The Tangmere

Logbook

Magazine of the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum

Summer 2012

The Beginnings of Operation Jubilee • Buccaneer Bill Three Famous Fighters

Tangmere Military Aviation Museum Trust Company

Patron: The Duke of Richmond and Gordon Hon. President: Duncan Simpson, OBE

Council of Trustees Chairman: Group Captain David Baron, OBE Alan Bower Reginald Byron David Coxon Dudley Hooley Phil Isaac Ken Shepherd Mike Stanton Joyce Warren

Officers of the Company Hon. Treasurer: Ken Shepherd Hon. Secretary: Joyce Warren

Management Team Director: Dudley Hooley Curator: David Coxon Engineering Manager: Phil Stokes Events Manager: David Burleigh, MBE Publicity Manager: Cherry Greveson Staffing Manager: Mike Wieland Treasurer: Ken Shepherd Works Manager: Mike Stanton

Shop Manager: Sheila Shepherd

Registered in England and Wales as a Charity Charity Commission Registration Number 299327

Registered Office: Tangmere, near Chichester, West PO20 2ES, England Telephone: 01243 790090 Fax: 01243 789490 Website: www.tangmere-museum.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]

2 The Tangmere Logbook The Tangmere Logbook Magazine of the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum

Summer 2012

Tangmere and the Dieppe Raid 4 Seventy years ago and seventy miles across the Channel, Tangmere’s squadrons covered Operation Jubilee David Coxon

Some Jottings by Buccaneer Bill 8 Reminiscences of a favourite aeroplane Bill Walker

The Birth of Radar 14 How two boffins and the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force saved our country in 1940 Mike Jones

How the Was Won 19 Myths, legends and facts about three famous fighters, Part Two: Hurricane and Bf109 Matt Wright

Letters, Notes, and Queries 26 More snow on the runway; Adventures in personnel selection; Lady Hill and me; A Sea Vixen conks out; An Aussie and his flying machine; and Britannia dips her toes in the sea

Published by the Society of Friends of the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum, Tangmere, near Chichester, PO20 2ES, England Edited by Dr Reginald Byron, who may be contacted care of the Museum at the postal address given above, or by e-mail at [email protected] Copyright © 2012 by the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum Trust Company All rights reserved. ISSN 1756-0039

Pilots of No. 118 Squadron compare notes between sorties at Tangmere, 19 August 1942

Tangmere and the Dieppe Raid

David Coxon

The British Combined Chiefs of Staff, The small French seaport town and encouraged by the daring commando peacetime holiday resort of Dieppe was raid on St Nazaire in March 1942, drew selected as the target as it lay only sev- up plans for a similar, but far more am- enty nautical miles across the Channel, bitious, seaborne raid upon a French was within easy range of RAF day port. Air cover for this raid was fighters and represented a reasonable deemed essential and accordingly the sea crossing for the invading forces target had to be within the limited which could be transported there and combat radius of Spitfires and Hurri- back within a day’s sailing. canes flying from southern England. By early August 1942, all the items The small numbers of troop and land- of the elaborate plan were complete. ing craft available at the time precluded The raid (codenamed Operation Jubi- any attempt at a full-scale invasion. lee) was planned for 18 August 1942 However, Combined Operations con- and called for the landing of approxi- sidered that a ”reconnaissance in force” mately six thousand troops, the major- to test the mettle of the German de- ity being Canadian. The RAF was fences and to discover what resistance tasked with providing air cover would have to be met to seize a seaport throughout the day, in providing close were both worthwhile objectives. It support during the assault on the port was also seen as a means of enticing the and beaches, tactical reconnaissance up to fight. They had been and close support during the with- reluctant throughout 1942 to challenge drawal. Air Marshal Trafford Leigh- the many sorties the RAF had been fly- Mallory, then AOC No. 11 Fighter ing over northern . Group, was designated Air Force

4 The Tangmere Logbook Commander for the operation and for night intruder Hurricane IICs joining one day an unprecedented number of No. 43 Squadron, similarly equipped. squadrons would be under his direct The Spitfire Vs of No. 41 Squadron and control. It was decided that the air op- the Ibsley Wing (Nos. 66, 118 and 501) eration would be controlled from No. also arrived at Tangmere and No. 412 11 Group’s Operations Room at RAF (RCAF) Squadron flew in from Uxbridge. Fifty Spitfire squadrons, in- Merston, leaving No. 131 Squadron at cluding three from the USAAF’s 31st the satellite airfield. Westhampnett’s Fighter Group, were tasked with the contribution was the recently arrived general protection of the assault forces 309th Fighter Squadron’s Spitfire Vs of over Dieppe and surrounding area and the Army Air Force. would vary in strength from two to six Leigh-Mallory sent a signal to all par- squadrons patrolling Dieppe according ticipating units which concluded with to the phase of the operation. The two the following words: most vulnerable phases, the landing “The safety of the expedition from the and the withdrawal, would warrant onslaught of the enemy Air Force rests maximum fighter cover. Of the Spitfire in your hands. The responsibility is squadrons, only five were equipped great, but I am confident that every pi- with the new Spitfire Mk IX or the high- lot will do his damndest to destroy any altitude Mk VI, the reminder being enemy aircraft that may attempt to at- equipped with the Mk Vb, acknowl- tack our ships or our fighting men — edged as being inferior to the Fw190A- Good luck to you All.” 3, the standard fighter of the Luftwaffe in northern France at this point in the war. The bombing and strafing attacks on selected targets, including the well- defended heavy calibre gun batteries protecting the port, would be con- ducted by six Hurricane Mk II cannon- armed night intruder squadrons and two specialized fighter-bomber units. Bostons of No. 418 (RCAF) Squadron would also give bombing support dur- ing the opening phases while it was still dark. Opposing the allied air forces were the battle-hardened and experienced Luftwaffe fighter groups JG2 and JG26 which each had about one hundred and twenty-five Fw190s and Bf109s at their disposal. Included in these two groups were two staffeln of Fw190A-2 Jabo Daniel le Roy du Vivier, CO of 43 Squadron fighter-bombers. On 17 August, the weather wors- On 19 August, the day of the opera- ened and it was decided to postpone tion, No. 43 Squadron was the first to the operation for 24 hours. At Tang- depart and led by Squadron Leader mere and its satellite airfields West- Danny le Roy du Vivier (a Belgian); its hampnett and Merston, the resident twelve Hurricanes departed Tangmere squadrons were reinforced by other in the dark at 04.25 hours and flew squadrons with No. 87 Squadron’s across the Channel to attack gun posi-

Summer 2012 5 tions on the beaches and buildings im- was damaged. Later in the afternoon mediately to the west of Dieppe har- Nos. 41, 118 and 501 covered the re- bour. In this attack, which was through turning ships. In the battle over the intense flak opposition, two of the ships, two Do217s were shot down for squadron’s Hurricanes were shot down. the loss of two Spitfires, including that A Canadian, Flight Sergeant “Hank” of 41’s CO Squadron Leader Hyde. Wik, the CO’s No. 2, and Pilot Officer Snell were shot down but both sur- vived: Wik was captured and Snell was picked up by the crew of a tank landing ship. He remained on the ship for the rest of the day manning a machine gun on the bridge (claiming two Fw190s shot down!). Flight Lieutenant “Freddy” Lister’s aircraft was hit twice over the target and suffered severe Spitfire of the 309th at Westhampnett, 1942 damage to the port wing. However, the Hurricane kept flying and he was able For their part in the raid, the USAAF to land back at Tangmere using the full was to provide cover throughout the length of the westerly runway after day, to attack enemy coastal batteries touching down at over 200 knots! The and defences and to lay a smokescreen remnants of No. 43 Squadron landed over the eastern headland during the back at Tangmere just after 06.00 hours assault and withdrawal. This American and were quickly rearmed and refu- contribution included the B-17 Flying elled. Taking off at 07.50 hours, the Fortresses of the 97th Bombardment squadron’s second sortie was to search Group who during the morning suc- for ten E-boats, reported to be sailing cessfully attacked the JG26 airfield at out of Boulogne. Despite a long search, Abbeville-Drucat, bombing with com- none were found and the squadron was mendable accuracy from 16,000 feet. back at Tangmere by 09.20 hours. Later At Westhampnett the Americans of that morning the Spitfires of No. 41 the 309th Fighter Squadron were called Squadron provided top cover for No. to readiness at 03.45 hours. By 08.50 412 Squadron patrolling over the as- hours, the squadron’s twelve Spitfires sault ships and No. 43 returned for its were at their rendezvous point with the third sortie with another Hurricane RAF’s Nos. 130 and 131 Squadrons over squadron to again search for E-boats. the invasion ships. The Americans Again, none were found. Gun positions soon encountered a dozen Fw190s in south east of Dieppe were also attacked their assigned sector and during the by No. 87 Squadron Hurricanes cov- ensuing engagement, Lieutenant Sam- ered by the Spitfires of Nos. 41, 412 and uel Junkin found himself in a one-to- 501 Squadrons. one dogfight with an Fw190, which he In the early afternoon, No. 43 managed to shoot down before he was Squadron, escorted by No. 66 Squadron subsequently attacked by a second Spitfires, flew its fourth (and last) sortie Fw190. Wounded in the shoulder by over the beaches, harbour and town in cannon fire, he momentarily passed an attempt to silence the gun batteries out, but regained consciousness just that were causing havoc to the with- above the sea. He climbed to 1,000 feet drawing troops. This time the Luft- to bail out but had to free a jammed waffe Fw190s attacked the squadron cockpit hood before he escaped his Spit- but only Sergeant Bierer’s Hurricane fire. Rescued by an RAF air-sea rescue

