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 AlliedGround
Attack Aircrdt
of Wbrld\l/ar ll
The early gnoand atlack afucnft of lIrc wat were e asy
pickings for air and gound defences alike, blr,t later designs
As the Allied troops mov&
inexorably towards uictory, fighterc
streaked acrxs German
overcame the* deficiencies by s&ength and s4ned. Eere we ins taII ations ahead of the atmy,
stafing all that cane in their sights.
de*ribe the ain lypss snployedby the Allies alongwith .
thefu development and deployment.

Continuing the 'trench flghtel concept of World War I, most f,ghters of aircraft really come into its own. All rru]ner of specialist support tasks
the warring nations in World War II were adapted to carry weapons with were rmdertaken, rncluding bombinq, rocket-firing, smoke{aying, tac-
which to zupport their ground forces, both over the battlef,eld itself or in tical recoruraissance, anti-tank attack and so on. What had euphemisti-
the enemy's immediate rear. Althouqh the ground support tactic had cally been termed 'army co-operation' by the RAF for 20 years was now
been pursued by the Luftwaffe as an inherent feahue srnce its formation deemed to be a major strike element of the ground ofiensive.
in 1934, and demonstrated by the Legion Condor duringr the Spanish The Hawker Tlphoon, a relative failure in its original role as intercep-
Civil War, the Royal Air Force was slow to adapt its flghters as gror:nd- tor, was shown to be a devastatrng ground-attack flghter, and can now be
attack aucraft, preferring to employ specialist light bombers in the task; seen as the prototype of a new generation of tactical strike aucraft, its
andwhen its Fairey Battleswere sho'vrrn to possess neither the speed nor rudimentary 76-mm (3-in) rockets presagng a new concept of artillery
defence to survive enemy fighters and Flak the Hawker Hurricale that would dominate the battlegror:nd of almour and entrenched or
eventually took over, using gmns and bombs in the cross-Channel concrete defences. Indeed, the speed of land advances during the flnal
srive€,ps that started in 1941. year of the war in Europe and the Far East was directly proportionai to
In the early stages of the war, however, the UK and her fast dimi- the weight of tactical air zupport, whether by hordes of Soviet shturmo-
nishinS European Allies were thrown almost entrely on the defensive, nks in the ilraine or by Hurricanes over Rangoon.
and such campaigms were not conducive to the wastage of f,ghter
aircraft in the ground-attack role, but rather in drsputinqr enemy air
A dratnatic photo of a Desert Air Force Hawker Hunicane Mk IID using its
zuperiority. Only when the Allies were ready to take the initiative, at f,rst wing-mounted 40-mm cannon against a German tank. Such scenes became
rn isolated operations such as at Dieppe, and later rr malor campargms in annmonplace over the battlefields of the later years oI the war as the aircraft
North Africa and r:ltimately throughout Europe, did the ground-attack was recognized as a potent weapon against ground forces.

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ffi Bristol Beaufighter
Orislnatly desigrned and introduced
inio service as the RAFs frst purpose-
buit twin-engdne mghlf,ghter rn 1940,
the Brisol Beaufighter was impressive
from the outset as a rugtgted, powerfrrl
ald heavily-armed aircraft. Its long-
term success in this role was to some
extent compromised by poor radar,
however, and by the time this short-
coming had been overcome the de fame as a strike fighter: here it was The Bristol Beaufighter was built in Austalia and used by the RAAF against
Havilland Mosquito rught-f,ghter, wrth called 'Whisperinq Death' by the theJapanee in the Far East theatre alongside the R AF madines- They came
much improved performance, had ar- Japanese following a series of surprise to be one of the most efrective attack airsaft in the Far East and their metal
rrved Therefore, although remarnurg strikes on enemy depots in the Bur- s&ucture n assuited totheclimate.
in service as a nighlfighter overseas, mese jungle. Early operations in-
from the autumn of 1942 the Beaufight- volved strikes aqainst Japanese coas- Powerplant two 1,770-hp (1320-kW) Armament: four 20-mm Hispano
er started service in the strike role. tal shipping miling along the Burma Bristol Hercules XVII air-cooled radial cannon in nose ald one 7. 7-mm (0. 303-
As early as March l94I a Beaufight- coast, but in due course, in the face of pistonengines in) machine-gnrn in dorsal hatch, plus
er had undergtone trials as a torpedo persistent attacks by the Beaufghters Performance: maximum speed eitherone 45.7-cm (l8-rn) torpedo, or
bomber, and in September 1942 a and other Allied aircraft, this traffic 488 kn/h(303 mph)at395 m(1,300 ft); eight 27.2-kg (60-lb) rocket projectiles
Beaufighter IUk VIC was first armed dwrndled, leaving the Beaufighter free climb to 1525 m (5,000 ft) in 3 minutes or two 227-kg (500-lb) and two 113-kg
with rocket projectiles. T\ro months la- to engaqe land tarQlets with cannon, 30seconds; service ceiling4570 m (250-lb)bombs
ter the first Beaufighter anti-shipping rcckets and bombs, a task they con- (15,000 ft); range 2365 krn (1,470 miles)
strike wing was formed at North Co- tinued to perform right up to the end of Weighns: empty 7076 kg ( I 5, 600 lb); A German tain is blasted by an MF
ates, Lincolnshire, comprising No. 143 the war. maximumtake-ofl I l43I kq (25,200Ib) B eaufighter over Norway in I 9t13.
Squadron wrth flghters, No. 236 Squad- Dimensions: span 17.63 m (57 ft l0 rn); The Be aufighter bmnte the prime
ron with bombers (carrying two II3- Specification lensth 12.70 m(41 ftB rn); heisht4.B3 m slrrike airaaft enrly in the war blore
kg/250-lb bombs under the wings) and Bristol Beaufighter TF.Mk X (15 ft l0 rn);winqarea46.73 m2 sudr frpes as tfi e Mosquito @me to
No. 254 Squadron with torpedo TVpe: two-seat strrke fighter (503 sq ft) theforc.
Beaufighters. The rocket-firing
Beaufiqhters (dubbed the Flakbeau as
its task durinq strike sorties was to
attack defendinq FIak ships and bat-
tenes) enlered squadron servrce ur
March 1943.
The first Beaufighter strike aircraff
were all Mk VIs, although specific air-
craft were desigmated for bomb-, rock-
et- or torpedo-carrying. In June 1943
the first Beaufighter TF.Mk X aircraft
entered senrice wrth No. 39 Squadron
tn the UK and No. 47 Squadron rn North
Africa; thisversion, with nose-mounted
ASV radar, could carry combinations
of all these weapons and was padicu-
larly efective aqainst Axis shipping in
the Mediterranean rn 1943.
It was in South East Asia, however,
that the Beauf,ghter earned lasting

ffi F"ir", Battle

Envimged as a replacement for the
hmous Hawker Hart and Hrnd ltqht
bombers of the early and mrd-1930s,
the Fairey Battle was selected as the
cornerstone of the rapidly-expanding
RAF ald was intended to equip the
brge number of light bomber squad-
rons durinq the latter part of that de-
cade. lYhen the war started, however,
the Battle was already obsolescent and
was particularlyvulnerable in the con-
text of German Blttzbieg tactics. Be- No. l2 Squadron against the Maastricht
icre the opening of the grreat German bridges, carried out in the face of Fairey Batfle of No. J06^Sqn asitappeared in I 938 whilst stationd at
assault in the West on I0 May i940, 10 heavy Flak and fighter opposition, Abingidon. The Batile was exfl'sttely valnerable to both air and ground fire
Battle squadrons (Nos 12, 40, BB, 98, almost all the bombers were shot due to its slugrgdsi pertor:mancr', and its clolmDn't carer was ail short in I 9/n.
103 105, I42, 150, 2lB and 226) had down, the RAFs first Victoria Crosses
bensent to France tosupportthe Brit- of World War II being awarded post-
ish Expeditionary Force, and were humously to Flyrrg Officer D.E. Gar- lts shortcomings should have been 388 lcn/tt (241 mph) at 3050 m
committed to action in the face of over- land and Sergeant T. Gray. Four days anticipated long before the traumas of ( 10,000 ft); initial climb rate 280 m
wbelming enemy air superiority. later 7l Battles ftom Nos 12, 103, 105, May 1940. It was, after all, powered by (920 ft) per mrnute; service ceiling
AJready unescorted daylight bombinq 150 and 218 Squadrons were a.ssem- the same engdne as the sinqle-seat 7620 m (25,000 ft); range 1450 }an (900
operations had resulted rn heavy los- bled for an attack on German pontoon Hurricane, yet with a crew of three and miles)
ses (as early as 30 September 1939 four bndgres in the S6dan area; no fewer 60 per cent heavier when fully- Weights: empty 30 15 kq (6,647 lb);
iLt of five No. 150 Squadron Battles had than 40 aircraff failed to return. The equipped, it was sent aqanst single- maximum take_ofi ,tB9S kqr(l0,Z9Z lb)
been shot down in a single raid), and, suwivors of the squadrons were with- seat fighters of twice its performance Dimensions:span 16.46 m(54 ft0 tn);
:,\houqh escorts had been provided drawn from France, but several of and expected to defend itselfwith only length l2.BS m (42ft13/c in); height ^
arinq the wnter, little could be done them, based rn England, continued to two rifle-calibre machine-gn:ns. 4.72 m (15 ft6 rn);wingarea 39.20 m"
t: trrotect the slow bombers when the attack German-held ports on the (422 sq ft)
s::rl burst in the spring, Carryrng no Channel Coast unhl the threat of inva- Specification Armament one 7.7-mm (0.303-in)
nc:e ttnn four l13-kg (2501b) bombs sion receded. Thereafter the Battle FaireyBattle machine-gnm in starboard wing and
a: ar operatrng speed of about 278
'i5r3nph), the Battles were sent W was relegated to trainlng and target- Type: three-seat light bomber one 7.7-mm (0.303-in) machine-qn:n in
: towing duties, many being shipped to Powerplant one l,030-hp (768-kW) rear cockpit, plus a bombload of four
3;a:!S key nver bndges beinq used Canada where they sewed with air Rolls-Royce Merlin II liquid-cooled V- I l3-kq (250-lb) bombs carried
-1 +no,my armoured columns advanc- gnrnnery schools- l2pistonengine internally
:r=- ::nugrh Belgrium. In an attack by The Battle was an anachronism and Performance: maximum speed

!]_

tr
Supporf of theDeserf Forces
concentrated on Tunisia and wesiem Tr-c,:------
Following the greatvictoryatAlamein, theAllies pushedforward at animpressive nia, As the Axis forces pulled back :c l=
rate to drive the Axis forces out of Africa. In the forefront of this advance were the Mareth Line, fighter-bombers of the Wes:en:
fighter-bombers of the combined forces, developing new tactics and creating havoc Desert Air Force attacked enemy landug
amongst the Axis supply and communication lines. These new tactics were to prove grounds at El Hamma, Gabes and Mareth, '.ne
thefoundations for theairwar to befoughtover the battlefields of NorthernEurope. British Hurricane and Kittyhawk bombers
claimlng the destruction of 47 German and I:a-
iian aircraft on the ground.
One of the war's most spectacular advances among the Hurricane Mk IIDs (weighed down 5-6 March 1943: At the battte of Mederune,,,r.r:h
was that performed by the British 8th Army by gnrns, armour and bulky air filters) caused Allied air superiority firmly re-estabhshed
following the great desert victory at Alamein on them to be confined to the southern area where British and American fighter-bombers enjoyed
3 November 1942, and which ended 1930 km Flak was lightest, Some 374 sortles by Hurri- free rein over Rommel's forces, contnbu:ing
(l 200 miles) to the west with German and lta- canes and Spitfires during i-2 November sup- much to the ground victory. Co-operation be-
lian defeat at the northern tip of Tunisia in May ported the breakthrough by the 2nd New Zea- tween British and American air forces, hither::
1943. In support of this advance were 93 squad- land Division in the north. Total RAF sorties lacking, now improved rapidly. Co-ordina:eC
rons of fighters, bombers, transports and other during the battle numbered 11,700, of whlch attacks from the east (by British Common-
aircraft of the British, Commonwealth and US 5, I00 were flown by the fighter-bombers (often weaith squadrons) and from the west (bi.
air forces, including some 730 Hawker Hurrl- in extremely bad weather), compared with USAAF Warhawk, Lockheed Lightning ar:C
canes, Supermarine Spitfires, Curtiss Kitty- 3,000 German and Italian sorties. Allied losses Bell Airacobra squadrons) gave the enemy nc
hawks, Curtiss Tomahawks and Brrstol were 97 aircraft, those of the enemy about 80, respite, The support aircraft of No, 242 Grouc
Beaufighters deployed in 42 squadrons under flew more than 1,000 sorties in five days, clarrc-
the overall command of Air Chief Marshal Sir 8-10 November 1942: The 'Torch' landlngs in ing the destruction of 180 enemy vehicles.
Arthur Tedder, The vital part played by these North West Afrieaainitial ground support by
tactical forces in support of the brilllant ad- fighters was limited by lack of airfields, and 2l March 1943: In the battle of the Mareth Lme
vance may best be summarized rn the form of a after Axis occupation of T\:nisia the enemy suc- an early attack by the New Zealanders -"ias
brief diary of events. Srmultaneous with the cessfully retained the initiative in the air for threatened by a concentration of eneini,.
advance from the east, the great'Torch'land- almost four weeks, armour until this was dispersed by antr-iari
ings in Algeria and Morocco sewed to squeeze Hurricanes and Kittyhawk bombers, The batie
the Axis forces rn North Africa between the ll-13 November 1942: In the Western Desert, raged on until 26 March when relays of Kiti,.-
jaws of a vast pincer, as British forces neared Benghazi, Alr Marshal hawks were ordered off to attack indtvtdua-l
Coningham ordered two Hurricane squadrons enemy strongpoints. As a creeping barrage
(Nos 213 and 218) to land at an airfield in adv- preceded the assault by the Bdtish 8th An'ry*
23 October-4 November 1942: The Battle of ance of Allied troops whence they were able to the Germans attempted once more to mass
Alamein. Early attacks by Hurricane Mk IICs attack retreating enemy motorized columns, their tanks, and once more they were forced:c
(No. 73 Sqn RAF) on enemy troop concentra- destroying or severely damaging some 300 disperse as the Hurricane Mk IIDs swept l:
tions prevented their rapid deployment during vehicles, wlth their 40-mm antl-tank gnrns, In the vrta-l l5-l
the battle. Hurricane Mk IIDs of Nos 6 (RAF) minutes of the breakthrough, the flghier-
and 7 (SAAF) Sqns destroyed more than 40 23 Febnrary 1943: AJter a long speil of bad bombers flew 412 sorties, destroying 7l tan-Ks
tanks of the German 15th and 2lst Panzer Divi- weather, preparations were made to destroy and other vehlcles for the loss of 1l pilots. The
sions between 24 and 28 October; losses enemy air power in North Africa, now entirely breakthrough was itself an outflanking move-

Although heavily encumbered by undetwing

cannon and tropicalfilters, No.6 Sqn's Hurricane
Mk IIDs were the most effective tank-busting
aircraft in the desert.

