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#Post#: 11857--------------------------------------------------
Plane of the Week: Bristol Beaufort
By: vonofterdingen Date: July 13, 2020, 2:47 pm
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Lars and I just finished a campaign for the Beaufort so I
could not resist doing a feature on it for the Plane of the
Week. Cafs’ Beaufort skinpack first sparked my interest in the
plane, and it so happened that I had become interested in
torpedo bombers at that same time. The Beaufort was an important
early-war torpedo plane and bomber that saw a great amount of
action in Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Pacific.
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From Wikipedia:
The Bristol Beaufort (manufacturer designation Type 152) was
a British twin-engined torpedo bomber designed by the Bristol
Aeroplane Company, and developed from experience gained
designing and building the earlier Blenheim light bomber. At
least 1,180 Beauforts were built by Bristol and other British
manufacturers.
The Australian government's Department of Aircraft Production
(DAP) also manufactured variants of the Beaufort. These are
often known collectively as the DAP Beaufort. More than 700
Australian-built Beauforts saw service with the Royal Australian
Air Force in the South West Pacific theatre, where they were
used until the end of the war.
Beauforts first saw service with Royal Air Force Coastal
Command and then the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm from 1940. They
were used as torpedo bombers, conventional bombers and
mine-layers until 1942, when they were removed from active
service and were then used as trainer aircraft until being
declared obsolete in 1945. Beauforts also saw considerable
action in the Mediterranean; Beaufort squadrons based in Egypt
and on Malta helped interdict Axis shipping supplying Rommel's
Deutsches Afrikakorps in North Africa.
Although it was designed as a torpedo-bomber, the Beaufort
was more often used as a medium day bomber. The Beaufort also
flew more hours in training than on operational missions and
more were lost through accidents and mechanical failures than
were lost to enemy fire. The Beaufort was adapted as a
long-range heavy fighter variant called the Beaufighter, which
proved to be very successful and many Beaufort units eventually
converted to the Beaufighter
A total of 1,013 Taurus powered Mark Is were produced and a
number of changes were introduced into the line. The original
curved perspex bomb aimers' nose panels were replaced by flat,
non-distorting panels from the 10th production aircraft.
Successive Marks of the Bristol Taurus engine were installed:
starting with the Taurus III, the more reliable Taurus IIs were
used whenever possible. Initially Beauforts with the Taurus II
engines were designated Beaufort Mk.II, while those with other
Taurus Marks continued to be Beaufort Mk.Is. Finally all
Taurus-engined Beauforts became Mk.Is with the introduction of
the Wasp-powered Beaufort Mk.II. The Taurus Mk.IIs were modified
to Mk.IIa, which later became the Taurus Mk.VI. All of these
versions produced 860–900 hp (640–670 kW). The final marks of
Taurus engines used were the more powerful 1,130 hp (840 kW) XII
and XVIs. The Taurus engines drove de Havilland Type DH5/19
constant speed propellers.
As Beaufort units entered service, it was found that the
defensive armament was inadequate and extra .303 in (7.7 mm)
Vickers GO machine guns were fitted; two on a gimbal mounting in
the forward nose and single guns on pivots on either beam. A
remotely controlled .303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine gun was
fitted, firing to the rear under the nose. Housed in a clear
blown transparency, it was found to be of little use and most
operational units soon discarded them.
Fairey-Youngman pneumatic dive brakes were fitted to the wing
trailing edges of several Beaufort IIs. After adverse reports
from pilots these were locked shut. It was found that the curved
alloy extensions on the trailing edges improved the flight
characteristics and similar panels were fitted on all later
production Beauforts.
When it became apparent that the Taurus engines had problems,
planning commenced to re-engine the aircraft with 1,200 hp (890
kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin-Wasp radials, which were of
similar diameter and slightly lighter, driving Hamilton Standard
bracket-type variable-pitch propellers. There was no guaranteed
supply of the Twin Wasp and production reverted to the
Taurus-engined Mark Is after 165 Beaufort Mark IIs had been
built, starting with AW244, which first flew in September 1941.
Performance with the Twin-Wasps was marginally improved: maximum
speed went up from 271 to 277 mph (436 to 446 km/h) and the
service ceiling increased from 16,500 to 18,000 ft (5,000 to
5,500 m). Normal range was reduced from 1,600 to 1,450 mi (2,570
to 2,330 km).
