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 →Second World War Articles
In-depth articles, analysis and long reads from The RAF Chronicle.
Operation Manna: British Paratroops Land at Megara
Second World War
On 12 October 1944, British paratroops landed at Megara in Operation Manna, carried by USAAF aircraft as Allied forces returned to Greece.
Read the article →Last Luftwaffe Operation Over Britain: The Ar 234 Sortie of 10 April 1945
Why an Arado Ar 234 reconnaissance flight over Scotland on 10 April 1945 is often seen as the…
Sunderland Sights German Invasion Force off Norway
On 8 April 1940, a No. 204 Squadron Sunderland reported German warships heading for Trondheim, warning of the…
No. 115 Squadron Losses over the North Sea and Denmark
On 7 April 1940, two No. 115 Squadron Wellingtons were lost over the North Sea and Denmark, with…
First 4,000-lb Bomb Used by Bomber Command Against Emden
On 31 March 1941, Bomber Command first used the 4,000-pound high-capacity bomb against Emden, marking a step towards…
Last V1 Destroyed Over England Near Sittingbourne in 1945
On 29 March 1945, the final V1 to reach England was shot down near Sittingbourne, ending a notorious…
RAF Transport Command Created to Unify Wartime Airlift
On 25 March 1943, the RAF created Transport Command, unifying ferry and air transport duties to support Britain’s…
The Great Escape and the Murder of Fifty Recaptured Men
On 24 March 1944, seventy-six prisoners escaped from Stalag Luft III, but the murder of fifty recaptured men…
Battle of Berlin Ends with Bomber Command’s March Raid
On 22 March 1944, Lancaster and Halifax bombers joined a major Berlin raid often seen as the end…
Grand Slams on Arnsberg Target German Transport Links
On 19 March 1945, Bomber Command used Grand Slam bombs against Arnsberg’s transport links, targeting German movement in…
Luftwaffe Raid on Scapa Flow Brings Air War to Britain
On 16 March 1940, German aircraft raided Scapa Flow, bringing the air war to Britain’s principal naval anchorage…
First Operational Grand Slam Bomb Dropped on Bielefeld
On 14 March 1945, Squadron Leader C. C. Calder used the RAF’s first operational Grand Slam to collapse…
Fatal Crash of Fighter Ace Sammy Allard Near Wimbish
On 13 March 1941, fighter ace Geoffrey “Sammy” Allard was killed in a flying accident near Wimbish alongside…