_k.-_*
-#
#
*;4e
E&t --L4-t

-
Support of the Desert Forces

Lightnings were active over the desert in a variety 87s and Henschel Hs 129s, leaving behind little
ofroles, but the roving attack role suited them more than a handful of MessersChmitt Bf l09s
best. This brought them into contact with German and Focke-Wulf Fw l90s to cover the main Axis
aircraft and they quic kly put paid to the ir B f I I 0 concentrations at Bizerta and Tunis. The
counterpar ts. T his is a P - 3 I F - I of the I 2 th Army Air
Force. attempt to mountthe air bridge between Sicily
and T\rnlsia was also abandoned, Allied esti-
mates of the number of enemy transport air-
craft destroyed in the air and on the ground
reaching 432 between 5 and 22 April, For a
short spell durlng the month RAF fighter-
bomber pilots were allowed the opportunity to
try their hand against Axis shipping in the coas-
tal waters of northern Ttrnisia and, despite a
lack of formal training in this form of attack,
succeeded in sinking 11 vessels.
The final assault on the enemy's last lines of
defence opened during the night of i9/20 April
The bulk of tactical air support by the fighter-
bombers was switched to the northern flank
where an attack by the US II Corps resulted in a
steady advance along the coast towards Bizer-
ta. This was an occasron when drsaster befell
advancing American forces, accidentally
attacked by about 30 US P-38 Lightnings whose
pilots, by now well practised in attacks on
targets well behind the enemy lines, were as
yet novices in ground support.

6-l2 May 1943: Following several days of inces-

ment which constituted the classic 'left hook' l5 April-l May 1943: With the whole of northern sant attacks byAllied medium and heavy bom-
involving swift pursuit of retreating enemy T\inisia within range of bomb-carryrng fighters, bers over north east Tunisia, the last phase of
forces of which the fighter-bomber pilots took the Allies now set about the systematic des- the battle began on 6 May in conditions of
frrlI advantage, As General Montgomery re- truction of von Arnim's forces being vioiently undisputed Allied air supremacy. Fighter-
ported: 'The outstanding feature of the battle contracted into an area measuring roughly 160 bombers and medium bombers saturated an
was the air action in co-operation with the out- by 80 km (100 by 50 miles), Despite frantic area on the central front of no more than 5.6 by
flanking forces.' efforts to provide fighter rehforcenients from 6 4 km (372 by 4 miles) with explosive to such
Sicily and elsewhere, the enemy's attempts to good effect that when the mass Allied armour
l-8 April 1943: A brief but fierce battle at Wadi move fuel and other essential supplies by air moved up to the attack it broke through the
Akrit, 80 km (50 miles) beyond Mareth, was into T\misia proved costiy in the extreme, for enemy defences with scarcely any opposition;
followed by further pursuit of retreating enemy those transports that were not shot dovm over indeed, the 8th Army advanced so rapidly on
forces which were repeatedly attacked from the Sicllian narrows had to suwive the depre- that first day that air support had to be withheld
the air. With the linking up of the 8th Army with dations of roving Hurricanes, Kittyhawks and in the evening for fear of a repetition of the P-38
American patrols of the US II Corps, a score of Lightnings. Particularly devastating were the
ianding grounds were captured, to which newly-developed fragrmentation bombs, large
One of the moreunusual tactics employedby the
Allied fighter-bombers now moved. On 7 April quantities of which were now being brought up
Allies in the desertwas putting the Hurricanes of
the important airfield at Mezzoun was captured to the advanced landing grrounds. No. 2l 3 Sqn behind the enemy lines in order to
and four days later Kittyhawk and Hurricane Partly on account of theu vulnerability in the attackAxis supply lines. Using hard stretches of
bombers landed at Kairouan 160 km (100 air and on the ground the enemy air forces now sand as landing strips, the Hurricanes were
mrles) further north. started to leave Tbnisia, led by the Junkers Ju supported by Hudsons and armoured cars.
 /
BULGARIA A
SPAIN : -.'---
SAR0ll,llA

TURKEY

12"NOV 1942
8,NOV.1942 US.ll..Corpq

Pon Lyautoy Blida Bougie \ - )^\

a
Casablanca \qlini..,, Frontline .
1 May 1942 \r'llrrr
lr
CYPRUS
^s
^\ a\
Kasseriie o Frcnt lioe"l3.'April 1942

Nr0$t (',--
(l€lls.to 8th Army 23 Jan 19431
B.nho

ATGERIA '(" lfalls 19.Nov n-Jy Sidi Barrani

vC*
Sirte 'eiah'-.-.-..-c
/ Malsa Matruh
i.' ADVANCE OF BRIf,ISH 8TH ARMY
\:/
fighter-bombe.s
100 200 300 attack retreating
Afrika Korps
STATUTE MILES

o Key airlields
tIB Y A
EGYPT

The map shows the pattern of the long drawn-out Sicily, During the next five days Axis resistance Europe. Close collaboration between two
battles of I 94 1 -2 . British and Commonwealth air crumbled, with few demands by the Allied powerfi.d Allies in the field was a new experi-
forces bore the brunt of pushing thecermans forces for further air support, the main eflort by ence for both, and even more vitally so rn the
westwards, but the'Torch' landings by the the fighter-bombers being directed at enemy air. The bitter taste ofB/jtzkneg had faded from
Americans completed the task. airfields in Sicily, the next major objective of the British palate, yet it was to be the only form
pilots' mistake. Even so, the fighter-bombers the desert armies and air forces, of warfare which the Ailies could employ
had flown a total of 1,663 sorties in a single day. The last great twin campaigns that merged against its architects to secure victory in
On 7 May the 8th Army was in T\rnis and the into a single final victory in North Africa pro- Europe, and tactical air power (in the form of
Americans entered Bizerta; at this point the last vided the Aljies with a priceless rehearsal for close-support aircraft) was to be a vital ingi-re-
remaining enemy fighters left North Africa for the decisive campaigms on the continent of dient.

D is appointing as a
figh ter, the K itty h aw k M k I s of
the RAF (notablyNo. I 1 2 Sqn, shown here) rangd
far and wide ovet theWestern Deseri in search of
targets . Bombs were the most likely weapn to b
carried.
l--z ::
---= Hawker Hurricane
:.-::=:=: and combat-proven wrth
-'.-,:-; :,^-::rs
1n the Battle of Britain,
= ;Jawker Humcane was the natural
: - := :: ::::r-: wrth which to carry
, -.; ,. --:- .- .::.-Je On ro the Offen-
....''''
--- '-:-.:: :, ::- -,-o----cr d..acks after
-:'11-1
-:= :i':::rcane Mk II, with a more
- .' =::-- 1.1::;-n XX engtne, began
r:: =:l---:: -: tie.autumn of 1940, the
I-::.:are trIk IIB introducrng a l2-grLrn Vickers anti-tank guns under the The achievements of the Hurricane in the early desert war led to its being
'- r ::r .-:e Hurricane Mk IIC an wrnqs, aircraft of No 6 Squadron were adapted to carry two 40-mm cannon under the wings for tank-busting, this
- :-..;:.:: :: four 2o-mm cannon, the used to excellent effect in support of version being known as the M k l l D. This example sewed with N o. 6 S q n i n
. =: :--:-g reqrarded as a very heary the Free French forces in the Battle of 1942.
: --::- -:: a slngle-seater. Stemming Bir Hakeim in 1942.By 1943, outclassed
::: tests to flt long-range tanks
-- -=::Li. Hurrtcanes to reinforce the
as a pure interceptor, the.Hurricane
=:ri:ie was the RAF's first single-seater to be sion continued in sewice in the Far 549 km/h (341 mph) at 6555 m
-.-::-: East wrth minimum refuelling fitted wrth 76 2-mm (3-in) rocket pro- East until the end of the Pacrflc war, (21,500 ft); climb to 6095 m (20,000 ft):.
: ::: :le Hurricane Mk IIB was soon jectiles using these weapons on op- Hurricane Mk IVs fought with out- 9 minutesj servrce ceiling 10850 m
wtng racks to carry a
=,- ;ped w-ith(250-lb) erations for the first tlme agrainst the standrng success in the final advance (35,600 ft); ranqe 740 km (460 miles)
-.-: ,: - i3-ks or, larer 227-kg Hansweert Canal lock Qlates in the in Burma, one of their great achieve- Weights: empty 2604 kg (5,740 ]b);
: . . -.: bombs. and rt was this versLon Netherlands on 2 September 1943. ments beinq the destruction of 13 maximum take-off 3649 kg (8,044 lb)
.:...','.'ent rnto action as the 'Hurribom- Ground-attack Hurricanes con- Japanese tanks by No, 20 Squadron in a Dimensions: span 12, 19 m (40 ft 0 in)
: =: ',','.ih No, 607 Squadron on 30 Octo- trnued to operate on the European and single attack during the advance on length 9.75 m (32 ft 0 in) height 4.00 n
:=: ,941 in 'Channel Stop' anti- Medlterranean fronts unttl 1944t in Rangoon. (13 ft IY, in); wrng area 23. 92 m2
::--!p:nq strlkes later being joined by March the previous year there had (257.5 sq ft)
l.:. -75 and 402 Squadrons, appeared a new version, the Specification Armament: I 2 7. 7-mm (0. 303-in)
::rLcanes were particularly active armoured Hurricane Mk IV in which a Hawker Hurricane Mk IIB machine-guns in the wings plus an
* :: ground-attack role in North Afri- 'umversal' wing was introduced, allow- Type: single-seat figrhter-bomber external load ofup to two 227 kq (500-
:: :r:m mid-1941 and it was tn this ing application of bombs, anti-tank Powerplant: one 1,280-hp (955-kW) lb) bombs. small bomb containers,
:.=a:re that the next version, the Hurri- guns, rockets. smoke-laying equip- Rolls-Royce Merlin XX liquid-cooled smoke-layinq equipment, sa 27.Z-kg
cane Mk IID tank-buster, made its first ment, drop tanks and other store com- V-12 piston engrne (60-lb) rocket projectiles or two iong-
-:.paci armed with a pair of 40-mm binatrons to be carried, and this ver- Performance: maximum speed range fuel tanks

Hurricane Mk IICs saw sewice in the Far East as light ground attack aircraft'
They carried anarmamentof four 20-mm cannon and could also carry small
bombs. As here, long rangetuel tanks helped theHurricane reach the enemy.