6 The Tangmere Logbook launch, he was transferred to a ship that One of the squadron’s Spitfires was had picked up Lieutenant Collins, who damaged but was able to crash-land had been shot down in the same en- near Selsey. The pilot survived. Tang- gagement. Sam Junkin’s victory was mere’s aircraft had been tested to the the first by a USAAF full on 19 August with over four hun- fighter pilot. For their second sortie of dred sorties flown. However, the the day, just before midday, the 309th squadrons involved suffered losses; an flew with the RAF’s Nos. 81 and 131 example being the three squadrons of Squadrons escorting Boston bombers the Ibsley Wing who lost eight aircraft attacking gun positions. They met with with three pilots killed. little opposition. The 309th flew top As night fell on Operation Jubilee, cover for their third mission of the day over 2,600 sorties had been flown by the when Captain Thorsen and Lieutenants sixty-eight squadrons of the combined Biggard and Payne engaged a flight of allied air force. The raid had been the German bombers attacking ships below largest and most complex aerial opera- and succeeded in damaging a Dornier tion thus far in the history of warfare. 217. In spite of these successes by the Despite the casualties (88 Spitfires and 309th, the inexperienced pilots of the Hurricanes lost), RAF Fighter Com- 31st Fighter Group, recently converted mand had carried out all the tasks with to Spitfires from Bell P-39 Airacobras, which had been entrusted within its fared badly during the day’s engage- limited resources. The Luftwaffe, if not ments in combat with the battle-tried held at bay, had been checked. Al- German pilots, losing five pilots. though the Dieppe Raid proved to be Merston’s No. 131 Squadron, whilst very costly on the ground, the air cover providing low level cover over the was judged to be highly effective and ships, destroyed an Fw190 in the morn- much was learnt about the organisation ing. During a top cover mission in the of large-scale aerial operations that was early afternoon, two Do217s were de- to be of value later in the war. Two stroyed and another damaged. An years would pass before the lessons evening scramble sortie from Merston learnt from the ”reconnaissance in resulted in the destruction of a Ju88 and force” at Dieppe were incorporated in damage to two Do217s near Selsey Bill. the master plan for Operation Overlord.

No. 43 Squadron, who sent up 48 sorties that day but lost no pilots despite several close calls, in a cheerful mood at Tangmere. Sqn Ldr du Vivier is in the centre, hatless, just in front of the “F”.

Summer 2012 7

Some Jottings by Buccaneer Bill

Fond Memories of a Well Behaved Aeroplane

Bill Walker

When I am asked what I think about possible to intercept. I am lapsing into the Buccaneer, which surprisingly I am the past tense because, as you all know, even now after so many years have the Buccaneer is no more but it left be- passed since its story began and since I hind a very long and impressive his- first flew in it, I always tell people that tory. it is far and away the best aircraft I have In the early 1950s as the Cold War ever flown in, and the best aircraft the developed, the threat to the Fleet was Navy has ever had. A lot of people will seen to be the Sverdlov Class cruiser. disagree with that last opinion, but This was a heavily armed Soviet ship “best” and “worst” in this sort of thing believed to have a nuclear capability are very subjective descriptions and and able to destroy any of our capital always open to argument. I will stick ships. It was very large for a cruiser, by my opinion. being half as big again as HMS Belfast The Buccaneer was a carrier-borne and about two-and-a-half times the size twin-seat strike aircraft capable of sus- of our latest Type 45 destroyers. To tained flight at very low altitudes and combat this the Navy Board issued Na- high sub-sonic speeds, and able to de- val Air Requirement 39 (NA 39) calling liver a nuclear weapon or several large for an aircraft capable of delivering a conventional bombs very accurately. It nuclear strike up to 400 miles away was very manoeuvrable flying at 50ft or from the mother ship, flying at high less above the surface and almost im- speed below defence . This was

8 The Tangmere Logbook answered by The Blackburn and Gen- down again. The airbrakes taking up eral Aircraft Company with its B103. the back end meant that it had to have a They were given the green light in the T tailplane. All this brilliant design led middle of 1955. to the unusual but, to me, very beauti- The concept was revolutionary in ful and satisfying shape of the Bucca- many respects, as so many different neer. ingredients had to be fitted into a single The aircraft also incorporated other package. It had to be launchable from advanced thinking. The bomb bay ro- an ; it also had to be re- tated, so that when closed the door was coverable back on board. It had to be very smooth, but when it was opened extremely strong to withstand buffeting the doors were not sticking out into the at high speed and low level. It had to slipstream. Designed into this was the be capable of carrying a large payload ability to install different equipment and navigating very accurately to its and thus change the role of the Bucca- target. It had to be able to detect enemy neer. I shall dwell more on this later. radars and descend from cruising alti- To assist in slow flight for landing and tude to attack height without being take-off, the ailerons droop in addition seen on the radar, and then attack and to the flaps, and because this gives a escape. A tall order: thus was born the nose-down attitude reverse direction NA 39 which was subsequently devel- flaps were added to the tailplane. oped into the Buccaneer. Such a radical design called for en- These requirements were met in gines which were capable of providing many innovative ways: The buffet at the thrust needed to launch such an high speed and low level was alleviated aircraft off the catapult and be able to by the incorporation of “area rule” into provide the bleed for the BLC and to fit the design. This means that moving into the Buccaneer airframe. There was fore and aft, there is a constant area nothing available at the time, although cross section, leading to the unusual but Rolls-Royce had a bypass engine, at very graceful waist to the fuselage by that time a new concept, on the draw- the wing roots. The shape of the wings, ing board but some years from devel- being fairly short for the size of aircraft opment. The stop-gap solution was the and with a pronounced curve to the Gyron Junior axial-flow engine built by leading edge, also helped with stability Bristol Siddeley, being a scaled-down and manoeuvrability. This configura- version of the very large de Havilland tion gave the aircraft a high stalling Gyron engine which never entered speed and a subsequent high landing production. It had two virtues: it fitted speed, much too fast to take off from or the Buccaneer and was available. On land on an aircraft carrier. The solution the debit side, with only 7,000 lb of to this was “boundary layer control” thrust it had barely enough power and (BLC) whereby high pressure air was it was very thirsty. It also suffered from bled off the engines and fed over the surging from the intakes, this being al- leading edges of the wings and tail- leviated by the incorporation of inlet plane and over the flaps. This tech- guide vanes (IGVs). When surging did nique lowered the landing speed by occur these IGVs made very loud bangs something in the order of 50 knots. But with a subsequent drop in power — one thing leads to another: bleeding off very exciting if it happened at a critical air from the HP turbine necessitated the time! maintenance of high engine RPM, and Landing any aeroplane on the deck so the large “barn door” airbrakes were of an aircraft carrier calls for a different installed at the rear to slow things technique from normal land operations.

Summer 2012 9 As all you pilots know, final approach pilot kept his hand off the stick using uses a reducing airspeed followed by a only the flat of his hand to pick up any flare just above the runway, but if you wing drop. One or two pilots used to do this on a deck you will kill yourself show off by putting their right hand on very quickly. The considerable turbu- the coaming during the catapult shot! lence over the stern of the ship causes Once flying speed had been reached sink and an aircraft flying with decay- and the aircraft cleaned, we used to ing airspeed would crash into the dive to sea level, often not climbing round-down, not a lot of future in that. again until we rejoined the circuit for The naval technique is to fly a constant landing. speed, constant attitude aiming at the third out of four wires, the pilot being guided on the glide path by the projec- tor sight. A firm but safe landing en- sues and naval aircraft are designed for this. The Buccaneer flies the approach with a constant throttle setting and air- brakes well extended; speed is adjusted by inching the airbrakes in and out and the rate of descent by the stick. Because the engines took some time to spool up, when the Buccaneer contacted the deck I joined the world of Buccaneers in the throttles were fully opened and January 1964 having spent over five then closed as soon as the effect of the years flying as an Observer in Skyraider wires was felt. If no wires were felt and Gannet AEW aircraft and a short there was enough power developing to spell in communications aircraft. At carry out a “bolter”. that time the “pipeline” course had not

started and so I joined the Buccaneer conversion course of 40 hours flying with 809 Naval Air Squadron at RNAS Lossiemouth. Although I had some- what over 1,000 hours in my log book, I had never flown in a jet aircraft and so the next two months were the most concentrated cultural shock in my life. During my time with 809 the longer conversion course of about 100 hours was started, and I did feel that the more leisurely pace would have been some- what better for me, but I was secretly Take-off from the deck was very in- rather proud that I had made it teresting. In common with a few other through, albeit with a struggle. From types, the Buccaneer was rotated on the there I was posted to 801 Squadron and catapult lifting the nose wheel into the flew courtesy of “Crabair” to join them air whilst still stationary, but unlike any in HMS Victorious in Hong Kong. other type, a “hands off” technique was 801 was the first, and, at that time, used. The Buccaneer was aerodynami- only, Buccaneer squadron to go to the cally very well balanced fore and aft, deck. Despite a lot of scepticism and but could be very twitchy, and so a pre- disparagement in certain quarters, and calculated trim was applied and the beliefs that it would not survive East of

