Planes and bases of the Royal Air Force on May 10, 1940. Number of squadrons, locations and aircraft types at the beginning of the Western campaign.
In January 1940 it was decided to unite the Air Component and the Advanced Air Striking Force under the command of the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief British Air Forces in France, Air Marshal Barratt. As soon as possible after its arrival in France, the RAF took part in operations which brought it in contact with German aircraft. Although a number of German machines were shot down, RAF losses were heavy as many of their planes (the Fairey Battles and Blenheims for example) were found to be inadequately armed and ill-suited to combat with modern fighter planes like the Messerschmitt Bf109.
Britain was anxious not to squander its precious aircraft by using them as a sort of fire brigade at the beck and call of the Allied land forces. The RAF wanted to ensure that its bombers were only used to cause maximum destruction to the enemy, although strategic bombing of targets in Germany was only authorized on 15 May 1940. Fighters based in France and England were to be deployed against the enemy as long as it did not impair Britain’s ability to defend herself. On 10 May 1940, 416 of Britain’s total number of 1,873 first-line aircraft were stationed in France, but on 20 May it was decided to bring back to England the remaining 66 fighters so that they could continue the war from English airfields.
The first phase of the German plan for the invasion of England was to gain control of the air and so during the months of July and August 1940 the RAF prepared its forces for the inevitable battle against the Luftwaffe.
The responsibilities of the RAF in the Mediterranean theater were complex and wide-ranging, covering a vast geographical area and calling for action in a variety of different roles ranging from ground support work to strategic bombing. Until 1942 the RAF was often short of aircraft and equipment but following the Axis defeat at Alamein and the arrival of American forces in North Africa the RAF was able to build up a material superiority that was to play a decisive part in securing victory in the Mediterranean.
The Middle East Air Force was to operate against the Italians in two main theaters, the Mediterranean, and East Africa and the Red Sea; the first attacks being launched on 11 June 1940.
By the end of the year a considerable measure of air superiority had been achieved but a further battlefront was created by the Italian invasion of Greece on 28 October, to which the RAF responded by sending nine squadrons to support the Greek Army.
Active RAF Squadrons on 10 May 1940:
Sqn | Base | Planes | Sqn | Base | Planes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Berry-au-Bac (France) | Hurricane I | 2 | Abbeville (France) | Lysander I, II |
3 | Merville (France) | Hurricane I | 4 | Monchy-Lagache (France) | Lysander I, II |
5 | Fort Sanderman (India) | Wapiti IIA | 6 | Ramleh (Palestine) | Lysander I, II |
7 | Finningley | Hampden I | 8 | Khormaskar (Aden) | Vincent, Blenheim I |
9 | Honington | Wellington IC | 10 | Dishforth | Whitley IV, V |
11 | Ismalia (Egypt) | Blenheim I | 12 | Amifontaine (France) | Battle |
13 | Douai (France) | Lysander I, II | 14 | Amman (Palestine) | Wellesley |
15 | Alconbury | Blenheim IV | 16 | Bertangles | Lysander II |
17 | Hawkinge | Hurricane I | 18 | Meharicourt (France) | Blenheim IV |
19 | Horsham St Faith | Spitfire I | 20 | Kohat (India) | Audax |
21 | Watton | Bleinheim IV | 22 | North Coates | Beaufort I |
