at anchor. However, the fleet is at sea.

36 Hawker Hurricanes of No.30 and No.258 Squadrons, together with six Fairey Fulmars of No.803 and No.806 Squadrons, Fleet Air Arm, take off to intercept the enemy over the sea, having been alerted by radar. The British aircraft are outclassed by the Mitsubishi A6M 'Zero' fighters operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy and 15 Hurricanes and 4 Fulmars are shot down.

10-11 April
The first 8,000 pound High Capacity bomb is dropped by a RAF Bomber Command aircraft. A Handley Page Halifax of No.76 Squadron captained by Pilot Officer M. Renault drop the weapon on Essen.

15 April
In recognition of the gallantry of its citizens and defenders under incessant air attack and in the face of serious food shortages, the island of Malta is awarded the George Cross. In his letter addressed to the British Governor of Malta from Buckingham Palace and in his own hand, King George VI wrote: "To honour her brave people I award the George Cross to the Island Fortress of Malta to bear witness to a heroism and devotion that will long be famous in history."

17 April
Twelve Avro Lancasters of No.44 and No.97 Squadrons, RAF Bomber Command, are despatched on a daylight low-level raid on the MAN submarine diesel engine works at Augsburg in southern Bavaria. Although a brilliant feat of arms, seven aircraft from the attacking force are shot down en route to, or at the target. Furthermore, little damage is done to the MAN factory - five of the seventeen bombs that hit the target fail to detonate. The commanding officer of No.44 Squadron, Squadron Leader J.D. Nettleton, is awarded the Victoria Cross for the valour and leadership that he demonstrated during the attack.

18 April
The first air attack on the Japanese homeland is carried out by sixteen North American B25 Mitchell medium bombers of the United States Army Air Force (USAAF). The aircraft fly from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet.

20 April
Operation Calendar: 46 Supermarine Spitfires are flown to Malta from the deck of the United States Navy (USN) carrier USS Wasp, together with the pilots of No.601 and No.603 Squadrons RAF. However, in response the Luftwaffe launch a series of devastating raids on the airfields at Luqa and Ta'Kali. By 23 April, nine of the Spitfires have been destroyed on the ground and a further 29 damaged.

25-26 April
The Luftwaffe mounts the first in a series of night 'reprisal' raids on British cities in revenge for the area attacks on the Baltic ports of Lübeck and Rostock. This sequence of attacks becomes known as the 'Baedeker Blitz'. The first city to be singled out for such an attack is Exeter.

26 April
Winston Churchill instructs the United Kingdom Petroleum Warfare Department to investigate ways of dispersing fog from emergency airfields.

9 May
During the first phase of Operations Oppidan and Hansford, sixty Supermarine Spitfires are flown to Malta from the United States aircraft carrier USS Wasp and the Royal Navy carrier HMS Eagle. In an effort to ensure that they are not immediately destroyed on the ground, the Spitfires are operational within 35 minutes of their arrival and they fly 134 sorties during the day. A further sixteen aircraft are flown to Malta during the second phase of Oppidan/Hansford, which takes place on 18 May.

Part 2 | Part 4