Second World War Articles
In-depth articles, analysis and long reads from The RAF Chronicle.
No. 1419 Flight Becomes No. 138 Squadron, RAF 1941
Second World War
On 25 August 1941, No. 1419 Flight became No. 138 Squadron, formalising RAF special duties support for SOE and clandestine operations.
Read the article →RAF and the Battle for Norway, 1940: Strategic Failure
A long read on how range, weather and weak basing limited RAF operations in Norway during the German…
Churchill Signals the Coming Battle of Britain in Commons
Churchill told Parliament that the Battle of France was over and the Battle of Britain was about to…
From Cologne to the Ruhr: RAF Strategic Bombing Escalates
RAF strategic bombing moved from the Cologne mass raid to the Ruhr offensive, expanding Bomber Command’s scale, reach…
RAF Radio Counter-Measures Work Begins Before the Blitz
On 16 June 1940, the RAF’s radio counter-measures effort began taking organised form through specialist interception work and…
RAF Forms No. 529 Squadron as First Autogiro Unit in 1943
On 15 June 1943, No. 529 Squadron formed at Halton as the RAF’s first autogiro unit, supporting radar…
First V-1 Flying Bomb Offensive Begins Against London
On 13 June 1944, the first V-1 flying bombs reached London, opening a new phase of the air…
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…