rtake-offfromat
*
i:.'-.:r':.ReeC-r-fc € =q
:mprovised sand strip in theWestern
Desert, Hurricane Mk IIDs such as ' "r'
<G!>
these proved of enctrmous help to the
ground forces in suppressing Axis
a rm ou r. They were cumbersome,
and easy meat for German fighters,
so top cover was necessary.
ffi $.rperm.tioe Spitfire
Immortalized as one of the greatest
hghters of all time, the Supermarine
Spitfire was also widely used as a
fiqhter-bomber, although in this role it
fell far short of the Hurricane, being
tricky to fly with bombs attached,
whether under hrselage or wings.
With the adoption of the Spifre l\fik
V as Fighter Command's standard
singrle-seat frghter rn 1941, the Spi6re
Mk VC became the frghter-bomber No. 74 Sqn Ilew the Spi6re IE,NIk XWE tor only a auple of months at the
version" capable ofcarryinq a single Mediterranean and Far East theatres, end of the war on fighter-bmbr swcrlps through Germany. The MHffI
227-kg (500-lb) bomb centrally under the majority of them equipping fighter- had a Packard-built Merlin and ould cany I I3-I<g (250-Ib) brlmbs or
the fuselage or two ll3kg (250 lb) bomber squadrors. rocket projxtiles.
bombs under the winqs. Most Spiffire The GYffon 65-powered Spifire ltfik
Mk VCs featured clipped winqs icr XIV sewed as both a fighter and a
better low-altitude performance, not fighter-bomber, entering service in
being expected to engagte enemy mid-1944 in the UK Amongi theu out-
fighters above about 1525 m (5,000 ft). standing achievements in the latter
Originally a hastily-introduced role was the heaviest single RAF
€rffiwer to the Focke-Wulf F\,v 1904" fighter-bomber attack of the war
the Spi6re MkJX was intended to wher\ on 24 December that year, 33
operate at medium and high altitudes Spiffre Mk )CVs of Nos 229, 453 and
but, Iike the Spiffire Mk V was also 602 Squadrons, each carryFlg a 227-kg
built rn clipped-wing form (Spi6re L (500-lb) and two ll3-kg (250-lb)
F.lfl< D0 and entered sewice with a bombs, attacked a V-2 rocket-
total of27 squadrons ofthe RAF in the launching srte in the Netherlands.
UK Mddle East and Far Fast With a Final fighter-bomber version of the
1,720-hp (1283-kW) Merlin 66, this ver- Spidre to see sewice during the war
sonhada top speedwrthout bombs of was the Packard Merlin 266-powered
650kn/tr (404mph) and could carry Spi6re Mk X\II, whose sub-variants
two 227-kg (500-Uc) bombs under the were the same as for the Spiffire Mk D(
wings; normal grun amament was two and could be f,fted wrth four under- liquid-cooled V-12 prston engine Althoughusually used for prouiding
20-mmand four 7.7-mm (0.303-in) guns, wing rails for 21.2-kg (60-lb) rocket Performance: maximum speed top cover for the Hurricans in I taly,
but the Spifire Mk IXE sub-variant had projectiles in addition to an under- 652 kn/h(405 mph)at6705 m these Spifrrc M k Vs of the SAAF
the fowrifle-calibre gruns replaced by frrselage 227-kg (500-lb) bomb. At the (22,000 ft): climb to 6095 m (20,000 ft) in carty I I 3-kgt (250-lb) bmbs on the
two 12.7-mm (0.5-in) guns. end of the war in Europe fighter- 6 minutes 42 seconds: sewice ceiling centreline rack. AIter releasing the
Whereas the Spitfire Mk IX had bomber Spitfire Mk XVIs equipped I I 12650 m (4 I, 500 ft); range without borlths, the afucralt <pluld stafe
been a hasty adaptation ofthe Spifrre squadrons of the 2nd Tactical Air external tanks 690 lan (430 miles) targetsatwill.
Mk V to take the Merlin.6l/66 series Force. Weiglrts: empty 2547 ks (5, 6 l5 lb);
engine, the Spifire Mk VIII was de- maximum take-off 43 I I kq (9,505 lb)
sigmed from the outset fcr this engine Specincation Dimensions: spa4 clipped 9.96 m (32 ff mm (0.303-in) or two 12. 7-mm (0. S-rn)
and included other refinements, in- Supernarine Spi6re Mk XVI B in); length9.55 m(3I ft4 in); heisht gmns, plus one 227-kq (500-lb) and two
cluding a retractable tailwheel all Type: single-seat fighter-bomber 3.85 m (12 ft 7% in); wingarea 2I.46 mz I l3-kg(250-lb) bombs, orasan
were equipped ficr tropical sewice Powerplant one l, 72Ghp ( l2B3-kW) (23I sqft) altemative to the wingbombsfour
and thereiore served mainly in the Packard Rolls-Royce Merlin 266 Armament two 20-mm and fow 7. 7- 27.2-kq (60-1b) rocket projectiles

ffi fia*ker Tlphoon One of the lastTphans to

jVo.
i\lo. I9SSqnisseen bfore
b
built with the car-typ dar, this afuaaIt from
beforetheapplicationof
the application of invasionstipesinearly
invasion stripes in early lg,l4.The
squadron atthe timewas learning to use llienewroc&etproi&tiftes.
lg,l4. T
Compromised from the outset by a
host of desigrn and development dif-
fculties, and no less by a disastrously
accelerated engrine development that
left unsolved numerous wealcresses
when it entered service, the llawker
Typhoon was rntended to replace the
Hurricane as an interceptor. However,
after the anti-climactic debacle over
Deppe and its sinqularly disappoint-
inqpericrmance as an interceptor, the
TYphoon came to be recogmized as
potentially an effective ground-attack
fghter and, following trials at Bos-
combe Down in t942, it resumed
sross-Channel operations carrylng a in fli@t, for which a crude remedy was rngs themselves and destroyurg Ger-
pau of ll3-kq (250-lb) bombs to sup- effected by simply riveting numerous man armoured concentrations as the
plement its four 20-mm Hispano can- platas around the jornt. An early oper- A-llies broke out of the beach-head.
non amament Flying alongsrde the ational problem lay in the TYphoons Always somethingr of a handirl to fly,
aged Tlurribombers', Typtpon Mk IB superfrcial resemblance to the Focke- the Tlphoon nevertheless provided an
fighter-bombers of Nos 175, IBI and Wulf Fw 190, resr:lting in a number of overwhelming form of powerfirl, accu-
2215 Squadrons continued the Channel aAcraft beinq shot down by ftiendly' rate and mobile artillery for the Allies
Stop' operations throughout 1943, gn:ns, until prominent black and white as they surged through northern Close-up of thebusiness end of a
while others ventured over enemy- recoqnition stripes were painted Europe in the last nine months of the Typhoon M k I B, showing the tour
occupied France and the low Coun- under the Typhoon's inner wing war. Hispanocannon-
tries, attacking airfrelds, road and rail sections.
tafrc and other key targets. For all thqse unicrtunate tribulations Specification 820 kn(5l0miles)
Early operations had shown the the chunky aeroplane emerged in ItrawkerTyphoonMkts Weiglrts: empty 3993 kg (8,800 lb);
Typhoon Mk IA wrth ib wing arma- 1944 as one of the most powerful Type: single-seat fi ghter-bomber maximum takeoff 634 1 kg (13,ffi Ib)
ment of 12 7.7-mm (0.303-in) Browning weapons rn the Allies' armoury when Powerplant one 2, 180-hp (1626-kW) Dimehsions: span 126'7 m (41 ft 7 m)
machine-gmns, to be relatively ineffec- the Normandy invasion was launched Napier Sabre II liquid-cooled H-24 lengrth9.73 m(31 ft I I rn); height4.66 m
tive in the ground-attack role, and this rn June that year. With a bombload pistonengine ( I 5 ft 3 7z rn); wrng aree,?5.12 nf
version was discontinued. Another prognessively increased to 907kq Performance: maximum speed (279 sq ft)
wealsress was found to lie rn the joint of (2,0001b), the $phoon was also used 652 kn/h(405 mph)atS4BS m Annament four wing-mormted &mm
the tail unit to the rear frrselage, numer- wrth devastating effect as a rocket- (18,000 ft); climb to 4570 m (15,000 ft) in cannon plus either two 454kq (l,mG
ous early accidents being ascribed to firinq f,qhter, eliminating vital enemy 6 minutes seconds; service ceilingr
12 lb) bombs or eisht 27.2-kg (6Glb)
the entire tail unit becoming dqtached coastal radar stations before the land- 10365 m(34,000 ft); rangewithbombs rocket projectiles

M7
Hawker Tgphoon in Action
Despite enormous development problems, the H awker Wphoon eventually provd
Spiffire Mk Vs.
it*lf as the premier MF frghter-bomber of the war, able to absorb massive battle Although Fighter Command went ahead
damage and having the sWd to get out of any trouble [rom enemy fighters, with introducing Tlphoons into service, the air-
qp*iallyatlowlevel.Canyingrocketsorbombs,ablyassistedbyfowcawron,the craft was hmvily resticted in gJoading, power
T|rphoon could pack a hearry pwrch and was instrumental in paving the way for the setting and altitude. Nevertheless No. 609
Allid adv ance actos s E wope. Sguadron under the command of Sguadron
Leader RP. Beamont, operated with some suc-
If the lliawker Typhoon had bee4 intended to norl but the former was soon abandoned when cess from lvlanston against the tip-and-run de-
equip the Royal Air Force in peacetime there is it was realised that rifle-calibre guns were no predations of the Fw l90s over southern
no doubt that it would have joined the depress- lcnger effective against the armour which by Ensland in the autumn of 1942.
ingly long list of projed qasualties. Put guite l94l was fitted in almost all C'erman airctaft. It was the success now achieved by the
Simply, it would have been abandoned part of During the winter of l94l-2 Tlphoons were Typhoon against these low-level raiders that
the way through its fliqht trials, such were the crashing all over the UK all marurer of causes focussed attention on its excellent perform-
apparently insurmountable problems en@un- beinq diagnosed, including seepage into the ance below about 3050m (10,000ft). Almost
tered It had been conceived in parallel with cockpit of carbon monoxide, engine ctankshaft immediately racks were fitted under the winqs
the ttrawker Tomado back in 1937 as an even- failure, overheating durinq take-off leading to capable of mormting a paA of ll3-kg (25Glb)
tual replacement for the ltrawker Hurricane, seizure, and breakdown of engine lubrication. bombs, and before the year was out Tlphoons
thenyet to arrive inservicewith Fighter Com- Ttuee well-kpwn test pilots (among them the were being flown agairst enemy shipping off
mand Both new f,ghters were to be powered grreat P.E.G. Sayer) were lost in TYphoon acci- the French coast. With the arrival in service of
by radical enginas, the TYphoon by the 24- dents. then a new spectre arose: Tlphoons the first Griffoir-powered Spiffire Mk )ils (de-
cylinder Napier Sabre andthe Tomado bythe were being lost in alarmingnurnlcerc following veloped specifically to deal with the Fw ls)
24-cylinder Rolls-Royce Vulture, neither of breakaway of tQe entire tail unit at the rear sreak raiders) the Tlphoon was almost exclu-
which had seen the ligrht of day. (The Vulture ta4sport lont. sively switched to the groud-attack role. With
survivedto see operational sewice intheAwo most of the engdne problems now largely cured
lvlanchester bomber before being abandoned Focke-Wulfrival and a string of fish plates riveted round the rear
as unreliable, and the Tomado inevitiably also However, despite a fairly powerfirl lobby in transport fuselage joint production (by now
fell by the wayside.) the Air Mnistry which favoured dropping the tansferred to the Gloster Aircraft Company)
Sydney Camm was urged to push ahead with Typhoon altogether, the appearance of the
his Tlphoorl berng promised that Sabre en- Focke.Wulf Fw 190 over the Channel en@ur-
gines would be ready for prototypes in 1940; aged an all-out effort to overcome the British HawkerTyphoon MklB
unfortunately the prototype Tlphoon sufiered a fighte/s shortcomings, for the new enemy cutawaydrawing key
serious strucffial failure during an early test f,ghter was proving zuperior to Fighter Com- 1 light
Starboard mviqation 20 Armoured spinner
flight and was only saved from destuction by mands Supermarine Spiffire MkV, andno re- 2 Starb@rdaileron b*kphte
the brilliant airmanship of test pilot Philip placement was in sight other than the hurriedly 3 Fixedtrimtab 21 C@lanttankTrllmpSal
Irucas, who was awarded the George Medalfor proposed Spiffire Mk IX
his cowage and skill. fte TYptpons showdown with the Fw 190
Production Tlphoons started appearing in was intended to be staged over the Deppe
l94l amid mnrours that the engine was giving landinSs, scheduled for the summer of 1942
so much Eouble that the whole prograrnme when it was hoped to have several wingn of
was in danger of cancellation. Two versions lYptpons and Spiffire Mk IXs. Despite post-
were produced side-by-side, the Typhoon Mk ponement of the operadorl few of the new
LA with 12 Browning machineguns and the Spiffires were fully operational and even fewer
Typhoon Mk IB with foru 20-mm Hispano can- TYphoons were combat-ready (with No. 56
Squadron)when the landingswere carried out
on 19 Augus[ and the new fighters were so
A sene repeated at many RAF bases asoss inefiectively committed to battle that almost
southetn England and Frane during the lastyans
of the war; armourers prelwe to l@,d,t$*kg their only test was between Typhoon and
( I,M0-Ib) Dplmbs on to the underwing sltnck/es ot a Spiffire lvft DL T\ro $phoonswere lostwhen
No. 175 SqnWphan, as the pilotwaits to bard their tail units broke away in dives. As it was,
hisairctaft. the Focke-Wulfs had a field day among the

4 Ailemn hinge @ntrol

5 Landinghmp
6 Ammunition bq*
7 Starboard 2ofi m Hispano
Mkllenmn
8 SplittEiling edgeflaps 22 Superchargernmair
9 Staboard rEinfuel tank. inrake
€pacity40 lmpgal(182 23 Olradiaror
litre) 24 Cmlant ndiator
10 Sef-seling leding edge 25 Badiatorshutter
twlfank, €pacity35lmp 26 ErEiremountingblock
96l(1591il6) 27 Tubularstelengine
I 1 Cannonbarelfairirygs suppon tEm€\,vork
12 Rockalaunc*ernils 28 Exhauststubs
13 60lb (27*g) grcundattmk 29 Narier Sabre ll, 24-cylinder
rcckets flat H engine
14 Main urdercariage leg 30 Engineccn rlings
fairing 31 Cartrilgesrarter
15 Staboardnnimvhel 32 Enginecompartnent
16 De Havilhndfour$laded fireproofhrlkhead
propeller 33 Oqgenbottle
17 Airintake 34 Gunhcariruairduct
18 PropellerpitchcfEnge 35 llldraulicreseruoir
mec*lanism 36 Fmtguards
19 SDinrpr 37 Rudderpedals
As the AIIi* advaned through
Fr ance and Germany, the fi phornt
bases went with the toops. This
Tlphoon on the s trength oI N o. I 75
Sqnwas stationd atCelle, anold
Luttwa{fe base, during the closing
daysofthewar.

