Defending the Nation Press ‘Esc’ at any time to end the presentation.

Click on the aircraft that you would like to study. Images provided by the Battle of Britain Historical Society Hawker Hurricane Boulton-Paul Defiant Supermarine Spitfire Bristol Blenheim Links to Key Word definitions are in green

Supermarine Spitfire This is probably the most famous fighter plane of the Second World War. Nine Squadrons were equipped with Spitfires by the time World War Two broke out and a total of 1,960 Spitfires had been ordered. Learn more about the Spitfire Image and information provided by the Battle of Britain Historical Society Key Word - Squadron

A prototype Spitfire flew in March 1936 and the first production Spitfire (Mk Is) reached No. 19 Squadron at Duxford in August These first aircraft were fitted with a Merlin II engine which drove a two-bladed, wooden propeller. There were eight in (7.7- mm) Browning machine- guns on this particular model of the Spitfire. By September 1939 only 306 Mk Is had been delivered. The Spitfire first saw action on 16 October 1939, when Nos 602 and 603 Squadrons engaged Luftwaffe bombers off the coast of Scotland and shot down some of these aircraft. By mid 1940 nineteen squadrons operated Spitfires, but almost a third of these aircraft were lost covering the withdrawal from Dunkirk during May. Key Word - PrototypeKey Word - Dunkirk

The Battle of Britain raged during the summer of 1940 and the Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane were the main fighters being used by the Royal Air Force. During the battle a small number of cannon armed aircraft, known as Spitfire Mk lBs were issued to No. 19 Squadron and, though their guns sometimes jammed, they performed well enough to convince the Air Ministry that cannon armament was worth putting into future Spitfire orders. The Spitfire remained a front line R.A.F. fighter after World War Two until jet powered aircraft proved to be more effective. Key Word - Armament

Hawker Hurricane The first examples of the Hawker Hurricane were delivered to No. 111 Squadron at RAF Northolt in In February 1938 Squadron Leader J. W. Gillan, flew a Hurricane from Turnhouse, Scotland, to Northolt, a distance of 327 miles. This took 48 minutes, at an average speed of almost 409 mph. Images and information provided by the Battle of Britain Historical Society Learn more about the HurricaneHurricane Plans and Colour Schemes

Fortunately Germany did not attack the British Isles straight away. This gave the R.A.F. time to produce more Hurricanes and Spitfires and to train more pilots. The people of Britain were told that a new and revolutionary fighter was now available for the defence of the country. This also served the purpose of letting the German people and their leaders know that Britain now had a modern and effective fighter that could stand up against Luftwaffe aeroplanes. At the outbreak of World War Two, 19 RAF squadrons were fully equipped with Hurricanes and Nos 1, 73, 85 and 87 Squadrons were dispatched with their Hurricanes to bases in France. It was a Hurricane of No. 1 Squadron that became the first RAF aircraft to destroy a German aeroplane over France during the war. Key Word - revolutionaryKey Word - dispatched

The Battle of Britain officially started on July 10 th By August 1940 the RAF could call upon 32 squadrons of Hurricanes and 19 squadrons of Supermarine Spitfires. During the Battle of Britain Hurricanes destroyed more enemy aircraft than the Spitfire – indeed more than all other defences, air or ground, combined – and was undoubtedly one of the great fighter aircraft of World War II. The maximum speed of the Hurricane however put it at a distinct disadvantage when confronted by the Messerschmitt Bf 109. Therefore the faster Spitfires tangled with the Bf 109s, enabling the Hurricanes to attack the German bombers. Background image used with kind permission Activity - Label a Hurricane

Hawker Hurricane Mk.I Battle of Britain Camouflage © Copyright William G. Wade. Reproduced with kind permission. More Hurricane colour schemes

Mark I Hurricane colour schemes. © Copyright William G. Wade. Reproduced with kind permission.

See if you can label this Hurricane correctly Cockpit Undercarriage Tail fin Airscrew Exhaust Vents Aerial Mast Illustration provided by The Battle of Britain Historical Society

See if you can label this Hurricane correctly Cockpit Undercarriage Tail fin Airscrew Exhaust Vents Aerial Mast Illustration provided by The Battle of Britain Historical Society

Bolton Paul Defiant The maximum speed of the Defiant was 304 m.p.h. It could travel for 465 miles without refuelling and could climb to 30,350 feet. It also had four Browning machine guns situated in a rear facing turret. Yet, it suffered disastrous losses during the Battle for France and the Battle of Britain and was eventually given a night fighter as opposed to day fighter role. Learn more about the Defiant Image and information provided by the Battle of Britain Historical Society

The Defiant was a two-seat single-engined fighter and had all of its guns concentrated in a large electrically-operated turret. The belief was that a gunner with no responsibility for flying the aircraft had more chance of hitting the enemy than a pilot who had to point his aircraft in the direction in which he wished to fire. The problem with the aircraft was that the responsibility was divided between pilot and gunner, and required the pilot not only to fly the aircraft, but also to think about his gunner's line of fire. The Luftwaffe pilots soon found a blind spot beneath the tail and attacked the Defiant from below with devastating effect.

Initially when fighting in France the Defiants took the Luftwaffe pilots by surprise with its rear facing turret. Yet, operations over France took a heavy toll and No. 264 Squadron was only just back to strength by the time that the Battle of Britain began. No.141 had a disastrous first engagement with Bf 109Es on July 19, losing two aircraft in the first firing pass by the Luftwaffe fighters and four more when the enemy made a second attack from behind (astern) and below. Thrown into battle at the end of August, No. 264 Squadron suffered a similar fate, being left with only three aircraft that could be used within a week. Both squadrons were then withdrawn from further action in the Battle, leaving the Defiant to fight only at night, where it was much more successful. Key Word - engagement

Bristol Blenheim IF The Bristol Blenheim IF was a long-range heavy fighter aircraft. It was equipped with five Browning machine guns and one Vickers machine gun pointing out of the rear facing turret. The Blenheim was very slow compared to the Luftwaffe fighters and much harder to manoeuvre. It was eventually transferred to night fighting duties only. Image provided by the Battle of Britain Historical Society Key Word - manoeuvre Learn more about the Bristol Blenheim

There were seven Blenheim squadrons in Fighter Command by July Unfortunately they were of little use during the daytime against the Luftwaffe BF 109 E that could travel at a maximum speed of 357 m.p.h. as opposed to the Blenheim’s 285 m.p.h. Wing Span56 foot and 4 inches32 foot and 4 ½ inches Length 39 Foot and 9 inches 28 foot and 8 inches Max. Speed285 miles per hour (m.p.h.)357 miles per hour (m.p.h) Range1,125 miles412 miles Bristol BlenheimMesserschmitt Bf 109 E Image provided by the Battle of Britain Historical Society

Back to SpitfiresBack to HurricanesBack to DefiantsBack to Blenheims Dunkirk – An area within Northern France where British and French forces were evacuated (withdrawn) due to the rapid German advance through that country. Squadron – A division of the Air Force. A group of pilots and planes. Manoeuvre – To move around. To get into a good position. Engagement – Being in combat and beginning to fight. Revolutionary – Something that is different and makes a great change. Dispatched – To be sent somewhere. Prototype – An original model that later designs will be based on. Armament – The weapons that something has got.