Thursday 2 June 2022

Bristol Beaufort. Part One. Some Commonwealth and Turkish Users

 
The Bristol Beaufort was a British twin-engined torpedo-bomber designed and manufactured by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was developed based on the experience gained on the previous Bristol Blenheim light bomber. It was mainly used the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), but  a total of two-hundred were provided to other users, namely, the following ones:
  • Canada: Two units of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) employed the Beaufort. No. 415 (which, during World War 2 was under RAF's command) had six Beaufort in strength between September 1941 and January 1942.
    A new Operational Training Unit (OTU) unit, initially under RAF's organic command was formed in November 194. This unit called No.32 (Coastal) OTU was formed at RAF Sidney, on Vancouver Island in the British Columbia. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, this unit was promoted to No.32 Torpedo Bomber Squadron and was tasked with patrolling the Eastern Pacific. At the appropriate time the RCAF decided to create a force of their own and, therefore, formed on 26th October 1942 the No.149 (Seawolf) Squadron at RCAF Patricia Bay, close to RAF Sidney. This squadron received the Beauforts of the No.32 OTU, when that unit replaced them with Handley Page Hampdens for crew training purposes. However, by that time, the Beauforts were outdated and they were withdrawn on 16th August 1943. They were eventually replaced by the Lockheed Ventura. Twelve Beaufort passed into private Canadian owners and three machines survived until March 1947 before being scrapped.
  • New Zealand: A total of six Beauforts served with No.489 Squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) at RAF Leuchars (Scotland) in August 1941, with the intention of forming a front-line unit like No.415 Squadron RCAF. However, two Beauforts were destroyed and the remaining four ones were transferred in early 1942 to other RAF units to replace their losses. 
  • South Africa: During 1941 the South African Air Force (SAAF) ordered a total of 18 Beauforts to help them better protect shipping lanes around the Cape of Good Hope. The British Government confirmed that 18 was the maximum number available, and so two Flights were formed, Nos. 36 and 37 at Winfield with seven Beauforts each. There they made some patrols over South Atlantic before going North in April 1942 to take part in the Operation Ironclad, the invasion of Vichy-France-controlled Madagascar. They remained there until mid-November performing many patrols and anti-submarine sorties before being merged, on 3rd July with No.32 Flight (equipped with Martin Marylands) and forming the No.20 Squadron SAAF. Initially only the Northern part of Madagascar was taken, but, eventually the whole island was conquered and, on 4th September it was decided to put the unit under No.207 Group RAF. Therefore, the unit was renumbered to No.16 SAAF, to avoid confusion with No.20 Squadron RAF.
    Madagascar surrendered on 6th November 1942. 
    South African Air Force's Beauforts were returned to the RAF and were replaced by Blenheims, but these machines were grounded on 8th June 1943 after moving to the Middle East. Additional 40 Beauforts were supplied to the SAAF, both of Mk.I and Mk.II variants, to replace the Blenheims. These Beauforts served with the No.16 Squadron from 15th June 1943 until 28th February 1944. They flew patrols in North Africa and, during September, some sorties on Southern Italy to support the Allied crossing of Messina Strait. They also escorted the Italian battle fleet to its surrender.
  • Turkey: In 1944 eleven (or twelve, according to some other sources) Beaufort Mk.IAs were supplied to the Turkish Air Force (TAF). Some Turkish had already trained with the type in the Middle East and England. At least ten additional Mk.IIAs followed in 1945 and were assigned to the 105th Torpedo and Reconnaissance Group, tasked to patrol the Bosphorus and the Black Sea. The Mk.IAs served until 1947 when they were replaced by Bristol Beaufighters and the Mk.IIAs remained until 1950, becoming this way, the last flying Beauforts. The Turkish Beauforts carried no torpedoes, but they were used as reconnaissance bombers.









Sources:
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Beaufort
2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bristol_Beaufort_operators
3 Hall Park Books - Warpaint 50 - Bristol Beaufort

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