Other modifications introduced on the Mk II used on late Mk
Is included replacing the elongated direction finding antenna
with a loop aerial enclosed in a clear, tear-drop fairing on the
top of the cabin. ASV Mk III was added with yagi antennae under
the nose and wings and a Bristol B1.Mk.V turret with two .303 in
(7.7 mm) Browning machine guns was fitted. The final
British-built version of the Beaufort was the Pratt &
Whitney-powered T.Mk.II, with 250 produced from August 1943. In
this version, the turret was removed and faired over. The last
ever Beaufort was a T.Mk.II, which left the Bristol Banwell
factory on 25 November 1944.
Although it did see some use as a torpedo bomber, including
attacks on the battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau while in
port in Brest, the Beaufort more often used bombs in European
service.
In early 1940, 22 Squadron equipped with Vildebeests, began
to receive Beauforts. The Beaufort was a much faster, heavier
aircraft than the biplane and the crews needed a great deal of
training in torpedo-dropping, using new techniques required by
the Beaufort. The lighter, slower Vildebeest was able to dive
then flatten out before launching the torpedo; Beauforts carried
too much speed after diving so it needed a longer, level
approach to the torpedo drop. Because of this, and because of a
shortage of torpedoes, the squadron's first operations consisted
of laying magnetic mines ("Gardening" in RAF parlance) and
dropping conventional bombs. As an alternative to the torpedo,
the Beaufort could carry a 2,000 lb (910 kg) bomb using a
purpose built carrier. On one of its first bombing sorties, on 7
May 1940, a Beaufort dropped the first British 2,000 lb (910 kg)
bomb, at a German cruiser anchored off Norderney.
The first Beaufort operation took place on the night of 15/16
April, when nine Beauforts laid mines in the Schillig Roads
(north of Wilhelmshaven). One Beaufort failed to return. A
second unit, 42 Squadron began to re-equip with Beauforts,
starting in April. The Beaufort still had teething problems and
after some Beauforts were lost in mysterious circumstances, a
Court of Enquiry in June 1940 concluded that the Taurus engines
were still unreliable and both operational squadrons were
grounded until the engines could be modified.
The first RAF torpedo attack of the war came on 11 September
1940, when five aircraft of 22 Squadron attacked a convoy of
three merchant ships off Ostend (Oostende in Belgium). One
torpedo hit a 6,000 long tons (6,100 t) ship. Four days later,
the first "Rover" was mounted; a Rover was an armed
reconnaissance mission carried out against enemy shipping by a
small number of aircraft operating independently. "Rovers"
became a major part of Beaufort operations over the next 18
months. Other more hazardous operations were to follow, with one
Beaufort pilot being awarded a posthumous VC.
The only other UK based units to be equipped and fly
operationally with the Beaufort, 86 Squadron and 217 Squadron,
were operational by the middle of 1941. Beauforts also equipped
some Commonwealth Article XV squadrons serving within the RAF
but because of supply shortages, were replaced by other aircraft
types before the units flew operationally.
A successful torpedo drop required that the approach run to
the target needed to be straight and at a speed and height where
the torpedo would enter the water smoothly: too high or too low
and the torpedo could "porpoise" (skip through the water), dive
or even break up. Height over the water had to be judged without
the benefit of a radio altimeter and misjudgement was easy,
especially in calm conditions. For the Beauforts using the
18-inch (450-mm) Mk XII aerial torpedo, the average drop-height
was 68 ft (21 m) and the average range of release was 670 yd
(610 m). During the run-in, the aircraft was vulnerable to
defensive anti-aircraft fire and it took courage to fly through
it with no chance of evasive manoeuvres. The Beaufort's optimum
torpedo dropping speed was a great deal higher than that of the
Vildebeests it replaced, and it took practice to judge the range
and speed of the target ship. A ship the size and speed of
Scharnhorst would look huge, filling the windscreen at well over
1 mi (1.6 km) and it was easy to underestimate the range. In
action, torpedoes were often released too far away from the
target, although there was one recorded instance of a torpedo
being released too close. For safety reasons, torpedo warheads
had a set distance (usually about 300 yd (270 m) from the
release point before they were armed. It also took some distance
for the torpedo to settle to its running depth. Once the torpedo
had been dropped, if there was room, a sharp turn away from the
enemy was possible: more often than not the aircraft had to fly
around or over the ship, usually at full-throttle and below mast
height. A sharp pull-up could be fatal as it exposed a large
area of the aircraft to anti-aircraft guns.
