Yes, the canopy was changed fairly early on during testing, soon followed by a heavily revised tail unit.
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Yes, the canopy was changed fairly early on during testing, soon followed by a heavily revised tail unit.
And here is NASM's Eastern Division FM-1 Wildcat as it looked in the now-gone Sea-Air Operations Gallery. It is a 1943 bird, done in the colors of aircraft that served aboard USS Breton (CVE-23) in the Pacific War. It will be displayed again in the coming WW2 gallery to open July 2026.
“One does not simply wrap a present…”
The French civil defence booklet from 1965, kindly sent to me by @jeremycartier.bsky.social I've uploaded it here and it's free to view.
A lot! The wings, fuselage and tail were all modified to improve performance and it was fitted with a more powerful engine. It was a drastic improvement - whereas the initial prototype could only reach 290mph, the reworked version exceeded 330mph in testing.
P/O Charles Woods-Scawen of 43 Squadron was shot down over Ivychurch during combat with Bf 109s. He baled out of his burning Hurricane at low altitude, but his parachute didn’t have time to open and he was killed. His brother Patrick had been posted missing the day before. 📷©️bbm.org.uk 🧵8/8
Sergeant W L Dymond of 111 Squadron (3rd from the left in this photo) was posted missing after combat with Bf 109s over the Thames estuary at 12:50pm. No trace of him was ever found. He had been recommended for the DFM and this was announced on 6th September. 📷©️bbm.org.uk 🧵7/8
The Luftwaffe had lost 35 aircraft during the course of the day. It’s a measure of the strong defence put up by the German bomber escorts that 7 of these were Bf 110s and 16 were Bf 109s. The cost to the RAF was 13 fighters destroyed and 20 more damaged, with four pilots killed. 🧵6/8
At Eastchurch, a hangar and various buildings were destroyed and water cut off. The base was declared non-operational and most personnel were dispersed in the local area. Another attack aimed against Hornchurch was, however, frustrated by 603 Squadron 📷 battle-of-britain.org.uk 🧵5/8
At 5pm, another large raid crossed the coast, employing similar tactics. Detling and Eastchurch, both used by Coastal Command, were targeted again, but this time the damage was far more severe. Detling received over 100 bombs which destroyed a hangar and badly cratered the airfield. 🧵4/8
This image shows the wreckage of a Bf110 from ZG 76, shot down by Flt/Lt Parnall of 249 Squadron at 4:40pm. The aircraft crashed in flames at Frith Farm near Billericay, Essex. Obfw. Wrede and his gunner, Uffz. Kukawka, were killed. 📷 battle-of-britain.org.uk 🧵3/8
A third wave arrived at 3:30, again splitting up to attack multiple targets. Heavy RAF opposition ensured that many of the bombs intended for airfields instead fell wide of the mark. Eastchurch, Detling, Kenley and Hornchurch all sustained minor damage, however. 🧵2/8
BATTLE OF BRITAIN 85: 2nd September 1940. The relentless attacks on airfields continued. Early raids reached North Weald, Biggin Hill and Brooklands but did little damage. A larger force following at 1pm triggered intense dogfights over the Kent coast. 📷 IWM LBY LUFT 1017 🧵1/8
As in Royal Naval service, U.S. Wildcats remained in use until the end of the war. For example, during the battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944, Wildcats mounted strafing runs against Japanese warships, helping to buy time for their parent escort carriers to escape. 🧵9/9
In early 1943, Wildcat production was taken over by General Motors under the designation FM-1 and later the improved FM-2. Though replaced by the more powerful Hellcat on American fleet carriers during that year, the Wildcat’s small size and light weight made it ideal for use on escort carriers 🧵8/9
Wildcats were credited with destroying over 1,000 Japanese aircraft for 178 aerial losses, 24 to anti-aircraft fire, and 49 to operational causes. One Navy and seven Marine Corps pilots would earn the Medal of Honor in Wildcats. Carrier landings could still be tricky, however… 🧵7/9
