On This Day, 1999: On 5 June 1999 RAF Tornados flew their first combat missions from Solenzara in Corsica during Operation Allied…
Read the entry →Second World War Articles
In-depth articles, analysis and long reads from The RAF Chronicle.
First Success for Fido in the Battle of the Atlantic
Second World War
On this day in 1943, a Liberator of 86 Squadron crippled U-456 with Fido, proving the value of the new acoustic homing torpedo.
Read the article →Railway Offensive Opens with Bomber Command Strike
On 6 March 1944, Bomber Command struck the marshalling yards at Trappes, opening the Railway Offensive against French…
Fairey Battle L5019 Lost off Porthcawl in Training Crash
On 4 March 1941, a Fairey Battle from No. 7 Bombing and Gunnery School crashed off Porthcawl during…
Avro Lancaster Enters RAF Operations with No. 44 Squadron
On 3 March 1942, No. 44 Squadron took the Avro Lancaster on its first operational sortie, marking a…
Operation Biting Begins with the Bruneval Radar Raid
On 27 February 1942, Operation Biting began at Bruneval as RAF aircraft carried airborne troops to seize key…
Avro Manchester Makes Its Operational Debut with the RAF
On 24 February 1941, the Avro Manchester entered RAF service, marking the bomber’s operational debut during Bomber Command’s…
Ted Swales VC: Master Bomber on the Pforzheim Raid
On 23 February 1945, Ted Swales led the Pforzheim raid as Master Bomber and died after saving his…
Arthur Harris Takes Command of RAF Bomber Command in 1942
On 22 February 1942, Arthur Harris took command of RAF Bomber Command, marking a decisive shift towards a…
Battle of Talingon: RAF Air Power in the Burma Campaign
On 19 February 1945, No. 20 Squadron RAF supported the Battle of Talingon in Burma, destroying Japanese tanks…
Operation Jericho: The Amiens Prison Raid
On 18 February 1944, RAF Mosquitos attacked Amiens Prison in Operation Jericho, a low-level raid intended to breach…
Mission to Bomb Dunkirk Abandoned Due to Heavy Opposition
On 17 February 1943, an RAF bombing mission against Dunkirk was abandoned after heavy opposition, with escort fighters…
British and Commonwealth forces in Singapore surrender
On 15 February 1942, British and Commonwealth forces surrendered at Singapore, ending the Malayan campaign and exposing RAF…
A Coastal Command Hudson Locates the Altmark
On 14 February 1940, an RAF Coastal Command Lockheed Hudson located the German ship Altmark, helping set up…