Britain's Air Defense at the Outbreak of WW2

During The Great War aircraft were for the first time considered as essential to modern warfare. The Germans led the development of new high performance aircraft in the thirties. As the clouds of war gathered over Europe The British Government approved the forming of a Metropolitan Air Force in June 1935. It was to consist consisting of 120 squadrons of which 30 would be fighters. By July 1936 the Air Force had been reorganized and split into four units: The Bomber, Fighter, Coastal and Training Commands.

Detection and Identification

With the new type of fast bombers capable of operating in poor weather conditions required equipment which could detect incoming aircraft before they reached the coast. Experiments carried out with acoustic devices and sound mirrors had shown that their maximum range of detection was approximately 40 km. Devices that used infra-red light to detect aircraft were also tested but this technique was not operational until 20 years later and now in heat seeking missiles. In 1935 a research team was allotted #10,000 for the development of what was called `Range and Direction Finding' which later would become radar. By the end of the year a set capable of accurately detect incoming aircraft within a range of 100 km was put into production in order to establish `Chain Home', a defense radar coverage. When the Chain Home was operational in 1938 it was found capable of detecting and plotting aircraft within a range of 190 km. At that stage orders for additional equipment were placed so that a complete radar-cover of the east coast could be established. With the introduction of in-flight radio the ground controllers could vector fighters to incoming aircraft. At the same time radar equipment that could be used with anti-aircraft gun batteries for range-finding and early warning had been ordered.

In 1938 air-raid precautions were introduced to the public as well as camouflage and smoke-screen equipment at strategic points. The Royal Observation Corps was also mobilized and at the outbreak of the war they had 30,000 observers at 1,000 observation posts, each with a direct telephone line to the plotters.

In 1936 it was decided that key industrial areas would be given their own anti-aircraft artillery and searchlight defenses. Of the 76 batteries almost half was in the London region, with the rest in the Midlands and the north of England. Worth mentioning is the Swedish 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun which was bought from Sweden to cover shortfalls in domestic production as it is still in use for low level aircraft defense.

Fighter aircraft

As the air force's main area of responsibility is in the air, although it has a great deal of personnel and equipment on the ground, you cannot describe it without mentioning their fighter aircraft.

Bristol Blenheim IF

The Bristol Blenheim IF was the first aircraft in RAF service to be equipped with radar as it was developed as a night-fighter. It was based on the Bristol Blenheim high-speed medium bomber. Instead of bombs it was armed with four machine guns in a belly pack on the bomb-bay doors. During the `Blitz' they were found to have insufficient speed to serve as an interceptor. But it was later used for night ground-attack missions in late 1940.

Gloster Gauntlet

The Gloster Gauntlet was the last open-cockpit fighter serving in the RAF. It had a metal fuselage with fabric covered wings. It was armed with two machine-guns firing through the propeller arc. It was the first RAF fighter to be equipped with two-way radio. By the start of the war the Gauntlets were being replaced by Gladiators and Hurricanes.

Gloster Gladiator

The Gloster Gladiator was the last biplane fighter of the RAF but the first fighter with a fully enclosed cockpit. It was armed with four Browning machine guns. Even though the first Gladiators was delivered as late as 1937 almost all Gladiators had been replaced by the start of the war.

Hawker Demon & Hawker Fury

Just like the Gloster Gladiator, the Hawker Demon and the Fury were almost obsolete when they entered service in 1936. They were withdrawn from front-line service during 1938-39.

Hawker Hurricane I

The Hawker Hurricane was the first mono-plane fighter with retractable under-carriage armed with eight machine guns serving in the RAF. In November 1938 1,000 aircraft had been ordered and when production ceased in 1944 12,950 Hurricanes had been built.

Vickers-Supermarine Spitfire I

The Spitfire is maybe the most famous fighter in the world. It entered service in 1937 and remained in the RAF for almost 15 years. When it entered service it was the only fighter to outperform all German aircraft. It was armed with eight Browning machine guns, four in each wing just like the Hurricane.

In spite of being equipped with obsolete aircraft originating in The Great War in 1935. The RAF managed to establish an air force capable of fighting and winning the Battle of Britain in 1940, much owing to the two new eight-gunned mono-planes, the Spitfire and the Hurricane, and the invention of radar.

References:

Gething, Michael, `Sky Guardians,' Arms and Armour press, 1993.

Copyright © 1996 Frej Drejhammar.

Last Modified: 06:29pm , February 04, 1996