10 The Tangmere Logbook Suez, 801 had remained operational crew. I was junior boy, but with more and intact. When I joined them I felt hours than the senior guys in other that I was joining the most professional squadrons. One morning while the outfit that I had ever come across. The ship was on passage and not flying, we CO was Ted Anson, who, newly pro- were gathered in our briefing room for moted to Commander, was about to a survival lecture and the rather bump- leave the Squadron to take command of tious safety equipment officer said he a Tribal Class destroyer. His departing always asked if anyone had had a sur- flypast a few days later was inverted vival experience, saying “there are al- below level — wow! ways one or two”. When everyone put their hands up, he stopped in full flow and then very shortly after he left us in peace. Not long afterwards Victorious was involved in a large SEATO exercise in the Philippines. The scenario was that the goodies, Blue Force, would make an amphibious landing opposed by the baddies, Orange Force, in order to over- throw a wicked dictator. Nothing changes, does it? Victorious was in Blue Force with her Vixens, Gannets and helicopters supporting the landings. We as strike aircraft did not fit in with this virtuous attitude, so we were sent ashore to join Orange Force, attacking the ships and beaches and operating from NAS Cubi Point, an American base. Each crew was allocated a target and a bracket time to be over it and then left to get on with it; we had about two targets a day. It was up to us to Then followed a very happy time for decide when we took off, and we just me: there was a wonderful team spirit liaised it with the ground crew. With in the Squadron, and we played hard all the facilities of the base at our dis- and flew hard. Looking back I think posal including an excellent swimming that perhaps we were a little bit prima pool and all the time between sorties to donnas, but it was not intentional. We ourselves, so life was good. The scene had the best aircraft and life was fun. of action was the island of Mindoro, a In Buccaneers we always flew as the very mountainous heavily forested same crew when flying from the deck, area, absolutely stunning scenery and a even to the extent that if one was sick, wonderful playground for low flying the other was also grounded. I was aircraft. Throughout the whole exercise teamed up with Norman Britton, an the squadron only missed one sortie exceptional pilot if a bit hair-raising at due to unservicability, and not one of times; I only once threatened to give the us was intercepted by the opposing aircraft the instant single-seat conver- forces of Vixens, Phantoms and Cru- sion if he “did that” any more and saders. When we eventually got back never had to again. The whole squad- on board, the Vixen crews who, not ron consisted of very experienced air- knowing when we were coming, had

Summer 2012 11 spent many hours at readiness and tions never gave a moment’s concern. were pale and tired out; whereas we Up to then the Buccaneer was regarded who had had wonderful flying, full rest as fairly short-range and always short and many hours by the pool were in the of fuel, but the S2 changed all that — best of spirits. They hated us. we could go on flying “forever” on one An interesting outcome was that, as tank, and carry out strike profiles over we were subsequently told, the U.S. very long ranges. We carried out ex- Marines had been so impressed by their tensive fuel consumption flights pro- inability to intercept us that, ever ducing data to enable our number- pragmatic, they asked if they could crunching expert to provide compre- have some Buccaneers of their own. hensive fuel graphs for the use of all Unfortunately this was politically im- future Buccaneer crews. We also put possible, a great shame since the Buc- the aeroplane through all its weapon caneer would have had a wonderful delivery modes and flew it in all its an- future in the United States. cillary roles. By the middle of 1964 we were be- Sometimes people ask if I had any ginning to hear that the S2 Buccaneer hairy moments with the Buccaneer. Of with new engines was flying well and course I did. It has been said that flying would be coming into service in the is 99% boredom and 1% sheer terror. foreseeable future. When a new aircraft This is not true of the Buccaneer; it was is brought into service in the RN, a never boring (well hardly ever), but flight of 700 Squadron is formed; in this there were a few times when life moved case it was to be 700B. 700 Squadron up quite a few points on the fright has not existed as a separate entity since scale. Terror would not be the right some time in the mid-1950s, only as word; when things start to go wrong autonomous flights which are formed you are much too busy — the shock as and where they are required and and reaction come afterwards. then disbanded when their work is On one of our trips from Cubi Point, done. The function of a 700 Flight is to on the return leg we suffered from a bridge the gap between initial flying by total hydraulic failure. Although the the manufacturers and A&AEE Bos- Buccaneer had two systems, if there combe Down and squadron service by was a serious leak and all fluid was lost carrying out weapons trials at squadron then it all packed up. Apart from the level and producing Operation Data flying control emergency supply, there Manuals. This calls for intensive flying was a back-up system which gave one to cover the requirements in a limited selection only of undercarriage, flaps time; in the case of 700B, six months. I and hook, limited use of the airbrake heard towards the end of the year that I but no brakes or nose wheel steering; in was to join 700B on its formation in other words we could continue flying April 1965. and land once. After that, if we could Thus I arrived at RNAS Lossie- stop, we were pretty helpless. Cubi mouth in late March ready to meet my Point was equipped with some ex- new squadron mates, many of whom I hydraulic arrestor gear knew already (once again I was junior which meant that we could land into boy), and to meet the new beast. What the wires as normal, no problems. Un- a wonderful aeroplane it was. The new fortunately our weight lost 10,000 lbs in Rolls-Royce Spey bypass engines pro- transmission from the control tower to duced over 12,000 lbs of thrust, were the engineers on the wires, and so after much more economical on fuel than the we took the wire it pulled right out and Gyron Junior and with very few excep- then snapped back causing us to spin

12 The Tangmere Logbook backwards down the runway. It was would not correct, Alan carried out a just dark and as we rotated we had flawless landing. Just two more inci- sight of the headlights of at least a dents that are etched on my memory. dozen rescue vehicles scattering in all All this said, the moments of sheer ter- directions as we went into them. By the ror were very few and far between. grace of God we did not hit any of I made passing mention earlier of them; that was when the terror started. different equipment that could be fitted On one occasion flying from shore in into the bomb bay apart from various Singapore, just after take-off I got a sizes and shapes of bombs; as an alter- very high temperature reading from the native it could be fitted with a large fuel equipment bay which is located just tank or a photographic pack containing behind the bomb bay. This is a land cameras for vertical fans and forward- immediately and be ready to eject situa- facing and oblique cameras. I believe tion. We could not dump fuel to get that after my time in Buccaneers vari- down to landing weight because dump ous electronic packs were fitted. The valve is beside the possible fire; not a wings also provided sites for many dif- good idea to use it. We landed safely ferent stores: slipper fuel tanks, 2-inch back on the runway and came to a swift and 3-inch rockets, bombs in addition stop and evacuation. We were not on to those carried in the bomb bay, and fire but the back end was extremely hot air-to-air refuelling pods to act as and could have burst into flames at any mother to other aircraft. Future devel- moment. Another time, just after take- opments put many other things under off, my pilot, Carl, told me that the ai- the wings such as Martel missiles. lerons had jammed but that he still had There was an exchangeable role panel control using the rudder; another time on the left side of the observer’s cockpit for a swift return to the runway. Carl to manage all these different tasks; it briefed me that he would make one at- was also a reminder to the absent- tempt to line up and that if it did not minded observer as to what configura- work he would climb straight ahead tion the aircraft was in. and we would eject. I can still hear his After 700B disbanded at the end of voice saying “It’s all right Bill, I have September, many of us stayed a got it”: wonderful to hear. Lossiemouth to form the nucleus of a Later on in S2s we did a lot of fairly reforming 801 Squadron with S2s. At unusual exercises not normally met in last I was no longer the junior boy! I normal squadron life. One was flying subsequently went on to join 736 at 50 feet above the sea at night on auto Squadron, which was the headquarters pilot, not good for one’s peace of mind, and training squadron for the Bucca- particularly on a very dark night with neers, carrying out conversion training no moon, lots of stars and flying over a for experienced pilots and observers fishing fleet. 360° of twinkly little lights and ab initio training for aircrew coming — total vertigo for both of us. Another out of the pipeline. time, flying with a very experienced I eventually left Lossiemouth, going test pilot, Alan, the brief was for him to on loan to the , but that drop the air speed well below the cor- is another story. I took with me the rect datum speed on final approach in most wonderful memories of an almost order to investigate an incident some- perfect flying machine and some life- where else. Sheer madness. After dis- long friendships. cussing what would happen, and being You may think that my enthusiasm instructed to eject if the angle of inci- is somewhat over the top, but I was dence went above a certain value and there!

