Bristol 156 Beaufighter

Coastal Command


1941 saw the development of the Beaufighter Mk.IC long-range heavy fighter.

This new variant entered service in May 1941 with a detachment from [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] operating from [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

The aircraft proved so effective in the Mediterranean against shipping, aircraft and ground targets that Coastal Command became the major user of the Beaufighter, replacing the now obsolete Beaufort and Blenheim.

Coastal Command began to take delivery of the up-rated Mk.VIC in mid 1942. By the end of 1942 Mk VICs were being equipped with torpedo-carrying gear, enabling them to carry the[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] or the US 22.5 in (572 mm)
torpedo externally.

The first successful torpedo attacks by Beaufighters came in April 1943, with [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] sinking two merchant ships off Norway.

The Hercules Mk XVII, developing 1,735 hp (1,294 kW) at 500 ft (150 m), was installed in the Mk VIC airframe to produce the TF Mk.X (Torpedo Fighter), commonly known as the "Torbeau."

The Mk X became the main production mark of the Beaufighter.

The strike variant of the "Torbeau" was designated the Mk.XIC.

Beaufighter TF Xs would make precision attacks on shipping at wave-top height with torpedoes or [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

Early models of the Mk Xs carried; metric-wavelength ASV (air-to-surface vessel) radar with "herringbone" antennae carried on the nose and outer wings, but this was replaced in late 1943 by the centimetric AI Mark VIII radar housed in a "[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]-nose" radome, enabling all-weather and night attacks.

The North Coates Strike [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] of Coastal Command, based at [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] on the Lincolnshire coast, developed tactics which combined large formations of Beaufighters using cannon and rockets to suppress flak while the Torbeaus attacked at low level with torpedoes.

These tactics were put into practice in mid 1943, and in a 10-month period, 29,762 tons (27,000 tonnes) of shipping were sunk.

Tactics were further adapted when shipping was moved from port during the night.

North Coates Strike Wing operated as the largest anti-shipping force of the Second World War, and accounted for over 150,000 tons (136,100 tonnes) of shipping and 117 vessels for a loss of 120 Beaufighters and 241 aircrew killed or missing.

This was half the total tonnage sunk by all strike wings between 1942-45.

Pacific war


The Beaufighter arrived at squadrons in Asia and the Pacific in mid-1942.

It has often been said - although it was originally a piece of RAF whimsy quickly taken up by a British journalist - that [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] soldiers referred to the Beaufighter as "[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]", supposedly because attacking aircraft often were not heard (or seen) until too late.

The Beaufighter's [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] engines used [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] which lacked the noisy valve gear common to [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] engines.

This was most apparent in a reduced noise level at the front of the engine.

South east Asia


In the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], the Beaufighter Mk VIF operated from [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] on night missions against Japanese lines of
communication in Burma and Thailand.

The high-speed, low-level attacks were highly effective, despite often atrocious weather conditions, and makeshift repair and maintenance facilities.

South west Pacific


Before DAP Beaufighters arrived at [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] units in the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], the Bristol Beaufighter Mk IC was employed in anti-shipping missions.

The most famous of these was the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] in which they co-operated with USAAF [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] Beaufighters flew in at mast height to provide heavy suppressive fire for the waves of attacking bombers.

The Japanese convoy, under the impression that they were under torpedo attack, made the fatal tactical error of turning their ships towards the Beaufighters, leaving them exposed to [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] attacks by the US [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

The Beaufighters inflicted maximum damage on the ships' anti-aircraft guns, bridges and crews during strafing runs
with their four 20 mm nose cannons and six wing-mounted .303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns.

Eight transports and four destroyers were sunk for the loss of five aircraft, including one Beaufighter.

Postwar


From late 1944, RAF Beaufighter units were engaged in the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], finally withdrawing in 1946.

The Beaufighter was also used by the air forces of [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

It was used briefly by the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

Variants


Beaufighter Mk IF

Two-seat night fighter variant.


Beaufighter Mk IC

The "C" stood for Coastal Command variant; many were modified to carry bombs.


Beaufighter Mk II

However well the Beaufighter performed, the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] bomber program by late 1941 had a higher priority for the Hercules engine and the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] XX-powered Mk II was the result.


Beaufighter Mk IIF

Production night fighter variant.

Beaufighter Mk III/IV

The Mark III and Mark IV were to be Hercules and Merlin powered Beaufighters with a new slimmer fuselage carrying an armament of six cannon and six machine guns which would give performance improvements.

The necessary costs of making the changes to the production line led to the curtailing of the Marks.

Beaufighter Mk V

The Vs had a [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] turret with four 0.303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns mounted aft of the cockpit supplanting one pair of cannon and the wing-mounted machine guns. Only two Mk Vs were built.


Beaufighter Mk VI

The Hercules returned with the next major version in 1942, the Mk VI, which was eventually built to over 1,000
examples.


Beaufighter Mk VIC

Torpedo-carrying variant dubbed the "Torbeau".


Beaufighter Mk VIF

This variant was equipped with AI Mark VIII radar. Changes included a [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] tailplane.


Beaufighter Mk VI (ITF)

Interim torpedo fighter version.


Beaufighter TF Mk X

Two-seat torpedo fighter aircraft.
The last major version (2,231 built) was the Mk X, among the finest torpedo and strike aircraft of its day.
The later production models featured a dorsal fin.


Beaufighter Mk XIC

Built without torpedo gear for Coastal Command use.

Beaufighter Mk 21

The Australian-made DAP Beaufighter.
Changes included Hercules CVII engines, four 20 mm cannon in the nose, four Browning .50 in (12.7 mm) in the wings and the capacity to carry eight 5 in (130 mm)[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] (HVAR), two 250 lb (110 kg) bombs, two 500 lb (230 kg) bombs and one Mk 13 torpedo.


Beaufighter TT Mk 10

After the war, many RAF Beaufighters were converted into target tug aircraft.

Operators


See also: [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]

Specifications (Beaufighter TF X)


Data from Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II

General characteristics

• Crew: 2: pilot, observer
  
• Length: 41 ft 4 in (12.6 m)
  
• [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]: 57 ft 10 in (17.65 m)
  
• Height: 15 ft 10 in (4.84 m)
  
• Wing area: 503 ft² (46,73 m²)
  
• Empty weight: 15,592 lb (7,072 kg)
  
• [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]: 25,400 lb (11,521 kg)
  
• Powerplant: 2× [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] 14-cylinder [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], 1,600 hp (1,200 kW) each