Make the Bristol Beaufort a viable 'general-purpose' bomber from 1940-45

MikeMeech said:

Hi

Not only were they not fully equipped the crew's were only semi-trained. Also I believe it was only seven aircraft, six were sent back and one was retained to undertake reconnaissance missions.

Basically there was not much point in the British keeping developing the Beaufort as other, more 'modern' types, were coming into service. More earlier might have been useful but it had been rushed into service anyway (no prototype built for instance).

Mike

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The Beaufort was intended to replace the Vickers Vilderbeest. There were two squadrons in Malaya waiting for their Beauforts, while in the UK the final two Vilderbeest squadrons received theirs. If there's any RAF theatre that needed a credible torpedo bomber after Nov 1941 it's the Far East. So, I can see Beauforts to Australia as reasonable.

Admiral Beez said:

The Beaufort was intended to replace the Vickers Vilderbeest. There were two squadrons in Malaya waiting for their Beauforts, while in the UK the final two Vilderbeest squadrons received theirs. If there's any RAF theatre that needed a credible torpedo bomber after Nov 1941 it's the Far East. So, I can see Beauforts to Australia as reasonable.

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Hi

Yes, I know that, and those Vildebeest squadrons were to equipped from the Australian production (90 paid for by the RAF). However, major redesigns that have been suggested were not viable in the time scale. Modern torpedo bombers were also required in UK and Med, which is obvious in what actually happened in the war, that was 'more important' at the time as 1939-1941 that is where the 'hot' war was being fought. The Far East did require more modern equipment but the problem was supply. Remember pre-war plans indicated that the UK could not handle fighting Germany, Italy and Japan at the same time, although they had hoped that the US Navy would at least be a deterrent to Japanese expansion in the Far East. It turned out not to be so, becoming a Japanese target instead.

Mike

There were no Beauforts to Australia.
Australia was building 180 Beauforts for the RAF, the first 20 were parts kits sent from England to Australia so perhaps that could be argued, but the first 180 were paid for by the RAF.

While the first Australian Beaufort flew August of 1941 the 19th was not delivered until Jan 1942. At such a low production rate (things got steadily better) there was no chance of replacing the the Vildebeest aircraft in time even if their squadrons were under strength.
With the situation in Malaysia as it was and with the situation in Australia as it was (NO modern warplanes anywhere in the country aside from the Beauforts waiting delivery and the Wirraway trainers), it is little wonder that the ill equipped part squadron was recalled to Australia.

MikeMeech said:

Hi

Not only were they not fully equipped the crew's were only semi-trained. Also I believe it was only seven aircraft, six were sent back and one was retained to undertake reconnaissance missions.

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Hi Mike.
A little more on that subject...



(Stewart Wilson -Beaufort, Beaufighter and Mosquito.}