such as to earn the rugged f,ghter a reputaticn

as a devastating weapon second to none. It was
still a tricky beast to handle, with rnany an
was accelerated. By the end of 1942 ll sguad- bases on the South Coast as modifications were idiosyncrasy to trap the unwary. Exhaust blow-
rons(Nos I,56, l8l, 182, 183, 195, 197, 198,257, made to accommodate the fow launching rails back during starting caused several fires on
266 and 609) were flyurg Typhoon Mk IBs, and under each wing. The 76.2-mm (3-in) rocket the ground but, provided the gnoundcrews
to these were added Nos 3, 174, 175, 184, 186, vntlt 27-kg (60-lb) warhead was a relatively were on their toes, these were seldom serious
193, 245, 247 and 263 Squadrons in 1943. Follow- primitive weapon, being little more th6u:r an Take-ofl and landingwere marked by a parlnl-
ing trials at Boscombe Down, heavier bombs iron pipe containing the sold propellant, with ity to swinq powerfi:lly to one side (for mrrch
were carried, in the form first of 227-kg (500-lb) the warhead ssrewed on the front and cruci- the same reasons as on the Sopwith Camel of a
and then 454-kg (I,000-lb) weapons. A mod- form rectiangnrlar fins attached to the rear. As a guarter cenfirry earlier), only ifs characteri$i-
ification to the fuel systemwas made enabling result of the considerable gravity drop on cally rugged, wide-track landing gear enabl-
drop tanks to be carried in place of the bomb launch the rockets were difficult to aim accur- ingr the Typhoon to operate from relatively rm-
load, and improvements were made through- ately except in a very steep dive, and it was even nrnTyays.
out the affiame, including replacement of the usual to fire a ripple mlvo of all eight rockets,
old car-door access to the cockpit by a single- progressively pnlling the gn:nsiqht through the
piece sliding clear-vjsion canopy. target; a single 27-kg (60-lb) rocket was usually
More impOrtant were the trials with rocket quite adeguate to sink a trawler, or to destroy a
projectiles (o\iginaly flown on a Hurricane at locomotive, armoured vehicle or pillbox.
Boscombe Ddvyn) and by early 1944 these Cross-Channel activities by the Tlphoon
weapons were beinE delivered to the fighter sguadrons dwingr 1943 and early lg44 were

38 Oiltank,€pacitylSlmp 51 Pneumaticsystemail 62 Finleadingedge

spl(82litres) bottle 63 Fincon$ruction
39 Oilrankfillercap 52 B€Mard$dingrsrdrop el Rudderstempost
40 lnstrumentpan-el €nory 65 Fabriccoveredrudder
41 Bulletfmf windscren 53 Aft tuselageioint onstruction
42 Refltriorsight 54 Canoryreiis' 66 Ruddertrimtab
43 Contrclcolumn handqriD 55 Radio iEnsmitter/re@ivel 67 Tail navigation light
44 Engine throttle mnrrdls 56 Fuselaqe double lnme 68 Elwatortrimtab
45 Trimhandwhels 57 Whipa6rial @ Porttailplane construction
46 Emergencyhydraulic 58 Fuslageskinning 70 Tailplane spar attachments
handpump 59 Starboardtailplane 71 Tailwheel hydmuliciack
47 FoMrdfushgesteel 60 Starboardelevator
tube@nstruction 61 Elevatortrimtab
48 Pilofsseat
49 Safetyhames
5O Backand hedamour

93 2GmmHispamMkll
6nnon
94 Ammunitimfeeddm
95 Ammunition box6. 1 r{)
roundspergun
96 Gun h€terairducts
75 Tailplane attachment ioint 97 Portaileron
strap 98 Fixedailerontab
76 Extemal strengthening 99 Wingtip@nsrnEtirn
tishplates 100 Ponmvitatillitht
77 Elevator m$ balane 101 \Mngrib@nstnlctbn
78 Elevatorcrossshaft 102 WngstringeE
79 Cableguides 103 Frcntspar
80 Tailplanecontrol cables 104 Leadingedg€reribs
81 Bsr fuselage frameand 1O5 GunmmeE
72 FoMard retracting stnnger@nstruction 106 CameEpon
taifwheel 82 Wingroottillet 107 Landinglamp
73 D0trtyoleo{neumatic &l Sparrootpinioints 108 1.00Glb{454&}bdrb
taihilheel strut &4 Undercaniagedmr 109 Longrang€tank(r@itv
74 Tailplane sparlixing double hydrauliciack 90lmpgal(4@rrel
bulkhed 85 Mainwheeldmr 1 1 0 Undeming store p!y'm
86 Main under€riage bay 111 Cannonbanelfairirgs
87 Berspgr 112 RecoilsprirE
88 Portminfueltank, 1 13 LeadirE edge trlstrEtbn
€pacity40lmpgal(182 114 MainurdeEniageleg
litres) 'l 15 Undermniage leg f-i4
89 Flapshroud onstruction dmr
90 Port split trailing edge flap6 116 Ol*pneurnat-shoct
9l Flaphydmuliciack absober sbut
92 Portgunbays 117 Portminu.hed
1 18 Undercaritge loc*iE
mec*pnim
. 119 Mainwhed]ry*a.ftir:t
120 Wngsparirt€dgr&
6Ntrctim
121 Forl l@dngedgp fr.dE*-
€pacityS lrpgd(lS
18 litr6)
Ui
 Hqwker Tgphoon
This-airu_art,representstre urtimatestandard of anstuction ol the Tfph<ria
Mk I B, whidt acrlunted for aII but I0S ot the entire production run. fne'tour -
bl1d9 nroOeller was introdud in I gtl? but did n6t annptetety suppt"ot tt*
original unit. T?ne aireatt sho,wn fleylr with No. I A t S@, ind iicfiAfAtu Forc.,
se4iy i4lrane hJune I%M- It is armed with eighi r&kets on it *W ;iE
andtour 20-mmcannon-

-t

t
s I

s
Hawker T\phoon in Action
8,8389 ras ra serrice grith No. 44O
fu rcA4 lp,sed at Geh in I 945, bY
wI d, time tlre airqaltwas
Ieainnhg to fukrather war-weaty.
lb a-'mant is two,l&l_kgt ( 1,000-
Ib) fub and the normal tour
Higrcannonin thewings.

By Jrme 1944 the RAF possessed a total of 22 hind the advancing armies. To bombard the
Typhoon squadrons, of which l8 were enemy-held Channel ports into s-ubmission, af-
asshned to the Allied Bcpeditonary Air Force ter the armies had rolled past, recourse was
(tI6 137 and I&l Sguadrons havinS been re- made to hmvybombers to reduce the Tortres-
equbped in Jamnry of that year). Durinq tJrc ses' to rubble, yet in the final asmults the
sohening up of the French coast before the TYphoons were repeatedly called on to sub-
l,brmandy landings, 18 TYphoons with rocketq due the defenders with salvoes of well-aimed
from Nos 198 and 609 Sguadrons attacked and rockets as the infantry moved into the attack
p.rt out of action the Dieppe/Caudec6te radar . Astheadvanceslowedinthe tow Countries,
katbn on 2 June; on the eve of D-Day itself, and in the south came to a halt before the Rhine,
rocket-firing Tlphoons of Nos 174, I75 and 245 the Typhoons were called on to launch 'set
Squadrons crippled the Jobourg radar station piece'attacks against specific targets, one of
mr ttre Cap Ae h Hague. During the cowse of the most spectacular attacks beinq that on 24
fte landings themselves 14 TYphoon squad- October against a building near Dqrdrecht,
rore were assigmed to 'armed recorunissance' lcrown to be occupied by hiqh-ranking Ger-
patols, but it was not rurtil the breakout from man staffofrcers. Bomb-carrying Tlphoons of
the beach-head that the true valuesf the Nos 193, 197, 257, 263 and 266 Squadrons led by
Tlptroon as a ground-zupport flghter was fully Group'Captain D.E. Gillam, were sent into the The rocket stores of a forward base for fiphoons
Oemonstated. As the ground battle became attack in three formations atvery low level, the did brisk business from D-Day onwards as the
centre group wirh 227- and 454-kg (500- anfl squadrons IIw daily missions to catch German
more fluid the Typhoon pilots began operating ammunications and supply lines. Carehil a-
'cab rank paEols, their leaders in touch by 1,000-lb) bombs following Gillam, who piri- ordination with the army was neessary as the air
VHF with an experienced fighter controller pointed the target building with a marker t@F'
attacirs were often only iust in front of the
ridinq in a lmding tank or armoured contact bomb. Immediately before it attacked, the
car. On being confronted by 6uI enemy qull Ilank formations drew ahead and broke out-
position or tank the conftoller would identify wards to attract and confi:se the enemy Flak. kept the defenders heads down at the critical
tbe targret andcall down the ffphoons patroll- Within seconds of Gillam's marker bursting moment of attack The Battle of Walcheren
ing overhmd to make a gnm, bomb or rocket four 454-kar (1,000-lb) bombs, launched from a lasted eight days, dwingwhich Typhoons of six
attack height ofabout 6m (20ft), had struck and re- squadrons were constantly in action: 1I,637
duced the burlding to rubble, whereupon the rockets were fued and 1,558 tons of bombs
fireFalaisepocket remaining Typhoons returned to add their dropped by the fighter-bombers, for the loss of
The Typhoons most famous killinq grround bombs to complete the devastation. Itwas later 22 Typhoons.
Iay just south of the town of Falaise where, lmrned that two German generals, 17 other The TYphoon continued in action riqht up to
hemmed in ftom the north by the C,anadian lst stafi ofrcers and 55 middle-ranking ofrcers the last day of the war in Eruope. In the famous
and Britistr 2nd Armies, and encircled from the had been killed in the raid. massed attack by the German air force of New
south by the US lst and 3rd Armies, 16 German Year's Day, 1945, two Canadian llphoon
divisions (rncluding nine Panzer) lay trapped
Battleof Walcheren sguadrons, Nos 438 and 439, were caught on
during mid-Augrust. All 18 Tlphoon sguadrons One of the last and most difficult nuts to crack the grround at Eindhoven by waves of low flying
were let offthe leasb using bombs to cut any inthe approaches to the GermanReichwasthe Fw I90s and Bf l09s which appeared over the
remaining escape routes, firing salvo after sal- great fortress island olWalcheren at the mouth airfield just as the Canadians were taxiing out
vo of rockets at the armoured vehicles as they of the Scheldt estuary, heavily fortif,ed to deny for a sortie: 16 TYphoons were destroyed or
jaosed the roads and lanes, and then carlnon the Allies use of the vital seaport of Antwerp. seriously damaged. In the air operations cover-
fre at the German soldiers as they sought what After several days ofheavy pounding by Bom- ing the crossing of the Rhine late in lr4arch the
oover they cor:ld ber Command, the seaborne attack was Tlphoorsof the 2nd TacticalAir Forcewere in
The reduction of the Falaise pocket merely ordered for first light on I November, despite constant demand, on 2l March striking an
enabledthe Alliedadvance through France to low cloud and almost zero visibility. Similar enemy troop concentration near Zwolle and a
accelerate temporarily, and by the end of weather conditions at their base did not deter German army HQ at Bussum; during the sros-
September almost all of northern France had the pilots of No. I83 Squadrorr led by Wtngr sinq itsef by the 6th Airborne Division on 23
been ovemn A major part of the Allied Tactic- Comrnander RW. Mulliner, who arrived over ldarch no fewer than 60 TYphoors were con-
aI Air Force had moved to bases on the Conti- the landing craft just as the first asmultwave of slantly in the air over the landing zones, while
nen! the Tlphoons operating from a succes- Royal lvlarines approached the island coast- others set about the destrustion of enemy anti-
sbn ol dttsty airflelds and strips close up be- line, and the rockets fired by the T'yphoors aircraft gnrn positions nearby.
When the war ended the Allied armies had
snashed their way actoss II25 kn (700 miles)
of bitterly contested territory, Aonically em-
ployinq tactics not materially ffierentfrom the
CrtrfilrrrLBlitfuieg warfare so widely deplored
by a pacifist world f,ve long years earlier. Just
as ttre Stums naa spearheaded the Panzer adv-
ance westwards in 1940 so the TYphoons
cleared the eastward path for the Sherman
tanks in 1945.

The 2Acylinder Napier Sabre engine gave the

TYphoon a massjle apparane, and its
pertormane and sfength al low level matdred its
look. The carnon armamant, aupled with ho,mD"s
and rockets, was devastdting.
 Ber P,gg Airacobra
=
The radical Sell P-39 Airaobra with
midships engine and tricycle landinS
gear, enjoyed a disappointing career
as a fighter with the American and Brit-
lsh air forces as a result mainly of the
abandonment of the turbosuperchar-
ger which had promised to bestow ex-
cellent performance at high altitude;
this equipment was in any case bal- as the tide of forhmes changred most
ned from export to the UK wrth the Sovietpolfts (fighter regiments) rmder-
result that the Airacobradidnot match took a dual role in response to the de- Airaabrawas a failure as an air erlm}r,t frghter (apart fuom
The BeII P-39L
up to RAF requirements for an inter- mands of the massive sround battles nolable exeptions such as the airsatt shwn here, of the Russia4 Major
ceptor. The upshot ofthis was a gEa- that raged on the Eastern Front. Often Pokyshkin) and was used mainly in the ground attack role.
dual change to the ground-attack role the P-39s would be called on to c.rry
rn American sewice, and disposal of out specifc bombrngtasks, afterwhich obvious Fuccess on the Eastem Front, pBtonengme
very largre numbers to the Sovret Union theywouldrevert to fightersto provide wastiaqe through accidents was by all Performance: maximum speed
ftom 1942 onwards, 4,773 ofthe 9,558 cover while subsequent bombing accounts very high, reliatively inex- 642 kn/h(399 mph)at3355 m
built beinsr supplied to that nation, attacks went in The majonty of P-39 perienced pilots finding the aircraft (l 1,000 ft); climb to 4570 m (15,0tr ft) rn
rnainly througrh Iran, but also over the polks were deployed on the central tricky to handle and" with the bigr Ali- 5 minutes 20 semnds; service ceiling
I?am-Siberian railway. More than 200 and southern fronts, and numerous son engine located behindthe cockpit, 11735 m(38,500 ft); ranse 1205 ktr(750
Bell Airacobras were also shipped to Soviet pilots achieved considerable forced landingrs and other landiner mis- miles)
the USSR in the North C,ape convoys. success in the aircraft; Captarn Grigori haps were frequently fatal. A much Weighrs: empty2562 kg(5,8tS Ib);
P-39s enteredservice with the V-VS Rechkalov scored t14 of his 58 air vic- snaller number of the later but related maximumtake-off 3720 kg (8,200 Ib)
early in 1943, the principal variant tones in a P-39 wrth the 9th Grards Bell P43 Kingcobrawas also zupplied Dimensions:span 10.36 m(34 ftO in)
berng the P-39Nwhich featureda hub- Fighter Dvision, and Aleksandr Pok- to the Sovret Union, this aircraft being length 9. 19 m (30 ff 2 rn); height 3.78 m
fring37-mm cannon, two nose- ryshkin, who commanded a P-39 equipped to carry three 227-kg (500- (12 ftS in);wingarea 19-79 mz
mounted I2.7-mm (0.5-in) and four eska&i] in the 216th Guards Fighter lb) bombs. (213 sq ft)
wing-mounted 7.62-mm (0.3-i+) Dvisions l6th Polk and later became ArmamenE one hub-fi ring 37-mm
mchine{uns; a single 227-kg (500-lb) the Soviet Union's second highest scor- Specification camor\ two nose-mounted 127 -llrlm.
bomb could be carried under the ing pilot, shot down tE of his 59 vrctims BellP-39NAiraobra (0.5-in) and fourwing-mormted 7-62-
ftrselage. while flying P-39s, manyofthese fallinq Type: single-seat fi ghter-bomber mm (0.3-in) machinegmns, plcs a
In Soviet sewice the P-39 was used in the course of dual-role fightet/ Powerplant one l, 200-hp (895-kW) single 227-kg (500-1b) bomb caried
initially as a pure fghter, but gnadually bombing missions. For all the P-39s Allison V-1710-85 liquid-cooled V-12 underthefiselage

