Placing the Fairey Battle.

[tcolvin]

Originally Posted by Juha

Tony
BC used its medium bombers, Hampdens, Wellingtons and Whitleys against road targets in May and June 1940 to support badly pressed BEF. I’m sure if it had had heavies then, it would have used them also against tactical targets. When nation’s army is in desperate situation other branches had to help, even if they don’t like the idea. In 1944 situation wasn’t even desperate but still BC and 8th AF heavy bombers were used even to give battlefield support, for ex. at the beginning of Goodwood and Cobra. So I cannot see rationale of your claim.

Juha

In 1944 BC and 8 USAAF were placed under Ike after a monumental pissing contest when Butcher Harris swore they could not bomb accurately and thousands of Frenchmen would be killed.

The heavy Hampdens, Wellingtons and Whitleys were not much help to the BEF.

But what about the Fleet Air Arm Skua divebombers? Peter C Smith makes the claim that as well as sinking the cruiser Koenigsberg (which I know about and was something BC failed to do), the Skuas dive-bombed and broke up a major German army assault on the Dunkirk perimeter and perhaps saved the BEF. If true - and does anyone have the facts - this was far more than the heavies or the medium Battles and Blenheims ever did.