Summer 2012 13

The Birth of Radar

Mike Jones

The birth of radar, according to legend, He documented these ideas in his fa- was the famous “Daventry Experi- mous memorandum of 1935. In it he ment” of 1935, in which Robert Watson- suggested that radio waves, that is, Watt first detected an aircraft using re- short waves, could be used to detect flected short wave radio signals.* enemy aircraft. Any metal object, of The phenomenon of reflected radio length half a wavelength, would act as waves had been known for some time. a secondary oscillator and re-radiate the Radio engineers had measured the signal. Assuming the length of the en- height of the ionosphere by using a ver- emy bomber is approximately 25 me- tically mounted transmitter to bounce tres, then using a radio transmission of signals off the layer and had deduced 50 metres wavelength should enable an the height as being of 50 miles. They enemy bomber to be detected. This had also observed that when an aircraft wavelength was also convenient since was in the vicinity of a radio transmis- the technology already existed to build sion, the reception would be distorted short wave transmitters and receivers. by “beating” due to the interference Accordingly he decided to carry out between the received and reflected an experiment using the BBC short waves. The same phenomenon was wave transmitter which broadcast on observed with the old 405-line TV sets 49.8 metres, and was situated at Daven- where a passing aircraft would cause try. He selected a flat piece of ground the picture to waver and “beat”. some three miles from the transmitter Watson-Watt, who was then Super- and Wilkins set up the experiment on intendent of the Radio Department of February 25th, 1935. In his memoran- the National Physics Laboratory at dum, Watson-Watt had written that Teddington, had been asked to investi- gate the possibility of a “death ray” ca- pulsed transmission, as opposed to CW pable of incapacitating the engines, and (continuous wave), would be the most crew, of an enemy aircraft. His assis- efficient at detecting aircraft since by tant, A. F. Wilkins, did the calculations careful selection of the pulse repetition and showed it was impossible to gener- frequency, the signal would be received ate enough radio frequency power to before the next transmitted pulse. create a “death ray”. Throughout the However, Daventry was obviously development of radar, Wilkins was broadcasting on CW and Wilkins de- Watson-Watt’s able assistant who did signed his receiving equipment using the calculations, carried out the tests two horizontal dipoles with a phase and even climbed aerials to mend them. shift applied to one, so that the trans- If Watson-Watt may be described as the mitted signal did not swamp any re- Father of Radar, Wilkins was its ceived signal. Wilkins checked out the mother. equipment and verified that it was Watson-Watt wrote to the Air Minis- working. Next day, February 26th try pointing out that the “death ray” 1935, Watson-Watt drove up to the site was not possible, but suggesting the use with the Air Ministry observer A. P. of radio waves, and reflected radio Rowe as his passenger, and to quote waves, might detect enemy aircraft. from his book Three Steps to Victory:

14 The Tangmere Logbook “Early on 26th I picked up A. P. Rowe Hulsmeyer of Düsseldorf, and used a in London and drove him in my treas- spark transmitter and receiver to detect ured Daimler (among the last of the the presence of a ship at up to five sleeve-valved Daimlers, with an engine kilometres’ distance. After the war, his that hadn’t been opened for fifty thou- family wrote to both Winston Churchill sand miles). With us was my young and the Patent Office pointing out that nephew aged 23 on a holiday visit.” his patent preceded that of Watson- When they arrived at the site, Wil- Watt by some 30 years and asking that kins had all the equipment working, Hulsmeyer should receive some ac- including the use of an early cathode knowledgment of his work on what ray tube for showing the reflected sig- was an early form of radar. Naturally nal. The equipment was then tuned to the British Government gave the family show just a pinhead; if any signal was short shrift in this matter. received, it would show a vertical line. Now that the initial experiments had In an earlier discussion with Sir Hugh shown that detection on short waves Dowding, it had been arranged that “a was possible, the team acquired Bawd- metal aeroplane” would be provided to sey Manor in as a research sta- fly over the site in order to verify the tion. Watson-Watt then gathered to- possibility of detection using short gether a team of physicists and radio wave transmissions. After a brief wait, engineers to further develop the RDF a Handley Page Heyford appeared and capabilities. Having established his flew towards the site while Watson- team, in 1935 he presented a proposal Watt and his team watched the cathode for a chain of 13 stations to be built ray tube. As the bomber approached, along the South Coast. After approval, the trace extended vertically varying in this proposal became CH, , height as the aircraft flew back and a network of stations that would be ca- forth. pable of detecting enemy aircraft and This was a historic moment. For the passing their range, bearing and height first time it had been shown that an air- onto the Air Force who could scramble craft could be detected at a range of aircraft to meet them. eight miles independent of the weather This gave the Air Force an incredible and time of day. Watson-Watt sug- advantage; it meant that there was no gested that he should file a patent to longer a requirement for standing pa- cover the work that had already been trols, wasting time and fuel. Now a done and the achievements to date. squadron of aircraft could be vectored Accordingly he filed Patent Number directly on to an enemy formation at 25770/35 which stated that “The chief the appropriate time. object is to provide a means for deter- At the research station at , mining the distance of a craft from a the team had mounted their transmit- given point using a re-radiated secon- ters and receivers on towers to increase dary radiation from the craft.” range, and with their new equipment This was an interesting piece of his- they were able to detect aircraft at 135 tory. If the Patent Office had examined miles. This was pulsed output power their files, they would have seen a Pat- estimated at 20 kw. Accordingly in ent Number 13170 dated June 6th 1904 January 1937 the decision was made to for “an apparatus adapted to indicate contract Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical or give warning of the Presence of a Co. Ltd, who had extensive experience Metallic Body, such as a ship or a in short wave transmitters, to build Train.” The apparatus was designed high power transmitters at 50 meters’ and built by an engineer, Christian wavelength. Another contract was

Summer 2012 15 drawn up with A. C. Cossor Ltd to therefore carried pairs of horizontal build the receiving apparatus, includ- dipoles oriented as an N-S pair, and E- ing the cathode ray oscilloscope display W pair. screens. This was a tremendous act of For the transmitter, the intention faith. Signs of war were evident on the was to provide the most powerful sig- Continent, but the “peace in our time” nal possible; the higher the signal speech would not be heard until Sep- strength, the better the reception. Ac- tember 1938. Wisely the Government, cordingly Metropolitan-Vickers took a under Churchill, was prepared to standard valve and developed an ex- commit millions of pounds, and the tremely high power version. Com- necessary resources, to ensure that if pared with today’s miniaturisation, the worst happened the country would these valves were huge. They used the be prepared. SW5 valve that had two anodes and Although Metropolitan-Vickers had two control grids, with the anodes op- extensive experience in building short erating at 35,000 volts. This valve was wave transmitters, all had been of the the oscillator operating at 26 metres normal continuous wave variety, and wavelength, later changed to 13 metres. circuits had to be developed, jointly The power output stage was a pair of with Bawdsey, to produce pulsed out- SW6 valves; these were tetrodes with put. Whilst the equipment was being control and screen grids. By today’s built and tested, a team from the works standards, these were really large. The department was finding suitable sites SW5 was built around a solid block of for RDF stations. Watson-Watt had copper 6 inches square and was water- already said that to get accurate bear- cooled to dissipate the excess heat. The ings and range, it needed more than SW6, rated at 60 kw, with a solid cop- one station detecting the aircraft. He per disc as a base, was also water- specified that the sites should be close cooled and needed a block and tackle to to the coast, the East and South coasts, lift off the copper anode. and should be on level ground 20 miles apart, and close to the sea. Accordingly Each transmitter station was made negotiations were put in place to obtain up of two steel cabinets and a control and purchase the sites, if necessary. desk. The cabinets had overall dimen- The number of sites became a “chain” sions eight feet square; the first con- and was referred to as CH, Chain tained the SW5 oscillator along with the Home. Each station would comprise a associated power supplies, rectifiers transmitter and receiver. A set of tow- and vacuum pumps for the valves. A ers would carry the aerials for trans- second cabinet contained two SW6 mission and reception of the signals. It valves as the power output with the was planned that there should be a associated power supplies, rectifiers choice of four different wavelengths for and vacuum pumps. The engineers transmission although this was subse- used a fluorescent tube across the feed- quently changed to a main and alterna- ers to the aerials to detect the null and tive frequency. Four steel towers 350 peak points and determine the wave- feet high were built for transmission, length. The control desk had a CRT and the aerials were arranged as “cur- (cathode ray tube) that showed the tains” between two towers. A corre- waveform, and the desk had ammeters sponding set of wooden towers 240 feet and voltmeters for the control of the high supported the receiver aerials. valves. There was a complete duplicate The transmission used horizontal po- transmitter set kept on stand-by in case larisation, and the receiving towers of failure of the primary.

16 The Tangmere Logbook

Chain Home Receiver Room, showing the normal staff complement of three WAAF operators at their posts. The sergeant on the right is operating the CRT, adjusting the bearing with the goniometer knob at her left hand (not visible in this picture). The airwoman in the middle is plotting the information given to her by the CRT operator on the local grid; and the airwoman to the left is speaking into the telephone, passing the details along to the at Stanmore.

In the Receiver Room, the operators the incoming echo was received on ae- would be looking at a CRT with a hori- rials at two different heights and fed to zontal time base expressed as a range in the goniometer. It was then turned for miles. The actual bearing was also re- the lowest amplitude. (The goniometer quired as well as the distance of any control knob is seen by the operator’s approaching enemy formation, and left hand in our cover picture —Ed.). Watson-Watt used a technique that had The angle indicated, plus the range and already been proven. The bearing of an further arithmetical calculations, gave object would normally be determined the height and a “calculator” then pro- by rotating the receiving aerial and get- duced the grid references for the incom- ting a maximum, or a null signal, and ing formation. Because the aerials were deducing the bearing. It was impracti- floodlighting the whole area, signals cal to rotate the aerials, so the alterna- were being transmitted behind the sta- tive electronic method using a “go- tion as well as to the front. Wilkins de- niometer” was implemented. Four vised a secondary aerial that sup- aerials could be “turned” electronically pressed the signal from the rear. How- by remote control. The output from the ever the operator could still switch this E-W receiving aerials is fed to one set of aerial into or out of the system to moni- the stator coils in the goniometer, and tor a signal behind the station, known the output from the N-S aerials to the as “sensing”. other. The operator would then tune There were normally three WAAF the signal to a null, “d/f to a null” as operators in the Receiver Room at she would be told. In height finding, Chain Home stations. One would be

