Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle
Encyclopedia
The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.41 Albemarle was a British
twin-engine transport aircraft
that entered service during the Second World War
.
Originally designed as a medium bomber
that could be built by non-aviation companies without using light alloys, the Albemarle never served in that role, instead being used for general and special transport duties, paratroop transport and glider
towing including significant actions such as Normandy
and the assault on Arnhem
during Operation Market Garden
.
Specification B.9/38 which required a twin-engine medium bomber of wood and metal construction that could be built by manufacturers outside the aircraft industry and without using light alloys. The Ministry was concerned that if there was a war the supply of material might be affected stopping construction of bombers.
Bristol
, Armstrong-Whitworth and de Havilland
were approached for designs. Bristol proposed two designs - a conventional 80 ft wingspan capable of 300 mph and a tricycle design with 70 ft span with a maximum speed of 320 mph. Both, known as the Type 155, used two of Bristol's Hercules engines. Armstrong Whitworth's AW.41 design used a tricycle undercarriage - influenced by its use in America - and was built up of sub-sections easing manufacture by firms without aircraft construction experience. The AW.41 was designed with Rolls-Royce Merlin engines in mind but with Bristol Hercules as an alternative ("shadow") engine.
De Havilland did not submit a design. Mockups of both the AW.41 and Bristol 155 were examined in June 1938, and new specifications B.17/38 and B.18/38 were drawn up for the respective designs. The specification stipulated 250 mph at 5,000 economical cruise while carrying 4,000 lb (1,800 kg) of bombs. However Bristol was already heavily engaged with other aircraft production and development and stopped work on the 155.<
Changes in policy led to the Air Staff reconsidering the type as principally a reconnaissance aircraft capable of carrying out bombing. Among other effects, this meant more fuel to give a 4,000 mile range. Two defensive positions were added; a dorsal turret to cover above and a (retractable) ventral one to give downward fire. An instruction for 200 aircraft to be produced "off the drawing board" (ie without producing a prototype first) was given in October 1938. The aircraft was always expected to be of use as insurance only and to be less than ideal.
In order to conserve aluminium large parts of the aircraft were constructed in steel with a consequent reduction of performance due to the higher weight.
The Albemarle was a mid-wing, cantilever monoplane
with twin twin fins and rudder
s. The fuselage was built in three sections; the structure being unstressed plywood over a steel tube frame.. The forward section used stainless steel tubing to reduce interference with magnetic compasses.
It had a Lockheed hydraulically-operated, retractable tricycle landing gear
, with the main wheels retracting back into the engine nacelles and the nose wheel raised backwards into the front fuselage.
The navigator sat in the nose foward of the two pilots side-by-side and a radio operator behind the pilots. The bomb aimer's sighting panel was incoprated into the crew hatch in the bottom of the nose. In the tailplane were glazed panels so a "fire controller" could coordinate the turrets against attackers. The dorsal turret was a Boulton-Paul design with four Browning machine guns. A fairing forward of the turret automatically retracted as the turret rotated to fire forwards.
Fuel came from four tanks. Additional tanks could be carried in the bomb bay
When used as a paratroop transport, 10 fully armed troops could be carried. The paratroopers had a dropping hole in the rear fuselage and a large loading door in the fuselage side.
The first of two prototypes built by Armstrong Whitworth
flew on 20 March 1940. Mason 1994, pp. 335–337. To improve take-off a wider span (77 from 67 ft) wing was from the 9th aircraft. Delays in reaching service, that it was not an improvement over current medium bombers (such as the Vickers Wellington
) and its obvious shortcomings compared to the four-engined heavies about to enter service meant that plans for using it as a bomber was dropped but it was still considered as suitable for general reconnaissance.
The original bomber design required a crew of six including two gunners; one in a four-gun dorsal turret and one in a twin-gun ventral turret. However, only the first 32 aircraft, the Mk I Series I, were produced in this configuration and they were only used operationally in the bomber role on two occasions. This was because the Albemarle was considered inferior to other aircraft already in service, such as the Vickers Wellington
. All subsequent aircraft were built as transports, designated either "General Transport" (GT) or "Special Transport" (ST).
The most notable design feature of the Albemarle was its undercarriage which included a retractable nose-wheel (in addition to a semi-concealed "bumper" tail-wheel). It was the first British-built aircraft with this configuration to enter service with the Royal Air Force
.