Some of the Beaufort's actions were attacks on warships of
the German Kriegsmarine. The first attack was on 21 June 1940,
when nine Beauforts of 42 Squadron attacked the German
battleship Scharnhorst off the Norwegian coast. No torpedoes
were available at RAF Wick and a dive bombing attack was carried
out using two 500 lb (230 kg) bombs. The Beauforts encountered
Messerschmitt Bf 109s protecting the battleship and only four
returned; shortly after, Beauforts were grounded for
modifications to their Taurus engines.
In early April 1941, after an air raid on Brest by Bomber
Command, the German battleship Gneisenau had to move out of
dry-dock because of an un-exploded bomb. Photo reconnaissance
revealed that the ship was in the inner harbour. An estimated
1,000 flak guns of all calibres protected the base and adding
complication to the danger was the realisation that Gneisenau
was only about 500 yd (460 m) from a harbour mole, requiring
extremely accurate torpedo drops. The aircraft would be forced
into a steep banking turn during the escape to avoid rising
ground surrounding the harbour. In spite of these dangers 22
Squadron, based at RAF St Eval, was ordered to make a torpedo
attack, timed to take place just after dawn on 6 April 1941. It
was planned to attack the torpedo nets thought to be protecting
the ship, using three Beauforts armed with bombs; another three
Beauforts would then attack the ship with torpedoes. Following
heavy rain that had drenched the airfield, the bomb-carrying
aircraft became bogged down. Because of a sea mist, the other
three Beauforts arrived at Brest independently; one, flown by
F/O Kenneth Campbell, managed to penetrate the harbour and
torpedo Gneisenau but was shot down immediately afterwards.
Campbell was awarded the VC and his Observer, Sergeant J. P.
Scott of Canada, the Distinguished Flying Medal. The other two
crew members were Sgts R. W. Hillman and W. Mallis; all were
lost.
During the famous Operation Cerberus, the "Channel Dash" by
Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen,
which took place from 12 February 1942, three Beaufort units,
with 33 serviceable aircraft were available: 22 Squadron was
under orders to move to Singapore. 42 Squadron, based at
Leuchars in Scotland, was supposed to move to Manston but had
been delayed by snow. Only 86 and 217 squadrons were in position
to attack the German ships. Of the 33 Beauforts, 28 eventually
set out to attack the German ships: 13 failed to find them,
three were shot down and on one the torpedo failed to release.
Only 11 Beauforts sighted the battleships and launched
torpedoes, none of which struck a target. One of the conclusions
reached by a later Court of Inquiry was that a faster,
longer-ranged torpedo bomber than the Beaufort was needed.[46]
Bristol was already working on a torpedo-carrying conversion of
the Beaufighter (a development of the Beaufort airframe) and
were later to develop the Brigand.
The first Beaufort unit in the Mediterranean was 39 Squadron,
which reformed in Egypt in January 1941. Initially equipped with
Bristol Blenheims and Martin Marylands, the unit started
re-equipping with Beaufort Mk.Is the following August. The first
operation in which Beauforts took part was an attack on an
Italian convoy on 28 January 1942. The three Beauforts of 39
Squadron included in a large strike force succeeded in crippling
the 14,000 long tons (14,000 t) merchant ship Victoria, which
was then sunk by Albacores.
In another operation, during the early hours of 15 June 1942,
nine Beauforts of 217 Squadron, which had just flown in from
England, took off from RAF Luqa, Malta to intercept ships of the
Regia Marina, which had sailed from Taranto. Few of the Beaufort
crews had experience in night-flying: four aircraft failed to
find the rendezvous and set out independently. One, flown by
Flying Officer Arthur Aldridge discovered the Italian Fleet some
200 mi (320 km) to the east of Malta. Like Loviett's attack on
Lūtzow, his Beaufort was mistaken for a friendly aircraft
by Italian lookouts. Aldridge torpedoed and crippled the heavy
cruiser Trento, whose anti-aircraft fire started only after the
Beaufort had escaped.[55] The main formation of Beauforts then
came in to attack, having been guided in by the gunfire. In the
confusion and the smokescreen that had been laid by the Italian
warships, 217 Squadron claimed several torpedo hits for the loss
of one Beaufort, which belly-landed at Luqa. In spite of the
claims, none of the other ships had been hit. Trento was sunk
later by two torpedoes fired by the submarine HMS Umbra, which
had witnessed the aerial attack.
