Great Britain's Bristol Blenheim bomber

Photos

Bristol Blenheim bomber:	Bristol Blenheim bomber:	Bristol Blenheim bomber:
Bristol Blenheim Mk I bomber: Aeronautics Aircraft Spotters' Handbook	Bristol Blenheim Mk I bomber: Aeronautics Aircraft Spotters' Handbook	Bristol Blenheim Mk I bomber:	Bristol Blenheim Mk I bomber in 1938:
Crashed Bristol Blenheim Mk I bomber in Amman, Jordan on July 10, 1939:
Bristol Blenheim Mk IV bomber: Aeronautics Aircraft Spotters' Handbook	Bristol Blenheim Mk IV bomber: Aeronautics Aircraft Spotters' Handbook	Bristol Blenheim Mk IV bomber:	Bristol Blenheim Mk IV bomber:
Bristol Blenheim Mk IV bomber:	Crashed Bristol Blenheim Mk IV bomber at Luqa, Malta on August 30, 1941:	Bristol Blenheim Mk IV bomber on March 7, 1940, with the Finnish Air Force:
Bristol Blenheim Mk V bomber at the factory in March 1943:
Bristol Blenheim bomber:	Bristol Blenheim bomber:

Design

Lord Rothermere, a newspaper owner, had asked Blenheim to make him the fastest commercial plane in Europe.⁵ The Blenheim was designed from the Bristol Type 142 light transport.^3,4 This was known as the Bristol Britain First.⁶ As the Blenheim was faster than any of the Royal Air Forces' fighters of the time, it was ordered straight from the designs.³

Once the war started some models had a rear firing remotely controlled turret under the nose.¹

A fighter version had a pack under the fuselage with four machine guns.¹

Construction

The Blenheim was constructed of all metal materials.⁵ The wings were positioned midway up the fuselage.⁵

Engine

The engines drove variable pitched metal propellers.⁵

Crew

Some felt that the navigator's compartment was very small in Blenheim Mk Is to Blenheim Mk IIIs.¹ The Blenheim Mk IV improved this space.¹

Armament

The Blenheim Mk I only had a forward firing Browning MG and a turret mounted Vickers MG for self defense.⁴

Prototype

The Blenheim Type 142M prototype first flew on April 12, 1935⁵ / June 25, 1936.^3,4 At the time it was the fastest plane in the world.⁵ Several trials were conducted at Mattlesham Heath with a dummy turret.⁴ Full scale production was allowed to go forward in December 1935.⁴

The Blenheim Mk IV first flew on September 24, 1937.³

The Blenheim Mk V first flew in February 1941.³

Production

An initial order of 150 was placed in September 1935 straight from the drawing board.⁴ In July 1936 another 434 more were ordered.⁴ This was later raised by 134 more.⁴

Bristol (at Filton⁴), Rootes (at Speke⁴), and Avro (at Chadderton⁴) built the Blenheims.^1,4

• Blenheim Mk I: 1,427³, 1,552⁵, 1,568 ordered⁴
  • Manufacturer:
    • Bristol: 694³
    • Avro: 250^3,4
    • Rootes: 422³
    • VLT (Finland): 45^3,4
    • Ikarus (Yugoslavia): 16^3,4
  • Production: 1936 - 1939⁵
• Blenheim Mk IV: 3,296³
  • Manufacturer:
    • Bristol: 313⁴, 316³
    • Avro: 750^3,4
    • Rootes: 2,100⁴, 2,250³
    • VLT (Finland): 10^3,4
    • Fairchild (Canada), "Bolingbroke"⁶: 656⁴, 676³
  • Production: 1939 - ?⁵
• Blenheim Mk V: 942⁴, Rhodes 945³
• Total: 3,297¹, 4,440², ~5,500⁵

Variants

• Blenheim Mk I: In production until late 1938.¹ Entered service in early 1937.³
• Blenheim Mk IF: Was a short nosed model that was in service through 1940 as a night fighter.² Had four 7.7 mm machine guns under the fuselage.² 200 Mk Is were converted.³
• Blenheim Mk IV: First 80 has less powerful engines, and less fuel.¹ Had longer nose and the stepped nose.^2,3,4,5 Deliveries started in January 1938.³ It was to be used by Coastal Command as it met their requirements.⁴ More fuel tanks were installed to increase range.⁵
• Blenheim Mk IVF: Night fighter.³ Had the same ventral gun pack that was in the Mk IF.³ Starting in 1939, 125 were converted.³ Had self sealing fuel tanks.³ Armor was also added.³ Used a AI Mk III radar.³
• Blenheim Mk V also known as Bisley³: Close support.³ Was slower, but outfitted 10 RAF squadrons in North Africa and the Far East.¹ Had the Mercury XXX engine.² There were four guns in the nose.³ Entered service in November 1942.³
• Blenheim Mk VD: Was modified to fly in the tropics.² First used in North Africa at the end of 1942.²

Usage

The countries that used the Blenheim was Britain, Canada, Finland, Greece (10⁴)¹, Hungary, Portugal¹, Romania, Turkey (17⁴), and Yugoslavia.^3,4

RAF squadrons started receiving the Blenheims in March 1939.¹

The Blenheim was the RAF's principal light bomber at the beginning of World War II.²

On September 3, 1939, a reconnaissance flight over flew the German border.¹ The first RAF bombing raid was conducted by Blenheim Mk IVs.¹ The Blenheim Mk IVs outfitted seven RAF squadrons.³

First Unit

In March 1936⁴/March 1937 the No. 114 Squadron was the first unit to receive the Bristol Blenheim Mk I.^2,4

In January 1937 the first unit equipped with Blenheim Mk Is became operational.⁵ By the end of 1937 15 more units received the Blenheim Mk Is.⁵

Munich Crisis

By the time of the Munich Crisis of September 1938 there were 17 squadrons equipped with Blenheims.⁴ Seven squadrons in No 1 Group, six in No 2 Group, and four in No 5 Group.⁴

First Mission on September 3, 1939

The No 139 Squadron sent a Blenheim IV (N6215), flown by Flag Officer McPherson, to photograph German naval units at Wilhelmshaven.^4,5 No flak or Luftwaffe units were encountered.⁴ The next day McPherson was sent out again.⁴ The 107th and 110th Squadrons attacked the German fleet.⁵ McPherson eventually received the Distinguished Flying Cross.⁴

Battle of France

The Blenheims suffered heavy losses during the Battle of France.³

First Night Victory

The first night AI victory was scored by a Mk IF on July 22, 1940 against a Dornier Do 17Z.²

Night Battles

From 1939 there were 24 RAF squadrons that were equipped with the Blenheim Mk IF night fighter.³

Middle East

The Blenheim Mk IVs started being delivered to the Middle East in early 1940, replacing Mk Is.³

Last Operation

The Blenheim Mk IVs last operation was on August 18, 1942.²

Anti Shipping

As an anti shipping bomber the Blenheims sank 70 enemy ships from January to June 1941.²

Far East

There were four squadrons of Blenheims stationed in the Far East and suffered heavily when Japan invaded Malaya.³

Squadron Leader A Scarf of the 62 Squadron was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross during these battles.³

Finland

Ten Blenheim Mk IVs were built under license.¹ The were used until 1956 in forestry and survey work.¹

Canada

Produced more than 600, known as the Bolingbroke.¹ Most were used as trainers for navigation and gunnery.¹ Some were fitted with ski gear for landing.¹ A few were used in reconnaissance over the Atlantic.¹

Specifications