Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules
If the RAF has them and the FAA won't take them, I'd say ship the Martlets to Malaya and India to serve (in 1941-42) alongside the Mohawks and Buffaloes.The RAF had the two best fighters in the world available to take on the Luftwaffe during the BoB, anything else would have ended in defeat, end of story.
If the RAF has them and the FAA won't take them, I'd say ship the Martlets to Malaya and India to serve (in 1941-42) alongside the Mohawks and Buffaloes.
Let's just hope they don't waste them as disposable fighters on Cam ships, but instead get them onto carriers. Many a Battle of Britain veteran Hurricane met this fate.I think you hit it right on the nose. The best use for the Wildcats would be with the FAA who no doubt would take as many as they could get their hands on.
Your argument is silly, the air war over England was fought at high altitudes, over 20,000 on average and many over 30,000ft, even the Hurricane struggled at times.
always like seeing that shot !That's not the altitude at which bombers flew.
They came at an average of about 4,500m/15,000ft, or low level. Many of the most effective attacks during this August period of the BoB were low level.
Many interceptions took place at 9,000-10,000 feet, according to Combat Reports.
The problem for the 'Wildcat', apart from the RAF deciding that it was unsuitable for operations in NW Europe, was the escorts which flew much higher.
Here's a nice picture taken from a Do 17 of 9./KG76 over Kenley, capturing a No 64 Squadron Spitfire in its blast pen.
View attachment 593240
always like seeing that shot !
Interestingly pre war the RN had identified a couple of liners that would be suitable for conversion into light carriers. However they came under a different department who wouldn't release them, as they believed that they were more useful as troop transports. As a result it was decided that the RN could convert merchant ships but only if they were already under the control of the RN.Let's just hope they don't waste them as disposable fighters on Cam ships, but instead get them onto carriers. Many a Battle of Britain veteran Hurricane met this fate.
View attachment 593239
HMS Audacity, the first CVE definitely deserves a flight of Martlets.
If the hangar is omitted, like with Audacity I don't see why they can't be both CVE troop/merchant ship. Circling back to the Battle of Britain, did the Air Ministry and War Office transfer FAA fighter pilots to RAF Spitfire and Hurricane squadrons? That would be quite the performance upgrade from one's Skua or Sea Gladiator.Interestingly pre war the RN had identified a couple of liners that would be suitable for conversion into light carriers. However they came under a different department who wouldn't release them, as they believed that they were more useful as troop transports. As a result it was decided that the RN could convert merchant ships but only if they were already under the control of the RN.
The RN did have a number of merchant conversions such as the Audacity and they were either converted grain carriers or tankers as they could still carry a large proportion of their original cargo as well as operate as carriers. They were sometimes known as the Empire class's.If the hangar is omitted, like with Audacity I don't see why they can't be both CVE troop/merchant ship. Circling back to the Battle of Britain, did the Air Ministry and War Office transfer FAA fighter pilots to RAF Spitfire and Hurricane squadrons? That would be quite the performance upgrade from one's Skua or Sea Gladiator.
That's not the altitude at which bombers flew.
They came at an average of about 4,500m/15,000ft, or low level. Many of the most effective attacks during this August period of the BoB were low level.
Many interceptions took place at 9,000-10,000 feet, according to Combat Reports.
The problem for the 'Wildcat', apart from the RAF deciding that it was unsuitable for operations in NW Europe, was the escorts which flew much higher.
Here's a nice picture taken from a Do 17 of 9./KG76 over Kenley, capturing a No 64 Squadron Spitfire in its blast pen.
View attachment 593240
With so few carriers by summer 1940 (HMS Courageous sunk Sept 1939, Glorious sunk June 1940, Illustrious about to commission) there should be some FAA fighter pilots available for temporary transfer. With the four Illustrious class soon to enter service, BoB combat experience would have been useful when the FAA enters the Mediterranean war.The the Fleet Air Arm pilots in the BOB a number flew with the RAF in the BOB but not many as there were so few FAA pilots at the time
Have you read anything about what German intelligence knew about Chain Home?Korda is not entirely right.
Radar in 1940 could determine altitude reasonably accurately. If you find a good image of the receiving towers of a Chain Home station you will see the two dipole antennae at different heights (215' and 95'),which were used to do exactly that. In ideal conditions the terrain should be flat for a mile in front of the antennae (for technical reasons I'm not going into here). The system was calibrated for each station with a large number of calibration flights. Chain Home could certainly measure altitude.
Again, for technical reasons, detection at high angles above 8 degrees could be problematic and required an experienced operator to be exact. Fortunately most detections occurred at ranges where this was not an issue.
View attachment 593262
Once across the coast the Observer Corps used basic instruments and trigonometry to determine and report altitude.
Dowding never assumed anything. RAF Intelligence compiled reports on the structure of German formations, including the altitude of the bombers, disposition of escorts etc. throughout the Battle. I know because I have read some of them!
Here's a nice picture taken from a Do 17 of 9./KG76 over Kenley, capturing a No 64 Squadron Spitfire in its blast pen.
always like seeing that shot !
Many interceptions took place at 9,000-10,000 feet, according to Combat Reports.
That Dornier pilot was in need of the Do 17 Z-10 Kauz's four mg and two 20 mm cannon nose armament.That's not the altitude at which bombers flew.
They came at an average of about 4,500m/15,000ft, or low level. Many of the most effective attacks during this August period of the BoB were low level.
Many interceptions took place at 9,000-10,000 feet, according to Combat Reports.
The problem for the 'Wildcat', apart from the RAF deciding that it was unsuitable for operations in NW Europe, was the escorts which flew much higher.
Here's a nice picture taken from a Do 17 of 9./KG76 over Kenley, capturing a No 64 Squadron Spitfire in its blast pen.
View attachment 593240
Betty says, that's not low, this is low Mitsubishi G4M - Wikipediahttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/Dornier_Do_17_bombers_over_the_Channel_1940.jpg
I like this one, this is the actual Do 17's over the channel if the reports are true.
That Dornier pilot was in need of the Do 17 Z-10 Kauz's four mg and two 20 mm cannon nose armament.
View attachment 593308
Betty says, that's not low, this is low Mitsubishi G4M - Wikipedia
Once folding wings and better engines are available, surviving Martlets can be retrofitted. And, if Martlets are somehow available in quantity to Britain in summer 1940 we can assume Grumman has been churning them out since mid 1939, so Britain can consider licensing production at CC&F instead of Hurricanes.