Wildcats served in all the key early engagements of the Pacific war, including Coral Sea, Midway and the defence of Guadalcanal. Wildcats quickly established a reputation for toughness, able to absorb far more punishment than their Japanese opponents, and had an impressive kill/loss ratio. 🧵6/9
Wildcats first flew in combat against the Japanese during the attempt to take Wake Island in early December 1941. Four Marine F4Fs mounted a heroic defence, breaking up several air attacks as well as sinking a destroyer and submarine with 100lb bombs before the island finally fell on 23rd Dec. 🧵5/9
Martlets went on to serve successfully on the first Royal Navy escort carrier, HMS Audacity, in 1941. They continued in this role until the end of the war, with Wildcats scoring their final victories in Fleet Air Arm service by shooting down four Bf 109s in March 1945. 🧵4/9
The Wildcat’s first combat sorties were actually flown by the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm. Named Martlet in British use until early 1944, the type’s first victory was a Junkers 88 over Scapa Flow on Christmas Day 1940. 🧵3/9
Despite this unpromising beginning, the Wildcat would prove crucial in the early stages of the Pacific war. Though less manoeuvrable than the Japanese Zero, it was well armed, rugged and a capable adversary in the hands of a skilled pilot. Tactics were developed to maximise effectiveness. 🧵2/9
2nd September 1937. First flight of the Grumman XF4F fighter, which would become known as the Wildcat. Its performance was initially inferior to the rival Brewster Buffalo, and the aircraft required an extensive redesign before being put into production. 🧵1/9
However, the widespread introduction of jets soon saw a decline in the Tempest fleet and they had left frontline squadrons by 1950. Aircraft converted to target tugs, however, continued to serve until 1955. 🧵7/7
In the postwar period, the standard Mark V Tempests were joined - and partially replaced - by the Mark II, an even faster variant equipped with a Centaurus radial engine. There was also the Mark VI, a specialised fighter-bomber with an improved Napier Sabre engine. 🧵6/7
Tempests were also increasingly used for ground attack, their 4x20mm cannon being highly effective against trains and vehicles. These missions had to contend with significant flak. Rockets weren’t carried during the war, though a few sorties were flown with 500lb bombs, shortly before VE Day. 🧵5/7
As the V-1 offensive declined and German forces retreated, Tempests began to operate from airfields on the continent. Designed as high-performance interceptors, they proved a match for any Luftwaffe aircraft, shooting down over 200 including several jets. 🧵4/7
Tempests destroyed over 800 V-1s, almost half of the total claimed by Allied aircraft. A number of pilots amassed impressive individual totals, including Sqn Ldr Joseph Berry with 60, 7 on 23rd July alone. He became CO of 501 Squadron, which accounted for 95 V-1s, but was killed in October. 🧵3/7
Fast, manoeuvrable and heavily armed, the type had an impressive impact despite its late arrival. Though the first kills claimed by Tempests came over Bf 109s on 8th June 1944, its main baptism of fire came during the V-1 offensive against England. Here, their high speed of over 400 mph was key 🧵2/7
2nd Sept 1942. First flight of the Hawker Tempest. A major redesign of the Typhoon, the addition of a new laminar flow wing led to a significant improvement in performance. Despite a long development process, the Tempest emerged as one of the best piston-engined fighters of the Second World War 🧵1/7
Totally agree - finished it recently 👍
It’s only a matter of time! Child One would inevitably wait to be changed before opening fire. From memory he favoured us both equally 🤣
NEW EPISODE
Sgt John Ellis, also of 85 Squadron, was posted missing. Human remains found at a crash site near Orpington were buried in two graves as ‘unknown airmen’. In 1992, a dig uncovered Ellis’s aircraft, along with further remains identified as his. He was finally laid to rest in 1993. 📷 ©️bbm.org.uk 🧵5/5
