WWII Tech Pubs Briefing

Written by
Jonathan Charles

Caption.

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Overview

The Fairey Battle was designed to meet the 1932 specification P.27/32 for a light day bomber able to carry a 1000 lb 454 kg bomb load for 1000 ml 1,609 km at 200 mph 322 kph. Fairey submitted a low-wing, all metal monoplane designed by Marcel Lobelle, and powered by the then-new 1,030 hp Rolls Royce Merlin I V-12 liquid-cooled engine. This aircraft was selected over the Armstrong Whitworth A.W.29 against which it was evaluated. The first orders were placed even before the prototype flew in March 1936.

The prototype was designed for a crew of two - pilot and bombardier/gunner - but production aircraft all had a crew of three being a pilot, bombardier/navigator and wireless operator/gunner. It was Fairey’s first all-metal project, and the engine order for the initial production batch was Rolls Royce’s first for Merlin engines.

Armament consisted of four 250 lb 114 kg bombs carried in bays in the under-wing panels which could be lowered clear of the wing on jacks for dive-bombing. Wing-racks were also provided for a further 500 lb 228 kg of ordinance. The rear gunner position was fitted with a single Vickers K .303 in 7.7 mm gun, and a fixed Browning .303 in 7.7 mm machine-gun was mounted in the starboard wing. Some were fitted with a downward rear firing gun through the cockpit floor after the tragic losses of the first weeks in France in 1940.

Five Marks of Battle were produced, but the design remained constant with the only difference being the type of Merlin engine fitted - the Battle mark numbers corresponded to the Merlin Mk I to V fitted. The main production version was Mk III with Merlin IIIs. Pilots reported the handling characteristics to be very good, with gentle stall behaviour and many pilots converted directly onto the Battle from Tiger Moths.

Because the type was obsolete by the start of World war II, many were converted to dual-control for training but rear-seat visibility was inadequate so a twin-cockpit version was developed and designated Battle (T). They were used for bombing, navigation and intermediate pilot training, and the Merlin engine also allowed it to be used for conversion training for Spitfire and Hurricane pilots. Some Canadian aircraft also had a dorsal turret fitted for air gunnery training.

A target-tug version was developed with a hydraulic cable winch and designated Battle TT. This variant accounted for the last few hundred production aircraft to come from the factories. It was also widely used by Canada and Australia.

Battles were operated in large numbers as trainers and target tugs by both Canada and Australia for the Empire Aircrew Training Scheme throughout World War II. South Africa, Belgium and Turkey all operated bomber versions, and The Republic of Ireland operated one aircraft which was interned after becoming lost on a training flight. Battles had been ordered by Poland but were still undelivered in September 1939 when it was invaded by Germany. Greece had also ordered some but they were withheld when invasion of Britain seemed imminent in 1940.

The Battle was an advanced aircraft when first flown in 1936 but was obsolete by the start of World War II. In spite of this, production was continued to keep the factories viable in anticipation of more modern aircraft production. Britain therefore found itself with a large number of operational Battles at the start of the war, and they were committed to battle in France in May 1940 with tragic consequences. Although a Battle gunner scored the first RAF victory of the war by shooting down a Bf 109 in September 1939, the Battles were virtually defenceless and suffered between 50 and 100% casualties on operations during the first days of the German attack in May 1940. The surviving aircraft were withdrawn to Britain where they later carried out night raids on the German invasion fleet assembling along the channel coast, before being relegated to training functions.

The first RAF Victoria Crosses of the war were awarded to Flying Officer Garland and Sergeant Gray who lead an unescorted attack by five Battles against bridges on the Albert canal on 12 May 1940. Unaccountably, the third crew member, of lower rank, was omitted from the citation.

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Variants

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Specifications

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