€ li*is P-40 X3*'{^HLy*XE"*"#ffiffi:tr;{##ffiXWar*wk

Although frmly rooted among the frst
gieneration of monoplane figrhters of
the late 1930s, the famous Curtiss P-t()
family underwent progrressive mod-
emization, and as each version be-
came oufrnoded by later fighters, it
came to be employed as a passable
fighter-bomber. Adopted as the
USAACs standard fghter and subject
of heavy BriGh purchasing in 1940, the
: earlyP'40B, P-40C and Tomalnwk en-
tered sewice in 1941, the first RAF
squadron to receive the latter being Armament six wing-motmted 12. 7-mm
No. I 12 rn the Mddle East The Toma- (0.5-rr) machrnegnrns, plus one 454-kg
hawks performance as an interceptor rmtil the end of the war. Despite its lensth l0- 16 m (33 ft 4_in) neight 3.76 m ( l, 00Glb) bomb under the fr rselage
was dimppornting, berng generally in- widespread use as a fghter-bomber (12 ft4 in);wing area?L.92m and tw o 227 -kg (500-lb) bombs under
fenorto the Hurricane Mk II, anditwas the P-40 was not generally appreci- (236 sq fi) thewings
therefore employed mainly for gnound ated as a result ofits control sluQlgnsh-
attac\ although the armament of six ness and lateral trim ciranges asspeed
I rifle-calibre machine-gnrns was far burlt up in a drving attack the liatter
: from adequate. Tomahawks (and the behaviour, which gave rise to exces-
equivalent P-4OBiiCs) were shipped to sive yawing at the moment of bomb
the USSR and T\rkey, and were flown release, rnade accurate bombins ex-
by American pilots in the Pacific and tremely difrcult, and P-40s were more
South East Asia. The P-t10D repre- usually employed for attiacls on larger
I sented something of a transformation, rather than snaller targets
; with the Allison engdne installed in a
shortened nose, fuselage guns re- Specifrcatiron
moved and the radiator moved for- Curtiss P-40NWarhawk
I ward. Known as the Warhawk in I'ype:single-seatfighter-bomber
Amencan sewice (as were all P40s) Powerplinf one l,360-hp(1015-kw)
I and Kittyhawk in RAF service, this and Allison V- l7l0-81 liquid-cooled V-12
I subseguent similar versions were built prstonengine
in very large numbers up to 1944, from Performance: maximum speed
mid-1942 being equipped as fighter- 6@ kn/h(378 mph)at3200 m
bombers in the USAAF, RAP and other (10,500 ft); climbto4570 m(15,000 ft)in
Allied arr forces to carry up to three 6 minutes 49 seconds; service ceiling
227-kg (500-lb) bombs under fi:selage I I 580 m (38, 000 ft); range on internal
andwings; later versions could carry a tuel547lan (340miles)
454-kg (1,000-lb) bomb under the Weislrts: empty 2722 kg (6,000 lb);
fi:selage. They were particularly ac- maximum tiake-otrSl7l kg (l 1,400 lb)
tive in the close-support role in North Dimensions:span 11.38 m(37 ft4 rn);
Africa after the vrdory at Alamern and
the Torch landings, and in the cam- Bearing the tantous sharHs teeth
paiSns in Sicily, Italy and the Balkans. markings of No. I I 2 Sqr, thes,e:
The Packard built Mertin was used Tomahawb are ready for tab-otr at
tn the American P-{0F and P-40L ver- Sidillaneidr in the autamn of I 94 I.
sions, but the P-40N (of which 5,219 The difrerene in nose sJlape Eo tie
were produced) reverted to the Alli- Iatq Kittyhawk is obuious, with the
son engine and this sewed from l9tl3 chin radiator bing muc}t smaller.

453
 toghs A-zlHavoclBoston
=
gerpennfng a misconcreption of the
mtrse dmodem warhre during the
hle lms, the American httacli bom-
bs re ervisaqed as a means of mtur-
diry fud enemy defences in the im-
rediale area of the grround battle, and
bk little accout of the swift move-
ngt of armies so. capably demons-
red drinq the Gi:rman conquests of
ISF4I. Moreover the Douglas A-m,
lmwn as the llavoc and Boston bY
American and BriGh air forcqs re-
spectively, w.ls so unwieldy that it
could onfy be employed over a bat-
in the hce of enemY air
oeamition provided it was furnished DouglasBostonMkIIlAoINo'342sqt'Ir,ryaine',R'A'F,basedatHartordBridgre(lodaycaredBlackbushe)'
rilh strong fighter escorl eifratttrorrrnXsquadronwerethefirstFrench-IlownaircratttoarrivebackinFrancealtetD-Day-
Nevertheless production momen-
trm already qained by British and
Ftench orders at the begriruring of the
Far resulted in the A-20 being avail-
a-ble in qurckly grrowing numbers
when the United States entered the
confficL An{ despite fairly heavy los-
ses early o4 the type eventually came
to play an important tactical role, being
usild flrst as a light-medium'bomber
fcr atlacls on fixed battlefleld targets,
such as forward enemy landing
gromd$ roa4 rail and river bridges
andvehicle parkq etc.
Tte RAF was the first to use the air-
craft, as the Boston (after a night
f,ghter version coniisingly Ioown as
tbe ltravoc, had been Iargely super-
seded in l94l) early rn 1942; indeed
tbe first combat use of the aircraft by 'solid nose and di+ensed with the $pe: three-seatattack aircraft One of the tasle for the airbme
the Americans in Europe involved bomb aimer, a battery of cannon or Powerplanf two l,60Ghp (I 194-kW) torces during the D-Day invasion was
RAF Bostons being flown ftomthe IJK machine-gnrns being substituted icr Wnght Cyclone R-2600-23 au-cooled snoke-laying. The;s;e two B os;ton M k
true ggound-attackwork In the Pacifc radial piston engines I I I s arc quippd with fiottr Pipcs
by an Ameriian squadron in July that
year. theate A-20s were widelY used for Performance: ma,rimum speed under the fuselage lor providing
FYom late in 1942 both the British and low-level attack using fragmentation 546 kn/h(339 mph)at3780 m srno*e orzer tIIe beacJl-&ead.
bombs to good effect over Japanese (12,400 ft); climb to 3050 m (10,000 ft) in
American air forces flew the Boston
and A-20 on close-srpport duties, par- stripping and airfields RAF Boslon lllk Tminutes 6 seconds; service ceilingt
ticularly on'softening up' raids before IV and Boston Mk V aircraft sewed 7650 m (25, 100 ft): range 1755 lrn Armamgnt up to eight l2.?-mrn (0.5-in)
with the Znd Tbctical Air Force and the (1,@0miles) machine-gnrns rn nose andtwo ln rear
assaults by ground forces. RAF Bos-
tons in particular were much in evi- Desert Air Force in Italy in the close- Weights: empty 7250 kg (15,984 lb); dorsal position (later aircraft had
dence dwing the numerous combined support role riqht up to the end ofthe maximum take-off 12338 kq (27,200 lb) electrically-operated turret), plus up
operations launched across the Chan- war against GermanY. Dimensions:ryan 18.69 m(61 ft4 tn); to l8l4 kq (4,000 lb) of bombs,
nel rn t942'4, and were also used to lay lengti 14.63 m(,tB ft0 in); height5.36 m comprising four 227-kq (50Glb) bombs
moke screens to clcver amphibious Specincation (17 ft 7 in); winsareazlti. I I m" intemally and two 45+kq (I,000 lb)
landings. The A-20G introduced a DouglasA-mcHavoc (4Atsq ft) bombs onwingracks

E USA

Douglas A-26 Invader less such facilities were captured

whouy lntact. It was for this reasor! and
This formation of A-26s ot the 386th
BornbGroup ar route toGermanY in
-
the demarcation between the Eue
ground-suppod aircraft and the so-
added to its arsenal) the Invader en-
joyed only partial success as a truly
the lengrth of time taken to reach the
ftont line from bases in the distant rear,
that A-26 attacks were larqely con-
April 1 9tI5 antains ailqaft with Dalth
glad nase lor bomb-aimer and
solrd nose packed with madine-
elled light bomber was conveniently taCtical support ai-rcraft in Europe'
fined to fixed targets such as airf,elds gans. They also carry machin*gun
defined by the American httaclC de- berng found generally unsuitable for
operanons from forward airfields un- and bridges, and these were more fre- pacftsunderfiewings.
s!]natiou nevertheless the Douglas A-
?6 Inrader leaned much closer to the
latter category in that its battlefieldop-
erations were more of the set-piece
ske and less of the ad hoc attack.
Although three parallel versions ,

were oriqdnaly conceived (a niqht-

fuhter, a level bomber and an aftack
a[traft) the last-named version was
selected for initial production and
evenhrally entered combat sewice as
tbe A-268 with the US 9th Air Force in
Euope in November 19'14. This ver-
sicn carried six hmvy machine{uns ln
lbe re, sometimqs supplemented bY
e{ht rn underwinq packs, and by lock-
ing ee do6al turret quns to fire for-
mrd makinq a total of 16 forward-
ftinq qund the ebrn and fuel tanks
rere heavry armoured to wrthstand
qornd sail-arms fire, and a total of
l8l4kg (4000Ib) of bombs was car-
*?d interaally.
Itough obvior.rsly a very powerfrrl
rcaponto unleash over the battlef,eld
{"rrl even nore so when underwing
lZf-mm6in rocket projectiles were

s4
 )ouglas A-26 Invader (continued)

:,-:rrly and effectively struck by the Douglas A-268 Invader of the 552nd Bomb Squadron, 386th Bomb Group, 9th Air
--;er resources of medium bombers Force based at Beaumont-sur-Oise inApril 1945. The Invader also sawialuable
.-.'Jable service over the hotly contested islands of J apan during the last few months of the
: cr the 'island-hopping'nature of the war.
l.::flc war against Japan, the USAAF
=:-ployed the A-26C which retained a
::::bardier in place of the nose gun
:1.iery to facilitate bombing from
--,=Crum altitude, and as such the In-
'-ier was operated almost exclusive-
'.'
- a conventional medium bomber.