Summer 2012 17 operating the receiver CRT obtaining By 1940, in time for the Battle of range, bearing and height of the forma- Britain, we had an operational radar tion together with an estimate of the defence system that could plot the en- size of the formation. A second opera- emy aircraft, pass on this information, tor took the details and would note the and allow our aircraft to fight the Bat- grid references on the grid local to that tle. It was Watson-Watt who coined the station. The third operator plotted the expression, “Three Steps to Victory” references on the grid. An electronic early in the development of RDF or Ra- “calculator” was developed that would dar as it became known. The first step work out the height and deduce the was that we had the aircraft and pilots grid references directly. The details to shoot down enemy aircraft. Sec- would then be passed on to the Filter ondly we had the equipment to detect Room at Stanmore which would collect the enemy in time to vector our aircraft and interpret the many messages re- to meet them. And finally we had the lated to a formation and transmit the infrastructure in terms of Filter Rooms details to the Groups and Sectors. Here and Operation Rooms to take full ad- they would be plotted on the horizontal vantage of this information in defeating board so familiar to us. the enemy. The Chain Home (CH) system had significant gaps in its low-level cover and so to correct this deficiency the metric Type 2 Chain Home Low (CHL) was developed from the CD (Coastal Defence) radars operating at 50 cms that were first installed to detect coastal shipping in 1939. Because the radiation patterns were uneven, there was a gap in reception at low levels which needed to be filled. The CD sets had been de- veloped using narrow beams rather than floodlighting. The operator would Entrance to RAF Poling, near Arundel, showing the wooden receiver towers in the foreground detect an aircraft by turning the aerial, and the steel transmission towers beyond. at first by mechanical means but later fully powered. Because it was neces- ______sary to cover the full 360°, the Plan Po- * The term RADAR, for RAdio Detection sition Indicator was developed. The And Ranging, was not used until later in the display became a circular tube with the war. This early work was described as RDF, station at the centre. Any targets would Radio Detection and Finding. RDF1 re- appear as traces on the CRT, and the ferred to ground-based detection, and RDF2 for airborne interception. The stations were bearing and the distance could be read originally designated as AMES, Air Ministry directly off the CRT. In practice, an op- Experimental Station, where Type 1 was CH erator would have a range scope and (Chain Home), Type 2 was CHL (Chain PPI scope. The operators needed to be Home Low) and Type 7 was GCI (Ground able to distinguish between friend and Controlled Interception). enemy on the radar, and so an elec- I am grateful to Richard Brett-Knowles for his help in suggesting reliable source tronic circuit, IFF, Identification Friend materials. My principal sources for this or Foe, was developed by Metropolitan- article have included Radar: How it All Began Vickers and Cossor so that the return by Jim Brown, Janus Publishing Company, from a friendly aircraft produced a dis- 1996; and RDF1 by Michael Bragg, Hawk- tinctive trace on the CRT. shead Publishing, 2002. — MJ

18 The Tangmere Logbook

How the Battle of Britain Was Won

Myths, legends and facts about the origins of the Spitfire, Hurricane, and Messerschmitt Bf109 Part Two

Matt Wright

Supermarine had designed the Spitfire jigs from the Fury production line and from scratch, favouring a completely was initially known as the “Fury Mono- new, virtually all-metal design. The plane” or “ Interceptor”. Hawker Aircraft Company chose a dif- It had a Warren girder-type fuselage ferent approach to designing and build- using high-tensile steel tubes fitted over ing its first monoplane fighter which, as wooden bulkheads, wooden longerons it turned out, was the first to enter ser- and it was covered with doped linen. vice with the RAF. The wing structure consisted of two steel spars, with a high thickness/chord Hurricane ratio, which at that time was thought to produce more lift. Initially the wings Hawker’s had a background of building were covered in canvas but after opera- conventional and its latest tions in France the wings were changed fighter, the Fury, was a plane capable of to all-metal stressed skin which were 200 mph. Sydney Camm, Hawker’s stronger and allowed an increase of 80 Chief Designer, started work on his mph in a dive. monoplane in 1934. He utilised much The cockpit was mounted high on of the proven engineering of the Fury the aircraft to give better all-round visi- but his design was rejected by the Air bility for the pilot, resulting in the dis- Ministry as being too orthodox. So tinctive hump-back silhouette. The Camm set about designing his new spar beam strength and the thick sturdy fighter as a Hawker private venture. It wings allowed a retractable undercar- utilised many of the existing tools and riage that folded inwards, and unlike

Summer 2012 19 the Spitfire and Bf109 the resultant started to set up production facilities for wider track led to fewer taxiing acci- this run. If the RAF did not want the dents. It was also easier to accommo- aircraft they were confident of the ex- date the four Browning machine guns port market. Fortunately by this time in each wing and it gained the reputa- there had been a realisation of how ill- tion of being a steadier gun platform equipped the RAF was on the fighter than the Spitfire. Initially the aircraft front and Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh was designed to use the steam-cooled Downing, KCB (known as “Stuffy” be- Rolls-Royce Goshawk but when the cause of his diffident manner), who had Merlin became available Camm altered been Air Member for Research and De- his design as it would now be able to velopment for the past six years and achieve a speed of 300 mph. had recently been appointed as Air Of- The Air Ministry accepted the revi- ficer Commander in Chief Fighter sion to the design and on February 21, Command and his successor at R and 1935. Hawker received a firm order to D, Air Chief Marshal Sir Wilfred Free- build one prototype that was now given man, were far-sighted enough to per- its own specification F.36/34, and be- suade their colleagues that both aircraft came known as the “Hawker High were needed for the defence of Britain. Speed Fighter”. It was built at An order was placed with Vickers Su- Hawker’s Kingston factory and had the permarine for 310 Spitfires and with registration K5083. When it was com- Hawker’s for 600 Hurricanes. Both or- plete it was taken in sections to Brook- ders were placed on the same day, June lands where it was reassembled. It first 3, 1936, before full acceptance checks flew on November 6, 1935, some four had been completed by the RAF. The months before the Spitfire. Its pilot was order for the Hurricanes was the largest ex-Flight Lieutenant Paul “George” order ever received in peacetime. Bulman, MC, AFC and Bar. He was Hawker was used to volume pro- known as George because he had such duction and had acquired the Gloster a bad memory for names that he called Aircraft Company at Brockworth. The everyone George and so his friends company started to build the Hurri- took to calling him George and the canes, with the first production aircraft name stuck. He was Hawker’s Chief flying in October 1937 and the first de- Test Pilot and on this maiden flight he livery to the RAF two months later be- wore his trademark Trilby hat, al- coming its first single-seater monoplane though there is one account that says he fighter capable of exceeding 300 mph in wore a flying helmet. After the flight level flight. Hawker was able to build he said to Camm “It’s a piece of cake — up to a rate of 30 aircraft a month and I could teach you to fly her in half-an- by the start of World War Two in Sep- hour, Sydney”. The prototype was tember 1939, some 500 Hurricanes had powered by a Merlin C, driving a Watts been delivered to the RAF. two-bladed fixed-pitch wooden propel- Supermarine on the other hand ler. faced a completely different situation. With the successful testing of the It was a small company already strug- Hurricane and Spitfire prototypes, in- gling to complete its Seagull, Walrus cluding their being flown by the RAF and Stranraer seaplane contracts. It had pilots at the Aeroplane and Armament produced a technologically advanced Evaluation Establishment at Mart- design that required skilled manufac- lesham Heath, the Hawker Main Board turing, but it wanted to keep control of of Directors decided to go ahead with its new venture. It was decided to put production of 1,000 Hurricanes and much of the work out to some 80 sub-

20 The Tangmere Logbook contractors, who typically had experi- banded his Spitfires for the defence of ence in the car industry, but were often Britain and their first major combat ac- new to aviation. The company was tion was over Dunkirk. This was the tardy in issuing the blueprints and first occasion that the German pilots modifications and it soon became ap- were able to assess their Bf109s against parent that the promised delivery of the new British fighter and they were five Spitfires a month from October reputed to have coined the phrase 1937 could not be met. After many “Achtung Spitfeuren” to warn their col- meetings, reshuffles and agonising the leagues when they spotted the new air- first production Spitfire was delivered craft. During the period of Dunkirk to the RAF on August 4, 1938. It was there were 106 fighters lost, including reported that that on a visit to the 67 Spitfires and this, combined with the Woolston factory by Air Chief Marshal Hurricane losses in France, further de- Sir Wilfred Freeman in mid-1938 that pleted the number of serviceable fight- there were 78 fuselages and only three ers available for the defence of Britain sets of wings, although Vickers con- down to as low as 331. However by the tested this. In July the government fi- beginning of July 1940, just before the nanced the construction of a large fac- start of the Battle of Britain, the RAF tory at Castle Bromwich, the home of had 618 serviceable fighters including the Midland Aero Club, where mass 251 Spitfires, 272 Hurricanes and the production of Spitfires and other types rest consisting of Boulton Paul Defiants would take place. Alex Henshaw, a and Bristol Blenheims. civilian with several world records who Both the Spitfire and the Hurricane had been a test pilot for Supermarine at were equipped with eight wing- Eastleigh, moved to Castle Bromwich in mounted Browning machine guns. Ini- early 1940 and became Chief Produc- tially these were harmonised at a range tion Test Pilot. Although it took a while of 650 yards because Downing felt that for the factory to get going, the produc- the standard of marksmanship amongst tion of Spitfires from the Mk 2 onwards his pilots was low. This gave a wide- built up so that at its peak it was turn- spread pattern, but experience over ing out 320 a month. Henshaw’s ac- France led to the realigning of the guns count of testing the Spitfire is told in his to focus at 400 yards. The more experi- book, Sigh for a Merlin. enced pilots recognised that 250 yards By September 1939, 308 Spitfires had gave a more concentrated burst of fire been delivered to the RAF and Super- and, contrary to orders, several squad- marine had secured a contract to build rons harmonised their guns to this dis- a further 200 aircraft. By the start of the tance. Battle of Britain some 1,000 had been Dowding is credited with pushing built, although by this time there had through the use of armoured glass been losses in action, particularly at windscreens for his fighters. He said: “I Dunkirk and in training accidents. The can’t understand why Chicago gang- Spitfires were never based in France to sters can have bullet-proof glass in their support the air component of the British cars and I can’t get it in my Spitfires.” Expeditionary Force. This lot fell to the He also insisted on the retrospective Hurricanes and of 261 sent over there fitting of armour plating behind the 195 were out of action, either being shot pilot’s seat, something that the Bf109 down or unserviceable at the time of had from early on. When the early the and the occupation of the fighters were delivered to the squad- Low Countries and France. Only 66 rons the pilots wanted rear-view mir- returned to Britain. Dowding hus- rors and the ground crew were sent out

