On This Day, 1988: Sheila Scott died on 20 October 1988, leaving a legacy of solo world flights, polar exploration and record-breaking…
Read the entry →Second World War Articles
In-depth articles, analysis and long reads from The RAF Chronicle.
Ted Swales VC: Master Bomber on the Pforzheim Raid
Second World War
On 23 February 1945, Ted Swales led the Pforzheim raid as Master Bomber and died after saving his crew, earning a posthumous Victoria Cross.
Read the article →Catafighter Success Proves the CAM Ship Defence Concept
On 3 August 1941, a Sea Hurricane launched from a CAM ship destroyed a German Fw 200, validating…
RCAF Sinks U-754: Canada’s First Confirmed U-boat Kill
On 31 July 1942, the RCAF destroyed U-754 off the Canadian coast, securing its first confirmed U-boat victory…
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…
Bomber Command Mid-War Transition: Aircraft, Aids and Weapons
How Bomber Command changed in the middle years of the war through four-engined bombers, navigation aids, target marking…
Gloster Meteor Flies First RAF Jet Sortie Against V-1s
On 27 July 1944, a No. 616 Squadron Gloster Meteor flew the RAF’s first operational jet patrol against…
RAF Opens Operation Gomorrah in the Battle of Hamburg
On 24 July 1943, the RAF and USAAF opened the Battle of Hamburg, using Window to disrupt German…
RAF Wins First Radar-Guided Night Victory with Blenheim
On 22 July 1940, an RAF Blenheim used airborne interception radar to shoot down a Dornier Do 17…
From Radar to Night Fighting: How RAF Air Defence Evolved
How radar, ground control and specialist night fighters enabled the RAF to build a more effective air-defence system…
Cruickshank VC Attack on U-347 Sinks U-Boat in 1944
On 17 July 1944, Flt Lt John Alexander Cruickshank pressed home a Catalina attack on U-347 despite severe…
German Invasion Preparations in Directive No. 16
On 16 July 1940, War Directive No. 16 began preparations for Operation Sea Lion and made the destruction…
Spitfires Flown in under Operation Colima and Operation Pinpoint
On 15 July 1942, Spitfires launched from HMS Eagle reached Malta in Operations Colima and Pinpoint, sustaining the…
Sicily from the Air: RAF and Allied Air Power in 1943
How RAF and Allied air power shaped the invasion of Sicily in 1943 through air superiority, interdiction and…