The entire production run of 600 Albemarles was assembled by A.W. Hawksley Ltd of Gloucester
, a subsidiary of the Gloster Aircraft Company
formed for the purpose of the construction of the Albemarle. Gloster was a part of the Hawker Siddley group which included Armstrong Whitworth. The actual parts for the Albemarle were produced by some 1,000 subcontractors.
at RAF Harwell
in January 1943. Other squadrons to be equipped with the Albemarle were No. 296
, No. 297
and No. 570
. Other RAF squadrons operated small numbers of the aircraft. Albemarles took part in many of the major British airborne operations such as the invasion of Sicily and of Normandy
and the assault on Arnhem
during Operation Market Garden
.
In October 1942, the Soviet Air Force
placed a contract for delivery of 200 Albemarles. No. 305 Ferry Training Unit
was set up at RAF Errol
near Dundee
to train Soviet aircrews. During training, one aircraft was lost with no survivors. The first Albemarle from Scotland flew successfully to Vnukovo airfield on 3 March 1943, followed by 11 more. Two aircraft were lost over the North Sea
; one to German interceptors and the other unaccounted for.
Tests of the surviving Albemarles revealed their weaknesses as transports (notably the cramped interior) and numerous technical flaws; in May 1943, the Soviet government put further deliveries on hold and eventually cancelled them in favour of abundant American Douglas C-47 Skytrains. The Soviet camp at Errol field continued until April 1944; apparently the Soviet command hoped to secure de Havilland Mosquito
deliveries. Twelve Soviet Albemarles served for about two years; at least two were lost in accidents. Surviving aircraft were retired at the end of 1945.
Most Marks were divided into "Series" to distinguish differences in equipment. The ST Mk I Series 1 (eight aircraft) had the four gun turret replaced with hand operated twin-guns under a sliding hood. As a special transport a loading door was fitted on the starboard side; the rear fuel tank was removed. The 14 ST Mk I Series 2 aircraft were equipped with gear for towing gliders. The Mk II could carry 10 paratroops and the Mk V was essentially the same but with a fuel jettison capability. All production Albemarles were powered by a pair of 1,590 hp (1,186 kW) Bristol Hercules
XI radial engine
s.
The Mk III and Mk IV Albemarles were development projects testing different powerplants; the former using the Rolls-Royce Merlin
III and the latter with the 1,600 hp (1,190 kW) Wright Double Cyclone
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
twin-engine transport aircraft
Military transport aircraft
Military transport aircraft are typically fixed and rotary wing cargo aircraft which are used to deliver troops, weapons and other military equipment by a variety of methods to any area of military operations around the surface of the planet, usually outside of the commercial flight routes in...
that entered service during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Originally designed as a medium bomber
Medium bomber
A medium bomber is a bomber aircraft designed to operate with medium bombloads over medium distances; the name serves to distinguish them from the larger heavy bombers and smaller light bombers...
that could be built by non-aviation companies without using light alloys, the Albemarle never served in that role, instead being used for general and special transport duties, paratroop transport and glider
Military glider
Military gliders have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes, e.g...
towing including significant actions such as Normandy
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
and the assault on Arnhem
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
during Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time....
.
Design and development
The origin of the Albemarle lay in the pre-war Air MinistryAir Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
Specification B.9/38 which required a twin-engine medium bomber of wood and metal construction that could be built by manufacturers outside the aircraft industry and without using light alloys. The Ministry was concerned that if there was a war the supply of material might be affected stopping construction of bombers.
Bristol
Bristol Aeroplane Company
The Bristol Aeroplane Company, originally the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, was both one of the first and one of the most important British aviation companies, designing and manufacturing both airframes and aero engines...
, Armstrong-Whitworth and de Havilland
De Havilland
The de Havilland Aircraft Company was a British aviation manufacturer founded in 1920 when Airco, of which Geoffrey de Havilland had been chief designer, was sold to BSA by the owner George Holt Thomas. De Havilland then set up a company under his name in September of that year at Stag Lane...
were approached for designs. Bristol proposed two designs - a conventional 80 ft wingspan capable of 300 mph and a tricycle design with 70 ft span with a maximum speed of 320 mph. Both, known as the Type 155, used two of Bristol's Hercules engines. Armstrong Whitworth's AW.41 design used a tricycle undercarriage - influenced by its use in America - and was built up of sub-sections easing manufacture by firms without aircraft construction experience. The AW.41 was designed with Rolls-Royce Merlin engines in mind but with Bristol Hercules as an alternative ("shadow") engine.