F/O Patrick Woods-Scawen of 85 Squadron was shot down over Kenley by a Bf 109 at 2:15pm. His body wasn’t found until 5th September, his parachute unopened. On 2nd September, his brother Tony baled of his Hurricane too low for his parachute to fully open and was also killed. 📷 kenleyrevival.org 🧵4/5
Sgt Glen Booth of 85 Squadron was shot down by a Bf 109 over Tunbridge Wells, suffering a heavy landing under a burning parachute. Paralysed and with almost every bone in his body broken, Booth survived in hospital until he died from kidney failure on 7th February 1941. 📷©️bbm.org.uk 🧵3/5
Among other targets, Detling and Eastchurch were raided once again, along with Kenley, Hawkinge and Lympne. Damage was relatively minor in each case. Luftwaffe combat losses for the day amounted to 13 aircraft, which matched those of the RAF. 5 Fighter Command pilots were killed. 🧵2/5
BATTLE OF BRITAIN 85: 1st Sept 1940. Luftwaffe activity decreased, but airfields were again the primary target. Biggin Hill saw several raids which caused further damage, leaving few buildings standing. For now, the base was only able to support a single squadron. 📷 Biggin Hill Museum & Chapel 🧵1/5
1 Sept 1814 // 18-gun brig sloop HMS Avon sank in the Western Approaches as a result of damage taken during a fierce engagement with the American sloop USS Wasp which, after repair and refit at Lorient, had been cruising against British shipping in the western English Channel for several days. [1/5]
1 Sept 1875 // Ironclads HMS Vanguard and HMS Iron Duke, sailing off the coast of County Wicklow with two other ships of the Irish guardship squadron, abruptly ran into a thick fogbank and entirely lost sight of each other. The Iron Duke was just 200 yards astern of the Vanguard at the time [1/7]
Interesting brand name there 😅 Around £1500 in today’s money apparently…
Cheers Dave!
In total, the entire episode had cost the Royal Navy over 200 killed and 100 more wounded or taken prisoner by the Germans. Two destroyers had been lost and another put out of action, at a time when every warship was a vital asset. An inquiry later declared the incident ‘unavoidable’. 🧵8/8
Express was taken in tow and arrived at Hull on 2nd September, though she would be out of action for almost a year while her bow was reconstructed. She would later be on hand to rescue hundreds of survivors from HMS Prince of Wales when the battleship was sunk off Malaya. 🧵7/8
At around 8am, most of Ivanhoe’s crew abandoned ship, with 30 men remaining aboard to attempt to save her. It was soon apparent that her back was broken and she was sinking, but although finally abandoned at 2pm, she later withstood a German air attack and had to be torpedoed by Kelvin at 5pm. 🧵6/8
At this point, the escorting destroyers HMS Jupiter and HMS Kelvin (pictured) arrived, with HMS Vortigern marking the entrance to the minefield. They were later followed by a group of MTBs to help rescue survivors. 🧵5/8
Another explosion around 15 minutes later detonated Esk’s magazines. She broke her in half and sank almost immediately, with the loss of 135 crew. In the meantime, HMS Ivanhoe triggered a mine as she came alongside Express to rescue survivors. 11 of her crew were killed and she was immobilised. 🧵4/8
The first casualty was HMS Express, which struck a mine just after 11pm. This blew off her bow as far as the bridge, killing 58 of her crew and wounding many more. HMS Esk closed to assist, but was herself immobilised after hitting a mine. 🧵3/8
In fact, it was later discovered to be a German minelaying flotilla switching bases, but this wasn’t clear at the time. The British destroyers were ordered to ditch their mines and intercept, but almost immediately afterwards sailed straight into an uncharted German minefield off Texel. 🧵2/8
On the night of 31st August-1st September 1940, a sortie by Royal Navy destroyers to lay mines off the Dutch coast went disastrously wrong. Shortly before 11pm, a large group of German ships was reported off Terschelling, leading to fears that they may be part of an invasion force #NavalHistory 🧵1/8
