The mighty mighty Beaufighter

[Rich46yo]

Werent there a fair number of aerial aces who flew the Beau?

How about the Mossie? Any aces who flew them? Im guessing not as much cause the Mossie didnt fly as long, in so many theaters, or used by as many air forces.

[bozon]

Werent there a fair number of aerial aces who flew the Beau?

How about the Mossie? Any aces who flew them? Im guessing not as much cause the Mossie didnt fly as long, in so many theaters, or used by as many air forces.

There were a little over 80 Beau aces and 59 Mosquito aces (i.e. 5 kills with the model) - some of which flew and got kills in both models. The majority of the kills were as night fighters.

Mosquito night fighters did not get as many kills as the Beau because they were better, as odd as it may sound... The Luftwaffe simply stopped its night raids when RAF night fighters opposition got too tough and the LW bombers were unable to achieve satisfactory results against their losses.

Day dogfights were not very common yet happened, mostly under coastal command - first against long range bombers and fighters (JU88s, FW200, and 110s) in fleet defense patrols, and later against 190s and 109s over Norway as part of the anti-shipping raids. At these dogfights the mossie was considered much better than the Beau. Given the difficult conditions for these fights (after a shipping attack, often after suffering flak damage and starting from a position of a disadvantage) and the fact that most of their pilots were not trained as fighter pilots, both models performed well and gave as much as they got.

[Guppy35]

 

The thing on the left is not a bomb. It is a balloon being towed by one of the ships, or so I think.

Yep.  We had the same discussion about it in the Beaufighter Wishlist thread.  Barrage ballon.

I've built a fairly extensive Beaufighter library and in reading the many accounts the war fought down low by these guys regardless of theater was very dangerous and intense.  The MTO, CBI and PTO  Beaus did it all.  And the Coastal Command runs to Norway and over the Bay of Biscay had to be among the toughest runs of the war.

[Ack-Ack]

The Beau was a Beast against enemy shipping. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVLV67xILI4 The video shows what a great view the Beau's pilot had of its enemy and how The Battle of the Bismark Sea was such a slaughter of an enemy who showed no quarter and for sure wasnt going to get any.

It really was a Historic airplane. Just the right plane at the right time. I'd like to find a book about Beau operations.

A little interesting note about the Battle of the Bismark Sea and the Beaufighter.  The USAAF 3rd Attack Group, equipped with B-25s and A-20s, were so short of pilots that the majority of the Mitchell's and Havoc's pilots during the battle were from RAAF Beaufighter squadrons.

[MiloMorai]

And the Coastal Command runs to Norway and over the Bay of Biscay had to be among the toughest runs of the war.

This book about Canadian CC squadrons illustrates how tough it was.

Canadian Squadrons in Coastal Command
Hendrie, Andrew
ISBN 10: 1551250381 / 1-55125-038-1
ISBN 13: 9781551250380
Publisher: Vanwell Publishing Ltd.
Publication Date: 1998
Binding: Hardcover

[Guppy35]

I'd suggest you gents visit the wish list thread. 70 pages of Beaufighter love.  Somewhere in there I put a Beau bibliography

http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,255408.120.html

[lyric1]

Australians sure have a sense of humor. I love Beaufighter 93 sqd. RAAF motto:

(Image removed from quote.)

I think this aircraft still survives at a Museum in Melbourne. It has been repainted though from this old photo.

[Scherf]

I actually had a list of 72 pilots with 5 kills claimed air-to-air, excluding V-1s, on the Mossie, namely:

Burbridge   20
Miller   18
Williams   17.5
Hall   16
Green   15.5
Allan   14
Scherf   13.5
Kipp   10.5
Smith   10
Johnson   9.5
Benson   9
Braham   9
Owen   9
Bunting   9
Woodman   9
Goodman   9
Mathews   9
Bannock   9
Parker   9
Hedgecoe   9
White   9
Howard   9
Jameson   9
Doleman   8.5
Schultz   8
MacDonald   8
Davison   8
Holland   8
Hampshire   8
Welfare   7
MacFadyen   7
Harrington   7
Somerville   7
Tull   7
Lelong   7
Rabone   6
Thwaites   6
Singleton   6
Collins   6
Turner   6
Cotterill   6
Edinger   6
Hughes   6
Etienne   6
Dacre   6
Foster   6
Maguire   6
Wagner   6
Mitchell   5.5
Stewart   5
Chase   5
Cross   5
Mackenzie   5
Breithaupt   5
Head   5
Taylor   5
Hoare   5
Luma   5
Wright   5
Jones   5
Gloster   5
Kelsey   5
Provan   5
Surman   5
Goucher   5
Thomas   5
Reed   5
Britten   5
Reeves   5
Caine   5
Robinson   5
Pargeter   5

[Rich46yo]

Thanks to all for the additional info on two airplanes Ive long admired.

And the Battle of the Bismark Sea continues to fascinate. While not strategically important as Midway I think it gave the IJN and IJA the first real taste of what an overwhelming and ruthless Allied air force they were facing. The cream of the IJN's Destroyer force, almost the entire troop contingent heading to Lae, and many experienced zero pilots were just wiped out. Right down to individuals in life rafts.

The complete loss of the ability to resupply their Island/Empire periphery by convoy due to Allied air forces must have shocked the Hell out of them.

[steely07]

I think this aircraft still survives at a Museum in Melbourne. It has been repainted though from this old photo.

It does, at Moorabbin, took a pic of it on the weekend