Specification Performance: maximum speed maximum take-off 15876 kg (35,000 1b) and two in each ofdorsal and ventlal
)ouglas A-268 Invader 572 kr/h (355 mph) at 3660 m Dimensions: span 21,34 m (70 ft 0 in); turrets, plus an internal bombload of
T]?e: three-seat tactical support (i2,000 ft); climbto3050 m(10,000 ft)in tenqth 15-24 m (50 ft0 rn);nerght 5.64 m 1Bi4 kg (4,000 1b) andan external load
B minutes 6 seconds; service ceiling (IB ft6 in), wingareaS0. l7 m ofup to 907 kg (2,000 ]b) ofbombs, or
=Jraft
?owerplant: two 2, 000-hp ( 492-kW) 6735 m (22, I00 ft); range 2255 kn (540 sq ft)
1 upto 16 127-mm(S-in)rocket
l::: & Whitney R-2800-27 air-cooled (1,400 miles) Armament: sx fixed forward-fi ringr projectiles
:=i,al piston engines Weights: empty 10147 ks (22,3701b); 12.7-mm (0.5-in) machine-gn:ns in nose

i.,fcrureed P-38 Lightning

=-
-:
---: Lockheed P-38 Lightning is, like
::mous partners (the Republic P-47
-,i North American P-51), best re-
:-.::bered as a pure fighter both in the
:,::pean and Pacrfic theatres. Yet
'-:- mrd 1942 the P-3BF destined for
--,= ISAAC possessed
external racks
.:i --o to 907k9 (2,000 Ib) of bombs,
,:--:--.ugh the Lightning was originally
: r::ed for the RAF, the ban on export
, .-:bosuperchargers so comprom- Due to its size and performance, the P-38 Lightning proved an excellent
.:r :ne aircraft's performance that it ground attack aircraft, able to carry rockets and bombs large distances lnic
,-: :-3t enter Bntish servrce,) enemy territory. This is a P-38L servingwith theg7thFS, gzndFG, |JSAAF.
,SAAF fighter groups began flying
?-38F aircraft in Europe and North Atheatreinwhich the P-38 excetled
-:-::oa during 1942, but the aircraft was the Mediterranean. This P-38L of
:::ved disappointing,in combat the 94th Fighter Group is having a
.;:inst German flghters and it was in bomb winched on to its wing raik
':--. last stages of the Tunisian campa somewhere in I taly. D uring the
i-: that the aircraft began to demons- heigh t of the cam paign, oper a tions
::ie its capabilities as a ground- continued through the night.
. -pport fighter, bombrng and
:achine-grunning the Axis forces in
::-.:ir final withdrawal to Tunis and
i terta, seaters and, usrng its very accurate
The rntroduction of the much im- Norden bomb sight, would control the
;::ved P-38J (identifiable by its 'chin' bombing of the entire formation A re-
::Ciators) resulted in a new lease oflife finement of this, involving bombrng-
.. an escort fighter, particularly duringt through-overcast (BTO) radar rn the
:e I 943 daylight Boeing B- 7 and Con-
1 lead ship, was intended to enable
-::lidated B-24 raids over Europe, but close support to be given in conditions
-' 1944, as deliveries of P-47s and P-5ls ofbad weather over the ground battle
':,-ere stepped up to the UK and the but in one of the only occaslons rt was
l.lediterranean, the P-3BJ and the more employed with any numbers of P-3Bs
;:werful P-38L version came to be (during the Battle of the Ardennes)
-sed more and more rn the ground- healry casualties were caused when
::ack role. both versrons being cap- most of the bombs dropped fell amongr
=ile of lifting a parr of 726-kg (1 600-lb) American armoured vehicles
::mbs, The P-3BL was also modified to
::rry 10 69.8-mm (2.75-in) rockets on Specification
lrristmas-tree' tiers under the wtngs; Lockheed P-38L Lightning 7 minutes; service ceihnq 13410 m
., was also the first Allied fighter- Type: sinqle-seat fiqhter-bomber (44,000 ft); rangre on internal tuel
:cmber to drop napalm bombs on the Powerplant: two 1, 475-hp ( l 100-kW) 730 km (454 miles)
3ermans in the latter half of 1944. Allison V- 1710'1 1 l/1 13 liquid-cooled Weights: empty 5806 kg ( 12,800 1b);
The ability ofthe P-5lD to escort the inline prston engines maximum take-off 9798 kq (2 1, 600 lb)
:aylight heavy bombers all the way to Performance: maximum speed Dimensions:span 15.85 m (52 ft 0 in);
:erhn rendered use of the P-38 as a 667 km/h (414 mph) at 7620 m lengrth I I 53 m (37 ft I0 jn); herght
-:ng-rangre flghter superfluous, and (25,000 ft); climbto6095 m(20,000 ft)in 3.00 m (9 I' l0 Ln) wing area 30 42 m/
-j.re type
was employed almost exclu-
-..vely as a support fighter-bomber
i,.ring the last s1x months of the war,
rnd a new tactic emerged involving
-:le use of a two-seater P-38 'lead ship'
:omplete with bombardier: the arr-
,-raft would lead a formation of singrle-

The Lightning had exceptional

perform ance for a twin- engined
aircraft and the secret of this lay in
the small frontal area made possible
by the twin boom layout. Theposition
ofthe racks for either bombs or, as
here, fuel tanks is clearly visible.
Fighfer - bombers in NormcndU
As the troops hit the beaches in the Normandy invasion, the air aircraft capable of being ordered off at short notice.
ln the event tactical surprise was largely achieved during the landings them-
aircralt keeping the German ground forces at bay.
was tull of selves on 6June, the Germans being partly deceived into believing that the main
Mostwere of the fighter-bomber type and many thousands of blow would fall elsewhere, and the Iarge numbers of Hawker Typhoons, Super-
sorfes were flown . When it was time to break out from the marine Spitf ires, de Havilland Mosquitoes, Lqckheed P-38s, Republic P-47s.and
North American P-51s sent to cover the beaches were scarcely in demand, so
fuach-head, it was the fighter-bombers which broke the that armed reconnaissance became the order of the day. Pre-invaslon bombing
German resistance with constant' cab-rank' attacks. and supporting naval gunfire proved more than adequate to counter the
enemy's f ixed defences. Activity by the Luftwaff e was minimal, fewer than 400
sortie6 being f lown by the Germans in the f irst 48 hours, compared to the Allies'
r.ofiting from three years'experience in cross-Channel co,mbined.operations lotal oI 14,674 on D-Day alone.
aqainstihe French cobst, not td mention the large-scale amphibious invasions in When on 8 June, howi:ver, the Germans eventually reacted by ordering large
t# Mediterranean theatre. the Allies assembled a huge armada ot alr power
,',.th wh ch to cover the biqgest seaborne invasion in history, the Normandy
andinos. scheduled for earlvlune 1944.ln direct support of the invasion ltselt
inO eici.rOinq some 3,460 neavv bombers) the Allied Expeditionary Arr Force
:omprised 31'5 squadrons, a total of 9,370 medium and light bombers, lighters,
'ighter-bombers and lransport aircraft. Of these, 5,409 were llghters and
'idnter-bombers in 124 RAF and 74 USAAF squadrons Against them were
,a"noed an estimated force of about 900 German aircraft, of which fewe^r than
reckoned to be immediately available to dispute the invasion Subse-
"bo"*"ie
quent iecords show that in fact the Luftwaffe fielded no more than some 350

Thunderbolts proved to be hard-hitting attack aircraft andflew many ALightning buzzes over a French airfield in October I 944 with wrecked
missions at low level over the Normandy countryside. German aircraft fiqrming a suitable foreground.

iiLnr, American A-36

=
The famous North American P-5I Mus-
tang f,ghter oriqinated in a British re-
qurement placed with the manufac-
lurers some two years before the USA
entered the war, The United States
Anny had the nerue to stipulate that
iwo examples be dehvered free of
charge for evaluation by the US Army
Au Corps but, despite therr outstand-
rng performance, they were simply not
needed, The outbreak of war with
Japan prompted the USAAF to place
-pr:A;Jti";6rJ"is
for the aircraft'to be
Above: North AnericanA-36A of the
;;p6t;a in tire attact< ;
2TthFighter-BomberGroup,usAAF,
c6-nci:pts based in Corsica in J uly I 944' Thk
""t"s;;"i
'.re^Noith American A-36. US
:f close-support aircraft in the modern theatreprouidedtheattackverston
-r,.ar environment were geneiily mud- of the Mustang with its maior action.
dled in 1942, and until the creation of
bombardment groups (dive) there was
nc clear indication as to what units (or
ndeed what tactics) would be em-
ployed, The A-36A, which first flew in
September I942, featured hydraulical-
ly-operated dive brakes on both upper
ard lower surfaces of ihe wings. as
-,.;ell as wing racks for two 227-kg (500-
-b) bombs; itwas assumed that, in emu- short period of operational tralnlng
ia:ng the Junkers Ju 87, the A-36 would started converting to Curtiss P-40
Warhawks, The 31]th arrived in South Above: One A-364 (atso known as the Invader) was transterred to the RAF for
engage in steep drve attacks, yet be
:apable of defending itself (which the East Asia with A-36As in mid- 1943 and, evaluation in the attack role.
Cerman aircraft was not) with its sx- operating from bases tn India, suP-
ported Allied gnound forces in Burma, service, rt was becominq clear that the sewice ceiling 7650 m (25,100 ft);
;::r 'fiqthter' armament. Production of Packard Merlin-powered P-SI would ranse 885 km (550 miles)
lll aucraJt was completed in 1943, by as well as attacking the JaPanese
be far more efficient not only as long- Weishts: empty 2998 kg (6,610 Ib):
-i.-:uch trme the pure figihter-bomber, airflelds at Myitkyina and Bhamo; be- a
-,',':ich generally attacked from low fore eventually converting to P-5 ls, the range fighter but as an excellent maxmum take-off 4536 kg (10,000 Ib)
group s A-36s also flew numerous mrs- gnound-support fighter, Dimensions: span I 1.28 m (37 ft 0 in);
.e;el in relatively level flight, had
lensrth 9 83 m (32 ft 3 in);treigtt 3 7l m
:nergted as the true and the most irons in support of Merrill's Marauders
To provide trained pilots for these two Specification (12 ft2 rn); wrngarea2l.65 m
eiective ground-attack aircraft, (233 sq ft)
operational gnoups, the 48th and BSth NorthAmericanA-36A
-L-36s saw prolongred operational Armament: four wing-mounted and
ser-,ice. Most noteworthy of the com- Bbmb Groups (Dive) received A-364s Type: single-seat fi ghter-bomber
early in 1943 but remained in the USA Powerplant: one 1, 325-hp (9BB-kW) two fuselage-mounted 12,7-mm (0 5-in)
.:: --.irxts were the B6th and 3I lth bomb machine-gnrns, plus a bombload of two
3:::ps (Drve), both later renamed for trarning purposes, until re- Alllson V- 1700-87 liquid-cooled V- 12
equipped with Republic P-47s No piston engine 227-ks (500-lb) bombs
f-;::er-Bomber Groups, The forrner
:::-;ei wrth A-36s in North Africa in effort was made to imProve the A-36 Performance: maximum speed
as, by the time it reached operational 499 kn/h (310 mph) at 1525 m (5,000 ft);
1,1-:: 1943, but after only a relatively
N o. 1 9 Sqn llew its Mustang M k I I I s
on strafing patrols during the build
up toD-DayfromFord inSussex, and
were one of the first squadrons to
anive in France. Although strictly a
frghter, the P-5 I could carry ground
attackweapons.

'crces to Normandy, the Allied fighter-bombers were sent into action as far as
30 km (50 miles) inland from the beaches. British Typhoons and Mustangs. and
+merican P-38s and P-47s attacking anything that appeared on road, rail or river By 10 June the first of the advanced landing strips had been compieiec -
:c paralyse all movement by enemy forces attempting to reach the lodgement Normandy, at first as emergency fields for damaged fighters bui sco.. :s
3rea; rather than bring home their bombs and rockets, pilots were ordered to ammunition and fuel were delivered, for operations by the ground-s.toc::
attack any building or copse they suspected might be concealing an enemy tank fighters. The choking Normandy dust that pervaded these strips during rr:s=
or truck. Opposition in the air was still limited to isolated appearances by summer days proved a serious handicap for the Spitfires, Typhoons, P-3Es :-:
-ocke-Wulf Fw 190s, but these w'ere invariably handled by RAF Spitfires and P-51s, but the P-47s were less prone to the troubies and were soon f rec-=-: .
American P-5'1 s; 28 fighter-bombers were lost on 7 and 8 June, all but four to called into action against the German forces within sight of the s:-::
German Flak which, as usual, was heavily distributed among the road and rail selves. And at Camilly even the Typhoons took off, climbed to 2440 m iB,00i -
traffic. On the other hand the Panzer Lehr Division on 7 June alone suffered the over the sea, turned, dived and discharged their rockets almost over the st.:
css of 80 trucks carrying equipment and ammunition, 40 fuel lorries, 84 half- and landed to replenish after sorties that had been of no more than 9-r: r-::
:.acks and numerous pieces of artillery to the ravages of the fighter-bombers - duration.
: I before even coming ;nto action. As the brea kdut f rom the beach-head started, the f ig hter-bom be rs bega n :^ e -
'cab rank'tactics, flying constant patrols above the giound battle, theiapilo:s -
radio contact with ground controllers riding in army vehicles with the lea: ^:
troops. As a measure of the scale of activity by the RAF fighter-bombers :-=
achievements of a single day, 1 8 July, serve graphically: armed reconnaissa^::
by 51 Mustangs, 74 Typhoons and 60 Spitfires claimed 14 enemy aTrnoJ:=:
vehicles destroyed and 32 damaged; 472 Typhoons and 20 Mustangs on gi-c-^l
support sorties claimed 11 armoured vehicles destroyed and nine damag=:
Spitf ires destroyed f ive enemy aircraft for the loss of three; and eight TypnCc- _.

were lost.
On the previous day, Spitfire pilots of No. 602 Squadron, RAF. spotted a s::-
car near the hamlet of Sainte Foy de Montgomerie; in avoiding the gunfire'r':*
the fighters, the car overturned, hurling the occupants inio a ditch. E.'., -
Rommel, famous commander of the German forces, survived with a f ract;-e:
skull, only to commit compulsory suicide three months later.

Above : As we ll as a llacks on en emy armour, the P -47 s were also used to r eporl
their position to Allied tanks using radio.
A.fuve: The view from a Typhoon as one of itsrockets streaJcs towards a Below: Along with the Thunderbolt, the Tlphoon was one of the most
German train. Breaking the supply lines was vital to Allied succ€ss. important ground-attack aircraft in the Allied inventory.