23 | Wittering | Blenheim IF | 24 | Hendon | various communication types |
25 | North Weals | Blenheim IF | 26 | Dieppe (France) | Lysander I, II |
27 | Risalpur (India) | Wapiti IIA, Hart, Tiger Moth | 28 | Kohat (India) | Audax |
29 | Debden | Blenheim IF | 30 | Ismalia (Egypt) | Blenheim I, IF |
31 | Peshawar (India) | Valentia | 32 | Biggin Hill | Hurricane I |
33 | Mersa Matruh (Egypt) | Gladiator | 34 | Tengah (Singapore) | Blenheim I |
35 | operational training unit | - | 36 | Seletar (Malaya) | Vildebeest III |
37 | Feltwell | Wellington IA | 38 | Marham | Wellington IA, IC |
39 | Heliopolis (India) | Blenheim I | 40 | Wyton | Blenheim IV |
41 | Catterick | Spitfire I | 42 | Thorney Island | Beaufort I |
43 | Wick | Hurricane I | 44 | Waddington | Hampden I |
45 | Fuka (Sudan) | Blenheim I | 46 | transfer on carrier Glorious to Norway | Hurricane I |
47 | Khartoum (Sudan) | Vincent, Wellesley | 48 | Thorney Island | Anson I, Beaufort I |
49 | Scampton | Hampden I | 50 | Waddington | Hampden I |
51 | Dishforth | Whitley IV, V | 52 | operational training unit | - |
53 | Poix (France) | Blenheim IV | 54 | Hornchurch | Spitfire I |
55 | Ismalia (Egypt) | Blenheim I | 56 | Garvesend | Hurricane I |
57 | Rosieres-en-Saneterre (France) | Blenheim IV | 58 | Linton-on-Ouse | Whitley V |
59 | Poix (France) | Blenheim IV | 60 | Ambala (India) | Blenheim I |
61 | Hemswell | Hampden I | 62 | Tengah (Singapore) | Blenheim I |
63 | operational training unit | - | 64 | Church Fenton | Spitfire I |
65 | Hornchurch | Spitfire I | 66 | Duxford | Spitfire I |
70 | Habbaniya (Egypt) | Valentia | 72 | Acklington | Spitfire I |
73 | Reims (France) | Hurricane I | 74 | Hornchurch | Spitfire I |
75 | Feltwell | Wellington I, IA, IC | 77 | Driffield | Whitley V |
78 | Linton-on-Ouse | Whitley V | 79 | Biggin Hill | Hurricane I |
80 | Amriya (Egypt) | Gladiator | 81 | Amiens (France) | Tiger Moth (communications) |
82 | Watton | Blenheim IV | 83 | Scampton | Hampden I |
84 | Shaibah (Iraq) | Blenheim I | 85 | Lille (France) | Hurricane I |
87 | Lille (France) | Hurricane I | 88 | Mourmelon (France) | Battle |
92 | Northolt | Spitfire I | 94 | Sheikh Othman (Aden) | Gladiator |
97 | Driffield (disbanded May 20) | without aircrafts | 98 | Chateau Bougon (France) | Battle |
99 | Newmarket | Wellington I, IA, IC | 100 | Seletar (Singapore) | Vildebeest II, III |
101 | West Raynham | Blenheim IV | 102 | Driffield | Whitley V |
103 | Betheniville (France) | Battle | 104 | operational training unit | - |
105 | Villeneuve-les-Vertus (France) | Battle | 106 | Finningley | Hampden I |
107 | Wattisham | Blenheim IV | 108 | operational training unit | - |
110 | Wattisham | Blenheim IV | 111 | Wick | Hurricane I |
112 | Helwan (Egypt) | Gladiator, Gauntlet II | 113 | Heliopolis (Egypt) | Blenheim IV |
114 | Conde-Vraux (France) | Blenheim IV | 115 | Marham | Wellington IA, IC |
139 | Plivot (France) | Blenheim IV | 141 | Grangemouth | Defiant I, Gladiator, Blenheim IF, Battle |
142 | Berry-au-Bac (France) | Battle | 144 | Hemswell | Hampden I |
145 | Tangmere | Hurricane I | 148 | Stradishall | Wellington IC |
149 | Mildenhall | Wellington I, IA, IC | 150 | Ecury-sur-Coole (France) | Battle |
151 | North Weald | Hurricane I | 152 | Acklington | Spitfire I |
185 | operational training unit | - | 201 | Invergordon | Sunderland I |
202 | Gibraltar | London II | 203 | Sheikh Othman (Aden) | Blenheim I, IV |
204 | Sullon Voe (Shetland Is) | Sunderland I | 205 | Seletar (Ceylon) | Singapore III |