Flt/Lt Percy Weaver’s 56 Squadron Hurricane plunged vertically into mudflats on the River Blackwater at Osea Island following combat over Colchester. The aircraft was completely submerged in the mud and Weaver’s body was never recovered. 📷©️bbm.org.uk 🧵11/11
P/O Raymond Aberhardt’s 19 Squadron Spitfire was damaged in combat over Debden, causing a coolant leak. As he attempted to land at Fowlmere, Aberhardt’s flaps also failed. His aircraft flipped over onto its back and he was killed when it caught fire. 📷©️bbm.org.uk 🧵10/11
F/O Michael Doulton of 601 Squadron was posted missing after combat over the Thames Estuary. However, in April 1984 an excavation of a Hurricane crash site near Romford found his aircraft, with its pilot still in the cockpit. 📷©️bbm.org.uk 🧵9/11
Sqn/Ldr Harold Starr of 253 Squadron baled out of his Hurricane but was found dead in his parachute near Eastry after being machine gunned by a German aircraft. His daughter Carolyn, born in October, died aged just 3, while his brother John was shot down and killed in January 1945 📷©️bbm.org.uk 🧵8/11
The day’s operations had proved costly to the Luftwaffe, with 36 aircraft lost in combat. However, this was also the worst day of the Battle in terms of aircraft destroyed - 39 - for Fighter Command. 9 pilots had been killed or posted missing and a number of others were injured. 🧵7/11
At 6:45pm, Oblt Wilhelm Fronhöfer of JG 26 force landed his Bf 109 at Jubilee Farm, Ulcombe. Credited to P/O Colin Gray of 54 Squadron, other sources suggest he was downed by Witold Urbanowicz of 303 Squadron, as depicted in this artwork by Marc Stewart. 📷 marc-stewart.pixels.com 🧵6/11
F/O George Gilroy baled out of his damaged 603 Sqn Spitfire over London and landed safely near Wanstead at 6:20pm, only to be attacked by a group of civilians who thought he was German. Gilroy spent several days in hospital. He ended the war as a Group Captain with 24 victories. 📷IWM CNA 1155 🧵5/11
Debden airfield was hit by around 100 bombs, several buildings being destroyed or badly damaged. Long-suffering Eastchurch again had its landing area badly cratered. Croydon and Detling were also attacked, though a raid heading for Duxford was dispersed by the Hurricanes of 111 Squadron. 🧵4/11
Hornchurch also received two raids, with three 54 Squadron Spitfires destroyed as they attempted to take off, though the pilots survived. The airfield was badly cratered. This Dornier 17 of KG 3 force landed at Sandwich Flats at 1:40pm after being damaged during its attack run. 📷 IWM FX 68707 🧵3/11
Squadron Leader Tom Gleave’s Hurricane was set on fire during an attack on Junkers 88s near Biggin Hill at 1pm. He baled out, seriously burned, and became a prominent member of Archibald McIndoe’s ‘Guinea Pig Club’ after undergoing extensive surgery. 📷©️bbm.org.uk 🧵2/11
BATTLE OF BRITAIN 85: 31st August 1940. A constant stream of attacks were made by the Luftwaffe against airfields. Biggin Hill was attacked twice, suffering serious damage. WAAFs Sgt Joan E Mortimer, F/O Elspeth Henderson and Sgt Helen Turner later received the Military Medal. 📷 IWM CH 1550 🧵1/11
This week's header image (31 Aug-6 Sept): W. J. Wyllie's 1920 painting of cruiser HMS Pathfinder sinking after being torpedoed by German submarine U.21 in the Firth of Forth, 5 Sept 1914. Casualty reports vary but over 250 died with no more than 20 survivors. (Imperial War Museum: Art.IWM ART 5721)
They let you in the Blenheim?! Did you refuse to get out until they promised you a flight one day? 😉
Group hug! (Sort of) How’s she getting on with the new arrival?
Sadly not unusual during the battle, when multiple aircraft were crashing, often several in the same area. Some effort was made to recover remains, but often there wasn’t much on the surface other than a crater and there wasn’t time for a proper investigation. The hole would simply be filled in.
Thought I'd put together a compendium thread to catch all my #filmcataloguing posts. First up: bsky.app/profile/cura...