Summer 2012 21 to purchase car mirrors that were fitted tures that he would build into his new above the pilot’s head. fighter. From the outset Messerschmitt aimed to produce an airframe that Messerschmitt 109 would be built around the proposed new 12-cylinder Junkers Jumo engine Back in 1933 the German Air Ministry that would be as small and light as pos- had conducted a series of research pro- sible. It was to be an all-metal aircraft jects on the future of air combat. The with the thinnest possible wing, fighter study identified the need for a squared-off wingtips and a single wing short-range single-seater interceptor spar, similar to Mitchell’s concept. with a top speed of 400 kilometres per However Messerschmitt’s design also hour (250 mph) at 6,000 metres (19,690 took into account the need to mass- ft). The engine would be the Junkers produce the aircraft in sections by rela- Jumo 210 that was being developed to tively unskilled labour. produce 700 hp and the armament The first Bf109 prototype had the ci- would be either a single engine- vilian registration number D-IABI and mounted cannon, or two machine guns. was completed in May 1935, but be- Four aircraft manufacturing companies, cause the Jumo engine was not ready, Arado, BFW (Bayerische Flugzeugwerk ironically it was fitted with a Rolls- or Bavarian Aircraft Factory), Heinkel Royce Kestrel V1 engine, of which and Focke-Wulf were invited to pro- had acquired four. The first duce three prototypes to a Ministry flight of the aircraft, now labelled 109A, specification and after evaluation there took place at Augsburg-Haunstetten on would be head-to-head testing. Initially May 29, 1935, piloted by 27-year old it was doubtful whether BFW would Hans-Dietrich “Bubi” (meaning lad) participate due to a long-standing spat Knotzsch. He was BFW’s Chief Pilot between Willy Messerschmitt, BFW’s and he wore white gloves, without chief designer, and Erhard Milch, the which he never flew. This was some six Director of Reichsluftministerium (the months before the Hurricane’s maiden equivalent of the Secretary of State for flight. By late summer the Jumo en- Aviation). However Messerschmitt gines were becoming available and the started work on Project No. P1034 in third prototype was fitted with a Jumo March 1934, which subsequently was engine as well as guns. From the start designated Bf109. Often it is referred to the test pilots disliked the aircraft be- as the Me109, but technically all aircraft cause it looked frail, had a cramped and their further developments kept the cockpit and a canopy that could not be designation Bf until the company was opened in flight, had a high wing load- taken over by Willy Messerschmitt and ing and a steep ground angle making it renamed Messerschmitt AG in 1938 difficult to see ahead when on the when all subsequent aircraft had the ground. designation Me. The 109 was not given an official name. In the project stage it was known as “The Augsburg Eagle”, but was subsequently referred to as “Messer”, “Mersu” or “Messzer”. Like Mitchell, Willy Messerschmitt had designed and built several innova- tive aircraft and his Bf108 Taifun (Ty- The Rolls-Royce Kestrel-engined Messerschmitt phoon) was a metal-skinned mono- Bf109 prototype, D-IABI. Note the non-inverted plane, which was classified as a sports position of the exhaust stubs. aircraft, but utilised many of the fea-

22 The Tangmere Logbook The Technical Director of the Luft- was undertaken by Beatrice Tilling, a waffe, General Ernst Udet, said: “That scientist with the Royal Aircraft Estab- will never make a fighter,” although he lishment, and the modification was ir- was won over later. The head-to-head reverently called “Miss Shilling’s Ori- trials were to be judged on the aircraft’s fice”. In due course Rolls-Royce intro- level speed, rate of climb and manoeu- duced fuel injection. vrability in that order and the two lead- In designing the thin wing of the ing contenders were the Heinkel 112 Bf109, Messerschmitt intended that all and the Bf109. The latter was favoured the armament would be placed in the because it was lighter, more manoeu- fuselage. Early versions of the aircraft vrable, with excellent handling charac- had a gun placed in the hollowed-out teristics and about 20 mph faster than nose cone, but when it was fired it the Heinkel. caused vibrations to the airframe and With news that the British Spitfire the alternative of mounting a machine had been ordered into production in gun in each wing was employed. In mid-1936, the RLM ordered 10 pre- 1937 when it became known that the production prototypes from both RAF were installing eight machine guns Heinkel and Messerschmitt. The first of in their fighters, experiments were the batch flew that November. It incor- started to place a cannon in each wing porated several innovations such as the of the 109. 20 mm cannon were used, lower engine mounts and undercar- which was a derivative of an anti- riage pivot points being hung on two aircraft weapon. In modifying it to re- complex brackets that were fitted to the duce its weight and size it had a re- bulkhead firewall. Likewise the main duced muzzle velocity and a slow rate spar pick-up points utilised another of fire. By the Battle of Britain the latest large forging attached to the firewall. Bf109E, known as the Emil, had an ar- One snag remained in the stalky under- mament of two Oerlikon cannon, one in carriage legs that retracted outwards, each wing, with 60 rounds each and giving a pigeon-toed look and a narrow two machine guns with 1,000 rounds track and was likened to a roller skate. each. These were controlled by two This and the poor visibility for the pilot separate firing buttons that allowed the on take-offs and landings resulted in pilot to use the machine guns to find the loss of at least 10 percent of the the mark and to then use his cannon Bf109s — some 1,500 aircraft between often with devastating effect. The ma- 1939 and 1941. chine guns on the Spitfire and Hurri- The engine used on the early Bf109s cane only had 300 rounds per gun, giv- was the Jumo 210, an inverted V12 en- ing approximately 15 seconds firing gine, but subsequently the more power- time; some one-third of the Bf109’s ca- ful Daimler Benz 601, with fuel injec- pability. This led to the development of tion and two-stage supercharger was cannon for the British fighters. The first fitted. This allowed the aircraft to per- squadron to receive Spitfires with wing form negative G manoeuvres such as mounted cannon was No. 19, but be- outside loops, whereas the Merlin that cause the cannon had been mounted on used float carburettors was unable to their sides to fit into the thin wing this follow as it was starved of fuel. On re- resulted in frequent stoppages. Frus- covery excess fuel would be pumped trated by the repeated malfunctions, the into the carburettors causing flooding CO of 19 Squadron asked to revert to and loss of power. This later problem the Browning-equipped Spitfires. was largely resolved by drilling a small Stuffy Downing arrived unannounced hole in the float. The research for this at their airfield, listened to the pilots

Summer 2012 23 and their commanders and said “You’ll Luftwaffe aircraft, including the Bf109s, get your eight-gun Spitfires back”. It which totalled approximately 800 ser- meant swapping their new Spits for viceable aircraft at the outset. The Spit- those being used by the OTUs, which fire and the Bf109 were well matched, were “clapped out”. Ironically the CO although the Spitfire could out-turn the of 19 Squadron was in combat in one of 109 in combat. The story of Reichsmar- these the next day and he was shot schall Goering asking Dolfo Galland down and killed. The modification to what he could do to improve matters mount the cannon upright in the wings during the Battle of Britain and Gal- required a blister in each wing to ac- land’s reply: “I should like an outfit of commodate the ammunition drum and Spitfires for my squadron” is well this did not happen until after the Battle known. Goering retorted, “We have of Britain. the best fighters in the world”. The One shortcoming of the Bf109 was Hurricane, while slower both in maxi- its limited fuel capacity. Because it was mum speed and climb to height, proved originally designed as an interceptor to a worthy opponent to the German meet any bomber threat, it did not have fighter. However the days of the Hur- a great range and when it was used in ricane as an interceptor were numbered an escort role to protect the German and at a ministerial meeting in October bomber streams it could not penetrate 1940 it was agreed that “the Hurricane very far into British airspace. In the is found not a match for the Messer- ensuing dogfights it often had to turn schmitt. The Spitfire retains its superi- for home when its fuel ran low. ority”. As the first production Bf109s joined As regards the comparison between the Luftwaffe in 1935 the perfect oppor- number of enemy aircraft shot down in tunity to test their operational capabil- the Battle of Britain by the Spitfire and ity arose with the Spanish Civil War. the Hurricane, it is well known that Progressively 109s were shipped to there were more Hurricanes than Spit- Spain where their newly trained pilots fires operating during that period; some were able to experience combat condi- 2:1. However research by the historian tions and their leaders were able to start John Alcorn, published in The Aeroplane to perfect their operating procedures in 1996 and 2000, based on a study of such as the finger-four formation. The the 19 Spitfire squadrons and 30 Hurri- aircraft proved itself as an effective cane squadrons fully engaged in the fighter, capable of being operated from Battle of Britain, show that a total of 529 limited airfields. By the time the as- enemy aircraft were brought down by sault on Poland took place in Septem- Spitfires and 656 by Hurricanes. This ber 1939, the Luftwaffe had some 1,000 gives a ratio of 44.6 percent to 55.4 per- Bf109s. These were used in the close cent respectively. If you take the num- support role to the ground forces in the ber of kills by unit the Spitfires were Blitzkrieg that advanced through the more successful than the Hurricanes Low Countries and Northern France. (27.8 to 21.8 per unit), in other words They saw service over Dunkirk where 1.25 times more effective. It should be they first encountered Spitfires in com- remembered that the tactic employed bat. was to task the Spitfires to attack the The history of the Battle of Britain is escorting fighters, consisting mainly of well-documented and throughout the 109s, while the Hurricanes attacked the four months in the summer of 1940 the bombers. The total number of bombers RAF’s Spitfires and Hurricanes were brought down by Hurricanes was 434 greatly outnumbered by the German whereas the number downed by Spit-