457
 iLpubli c P-al Thunderbolt
=
The big Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
served for more than a year before
being serior:sly considered for service
as a ground-zupport aircraft; indeed,
after considerable misgivtngs as to
whether it would be able to match the
nirnble German interceptors in dog-
fiqhtlng, it came to represent a vital
and effective long-range escort for the
American day bombers over EuroPe
durinq 1943, As mass production got
under way (a total of 15,579 being ulti-
mately produced) the P-47D-25 intro-
duced ulderwing bomb racks caP- P-47D (razorback) of the I 9th Fighter Squadron, 2 I 8th Fighter Group, l3sed on Saipa n island
able of mounting a Pair of 454-kg in theirlarianas duringJuly 1944.The'1ug'was ahardyfrghter, and thefiercewarfoughtinthe
(1,000-1b) bombs, rn addition to a 568- Far East suitedits strength and speed.
iitre l25-gal drop tank under the
fuselaqe. In due course the P-47D-30
was capable of carrying uP to 1134 kq
(2,500 lb) of external ordnance, includ-
ing up to 10 127-mm (S-in) rocket pro-
jectiles.
P-47D flghter-bombers first entered
sewicewith the 348th Fighter Group in
Ar:stralia, whence they were flown
aqainst Japanese targets in New
Guinea, They were then issued to
fighter and fighter-bomber grroups of
the US 9th and 15th Air Forces in the
UK and the Mediterranean theatre,
From mid-1944, as the superlative
North American P-SID assumed the As the P-5ID tookover in thelong-range escott role, more P-47s were released to attackduties.
lion's share of air combat and escort This example served with the 352nd Figthter Squadron, 353rd Fighter Group at Gaydon at the
duties over Europe, the P-47D was time of the Normandy invasion, and features the'bubble' cockpit-
assigned more and more of the close-
support wotk over the Aliied armies Specification (300 sq ft) winss, plus two 454-kg (I.000-lb) -
advancing through Italy and France, Republic P-47D-25 Thunderbolt irmameirt eight fixed forward-firing bombs or six 69 S-mm (2.75-in) rocket
proving immensely strong in the Type: sinqle-seat fighter-bomber i2 7-mm (O S-in) machine-gmns in projectiles under the wings
punrshing ground-attack role, Powerplant: one 2,000-hp ( 1492-kW)
A total of 826 Thunderbolts was deli- Pratt & Whrtney R-2800-59 air-cooled
vered to the RAF, of which the majority radial prston engdne
were equlvalent to the P-47D-25 and Performance: maximum speed
desigrnated Thunderbolt Mk II. They 689 kr/h (428 mph) at9i45 m
entered ser.vlce with the RAF rr India (30,000 ft): climb to 6095 m (20,000 ft) u:
and Burma in the summer of 1944, 9 mrnutes; service ceilinq 12800 m
evenhrally sewing rdth Nos 5, 30, 34, (42,000 ft); range on internal fueI
42,60,79,8I, iI3, 123, I3I, 134, 135, 146, 765 kn(475miles)
258, 261 and 615 Squadrons. FlYing Weights: empty 4536 kg (i0,000 lb);
over the Bwma jungle the 'cab rank' maximumtake-of 8808 kg(19,400 lb)
patrols that were being used to such Dimensions:span 12.42 m(40 ft9 in);
good effect by Hawker TYPhoons in lensth t1-00 m(36 ft I T)neight4.32 m
Europe, these excellent fighter- (14 ft 2 in); wing area27.87 m
bombers gave constant support to the
14th Army during its final victorious
advance towards Ranqoon in the last
year of the war. Time and again the This I Zth AE Force P-47 in I talY
Thunderboits were called down bY demonstrates the thrce main
the mobile control officers to eliminate weapons of the wartime fighter-
some Japanese strong'point with gnrns bomber, namely machine-gans,
and bombs, The P-47 and the TlPhoon bombs and rockets. Such aircraft
were the best American and British were the workhorses of the Allied
f,ghter-bombers of the Year, drive up the ltalian mainland.

A-35, Tests with the first Vengeance stead the type was sent to equiP RAF
Vultee Vengeance Mk ls led to numerous alterations, and
it was not until late 1942 that deliveries
squadrons in India and Burma where,
operatinq under top cover provided
=Powerfi:lly inlluenced by the succes-
ses achieved by the German Jukers
The Vengeance saw considerabiY
more service in the RAF, a total of 1,205
being delivered, the Vengeance Mk I,
started in earnest, By that time the tac-
tical weakness of the dive-bomber had
been recognued, and it was decided
bv Hawker Hurricanes (and later bY
Supermarine Spitfires and Republic
Thunderbolts), it would represent the
Ju 87 dive-bomber in the early months
of the war, the British in 1940 ordered Vengeance Mk II and Vengeance Mk not to employ the Vengeance in
several hundred Vultee V-72 aircraft III corresponding to the American A- Europe where it wouid be easY PreY
tom the USA, a type that had not then 31, and the Vengeance Mk IV to the for the excellent German fighters, In-
been selected for the US fumY Air
Corps, and production lines were N o. 45 S qn flew the V engeance for I 5 months in the F ar E as t, where it achieved
established at Vultee's Nashville plant limited success . This eiampte is aVengeance Mk II shown whilst based in
and &e Northrop plant at Hawthorne, India in 1943. TheVengeaice was based on the German idea of the 'Stuka"
Califomia. Before the first British air- and similafly needed tighter cover to operate with any
srat was delivered in 1942, however'
the United States had entered the war,
and fi:rther aircraft were ordered for
the USAAF. The American aircraft
(desigmated the A-31 and A-35' but
geneially referred to as the V-72) did
not match up to expectations and
ahnost all were relegated to target-
towing and other training duties from
the outset.

45E
Vuftee Vengeance (continued) AlliedGroundAttack Aircraft of Wodd WarItr
best weapon against difficult jmgle The type did nevertheless prove very Specincatlon mrimm take-drTrFffi fu ilfr. ff, hr
targets. effechve dunng the Arakan camparqm, VulteeVengeanceMkl Dirrensire V*n Xt53 m i{8 ft I n;;
The Vengeance was first inaction in and in a number of successful raids t/pe: two-seat dive-bomber length 12 12 m(39 ft I mI ltrirSgl E
luly 1943 in Burma, having started to deshoyed a large number ofJapanese Powerlrlant one 1,700-hp (1268-kW) (12 ft l0 in);wingarea308l nd
replace the veteran Bristol Blenheim vehicles and quantities ofstoras being Wnght R-2600-ASB-5 air-cooled ndral (332 sq ff)
wrth the RAF; it eventually equipped assembled in the jungle. pistonengdne Arrnarnert fow winsHromted 7 62-
fow squadrons (Nos 45, 82, 84 and I l0) By the last year of the war conven- Performance: maximum speed mm (0.3-in) machinegnm and two
as well as several in the Indran Air tional flghter-bomber tactics were 449 lcr/h (279 mph)at 4l 15 m 7.62-mm (0.3-rn) rnachine-gnmsm the
Force. As expected, however, the seen as the best means ofground sup (13,500 ft);climbto 4570 m(15,000 ft)in rear cockpit plus a bomhbad of br.u
Vengeance proved extremely vulner- port, and demands for the Vengeance ll minutes lSseconds; service ceilingt 227-ks (500-lb) bombs carried
able in lhe presence of Japanease diminished rapidly. By mid-1945 most 6795 m (22,300 ft): ranse 1930 kn (t200 intemally
fighters and so seldom ventured had been relegated to target-towing miles)
abroad wrthout strong fighter escorl duties. Weights: empty 4672 kg (10,300 lb);

t ii"*rti" u-z
The Soviet tryushin Il-2 succeeded
where the British Farey Battle had
failed. Immense strenqth and
armoured protection, powerfi:l arma-
ment and committal to combat under
heavy frghter protection all combined
to render the bronirovannyt shturmo-
nk (armoured assault aircgaft) a deci-
sive weapon in the Soviet armoury dur-
tng the final two years of the war in
Europe.
Christened the flyrrg tank' by the
Soviet infrantrymen, and the sciwar- An I1-2m3 in late I 944 on the Eastem
zs Tod (Black Death) by the men of fronL Sovielgunners often renovd
the German army, the n-2 oriqinated the rear e@it anopy to give then
as a two-seater but was modified to a abtterfretrdaf fue.
sngle-seater and rn this form was en-
lering service with the V-VS at the time
':f Germany's invasion of the USSR on iir:
22 June 1941. However, in those early t, r -r ]i ! i
nonths of almost total German alr sup-
:emacy the early ll-2s emerged amidst
-
i
I
, :L.:
I:e:: -
a welter of critrcisrn, being found to
iack punch aqainst the enemy's
arrnoured fighting vehicles (their prin-
-ral targets) and hopelessly vulner-
=ble in the presence of enemy fighters.
The aircraff accordingly underwent
redesrgm, the great armoured During the winter, the I I- 2s sere
=pid
bath' that constitr.rted the pilot's cock- quickly painted with a soilub/e- white
ort bemg extended to accommodate a schente ovet their normal
:ear gunner with heavy-calibre canoullage. This II-2 sr-rved over the
-achine{mn. The l,680-hp (1253-kW) httlefields o! S talingrad in I 943.
Ltrtf-38 engine was replaced by a
- 75Ghp (1306-kW) AM-38F, and the
:wo wing-mounted 20-mm ShVAK can-
rcn gave place to high muzzle velocity ticularly on accoutrt ofits abilrty to sur-
23mm VYa gmns. vive battle damaqe, rnany aircraft re-
Jtre new two-seater ll-2m3 entered turning to base nddled by enemy
ftom August 1942, and thereaf- grround fire, the armoured bath' alone
-rvice
:Er gmn, remaininq unscathed More Il-2s were
bomb and rocket armament
lderwent prognessive increase as built (36, lB3) than any other single type
lre production accelerated. By the of aircraft.
rrnter of 1943-4 vast numbers of Il-
2rr3s were in service (some sources Specification
:q.rt the number as high as 12,000), and Ilyushin Il-An3 flate model)
:emained in constant r:se up to and Type: two-seat assault aircraft
:e-yond the end ofthe war in Europe. Powerplant one I, ZGhp ( 132GkW)
-her use ln combat was alrnost Lnvari- Mkulm Am-38F liquid-cooled in}ne
ably confined to attacks from extreme- prstonengine
f low level, often no more than 6m Performance: maximum speed
20 fl), the favourite tactic being to cir- 404 kr/ft (25I mph) at 760 m (2,500 ft);
:Ie to the rearof enemyforces in single sewice ceiling 5945 m (19, 500 ft); Armament (typical) wing-mounted ;{rmedwith heavy cannon and
:ne-ahead stream to attack the thinly- range600 kn (375miles) armament of two 37-mm (1.46-rn) and rorke&., and withbomb racb under
armoured rear of German tanks. Many Weights: empty 4525 kg (9, 976 lb); two 7.62-mm(0.3-in) guns, andone fla
the wings, the I I-Zs of the V-PS
-:bturmowk prlots were holders of the maximum take-off 6360 kq ( 14,02 t ]b) 12.?-mm (0.S-ur) machine-suninthe wer all the httl&elds of the Fastan
3ld Star of Hero of the Soviet Union, Dimensions: span 14.60 m (47 ft rear cockpit, plus 200 2. S-kq (5. S-lb) Front in vast numbrs. This abih} b
and women pilots were by no means 103/c in); Iengrth I 1.60 m (38 ft 072 rn); PIAB hollow-charge anhtank bombs, absorbmassr'rre antounts of }€ttb
:are. The Il-2m3 proved to be ex- height34O m (l I ff I /z rn); wng area or eight R$82 or RS- 132 rocket dantage m ade than ppular with
tremely popular ambng its crews, par- 38.54 mz (414.4 sq ft) projectiles theiraews-

Developed rn turn from the IaGGI pleted in the first six months Deqtte
i,"uo"t*in I,a-S and La-7 laGG3 of l9zl0-1, and the LaGS of some early troubles with the
-
Syemyon Lavochkin's excellent
igihters, the lavochkin Ia-S and Ia-?,
ture assisting the production of large
numbers, and ther large, air-cooled
and
1941, the la-S passed its state accept-
ance fials rn May 1942 and, in view of
the successive disasters being suf-
M-82 radial, in a most advanced
installation the la-S entered sguad-
ron sewice with the V-VS rn the
'Fere among the best Soviet fighters radial engines makinq for ease of fered at the hands ofthe Luftwaffe, was autumn of 1942 and first saw wide-
produced durinq the war, their re- maintenance inthe bleak cold Russian ordered rnto large-scale production, spread corribat during the Stahngdd
lalvely simple, mainly wooden stuc- winters- more thal 1,000 aucraft being com- campaigm that started rn libvembet

4m
Iavochkinla-S and Ia-? (continued)

tbat year. The la-S was essentially a

low-altitude f,qhter, well capable of
holding its own against the Focke-Wulf
Fw 190 and Messe-rschmitt Bf 109 be-
low about 3700 m (12,1,10 ft) and it was
its qood ped)rmance at low level that
encouraged the la-S's employment tn
the grormd-support role; in the grreat
Battleof Kurskat least two regdmentsof
la-Ss were flown as anti-tank aircraft This Iavochkin Ia-!FN was presented to the V-VS by a Mongolian ollective.
with rockets and hollow-charge (59kills) boththese prlotswere three- The La-| wx a good all-round aeroplane and its lowJevel pertormance suitd
bombs, which were particularly effec- time recipients of the GoId Star, the itwell to the gnound-attack role, o[ten carying reket launchers.
flve against lightly-armoued fiqhtingr only airmen thus decorated
vehiclas. The La-5FN ({orstrovannyi
nyeposredstvenno, or direct fuel- SpeciEcation
injection engine) was the most widely Iavochkinla-SFN
used sub-variant. Type: single-seat frqhter-bornlcer
In mid-19,14 a development of the Pwerplarc one 1,650-hP (lz3Gkw)
Ia-S, the ta-7, was introduced with Shvetsov M-B2FN (ASh-82FN) air-
numerous alterations, such .as im- cooled radial piston engdne
proved location of oil cooler intakes Performane: maximum speed
and changes in the cockpit-dutline. 647 }rn/ir (,102 mph) at 5000 m
However, despite its improvements, (16,405 ft); climb to 5000 m (16,405 ft) in
production of the la-SFN was not ter- 4 minutes42seconds; sewice ceilingt
mirnted and both aircraft ontinued to 10000 m (32,810 ft); ranse 700 lcn (435
operate srde-by-side for the remain- miles)
der of the war. The 1,a-7 was seldom Weighls: empty 2800 kq (6, 173 lb);
employed in the grround-attiack role, maximum take-off 3360 kg (7,,108 lb)
usrrally being flown as top cover while Dimensions: span 9.80 m (32 ft 2 in);
the earlier aircraft attacked German length8.6T m (28 ft S'la rn); height ^
army targets with the growing arsenal 2. 54 m (B fi 4 in); wing area 17 .59 m"

of assault weapons. Almost all the most (189.34 sq ft)

famous Soviet pilots flew la-Ss and la- Armament two 20-mm ShVAK carmon
7s, amongthem Colonel Generals Ivan and either four B2-mm (3.23-in) R$82 Used inmucltthe same rovingroleas Berlin, Wing ahead oI the Soviet
Kojedub (who desEoyed 62 German rockets or frur l5Gkq (33 l-lb) bortbs; the fiphoon and Thunderbolt, the tank and attacking German
aircraft, including a jet Me 2'62wttrle lateraircraft hadtwo 23-mm NS La- 5 / 7 se ries saw much action psitions with ligtht hombs and
ayr:rS las) and Aleksandr Pokyshkin cannon during the victorious advancc to rockets.

