On This Day, 1939: On 21 October 1939, 46 Squadron Hurricanes intercepted Heinkel He 115 floatplanes over the North Sea in the…
Read the entry →Long Reads
In-depth RAF history, analysis and extended features from The RAF Chronicle.
RAF and the Berlin Crisis, 1948–49: Beyond the Airlift
How the RAF turned the Berlin crisis of 1948–49 into a test of access, air transport and Cold War resolve beyond the usual airlift story.
Read the long read →RAF and the Decline of Flying Boats: Why a Maritime Era Ended
From Southampton cruises to Sunderland patrols, Berlin and Korea, explore why RAF flying boats gave way to land-based…
RAF Atlantic Approaches: Biscay, U-Boats and Air Power
How the RAF fought the Atlantic air war over Biscay, using long-range patrols, radar and strike aircraft to…
The Air Ministry Between the Wars and Britain’s Air Strategy
How the Air Ministry tried to shape British air strategy between the wars, balancing doctrine, empire, economy and…
RAF and the Suez Crisis: Air Power and Humiliation
A deep RAF history of the 1956 Suez Crisis, from planning and air strikes to the political collapse…
RAF in the Western Desert Before El Alamein, 1940–42
How the RAF endured retreat, learned mobile desert warfare, and helped create the conditions for recovery before El…
RAF and the Invasion of Sicily: Air Superiority Before Italy
How the RAF helped make the invasion of Sicily possible through air superiority, interdiction and Mediterranean air power…
RAF Mediterranean Air War: From Survival to Offensive Power
How the RAF fought the Mediterranean air war from early weakness in 1940 to offensive power over North…
RAF and the Battle for Norway, 1940: Strategic Failure
A long read on how range, weather and weak basing limited RAF operations in Norway during the German…
RAF Aircrew Training System in the Second World War
A long read on how the RAF built a global wartime aircrew training pipeline across Britain and the…
How Technology Changed RAF Aircraft Design and Capability
A deep RAF Chronicle Long Read on how airframes, engines, fuel systems, avionics and crew protection reshaped RAF…
The RAF and the Fall of France: Retreat and Lessons of 1940
A long read on the RAF in the Fall of France, from bomber losses and retreat to evacuation,…
Air Power and Empire: How the RAF Policed Britain’s Frontiers
A long read on how the RAF used air control to police Britain’s imperial frontiers, and why economy,…