In common with several aircraft of World War Two, the Bristol Beaufighter originated as an expedient development of a type already in service. A stop-gap redesign of the Beaufort torpedo bomber to combat Luftwaffe night raids on England, the mighty Beau had all the advantage of Bristol's previous experience. By fitting powerful Hercules radial engines, very heavy armament and a fuselage large enough for a two-man crew, the company produced one of the outstanding aircraft of the conflict. Instrumental in proving airborne interception radar, the Beaufighter combined twinengined reliability with useful endurance, and was adapted to carry a range of bombs and rocket projectiles. In a perpetuation of its origins, the Beaufighter also became one of the fastest torpedo-strike aircraft of the war. Flying suicidally low to avoid flak and fighters was second nature to the die-hard anti-shipping crews of Coastal Command, whose bravery was legendary.
As the RAF's commitment grew, so Beaufighters were at the forefront of operations across the world, from Scotland to Egypt, Libya to Italy and Greece to New Guinea. In Burma, RAF Beaufighter pilots ceded their own joke nickname, 'Whispering Death', to their Japanese foe, who additionally faced tough Australian crews flying similar aircraft on hundreds of operations, invariably attacking at 'dot' feet. America's dearth of night fighters saw Beaufighters bearing 'stars and bars' when the time came to deploy USAAF units on the southern front. With the War over, Beaufighters soldiered on, helping the RAF quell aggression in Malaya, and assisting the build-up of the Dominican, Israeli, Portuguese and Turkish air forces. Whether hunting night bombers, hauling rockets to devastate shipping or peacefully tramping post-war skies towing targets, the Beaufighter rarely failed. This book is respectfully dedicated to all those who flew that extraordinary aeroplane.
by Jerry Scutts
Published by Crowood 2004 1st edition. 192pp profusely illustrated, index, appendix. 23x29 mint, d/j very slightly worn on edges.
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