206 | Bircham Newton | Anson, Hudson | 207 | operational training unit | - |
208 | Heliopolis (Egypt) | Lysander I, II | 209 | Oban | Lerwick I |
210 | Pembroke Dock | Sunderland I | 211 | El Daba (Egypt) | Blenheim I |
212 | Heston | Blenheim IV, Spitfire I | 213 | Wittering | Hurricane I |
214 | Stradishall | Wellington I, IA, IC | 216 | Heliopolis (Egypt) | Valentia, Bombay |
217 | St.Eval | Anson, Beaufort I | 218 | Mouscou Femme (France) | Battle |
219 | Catterick | Blenheim IF | 220 | Thornaby | Hudson |
222 | Digby | Spitfire I | 223 | Khartoum (Sudan) | Wellesley |
224 | Leuchars | Hudson | 225 | Odiham | Lysander |
226 | Reims (France) | Battle | 228 | Pembroke Dock | Sunderland I |
229 | Digby | Hurricane I | 230 | Alexandria (Egypt) | Sunderland I |
232 | not operational | - | 233 | Leuchars | Hudson |
234 | Church Fenton (from May 22) | Spitfire I | 235 | Bircham Newton | Blenheim IVF, IF |
236 | Speke | Blenheim IF | 237 | Nairobi (Kenya) | Audax, Hardy |
240 | Invergordon | London II | 242 | Church Fenton | Hurricane I |
245 | Leconfield | Hurricane I | 248 | Gosport | Blenheim IVF |
253 | Kenley | Hurricane I, Battle | 254 | Hatston | Blenheim IV |
263 | Turnhouse | Gladiator | 264 | Martlesham Heath | Defiant I |
266 | Martlesham Heath | Spitfire I | 269 | Wick | Anson |
271 | Doncaster Harrow (Transport) | Bombay, Ford 5 | 273 | China Bay (Ceylon) | Vildebeest, Seal |
500 | Detling | Anson | 501 | Bethenville | Hurricane I |
502 | Aldergrove | Anson | 504 | Debden | Hurricane I |
600 | Manston | Blenheim IF | 601 | Tangmere | Hurricane I |
602 | Dyce | Spitfire I | 603 | Turnhouse | Spitfire I |
604 | Northolt | Blenheim IF | 605 | Wick | Hurricane I |
607 | Vintry-en-Artois (France) | Hurricane I, Gladiator | 608 | Thornaby | Anson |
609 | Drem | Spitfire I | 610 | Biggin Hill | Spitfire I |
611 | Digby | Spitfire I | 612 | Dyce | Anson |
613 | Odiham | Lysander, Hector | 614 | Odiham | Lysander |
615 | Abbeville (France) | Hurricane I, Gladiator | 616 | Leconfield | Spitfire I |
Note: Squadron Nos. 400 to 499 were squadrons of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force and Royal New Zealand Air Force. Not all numbers were used and unfortunately there are no detailed information available.
Overview of Royal Air Force squadrons equipment and location:
Aircraft | England | France, Norway | Mediterranean,Middle East, Africa | India, Malaya | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hurricane | 16 | 9 | - | - | 25 |
Spitfire | 19 | - | - | - | 19 |
Gladiator | 1 | - | 4 | - | 5 |
Blenheim IF, IVF | 9 | - | - | - | 9 |
Defiant | 2 | - | - | - | 2 |
Vildebeest | - | - | - | 3 | 3 |
Wellesley | 1 | - | 2 | 1 | 4 |
Blenheim | 9 | 6 | 9 | 4 | 28 |
Battle | - | 8 | - | - | 8 |
Wapiti | - | - | - | 1 | 1 |
Beaufort | 4 | - | - | - | 4 |
Whitley | 6 | - | - | - | 6 |
Hampden | 8 | - | - | - | 8 |
Wellington | 8 | - | - | - | 8 |
Hudson | 4 | - | - | - | 4 |
Anson | 5 | - | - | - | 5 |
Lysander | 4 | 4 | 2 | - | 10 |
Audax | - | - | - | 2 | 2 |
Valentina | - | - | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Tiger Mouth | - | 1 | - | 1 | 2 |
London | 1 | - | 1 | - | 2 |
Singapore | - | - | - | 1 | 1 |
Lerwick | 1 | - | - | - | 1 |
Sunderland | 4 | - | 1 | - | 5 |
Total | 102 | 28 | 21 | 14 | 165 |
The RAF squadron strength was between 6 and 18 aircraft.
References and literature
The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force (James J. Halley)
Luftkrieg (Piekalkiewicz)
The Armed Forces of World War II (Andrew Mollo)
Das große Buch der Luftkämpfe (Ian Parsons)