24 The Tangmere Logbook fires was 247. Conversely Spitfires shot technology and as such suffered in per- down 282 fighters and Hurricanes to- formance terms and in its ability to be talled 222. It is likely that the Hurri- developed. Production of the Hurri- canes were able to achieve the higher cane ceased in 1944, by which time scores against the bombers because the some 14,500 had been built. The Spit- fighter escort was being harried by the fire on the other hand was developed Spitfires. over 50 marks or variants and just over To summarise the development of 20,000 were produced. The Bf109, in the three fighters, the Spitfire and the which the Germans placed all their faith Bf109 were radically new designs, util- as a single-engined fighter at the begin- ising the latest technology in the 1930s, ning of the war, was developed exten- both resulting in an extremely manoeu- sively and up to the end of the Second vrable aircraft with high wing loading. World War some 30,000 were pro- The Hurricane utilised more traditional duced.

Willy Messerschmitt (left) congratulates Fritz Wendel, the pilot who flew D-INJR to a new World Air Speed Record of 469.22 mph on 26 April 1939, a record for piston-engined aircraft that stood unbroken for 30 years, until 1969. For propaganda purposes, the machine was described as a Bf109R, although in reality the airframe was completely different, specifically designed by Willy Messerschmitt for the record attempt. Only some of the main parts of the engine, a Daimler-Benz 601A modified to produce 1,800 hp and up to 2,300 hp for short bursts, were common to the production Bf109s.

Summer 2012 25 Letters, Notes, no Meteor experience to gauge it by. I have no doubt that flattening off the and Queries ends of the jet pipe, thereby upsetting the airflow, didn’t help matters either. The procedure during start-up was to Snow on the Runway ignore the JPT (jet pipe temperature), Whilst I agreed with most of Colin listen for the engine trying to surge, and Richardson’s letter (The Tangmere Log- “milking” the start valve HP (high book, Autumn 2011), there are a few pressure) cock to control the surging. If points on which we differ. I was a Ser- you saw liquid flame running out of the geant engine fitter at RAF Cottesmore end of the jet pipe you knew it was time during the winters of 1969-70 and 1970- to shut the HP cock and head for the 71 when that station was equipped with bar as no amount of coaxing was going Argosy and Canberra aircraft. During to get that engine started. You then those winters there was a fair amount handed it over to the duty fitters to sort of snow and the station had two MRDs the problem out. These were the people (Mobile Runway De-icers) at its dis- I felt sorry for, usually JTs (Junior posal and the modus operandi was for Technicians) who then had to set about the aircrew to do the day shift and then getting the things up and running on an senior and junior NCO engine fitters engine that they had probably never take over on the night shift. even seen before, with very few manu- als and in the dark and cold. The en- As far as I remember, there was a gines were particularly difficult to start hot air pipe running under the cabin of when hot after being shut down to al- the MRD, which unlike Colin’s got so low the bowser to be refilled, usually hot that one ended up in shirtsleeves from another, as uncoupling and cou- with the door held open with a piece of pling up to the bowser was a pretty string to let some cool air in. Commu- tricky manoeuvre. nication with the bowser driver was via All in all, good fun in those pre- an i/c (intercom) system, using a head- “environmentally conscious” days as set and boom mike. The plan was to long as you weren’t detailed to be the make a pass down the runway in eche- duty fitter! lon formation with the other MRD, clos- — Ralph Worthington ing the throttles as you reached the end so that the bowser could turn without the thrust of the engines pushing the On His Majesty’s Service whole lot off the end of the still-icy end My “1250” (the Royal Air Force identity of the runway. The amusing trick (to card) was issued on April 1, 1950. Most us) was to let the driver get half-way of my contemporaries were enlisted round then give a burst on the throttles into the army but I had had the wit to and watch the whole plot slide across join 1571 Squadron, Air Training Corps, the uncleared bit of the runway thresh- thus enabling me to opt for the RAF old. Great fun but somehow the civil- when the time came to perform my 18 ian bowser drivers didn’t see it that months’ National Service. Initial train- way and let you know in no uncertain ing was supposed to last for eight terms over the intercom. It was also not weeks but, once again, the Air Training unusual to see the bitumen strips be- Corps experience came to the rescue tween the concrete melting and flying and after two weeks with “A” Squad- off in the distance. ron I moved on to “C”, a further two I agree with Colin that the Derwent weeks in advance thus cutting my stay was a pig to start but I personally had to six weeks.

26 The Tangmere Logbook I had to wait some weeks at Ad Astral House, Kingsway, together Hornchurch before starting the Person- with two stripes and the extra pay to nel Selection course for which I had which a Corporal is entitled. Riches been chosen. Nominally it was spent and power indeed. administering to the Blanket Store but Officially I was posted from was mostly spent training with Flight Hornchurch to West Drayton but, hav- Sergeant McGee, the RAF steeplechase ing arrived there with all my kit, I was champion. Hornchurch was a keen promptly sent home again. Home was sports camp under the command of nearer my place of work and there was Group Captain Sturgess, the RAF no need to bother with billeting. Peter squash champion. The relatively close found lodgings at Finsbury Park and proximity to my home in Tottenham was also allowed to live out. At first meant frequent release to run for North the Welfare Officer expressed his London Harriers. I returned to camp doubts that Peter should live in a public after these meetings in a chauffeur- house but when it was pointed out that driven Humber of the type used by he had lived in one all his life (“The very senior RAF officers (it actually be- Castle” at Castle Hedingham, Essex) longed to Charlie Griffiths, an NLH the objection was withdrawn and we member who owned a building com- settled into a very comfortable way of pany) and as we swept in through the life indeed. main gate the guard would turn out We spent most of our time analysing thinking someone important was in the test results for all trades, including air- car. You’ll have to imagine their reac- crew, from the service’s various train- tion when I got out! ing camps eventually “proving” that The Personnel Selection course grammar school entrants had more wit comprised several parts, including the that university graduates — something administration of selection tests, statis- we could have told them in five min- tical evaluation and psychology. Every utes flat but it gave our masters some- section required a 75% pass rate. I was thing to do. Another regular chore was told by the Flight Lieutenant in charge visiting the various University Air not to worry too much about the time I Squadrons to test their members’ suit- had spent on a running track; I would ability for flying with the RAF. These be all right. Just before the vital exami- visits we decided amongst ourselves nations he was posted away resulting (there were 12 of us in the unit) and the in a lot of frantic revision. In the end I system worked very well. (along with my good friend Peter The one visit that would engender Kendall) achieved 93% and the coveted competition was to Queen’s University “Pass” — but we had the lowest two in Belfast, where the hospitality was scores on the course! There were 22 of legendary. Peter and I were excluded us in the class with seven weekenders. from the draw the first time it came Seven airmen and the one aircrafts- around (it was an annual event) on the woman failed. grounds that we would still be there the It transpired that of the various sec- next year. Indeed we were but I was tions involved, Peter and I had scored standing next to the Telex machine relatively poorly on the administration when the requirement came in and said of selection tests but very well on the nothing except to Peter. Come the fol- rest (including statistics), so we were lowing Monday morning, there was sent to a posting where we would not some speculation when we arrived in need this particular skill to any great uniform (normally we worked in civ- extent: Science IV in the Air Ministry, vies). “Oh, we’re just going on a trip.”