Extra pod episodes, interviews and nuclear archive material from £1 a month. www.patreon.com/atomichobo
No. 3 RAAF Squadron on the move 12/41. 🧵 1/many AWM 022511 @karljames1945.bsky.social @cedricmas.bsky.social @rafhistory.bsky.social @rafmuseum.bsky.social @alanallport.bsky.social @justin-br0nk.bsky.social @sodrock.bsky.social @airminded.org @smoorebofb1940.bsky.social @navalairhistory.com
Sergeant Dennis Noble was shot down over Hove and his 43 Sqn Hurricane plunged into the ground, leaving little trace on the surface. A funeral was held for him, but it is unclear what the coffin contained. In 1996, an excavation found most of Noble’s body still in the aircraft. 📷©️bbm.org.uk 🧵11/11
P/O Colin Francis of 253 Squadron was posted missing following his first combat mission on the morning of 30th August. Nothing was known of his fate until 1981, when a Hurricane crash site near Stansted was excavated and found to be his aircraft. His body was still in the cockpit 📷©️bbm.org.uk 🧵10/11
P/O David Jenkins was shot down in combat over Redhill and baled out of his 253 Squadron Hurricane, only to be fired upon and killed by a German fighter while descending by parachute. Such behaviour was uncommon, but Jenkins was one of two pilots who died this way on 30th August. 📷©️bbm.org.uk 🧵9/11
Sqn/Ldr John Badger baled out of his damaged Hurricane over Woodchurch, but was badly hurt when he landed in trees. Suffering from a multiple fractures and internal injuries, he survived in hospital until 30th June 1941. He had been awarded the DFC on 6th September 1940. 📷©️bbm.org.uk 🧵8/11
Inevitably, given the continuous action of the afternoon, both sides suffered heavily. 37 Luftwaffe aircraft were shot down, including 5 Heinkel 111s of KG 1 and 6 from KG 53. Fighter Command lost 25 aircraft, with 8 pilots killed. 🧵7/11
Flt/Lt Geoffrey Matheson (bandaged, on left) of 222 Squadron surveys the wreckage of his Spitfire. He had crash landed near Sittingbourne at 6:10pm after combat with Bf 109s, managing to scramble clear before the fighter exploded. 📷©️bbm.org.uk 🧵6/11
At 6pm, nine Junkers 88s launched a surprise low-level attack on Biggin Hill, dropping sixteen 1,000lb bombs which destroyed or badly damaged multiple buildings. Gas, water, electricity and telephones were cut off, while a shelter received a direct hit. 39 people were killed, with 26 injured. 🧵5/11
Little remained when a He 111 of KG 53 crashed and broke up while attempting to land at Lifstan Way, Southend, at 4:35pm. Three crewmen were found dead in the wreckage, though two had baled out beforehand. Six unexploded 250kg bombs were also discovered. 📷 southendtimeline.co.uk 🧵4/11
At 5pm, a force of Heinkel 111s from KG 53 made for the Vauxhall factory at Luton. Despite significant losses, several aircraft got through to drop 59 bombs, which caused serious damage and casualties. 40 employees were killed, yet the plant was soon back in production. 📷 Vauxhall Heritage 🧵3/11
A second wave of attacks from 1:30pm was also turned aside after a series of fierce engagements. However, the Luftwaffe persisted and another series of raids developed from 4pm. One formation made it through to the Coastal Command base at Detling and damaged the already battered airfield. 🧵2/11
BATTLE OF BRITAIN 85: 30th August 1940. A stream of attacks began with an attempt to reach airfields around London. Against effective RAF opposition, only Biggin Hill suffered damage. This Heinkel 111 of KG 1 came down near Lingfield with dead and wounded crew aboard. 📷 battleofbritain1940.net 🧵1/11
There you go! The video about the Italian submarines in the Atlantic is just released. Let me your thoughts in the comments 👉 youtu.be/mHRCZ2v2K60?... @jerijerod14.bsky.social @axe99.bsky.social @crusaderproject.bsky.social @navalairhistory.com
#OTD in 1941 the Germans cut off the last railroad to Leningrad and fully encircled the city a week later. Supplies for nearly 3 million people who remained in the city could only be brought in by ships in the summer and dangerous ice roads in the winter. #history #WW2 #WWII
Patreon subscribers can now catch my chat with Stephen Chapis about his long-awaited book about NBC's Baa Baa Black Sheep, Poor Little Lambs. It was great to chat all things Corsair and 70s TV with Stephen, and my preorder for the book is already in! Join here: www.patreon.com/theaviations...
He can’t have been, was busy being Führer at the time.