De Havilland did not submit a design. Mockups of both the AW.41 and Bristol 155 were examined in June 1938, and new specifications B.17/38 and B.18/38 were drawn up for the respective designs. The specification stipulated 250 mph at 5,000 economical cruise while carrying 4,000 lb (1,800 kg) of bombs. However Bristol was already heavily engaged with other aircraft production and development and stopped work on the 155.<
Changes in policy led to the Air Staff reconsidering the type as principally a reconnaissance aircraft capable of carrying out bombing. Among other effects, this meant more fuel to give a 4,000 mile range. Two defensive positions were added; a dorsal turret to cover above and a (retractable) ventral one to give downward fire. An instruction for 200 aircraft to be produced "off the drawing board" (ie without producing a prototype first) was given in October 1938. The aircraft was always expected to be of use as insurance only and to be less than ideal.
In order to conserve aluminium large parts of the aircraft were constructed in steel with a consequent reduction of performance due to the higher weight.
The Albemarle was a mid-wing, cantilever monoplane
Monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. Since the late 1930s it has been the most common form for a fixed wing aircraft.-Types of monoplane:...
with twin twin fins and rudder
Rudder
A rudder is a device used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft or other conveyance that moves through a medium . On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw and p-factor and is not the primary control used to turn the airplane...
s. The fuselage was built in three sections; the structure being unstressed plywood over a steel tube frame.. The forward section used stainless steel tubing to reduce interference with magnetic compasses.
It had a Lockheed hydraulically-operated, retractable tricycle landing gear
Tricycle gear
Tricycle gear describes an aircraft undercarriage, or landing gear, arranged in a tricycle fashion. The tricycle arrangement has one wheel in the front, called the nose wheel, and two or more main wheels slightly aft of the center of gravity...
, with the main wheels retracting back into the engine nacelles and the nose wheel raised backwards into the front fuselage.
The navigator sat in the nose foward of the two pilots side-by-side and a radio operator behind the pilots. The bomb aimer's sighting panel was incoprated into the crew hatch in the bottom of the nose. In the tailplane were glazed panels so a "fire controller" could coordinate the turrets against attackers. The dorsal turret was a Boulton-Paul design with four Browning machine guns. A fairing forward of the turret automatically retracted as the turret rotated to fire forwards.
Fuel came from four tanks. Additional tanks could be carried in the bomb bay
When used as a paratroop transport, 10 fully armed troops could be carried. The paratroopers had a dropping hole in the rear fuselage and a large loading door in the fuselage side.
The first of two prototypes built by Armstrong Whitworth
Armstrong Whitworth
Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd was a major British manufacturing company of the early years of the 20th century. Headquartered in Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, Armstrong Whitworth engaged in the construction of armaments, ships, locomotives, automobiles, and aircraft.-History:In 1847,...
flew on 20 March 1940. Mason 1994, pp. 335–337. To improve take-off a wider span (77 from 67 ft) wing was from the 9th aircraft. Delays in reaching service, that it was not an improvement over current medium bombers (such as the Vickers Wellington
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
) and its obvious shortcomings compared to the four-engined heavies about to enter service meant that plans for using it as a bomber was dropped but it was still considered as suitable for general reconnaissance.
The original bomber design required a crew of six including two gunners; one in a four-gun dorsal turret and one in a twin-gun ventral turret. However, only the first 32 aircraft, the Mk I Series I, were produced in this configuration and they were only used operationally in the bomber role on two occasions. This was because the Albemarle was considered inferior to other aircraft already in service, such as the Vickers Wellington
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
. All subsequent aircraft were built as transports, designated either "General Transport" (GT) or "Special Transport" (ST).
The most notable design feature of the Albemarle was its undercarriage which included a retractable nose-wheel (in addition to a semi-concealed "bumper" tail-wheel). It was the first British-built aircraft with this configuration to enter service with the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
.