Summer 2012 27 “Where’s that then?” We made sure we Pilot Officers (with whom we had little were halfway through the door before contact), a Sergeant Armourer serving we shot back “Belfast” and swiftly left out his time to retirement (presumably followed by a barrage of expletives! to keep high spirits in check since he The trip more than lived up to ex- had not the slightest idea of what we pectations. We were billeted in a pri- were doing) and twelve Corporals, one vate hotel in rooms recently vacated by of whom was a Regular as opposed to the British equestrian team. Most of the National Service. Eventually he re- rest of the guests appeared to be per- placed the Sergeant Armourer and, manent with more than a few very sen- having decided that the unit should ior retired service personnel among have its own transport, led a consor- them. When we appeared for breakfast tium to buy a venerable Austin Seven on our first morning (back in civilian for £125. Over the next few months he clothes by then) the lady occupying the bought out the rest of the shareholders table in the bay window invited us to to become the sole owner but not before join her, a privilege that we enjoyed for we had managed to pack seven of us in the rest of our stay. it for a trip to King’s Cross Station. As Most days were spent at the univer- we were driving down Kingsway, two sity doing our duty but with plenty of incredulous policemen stepped forward time for sightseeing, including a stiff for a closer look, doubled up laughing climb to the top of the Black Mountain and waved us on our way. overlooking the city. When we arrived I left Science IV at the end of my at the summit and drew breath a jogger two-year service. So, back to civilian appeared from the other direction. No- life and on to complete 39 years with body told us that it was an easy (but various parts of Shell International Ltd. longer) walk round the other side! — Norman Sherry On the Friday evening we were taken to the King George’s Ballroom Sir Roderick Hill KCB down by the docks. It was a good “do” My connection with Sir Roderick came but as we got near to midnight our about as an 11-year-old and a Sunday hosts began to fidget: “I think we morning paper round. Sir Roderick should be going now. At midnight the and his wife lived in a large house fighting starts.” We looked around; all called “The Shallows” on the shore at was quiet but they insisted. As we the top of Woodgaston Lane, North reached the quayside a chair came Hayling Island. At the end of each through the window above. The fight- month, I would collect the paper ing had started! money. That first morning, Sir Rode- Saturday took us to a drinking club rick’s wife answered the door. “Morn- in the gloom of a series of cellars. Peter ing, Mrs Hill,” I said. “Young man,” was taken in charge by a lady of uncer- she replied, “I am Lady Hill.” So that tain years. I didn’t see him again until was my introduction to the gentry! breakfast the next day. He looked ter- But, both Sir Roderick and Lady Hill rible but I never did learn why. Back in were very kind to my folks and Dad uniform, we left for the mainland after would often be employed shoring up breakfast the next morning. Our two the sea defences facing the house. Lady stripes at breakfast raised a few eye- Hill was a regular customer for Dad’s brows among the various Captains, Ma- veggies and fruit which he used to sell. jors and a Lieutenant General! One major thing sticks in my mind. When I joined Science IV we were a Along the entrance hall of the house unit consisting of two General Duties were fantastic watercolour paintings of

28 The Tangmere Logbook the First World War aircraft scenes and guide him through his first few which Sir Roderick had done. I often flights in the simulator and thence into wonder what happened to them. They the aircraft itself. In retrospect, this had five daughters, so perhaps they are took enormous amounts of bravery or still in the family somewhere. foolhardiness. One of their daughters, Beatrice, After a very pleasant Christmas wrote a book for older children based leave period I reported back to Yeovil- on smuggling in the inlet where they ton in January 1969. My task that week lived. Many of the book’s characters would be to take a Commander E. An- were based on the locals living at the son through his conversion and first top of the lane, and I can still remember flight. This we achieved between us them. I have a copy of the book, which mercifully without mishap on 8th Janu- was illustrated by Sir Roderick, and as ary. As many will know, Ted Anson far as I know it is the only book Beatrice went on to great heights within the wrote. It was called Wind and Weather and with British Aero- Permitting. Happy childhood memo- space. Nevertheless every time we ries! meet he still recalls that adventure we — Phil Isaac shared. On 9th January, I was scheduled to She Glides Like an Anvil take a young and inexperienced but In April 1968, I was posted to the Royal nevertheless highly talented young pi- Naval Air Station at Yeovilton, in Som- lot, David Hansom, on a Fam 7 sortie. erset, as a Staff Instructor on 766 Squad- As its name suggests, this was Dave’s ron, the training squadron for aircrew 7th flight in the aircraft in the familiari- converting to the Sea Vixen all-weather sation phase, i.e., just getting to grips fighter. I was an Observer who had with the aircraft before advancing onto recently completed a double tour on the advanced training, such as radar 892 Squadron, a front-line Sea Vixen intercepts, ground attack, weaponry squadron that had been embarked in and carrier-landing preparation. HMS Centaur and HMS Hermes. During this Fam 7 flight, the object The Sea Vixen was a unique aircraft of the sortie was for the pilot to be initi- in which the observer sat to one side of ated into the exciting world of single- and below the pilot, ostensibly to save engine flying in a twin-engined jet. costs in building a tandem seat ar- This involved taking off and doing gen- rangement and to enable the use of then eral handling practice, shutting down state of the art radar without overhead and relighting one engine, then return- glare. ing to the circuit and doing single- The great disadvantage was that engine approaches. However in those there were no twin-seat Sea Vixens for days it was the standard operating pro- pilot training. Thus on 766 Squadron, it cedure to shut down one engine com- fell to the hapless staff observers to go pletely while doing this asymmetric through the first flights of pilots on the work. This was designed to give the aircraft without any chance of grabbing pilot the realistic feel of single-engine the controls and taking over in the work rather operating with one throt- event of a major problem. Staff observ- tled back. ers would spend hours in the simulator The fuel system of the Sea Vixen was (just a glorified systems trainer in those quite a complicated affair with a num- days) familiarising themselves with all ber of tanks within the wing feeding a the systems and emergencies. They number one tank associated with each would be teamed up with a rookie pilot engine. When operating in single-

Summer 2012 29 engine mode it was necessary to keep time. The worst part about that was the aircraft fuel in balance using a that I had just been selected for one of cross-feed cock. This enabled fuel to be the first conversion courses on the F4 transferred from one side to the other. Phantom, the Vixen replacement. I Care had to be taken to monitor the knew that my place on that course was tanks to ensure that the fuel was trans- now in jeopardy. ferring whenever required. This was Dave and I were taken quickly by done by checking the booster pumps Land Rover ambulance to Yeovil Gen- and selecting tanks in turn to monitor eral Hospital. Not a comfortable ride their content. when you have a bad back. There, X- We returned to the circuit and began rays confirmed that we had both sus- doing single-engine circuits. I relig- tained compression fractures to our iously checked the appropriate booster spines. We were incarcerated in the pump and the contents of the main tank sick bay at Yeovilton: Dave for about of the live engine. However I was not six weeks and me for about ten. to know that another booster pump had failed. Suddenly the Central Warning One evening the Captain visited Panel (CWP) lit up and alarms went off, with a small picnic hamper filled with followed by an eerie silence. Our re- grog. He amused us with tales about maining engine had stopped. the other side of our accident, for ex- There was no time to slam open the ample, a newly qualified Leading Air- cross-feed cock and relight because we man driving one of our brand-new fire were on base leg and about to turn fi- engines who just drove in a straight line nals so we hadn’t enough height. There towards the crash and had the greatest was no alternative but to leave quickly. delight in totally demolishing farm I didn’t have time to put out a Mayday. gates in the process. The farmer subse- I just transmitted “Eject, eject!” I quently made good money in compen- grabbed the bottom handle and pulled. sation by claiming that his land had The next thing I felt was an enormous been contaminated by aviation fuel. bang and whoosh. Before I knew what Squadron mates often asked about was happening, I was in a parachute our experience with such questions as with the ground rushing towards me. I what was it like when the “Donk” remembered all the drills we had con- stopped. Our favourite response was stantly been taught. I tried to land and that in those circumstances the old roll but remember ending up in a bit of Vixen “just glides like an anvil”. Need- a heap in a field. less to say that the Squadron SOPs were I got rid of the parachute and har- quickly amended and single-engine ness and set out to look for Dave. For- approaches were henceforth done with tunately he was nearby, looking pale one throttled back. and shaken (I suspect I was as well!). Fortunately we both made good re- He said he was OK. No sooner had we coveries and after a Fleet Air Arm ca- gathered our wits when there was the reer, Dave went on to have a very suc- sound of an approaching Wessex heli- cessful career as a Captain with Cathay copter. We were bundled into it and Pacific. I was able to rejoin the Phan- taken for the short hop back to the Air tom programme by October of the same Station where I was met by the Captain, year and went front line in 1970. a delightful man called Cyril Cunning- In June 1971 I had to eject again — ham. I knew that my back hurt and I but that’s a different story! recall that I was very upset because I knew that I would be off flying for a — Jerry Granger-Holcombe

30 The Tangmere Logbook

Photo Quiz Give the date, place, and explain what happened. If you were there, tell us what you remember about the incident. The Editor’s e-mail address is [email protected] and the postal address is c/o the Museum.

Answer to Photo Quiz, Autumn 2011 Our photograph comes from the Melbourne Museum, item number MM057656, and depicts John R. Duigan flying his machine for the public at the Bendigo Racecourse, Vic- toria, Australia, on 3 May 1911. According to the description of the photograph, this was the only occasion he made a circling flight in the machine. While not the first flight by a powered aeroplane to be made in Australia, which was made by the famous dare- devil and escapologist Harry Houdini in an imported Voisin on 18 March 1910, the aeroplane in our picture is the first to have been built in Australia by Australians, and to have been flown by an Australian. Our congratulations to John Land, our win- ner, who correctly identified the picture. The runner-up is David Burleigh. Well done!

Photo Credits

Front cover: Imperial War Museum. Pages 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 17, 18, 19, 22, 25: public do- main. Page 7: from the 43 Squadron archives via The Fighting Cocks: 43 (Fighter) Squad- ron by Jimmy Beedle, ed. Norman Franks, Pen and Sword Books, 2011; Back cover: pub- lic domain.

Summer 2012 31