On This Day, 1999: On 5 June 1999 RAF Tornados flew their first combat missions from Solenzara in Corsica during Operation Allied…
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Dispatches, analysis, long reads and On This Day entries from The RAF Chronicle.
Lysanders Drop Supplies to the Surrounded Calais Garrison
On 22 May 1940, Army Co-operation Lysanders began hazardous supply drops to the surrounded Calais garrison during the Battle of France.
Read the article →RAF Tornados Launch Solenzara Sorties in Kosovo War
On 5 June 1999 RAF Tornados flew their first combat missions from Solenzara in Corsica during Operation Allied…
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…
Operation Dynamo Ends After RAF Cover Over Dunkirk Beaches
On 4 June 1940 Operation Dynamo ended, and Churchill praised the RAF for protecting the Dunkirk evacuation under…
Bosnia Airlift Milestone for No. 47 Squadron Hercules
On 3 June 1993, No. 47 Squadron Hercules crews reached 600 Bosnia airlift sorties and 19 million pounds…
RAF Air Cover in the Final Days of Operation Dynamo
How RAF fighter cover helped keep Operation Dynamo moving at Dunkirk, despite attrition, limited range and Luftwaffe pressure.
RAF Intervention in North Russia Sanctioned by Allies
On 2 June 1918, Allied leaders approved intervention in North Russia, with RAF units intended to support key…
Mosquito Enters Bomber Command Service with No. 105 Squadron
On 1 June 1942, No. 105 Squadron flew the Mosquito’s first operational bombing mission for Bomber Command, starting…
Canterbury Struck in the Baedeker Air Raids Over Kent
On 31 May 1942, Canterbury’s historic districts were bombed in the Baedeker raids, showing the symbolic and civilian…
First Thousand Bomber Raid on Cologne by RAF Bomber Command
On 30–31 May 1942, RAF Bomber Command sent more than 1,000 aircraft against Cologne, proving the scale of…
Imperial Gift Approved for Dominion and Indian Air Forces
On 29 May 1919, the War Cabinet approved the Imperial Gift, sending surplus RAF aircraft to dominions and…
RAF Aircraft Structures, Materials and Survivability
How RAF aircraft structure evolved from fabric and wood to metal airframes, shaping durability, repairability and combat survivability…