The entire production run of 600 Albemarles was assembled by A.W. Hawksley Ltd of Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
, a subsidiary of the Gloster Aircraft Company
Gloster Aircraft Company
The Gloster Aircraft Company, Limited, known locally as GAC, was a British aircraft manufacturer. The company produced a famous lineage of fighters for the Royal Air Force : the Grebe, Gladiator, Meteor and Javelin. It also produced the Hawker Hurricane and Hawker Typhoon for the parent company...
formed for the purpose of the construction of the Albemarle. Gloster was a part of the Hawker Siddley group which included Armstrong Whitworth. The actual parts for the Albemarle were produced by some 1,000 subcontractors.
Operational history
The first squadron to operate the Albemarle was No. 295No. 295 Squadron RAF
No 295 Squadron RAF was an airborne forces and transport squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War II. It was the first unit to be equipped with the Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle transport and glider tug aircraft.-With the Airborne Forces:...
at RAF Harwell
RAF Harwell
RAF Harwell was a Royal Air Force airfield in former Berkshire, England, near the village of Harwell, later the site of the Atomic Energy Research Establishment and Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. The site is now in Oxfordshire....
in January 1943. Other squadrons to be equipped with the Albemarle were No. 296
No. 296 Squadron RAF
No. 296 Squadron RAF was an airborne forces squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War II. With sister squadrons 295 and 297 it formed 38 Wing, which later expanded to create No. 38 Group RAF.-With the Airborne Forces:No...
, No. 297
No. 297 Squadron RAF
No 297 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was notable for being the first airborne forces squadron formed. With sister No 296 Squadron it formed No 38 Wing RAF -soon to be expanded with sister No 295 Squadron, which expanded later to become No 38 Group RAF.-Formation and World War...
and No. 570
No. 570 Squadron RAF
No. 570 Squadron RAF was a bomber unit active within No. 38 Group RAF as an airborne, bomber support and special operations squadron during World War II.-History:...
. Other RAF squadrons operated small numbers of the aircraft. Albemarles took part in many of the major British airborne operations such as the invasion of Sicily and of Normandy
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
and the assault on Arnhem
Battle of Arnhem
The Battle of Arnhem was a famous Second World War military engagement fought in and around the Dutch towns of Arnhem, Oosterbeek, Wolfheze, Driel and the surrounding countryside from 17–26 September 1944....
during Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time....
.
In October 1942, the Soviet Air Force
Soviet Air Force
The Soviet Air Force, officially known in Russian as Военно-воздушные силы or Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily and often abbreviated VVS was the official designation of one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces...
placed a contract for delivery of 200 Albemarles. No. 305 Ferry Training Unit
No. 305 Ferry Training Unit RAF
No. 305 Ferry Training Unit RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War II. It was set up at RAF Errol near Dundee to train Soviet aircrews, utilizing Armstrong Whitworth Albemarles as trainers....
was set up at RAF Errol
RAF Errol
RAF Errol is a World War II airfield near the village of Errol in Perth & Kinross, Scotland, on the north bank of the Firth of Tay approximately half way between Perth and Dundee. The airfield opened in January 1943. Errol housed a special 305th air training squadron for the Soviet crews receiving...
near Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
to train Soviet aircrews. During training, one aircraft was lost with no survivors. The first Albemarle from Scotland flew successfully to Vnukovo airfield on 3 March 1943, followed by 11 more. Two aircraft were lost over the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
; one to German interceptors and the other unaccounted for.
Tests of the surviving Albemarles revealed their weaknesses as transports (notably the cramped interior) and numerous technical flaws; in May 1943, the Soviet government put further deliveries on hold and eventually cancelled them in favour of abundant American Douglas C-47 Skytrains. The Soviet camp at Errol field continued until April 1944; apparently the Soviet command hoped to secure de Havilland Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
deliveries. Twelve Soviet Albemarles served for about two years; at least two were lost in accidents. Surviving aircraft were retired at the end of 1945.
Variants
Over the course of its production life, a number of variants of the Albemarle were built:- ST Mk I - 99 aircraft
- GT Mk I - 69
- ST Mk II - 99
- Mk III - One prototype only.
- Mk IV - One prototype only.
