Fairey Battle, part five

The Fairey Battle was a single-engine monoplane light bomber that was powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. During production it was fitted with various versions of the Merlin engine, like the Merlin I, II, III (which was the most numerous variant) and V, but every bomber variant was called Battle Mk.I. The Battle featured a relatively clean design with a slim oval-shaped fuselage manufactured in two sections. Forward section, in front of the cockpit, relied mainly upon a steel tubular structure to maintain the weight of the engine. The rear section was made of a metal monocoque structure with hoop frames and z-section stringers, which was built on jigs. It was a very innovative design for Fairey as it was the company's first low-wing monoplane and the first light-alloy stressed-skin aircraft produced by them.
The wing used a two-part construction, with the central section being integral part of the fuselage. Internal wing structure relied upon steel spars which varied in dimensions towards the wing tips. The ailerons elevators and rudder were entirely metal-framed with fabric coverings and the split trailing-edge was entirely made out of metal.
The typical crew of the Battle was three, pilot, observer/navigator and radio operator/rear gunner, all of them accommodated in the forward canopy. Pilot and observer were seated in a tandem position, with the pilot controlling the single forward-firing Browning 0.303 in mounted in the starboard wing. The gunner/radio operator was in the rear controlling the manually-operated Vickers 0.303 in K machine gun. The observer acted also as the bomb aimer and, for this function, he was placed beneath the pilot's seat, as sighting was made in the prone position through a sliding panel in the floor of the fuselage.
It had a standard payload of 1.000 lb (453 kg) of bombs (similar to the earlier variants of the Bristol Blenheim). The standard payload was of four 250 lb (113 kg) carried in cells contained in the internal space of the wings. The maximum bomb-load was 1.500 lb (680 kg) with two additional 250 lb or 500 lb (227 kg) bombs carried on underwing racks. The bombs were mounted on hydraulic jacks and were released via trap doors during a dive attack.
The Battle was a robust aircraft easy to fly even for inexperienced pilots. The pilot enjoyed good external visibility and the cockpit was considered roomy and confortable for the time. However, the tasks of simultaneously deploying the flaps and the retractable undercarriage, were considered as a notable complication.
By the time it entered service in 1937, it had already become obsolete thanks to the quick advances in aircraft technology. It's defensive and offensive armament was considered too weak, and it lacked other defensive items of the time like armoured cockpit and self-sealing tanks. Ironically, it was well armoured of the standards of 1940, but only against small-arms fire on the ground.
In June 1937 No.63 Squadron was the first one to receive the Battle, being it the first operational aircraft to be powered by the mighty Merlin engine. By May 1939 a total of 17 squadrons were equipped with the Fairey Battle, with many of them being assigned to non-mobilising training roles or reserve squadrons.
By the start of the World War II, the Battle was already obsolete but it remained as the front-line main Royal Air Force's (RAF) dive bomber due to the lack of a better replacement.On as early as 3rd September 1939 (some sources claim it was the 2nd, although that day the United Kingdom was not still at war with Germany) ten Battle squadrons were deployed to airfields in France as part of the RAF Advanced Air Striking Force, which was independent of the British Expeditionary Force. They were spread out just after having arrived as it was intended that the Battles would, in the event of German commencement of bombing attacks, launch retaliatory attacks in the Ruhr valley region taking advantage their closer range in French airfields.
Initial missions were to perform aerial reconnaissance over the Siegfried Line at day, resulting in occasional skirmished and losses. On 20th September 1939 a German Messerschmitt Bf.109 was shot down near Aachen, Germany, being that the first RAF's aerial victory of the war.
However, the Battle was seriously outclassed by Luftwaffe's fighters resulting in high losses for the period of late 1939. During the winter of 1939-1940 it was decided to re-estructure the Advanced Air Striking Force, so some Battle squadrons returned to the United Kingdom and were replaced by Bristol Blenheim-equipped squadrons. During this time the activities of Advanced Air Striking Force were limited to training activities.
When the Battle of France begun in May 1940, the Battles were called to perform unescorted low-level tactical attacks against the advancing German army. These kind of attacks resulted very dangerous as the Battles were easy targets for both the Luftwaffe and ground anti-aircraft guns with very little impact on the German ground forces.
During the Battle of France, most of the Battle's attacks were aimed towards bridges and other infrastructures resulting their bomb-load insufficient most of the time for destroying the bridges. It was decided therefore to restrict Battle's operations to night-time raids only resulting in much fewer losses.
On 15th June 1940 the last remaining aircraft of the Advanced Air Striking Force returned home with almost 200 Battles having been lost in six weeks, 99 of them lost between 10 and 16 May. After the Battle of France, the RAF continued to rely on the Battle for a short period of time on the light bomber role. The No.1 Group was reformed with the inclusion of four new Polish squadrons equipped with the type and continued to be deployed for anti-shipping operations in the Channel ports for Operation Sealion. The last combat sortie of the Battle was performed by No.301 (Polish) squadron on the night of 15/16th October when they attacked Boulogne and No.12 and 142 Squadrons attacked Calais. Shortly after, No.1 Group's bombing squadrons were re-equipped with Vickers Wellington bombers. However, in 1941, three squadrons, No.88 and No.226, based in Northern Ireland and No.98 in Iceland were still equipped with the Battle for coastal patrol duties.
As the Battle was found to be largely inadequate for the bomber role, most of them were refitted as trainers or target tugs, some of them with a second cockpit added, others with a turret on the back for gunner training and other with tug-towing equipment. They served on this role with many RAF's schools until the end of the war in 1945.
Some others were used as engine test-beds for various engines such as the Rolls-Royce Exe, Fairey Prince, Napier Dagger and Napier Sabre both in the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Curiously enough a single Battle was re-fitted with the Fairey Monarch engine, driving two three-bladed contra-rotating propellers and large ventral radiator. After 86 hours of extensive testing it was shipped in December 1941 to the USA in order to continue the testing at Wright Field, Liberty County, in Georgia.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Battle
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Air_Forces_in_France_and_Great_Britain
3. https://www.valka.cz/Fairey-Battle-Mk-I-t1349
4. https://www.valka.cz/Fairey-Battle-Mk-II-t17039
5. https://www.valka.cz/Fairey-Battle-Mk-III-t61598
6. https://www.valka.cz/Fairey-Battle-TT-t104197
7. https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/fairey-battle.html