Challenge!
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Blenheim attacking a German patrol ship.
Caption reads
"Challenge! A German patrol-ship, in Heligoland Bight, fires a four-star recognition signal to challenge a Blenheim about to attack. Note the shadows of pilot and aircraft"
from Bomber Command book, 1941.
I wonder what happened next.
Attacking with an outdated, underpowered aircraft with poor weapons and tactics of the time it probably wouldn’t have fared very well, it was a couple of years before Bomber Command took delivery of much improved aircraft and weaponry that these type of raids would increase and improve.
hard to tell from the book – doesn’t say much other than what brave lads they were and how great the technology was. Advances did race ahead due to pressure tho, amazing to think the war began with bi-planes and ended with jet fighters.
Interesting stuff , whilst the Blenhiem was a rather outmoded aircraft by the wars start , its best niche was attacking shipping ,followed closely by ground attacks , it had some success in this role . I imagine the captain of the ship was more bothered than the pilot of the Blenhiem .
incredible what they went through.
a great (NZ) book on bomber command is Night after Night by Max Lambert, about NZers in bomber command (1850 crew members of the 55000+ that died were Kiwis).