- ST Mk V - 49
- ST Mk VI - 133
- GT Mk VI - 117
Most Marks were divided into "Series" to distinguish differences in equipment. The ST Mk I Series 1 (eight aircraft) had the four gun turret replaced with hand operated twin-guns under a sliding hood. As a special transport a loading door was fitted on the starboard side; the rear fuel tank was removed. The 14 ST Mk I Series 2 aircraft were equipped with gear for towing gliders. The Mk II could carry 10 paratroops and the Mk V was essentially the same but with a fuel jettison capability. All production Albemarles were powered by a pair of 1,590 hp (1,186 kW) Bristol Hercules
Bristol Hercules
|-See also:-Bibliography:*Gunston, B. Classic World War II Aircraft Cutaways. Osprey. ISBN 1-85532-526-8*Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9...
XI radial engine
Radial engine
The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders point outward from a central crankshaft like the spokes on a wheel...
s.
The Mk III and Mk IV Albemarles were development projects testing different powerplants; the former using the Rolls-Royce Merlin
Rolls-Royce Merlin
The Rolls-Royce Merlin is a British liquid-cooled, V-12, piston aero engine, of 27-litre capacity. Rolls-Royce Limited designed and built the engine which was initially known as the PV-12: the PV-12 became known as the Merlin following the company convention of naming its piston aero engines after...
III and the latter with the 1,600 hp (1,190 kW) Wright Double Cyclone
Wright R-3350
The Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone was one of the most powerful radial aircraft engines produced in the United States. It was a twin row, supercharged, air-cooled, radial engine with 18 cylinders. Power ranged from 2,200 to over 3,700 hp , depending on the model...
.
Operators
- Twelve aircraft were exported to the Soviet Union (two more lost in transit).
- transport arm of 1st Air Division, later 10th Guards Air division (to 1944); naval air units until retirement in 1945
- Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
- No. 161 Squadron RAFNo. 161 Squadron RAFNo. 161 Squadron was a highly secretive unit of the Royal Air Force tasked with missions of the Special Operations Executive during the Second World War. Their primary role was to drop and collect secret agents and equipment into and from Nazi-occupied Europe...
- No. 271 Squadron RAFNo. 271 Squadron RAFNo. 271 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was operational for two periods; a few brief months between 27 September 1918 and 9 December 1918 operating flying boats to protect shipping from German U-boats, and between 28 March 1940 and 1 December 1946 No. 271 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was...
- No. 279 Squadron RAFNo. 279 Squadron RAFNo 279 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force air-sea rescue squadron of World War II. The squadron was formed on 16 November 1941 and disbanded on 10 March 1946.-History:...
- No. 295 Squadron RAFNo. 295 Squadron RAFNo 295 Squadron RAF was an airborne forces and transport squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War II. It was the first unit to be equipped with the Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle transport and glider tug aircraft.-With the Airborne Forces:...
- No. 296 Squadron RAFNo. 296 Squadron RAFNo. 296 Squadron RAF was an airborne forces squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War II. With sister squadrons 295 and 297 it formed 38 Wing, which later expanded to create No. 38 Group RAF.-With the Airborne Forces:No...
- No. 297 Squadron RAFNo. 297 Squadron RAFNo 297 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was notable for being the first airborne forces squadron formed. With sister No 296 Squadron it formed No 38 Wing RAF -soon to be expanded with sister No 295 Squadron, which expanded later to become No 38 Group RAF.-Formation and World War...
- No. 511 Squadron RAFNo. 511 Squadron RAFNo. 511 Squadron was a Royal Air Force transport squadron, active during World War II, the Berlin Airlift and during the sixties and early seventies. It operated, during its three periods of existence, aircraft such as the Douglas Dakota, the Avro York, the Handley Page Hastings and the Bristol...
- No. 521 Squadron RAFNo. 521 Squadron RAFNo. 521 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was a Second World War meteorological observation unit operating from Norfolk.-First formation:The Squadron began on 4 February 1941 as No. 401 Flight of RAF Bomber Command. When all the meteorological flights were put under RAF Coastal Command it became...
- No. 570 Squadron RAFNo. 570 Squadron RAFNo. 570 Squadron RAF was a bomber unit active within No. 38 Group RAF as an airborne, bomber support and special operations squadron during World War II.-History:...
- No. 161 Squadron RAF
Specifications (ST Mk I)