29 Aug 1942 // Destroyer HMS Eridge was torpedoed in the early hours of the morning by an Italian motor torpedo boat off Ras-el-Daba, Libya, where she was part of a squadron carrying out shore bombardment. Struck on the starboard side, she was heavily damaged with five crew members killed. [1/2]
Canadian pilot Flt/Lt Harry Hamilton, 23, was one of three pilots of 85 Sqn shot down by Bf 109s while attempting to avoid the trap set by Luftwaffe fighters that afternoon. Though the other men baled out, Hamilton was killed when his burning Hurricane crashed near Camber Castle. 📷©️bbm.org.uk 🧵5/5
That night, a Heinkel 111 of KG27 was caught in searchlights over Bristol and shot down by a Spitfire of 92 Squadron, an unusual night victory for the type. It crashed at Hale, near Fordingbridge, at 11:45pm, after the crew had successfully baled out. 📷 battle-of-britain.org.uk 🧵4/5
In Germany, meanwhile, ten civilians had been killed in Berlin during another RAF raid. Hitler had been informed that morning and flew to the city. He announced that he would now authorise the Luftwaffe to retaliate in strength to punish Churchill’s ‘reckless stupidity’. 📷 berlinluftterror.com 🧵3/5
During the day, there was only one significant effort by the Luftwaffe, when a large formation of fighters approached the Sussex coast at around 4pm, with the aim of enticing RAF squadrons into combat. This time, the ploy largely failed, though some aircraft were still lost on both sides. 🧵2/5
BATTLE OF BRITAIN 85: 29th August 1940. Overnight, Liverpool had endured the worst night raid yet on a British city, with over 100 bombers believed to have taken part. Accuracy was poor and casualties were relatively light, but several more nights of attacks followed. 🧵1/5
🚨It’s the #NewsoftheWar! And let's start - why not?! - with our Photo of the Week. Men of the moment are making the headlines, but can you name them all? No spoilers, you’ll just have to listen to this week’s episode! (Answers on a postcard to HGP Towers) @merrynwalters.uk @andyaitch.bsky.social
A new article is available for our lovely Patreon supporters about the rabbit hole I went down after discovering a few pages of correspondence between Basil Embry and Charles Steel, when one of Steel's Mosquitos shot down one of Embry's. www.patreon.com/posts/friend... #aviation #history
Three and a half hours long. 50 movies. Years in the planning. It’s my YouTube story of WW2 as portrayed on the silver screen: 📺 : youtu.be/glnUWG8c1ec?...
TONIGHT 8PM (UK TIME) I'll be on @WW2TV talking about my research on the commando raids on the Lofoten Islands, walking the ground in Artic Norway, & the book I'm currently working on, "Singeing Hitler's Moustache - The Lofoten Commando Raids 1941". www.youtube.com/live/tPLrskx...
Interesting 🤔 Given his rather ‘loose’ interpretation of history, that makes me a bit nervous!
Interesting group at Teeside Airport! #Skycards
Not entirely surprising unfortunately!
This week’s free to read is on "Flying Coffins” and whether the Defiant, Battle and Skua (and Roc) deserve the title before looking at a few Luftwaffe aircraft that deserve the title too… #history #ww2 open.substack.com/pub/jerijero...
I won’t be at We Have Ways Fest this year because I’ve just had a baby and that, BUT advanced copies of my book with signed plates will be available from Cole Books at the fest and I’ll be joining @almurray.bsky.social and Jim on for a YouTube livestream on 8th September at 20:00.
At around the same time, significantly lightened Spitfire Vbs based in Egypt had proved capable of reaching Junkers 86P reconnaissance aircraft flying from Crete. On August 29th and a week later, two of the three Ju 86s available in the theatre were forced down, halting operations. 🧵12/12
Despite initial scepticism about the interception from senior Luftwaffe officers, only two more missions were flown over Britain before the Höhenkampfkommando was disbanded. Erich Sommer would later return to the skies over Britain, however, flying the jet powered Arado 234 on recon missions 🧵11/12
When the Junkers 86 landed at Caen, before returning to its base at Beauvais, a single cannon shell hole was found in its left wing. It was now clear that the Ju 86’s immunity to interception had come to an abrupt end and the eventual loss of an aircraft was all but inevitable. 🧵10/12