L Hitr.noi Su-2
Only a marginally later design than the
British Fairey Battle, the Soviet Suldtoi
Su-2, designed by Pavel Suktpi, pre-
viously ofthe Tlrpolev design bureau,
entered sewice with the V-VS early in
l94l but, as iar as is lnown was not
encormtered during the Winter War
which ended the previous year. De-
rived from Sukhof s ANT-51 and desig-
nated BBI during its early trials, the
aircraft was fairly efrcient by current
prove the Su-2 by installation of the service ceiling 8800 m (28,870 ft); By I 942, the Su-2 was rrciuing sudr
standards once the M-87 engine had
been replaced by the M-88 and then 1,520-hp (113+kW) M-82 radial and rangre with bomb load ll00 l<rn (683 a battering from the German ground
the M-88B. Tactical concepts changed frequent deletion ofthe dorsal turret miles) and air tores that it was quicklY
swiftty during the first two years ofthe but wirh little tactical benefit Accept- Weishts: empty 3213 kg Q,216 lb); withdrawn to sxond-Iine units. This
war, however, and the use by the Ger- inq that losses would remain higtt, the maximum take-ofr 4700 kq ( 10,362 lb) aircraft servedwith one such unitin
mans of large forces of single-seat Sovie8 therefore simply loaded the Dimensions:span 14.30 m(46 ft ll in); the Sverdlwsk area in thewinter ot
fighters in support of their advarcingr arcraft with firrther bombs and rock- lengrth 10.46 m(34 ft33/n ut): heiSht ^ 1942.
armiss came.as a body blow to the ets on the zupposition that the more 3.80 m(12 ft6 rn);wingarea29.0 m'
Soviets in mid-1941. Despite being explosive delivered against the (312. I sq ft)
irrther improved by insallation of the enemy the befter the chances ofsome Arm:rment four fi xed forward-fuing
l,0OGhp (746-knD M-BBB radial the degnee of success. This versiorl as 7.62-mm (0.3-in) machinegnrns in carried intemally and either bombs or
Su-2 was found to be desperatelY well as the completely redesigmed Su- winqs and one or two llr dorsal turret, rocketsupto about 500 kq(1,102 lb)
vulnerable and virhrally unable to de- 6, were abandoned in favow ofall-out plus a bbmbload of 400 kg (882 lb) carried externally
fetrd itself wrth its single snal-calibre dependence on the Il-kn3. The Su-2
machinejn:n in the unwieldy manual- probably did not suwive in production
ty-operated dorsal hrrret. Estimates beyond mid-1942.
srqgest that about 100 were in servtce
with the Frontovaya Auiatgra at the Specification
time that the German army rolled into Suklroi Su-2 (late production)
tbe Sovret Union in June 1941, but tltat lYpe: two-seat close-support aircraft
dozens were shot down bY Flak and Powerplar* one 1,520-hp (l l34kw)
fighters in the first few disastrous Shvetsov M-82 air-cooled radial piston
weeks; moreover, suchwas the qener- engine
ally poor standard of training in the Performance: maximum speed
Soviet air force that the Su-Z proved 486 kn/tr (302 mph) at 1525 m (5,000 ft);
ah6t useless as a weapon against
mobrle battlefield tarqets. A S ukhoi S u-2 with the 7 46'kw ( I mG
The parlous state ofthe Soviet air- hp) M- 8 88 radial engine. Owing to
craft indusry rn l94l prevented much the type's olsolesene and
being done to remedy the immediate vuttrerabfiV, engnes of inqeasing
hck of sritable ground support aircaaft power were tid, but wilhou t
(rmtilproduction of the two-seat Il-2m3 surcs - When the I l' 2 becane
cotrld be stepped up) and re@urse greneralY av ailable, the Su- 2 was
was made to irrther aftemPts,to im- relqated to swnd-line units-

460
ArmedForces of the World

French A
Each armoured division has its own artillery regirn-
ent with 24 155 AU F'ls. These are setfpropelled
!-acked 15$mm (6.1-in) howitzers with a range of
23000 to 24000 m (25,155 to 26.245 yards).
afthough recent ammunition developments may
well increase this to 3300 m (36.090 yards). The
other support regiment is formed by tire engineers,
who have the same functions in the French army as
;n any other in that they build the bri@es. clear the
way and lay mines. ln all three of these aspects the
French army lags somewhat behind otfrer nations,
dthough considerable efforts are being made to
rntoduce some modem equipment- NslJ mobrle
urilging is now being suppfied,-to the .1" CA to re.
$ace equipment dating back to Worb War Il, br-rt
specialist engineer tracked vehicles are rn short
supply and are mainly based on rhe light land
obsolescent) AMX-I3. With mines the ergineers
are well up to date and now have modem d€stroflF
mines that can be mechanicaliv br'd-
=lfy-fused
The armoured division strength is comp{etd bv
tne command and logistics regiment- wh'ch sup
dres the administrative staff, the milrtary pc{-rc€ ard
all the other support functions, but includrng a
strong signals element. relfrneflt- Tne toared 15$mm (6..1in) l-rqariuers" o+. Sine its intoduclion in I 966 theAMruO,&ds
In contrast the French army infantry dMsb,n f€s wh;air Lnere are 218, have an operational range o+ furne the mainstay of the French arroed
,anty 6,900 men. Under the divisional headqua,rr€.ir-s 1ffi r 19 685 yards), but ammunit;on imprg e- diykions. It has aJs'o ben expr/cdsesffiutr
:ome the usual engineers and administrative reg'n-- mierrr-s rnaf ncre€.se this to about 3O00O nr {32,810 sith abut hat of the Z,N0-plusproductim sffuur
owseas. It is expec/ed lorernain in serr:re unrut
ents, and there are three infantry regiments. ine 'raldsr -'re tJvred lS$mm (6.1in) howtzer is orr'! the J99Os.
bagic weapon of the infantry is still ttre rifle. yrC rrf,i* cLrr-r nc into
-n
seMce and son:e oher eq; r
r-nost French army units now have the S.S&rnrr F{ rner:s a-e ril use.
il,,lAS but several units still use the 7.!mm lv4od$e Fm a't-tgn< defence each infantrv reoirnent nas numerous types of police but the Gei1:a-crre q
fr,,il949/56 automatic rifle. The standard malne- its c"Ar ";r:e r' 12 VABHOT mlssl e-;rrred veh* v'rtualty an anti-insurgency atrny thd.r s *.r rmr*r
gun is the 7.62-mm Fl, which may be used in eitner drs a1c ar" ar defence force of 58 2$-r :an.'on not only with almost the full rarqe :i rnff'rn;'*
a light (with bipod) or heavy (with tripod) form. t{un- ldosi :- :€se caflnon are of Fner-nci'r -.4,r-'a:t-:e weapons but also AMX-13 light tarlb ar*tr #rtr'
.I]\e TFmm (2.9Sin) guns, VBC-90 anrnLlre€ raq nfltr"
bers of Browning 12.7-mm (0.Sin) hearny nradi'yne- Tr€s oen_q':t're ?:H-Tr Tarasqu,e afr'a'-'ec :\J-
guns are also used. The infantry also uses 60-mr n€F '31 fi-n':- canftont"
s.ltrr". -ot3 2:--T dl *mm (3.54-in) guns and large nurrrber-. r i----lnr-
md 81-mm mortars (some armoured dMsions a*.+q swgttr s ' 3tl w'th ar-romer 780 cn 3.il€,: ::-€{ -\-1 rTlortars. lt also has its own 'air force' iibe"-:h *s,uc-
mve a strength of 12 12Gmm/4.7tn hea$l rrci-- ass# :r€ *:n-e 3S 30+rn' :nc {*- :--**ed ped wi$ helicopters and six Cessna 308 -:r*;-*r'r'rng
ters). ElJrns r ".'e 'eEmerts aso ocer3:r,.|r:
"i :c"arC arcraft" and has a small fleet of rfuer m-: rr-
Each of the three infantry regiments uses tfre SA,4ts r'c * S: :.c'- S-- g-= --.r=_: i': rl:- Conscripts may find themsefues seftIrE *irtr' tTlE
wtreeled VAB armoured personnel canier, tfie d- tjgr:16lF" tnrae SJ,i.l reE,,rrells .r*"f B *".1r'rt1.
**+ Gendarmerie, which has a strengtfr of ffi $f,t a:u m
risional establishment of such vehicles being 370 sies trne of war would constitute a forrn:dmre -l;rnre
lhe French army has a total VAB strength of .l "974 \:t aJJcre-: ^:e =-:r.:- .3-'r s -cr:-
el oe{ence organization.
.-he infantry carry with them 72 MILAN firing posts. ern. Fcr -s-ra:f -ggsSfs a' :c!s1 s:r': eJLtFr€r-:
and more anti-armour support comes from rte aoE } :r: -r:-1-e fysqrs s 1-s :iLa^'-tr Her of Battle
=.e-
single armoured regiment which is equip@ witn G 4E r :rs =:+ICr. --S: '=re:E':r:e :- :.=- = gnt armoured divisions
the wheeled AMX-1oRC with a 1O$mm (4.13jnr 1 ffiO Atlll\-': En :a-il.s A:-Nc\.lEt' jr*,*l ft':- -:* =cu- nrotorized rifle divisions
gun. Each armoured regiment has 36 of these veh'c rnrn 2.E5-,r !!-ns :ese sr.lal -g-ns -e"e:nl.*::: One AJpine infantry division
cles which are among the most heavily-armed he 'es( ::iar s-l;:€ss-J rftr€J- -,rs€c r :e r'f lode O-e .r.rarine infantry division
wheeled vehicles in the world. Total AMX i0RC Eas.t T.l; " tr :\-tl 3r-:-itt'il -rssies :rr: il O.re paracfrute division
strength is 189. JJ : : = i--
-=- a> :---= : : - O-€ sector force, Berlin (one infantry regiment ard
=-a
For artillery each infantry division has 24 155 BF- s€flFrs -c r-= r- -l
':cilaf,+: :- -
:.=
=r;r
-'--- :ne aqr"oured regiment)
.18
50 towed 15Fmm (6.1-in) howitzers and 12G 4as :" 3S--r _=FJ :r:ler_-:_-r= :s: ':r r:--_3-. O-e -ctcn?ed brigade
rnm (4.7-in) heavy mortars organized into an artillery [,[se ErE Jn\ rcr\ -eafnrE :e ]t--fs lrt€r-:Lr -r'ree .mistb brigades
nn.lsi 35; !€ -df,e :r :'e ru:ar -ear", r:ilerr Fre cc.ps re@nnaissance regiments
rnssies i:rr i1:r? :n: !6 :,'- :].ler- r s€rrrF --l?se -rrc icrps drone reconnaissance regiments
h,Ee -rrssie -iere ; ?n_oE n -ltr - '3! r*. -E -ni-e€ ccrps nle regiments
t-di]es, a-E :s :er -Bi€ -r-rlr€!a' rq:N':'F-:E :r.e -+- Fr,ne coires artllery regiments
ga-e€ s-Er: -ssie :re cc.as Hutoo regiments
= = tra::e+€E
-.e --ei; 3i-.r 4r,€-_€r -eo}r-i3--j r- -a-1 Eg+rt co(ps air{efence regiments
hsiarys: O'lese 2!6 are i!€-Fcsa:ae Aouefle Saren rg.neer regiments
lb. wlriE r€'r.'e il'e 68 &clette 's an''nec wth Ten signal regiments
AS."1 I
arrtFta-K r-issrles frAotre arlt-ttr.K s{jjwort s E€ht fansport reg i ments
trBtied bq 86 Aerrsoat'de SA 342fu,1 Gazelte he{i- Four independent engineer regirnents
copters arred rt':[h the 1l1OT m ssile. Fcr transport Turo rndeperdent paracute regiments
nd gei"r€lEi .,r{ft ,se ff}ere are 13'4 A6rospatiale SA One independent electronic warfare regiment
330 F.urnas ard 175 SA 341 Fs. The fxed-wing ele- Six combat helicopter regiments
ment rs srrlH prcmded by t'e Cessna L-19 Bird Dog (Forming: one light armoured divison and one
(zl0 sti[ in usei ard '19 Holste Broussards. Some 320 combat helicopter division)
Pluton k a French-develofi lettld,eH nacienr
missile, armed with a 25-Hwarhad and vith a SA 341 a.ld SA 342 helicopters are on order.
range of 1 20 *rtt (75 mils). Fiveregznett8 eact Althor.rgh not part of the French army, mention Reserves
with six launchers, are quip@ vith Plator:.- sfpuld be rnade of the Gendarmerie. France has 65 regiments forming 13 infantrydivisions

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