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Thanks Lee, interesting, and I agree with Gnomey. Coincidentally, I was recently discussing the Whirlwind with a neighbour, and a vague reference to there being a 'secret' squadron, or probably a flight of these aircraft being 'trialled' during the Battle of Britain, the focus being more on the aircraft itself being secret. Although I haven't really pursued this thread, what I have searched so far hasn't revealed any references to such use, apart from one German combat report of September 1940 mentioning a "twin engined" fighter. This was presumed by the author of the article concerned to have been a Blenheim.
Do you, or does anyone else, know anything of this?
It is Flypast, and I agree, I don't think I learned much new from it. But I think it gives a reasonably balanced view of the plane and it's all in one place, in an easily digested form.There's a feature on the Whirly in this month's Flypast Magazine. (Either that or Aeroplane...) Not sure the article contributes much to existing knowledge, but there's some pretty pics.
Hi Mhuxt,
>The Whirlies escorting the Cologne day raid reached the limit of their range 10 miles NW of Antwerp, IIRC. Didn't reach Reich territory.
Ah, that's interesting - I had read about this mission, but I hadn't been able to figure out how far the Whirlwinds actually accompanied the bombers. I figured that the range might just be enough to reach Cologne from Manston (assuming a top-up stop there), but that even this probably would leave no operational reserve or allowance for combat.
Do you have any details on this mission? That would be highly fascinating!
(Whirlwinds - or rather Whirlibombers - were also used against the German battleship breakthrough "Donnerkeil/Zerberus", by the way.)
Regards,
Henning (HoHun)