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.
RAF Bomber Command Begins the Dresden Raids
Second World War
On 13 February 1945, RAF Bomber Command began the Dresden raids with a major night attack on one of Germany’s most controversial wartime targets.
Read the article →RAF Bomber Command: Strategy, Impact and Legacy
A balanced look at RAF Bomber Command, from expansion and Harris to losses, area bombing and its wider…
Low-Level Lancaster Strike on MAN Works at Ausburg
Augsburg Raid: J. D. Nettleton led Lancasters against Augsburg in 1942, a low-level daylight strike remembered for remarkable…
RAF Fighter Command: Structure, Battles and Wartime Evolution
How RAF Fighter Command was organised, how it fought the Battle of Britain, and how it evolved through…
The Island of Malta Awarded the George Cross
Why King George VI’s 1942 award of the George Cross to Malta recognised both civilian endurance and the…
First RAF Minelaying Operation Begins in Danish Waters
first RAF minelaying operation: How RAF Hampdens began wartime aerial minelaying off Denmark on 13 April 1940, opening…
First RAF Attack on Norway Opens Air Campaign at Stavanger
first RAF attack on Norway: How RAF Wellingtons and Blenheims attacked Stavanger-Sola on 11 April 1940, opening sustained…
Last Luftwaffe Operation Over Britain by an Ar 234
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…