On This Day, 1940: On 22 July 1940, an RAF Blenheim used airborne interception radar to shoot down a Dornier Do 17…
Read the entry →Second World War Articles
In-depth articles, analysis and long reads from The RAF Chronicle.
244 Wing Moves into Sicily with the Desert Air Force
Second World War
On 13 July 1943, 244 Wing moved into Sicily, bringing RAF and SAAF Spitfire squadrons forward to support the Allied invasion.
Read the article →RAF Beaufort Strike Damages Lützow Off Norway in 1941
On 12 June 1941, an RAF Beaufort torpedo strike damaged Lützow off Norway, putting the German ship out…
First Beaufort Detachment Reaches Malta to Strike Axis Shipping
On 10 June 1942, the first Beaufort detachment reached Malta, strengthening the island’s strikes against Axis shipping in…
Tallboy and the RAF Shift to Precision Heavy Bombing
Tallboy showed how Bomber Command moved towards deep-penetration precision attacks in 1944, using Lancasters against hardened targets.
617 Squadron Debuts the Tallboy Bomb Against Saumur Tunnel
On 8 June 1944 617 Squadron used the new 12,000-lb Tallboy bomb against the Saumur tunnel, sealing a…
D-Day Air Power and the RAF Over Normandy, 6 June 1944
On D-Day Allied air forces flew nearly 15,000 sorties, and the RAF helped secure the Normandy landings with…
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…
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.
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…