Over the next 11 months, the Beaufort force, now usually
accompanied by Beaufighters, was instrumental in crippling the
convoy supply lines that were vital to Rommel's Afrika Korps. At
night, torpedo-carrying Vickers Wellingtons of 38 Squadron also
played an important part in attacking convoys.
During the first years of World War II, the Australian
government found itself unable to procure twin-engine bomber
aircraft for home duties in Australia. It was decided that the
Australian Department of Aircraft Production (DAP) would build
Beauforts under licence, for the Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF).
By late 1941, British authorities had also ordered 180
Australian-built Beauforts for the RAF Far East Command, for use
in East Asia. In particular, DAP Beauforts were to replace the
extremely outdated (1928) Vickers Vildebeests operated by No.
100 Squadron RAF at Singapore. Q Flight, a detachment from 100
Squadron was based in Australia for operational conversion
purposes.
When Japan entered the war and invaded Malaya on 8 December
1941, about 20 DAP Beauforts had been completed and delivered to
Q Flight in Australia. Only six Australian-built Beauforts
reached Singapore, just after hostilities began. Over Malaya and
Singapore, 100 Squadron continued to operate Vildebeests,[67]
suffering severe losses. One Beaufort, attached to Air
Headquarters, Singapore as a reconnaissance aircraft was
attacked, during its first sortie, by Japanese fighters,
severely damaged and written-off. The RAF decided that the
Beaufort lacked sufficient performance and armament to defend
itself against late model fighters, and that 100 Squadron's
crews lacked sufficient training and experience on the type. As
Japanese forces approached Singapore in early 1942, RAF bases
there were abandoned; the remaining Beauforts and 100 Squadron
personnel were evacuated to Australia.[24] All Australian-built
Beauforts previously scheduled for British squadrons were
subsequently delivered to the RAAF.
The first Beaufort unit formed in Australia, on 25 February
1942 was No. 100 Squadron RAAF, so named because it was formed
partly from members of its RAF counterpart. In the light of the
problems encountered by the first Beauforts based at Singapore,
the unit was carefully trained and slowly brought up to
operational status. Its first operational sorties were carried
out on 25 June when a Japanese ship heading towards Lae, New
Guinea was attacked by five Beauforts operating from Port
Moresby, which resulted in three Beauforts hitting the ship with
bombs, with one Beaufort being damaged by anti-aircraft fire.
Out of two Beauforts that carried out a diversionary attack on
Lae, one failed to return.
Production at DAP continued to increase, reaching almost one
a day in 1943. The Beaufort served with 19 RAAF squadrons and
played an important role in the South West Pacific Area, as a
maritime patrol/strike aircraft and bomber. Aviation historian
William Green has written that the Beaufort's "part in the
defeat of the Japanese forces in the South-West Pacific was
probably of greater importance than that of any other single
aircraft type.”
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In game…
Torpedo bombing is a serious challenge in IL-2, as it was in
real life. My early attempts to learn torpedo bombing on a US
Navy Avenger were disastrous. The Beaufort is a very stable
torpedo dropping platform. I also learned to use the
CommsTechnical key sequence to obtain the correct speed
and altitude parameters to use to properly drop a torpedo. The
Beaufort is also a good bombing platform though I found I had
the best success at lower altitudes. Best of all it makes for
some fun campaign building!
#Post#: 11860--------------------------------------------------
Re: Plane of the Week: Bristol Beaufort
By: MADMICK71 Date: July 13, 2020, 8:19 pm
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Thanks, enjoy your articles.
Reminds me of a terrible accident at Jervis Bay NSW Australia :-
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Regards
Mick.
#Post#: 11861--------------------------------------------------
Re: Plane of the Week: Bristol Beaufort
By: vonofterdingen Date: July 13, 2020, 9:13 pm
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What a terrible tragedy. Thanks for sharing this story Mick.
#Post#: 12020--------------------------------------------------
Re: Plane of the Week: Bristol Beaufort
By: Beowolff Date: July 31, 2020, 4:39 pm
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Yes... sad story... but a great read on Von's POTW article.
Great job, friend!
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