Source : http://www.world-war-2-planes.com/bristol_beaufighter.html

The idea of a fighter development of the Beaufort was suggested to the Air Ministry by Bristol. The suggestion coincided with the delays in the development and production of the Westland Whirlwind cannon-armed twin-engine fighter. By converting an existing design, the "Beaufort Cannon Fighter" could be expected to be developed and produced far more quickly than starting a completely fresh design. Accordingly, the Air Ministry produced Specification F.11/37 written around Bristol's suggestion for an "interim" aircraft pending proper introduction of the Whirlwind. Bristol started building a prototype by taking a part-built Beaufort out of the production line. The prototype first flew on 17 July 1939, a little more than eight months after the design had started, possibly due to the use of much of the Beaufort's design and parts. A production contract for 300 machines had already been placed two weeks before the prototype flew, as F.17/39.

In general, the differences between the Beaufort and Beaufighter were minor. The wings, control surfaces, retractable landing gear and aft section of the fuselage were identical to those of the Beaufort, while the wing centre section was similar apart from certain fittings. The bomb-bay was omitted, and four forward-firing 20 mm Hispano Mk III cannons were mounted in the lower fuselage area. These were initially fed from 60-round drums, requiring the radar operator to change the ammunition drums manually — an arduous and unpopular task, especially at night and while chasing a bomber. As a result, they were soon replaced by a belt-feed system. The cannons were supplemented by six .303 in (7.7 mm) Browning guns in the wings; four in the starboard wing and two to port. The areas for the rear gunner and bomb-aimer were removed, leaving only the pilot in a fighter-type cockpit. The navigator / radar operator sat to the rear under a small perspex bubble where the Beaufort's dorsal turret had been located.

The Bristol Taurus engines of the Beaufort were not powerful enough for a fighter and were replaced by the more powerful Bristol Hercules. The extra power presented problems with vibration; in the final design they were mounted on longer, more flexible struts, which stuck out from the front of the wings. This moved the centre of gravity (CoG) forward, a bad thing for an aircraft design. It was moved back by shortening the nose, as no space was needed for a bomb aimer in a fighter. This put most of the fuselage behind the wing, and moved the CoG back where it should be. With the engine cowlings and propellers now further forward than the tip of the nose, the Beaufighter had a characteristically stubby appearance.

Production of the Beaufort in Australia, and the highly successful use of British-made Beaufighters by the Royal Australian Air Force, led to Beaufighters being built by the Australian Department of Aircraft Production (DAP), from 1944 onwards. The DAP's variant was an attack/torpedo bomber, known as the Mark 21: design changes included Bristol Hercules VII or XVIII engines and some minor changes in armament.

By the time British production lines shut down in September 1945, 5,564 Beaufighters had been built in England, by Bristol and also by Fairey Aviation Company, (498) Ministry of Aircraft Production (3336) and Rootes (260).

When Australian production ceased in 1946, 365 Mk.21s had been built.

Source: en.wikipedia.org

Photo: http://www.world-war-2-planes.com/bristol_beaufighter.html

Coastal Command

Coastal Command received its first Beaufighters in December 1940, when No. 252 Squadron began to use the type on long range convoy protection duties. However, its main role with Coastal Command would be an offensive one. From June 1941 the Beaufighter was used on anti-shipping duties, from a variety of bases around the UK, using its cannon as its main weapon.

The power of the Beaufighter as an anti-shipping weapon was transformed during 1942. In September 1942 work began on equipping the Mk VIC with rockets, while in November 1942 the torpedo armed “Torbeau” entered service, as part of an anti-shipping strike wing based at North Coates, Lincolnshire. This strike wing contained three Beaufighter squadrons, No. 142 with fighters, No. 236 carrying bombs and No. 254 with the torpedoes. The fighters would see off any enemy escort aircraft, the bombers attack any flak ships and the torpedo bombers concentrate on the enemy merchantmen. In March 1943, these wings were further improved when the rocket armed Beaufighters appeared (known as the “Flakbeau” because its role was to attack enemy flak ships ). In all eleven Coastal Command squadrons would operate the Beaufighter in British waters.

Coastal Command began to take delivery of the up-rated Mk.VIC in mid 1942. By the end of 1942 Mk VICs were being equipped with torpedo-carrying gear, enabling them to carry the British 18 in (457 mm) or the US 22.5 in (572 mm) torpedo externally. The first successful torpedo attacks by Beaufighters came in April 1943, with No. 254 Squadron sinking two merchant ships off Norway.

The Hercules Mk XVII, developing 1,735 hp (1,294 kW) at 500 ft (150 m), was installed in the Mk VIC airframe to produce the TF Mk.X (Torpedo Fighter), commonly known as the "Torbeau." The Mk X became the main production mark of the Beaufighter. The strike variant of the "Torbeau" was designated the Mk.XIC. Beaufighter TF Xs would make precision attacks on shipping at wave-top height with torpedoes or "60lb" RP-3 rockets. Early models of the Mk Xs carried metric-wavelength ASV (air-to-surface vessel) radar with "herringbone" antennae carried on the nose and outer wings, but this was replaced in late 1943 by the centimetric AI Mark VIII radar housed in a "thimble-nose" radome, enabling all-weather and night attacks.

The North Coates Strike Wing of Coastal Command, based at RAF North Coates on the Lincolnshire coast, developed tactics which combined large formations of Beaufighters using cannon and rockets to suppress flak while the Torbeaus attacked at low level with torpedoes. These tactics were put into practice in mid 1943, and in a 10-month period, 29,762 tons (27,000 tonnes) of shipping were sunk. Tactics were further adapted when shipping was moved from port during the night. North Coates Strike Wing operated as the largest anti-shipping force of the Second World War, and accounted for over 150,000 tons (136,100 tonnes) of shipping and 117 vessels for a loss of 120 Beaufighters and 241 aircrew killed or missing. This was half the total tonnage sunk by all strike wings between 1942-45.

Source: en.wikipedia.org

The squadron was formed on 20 August 1918 from No's 493, 515 & 516 Flights at Mullion, in Cornwall. Equipped with DH6s, it carried out anti-submarine patrols along the coast until the end of the war, disbanding on 15 May 1919.

Reformed as a fighter squadron at RAF Stradishall on 31 October 1939, the squadron was equipped with Blenheims. It took them to Bircham Newton in February 1940, where the unit was transferred to Coastal Command. In April it moved to Speke, rejoining Fighter Command and the following month moved to RAF Filton to fly defensive patrols over the English Channel; in July a move to Thorney Island saw it back in Coastal Command, where it stayed for the rest of the war.

From August 1940 it operated from bases in the south-west of England, carrying out anti-shipping patrols over the Channel, and Irish Sea, having re-equipped with Beaufighters in October 1941. It was transferred to RAF Wattisham in February 1942 and reduced to a cadre. It received new Beaufighters in March and resumed its previous duties, although these were now flown over the North Sea, with detachments in the south-west who undertook similar duties over the Bay of Biscay. In September 1942 the squadron moved to North Coates and in April 1943 became a part of the strike wing formed there, operating as such until the end of the war. The squadron disbanded on 25 May 1945.^[2]

No 236 Squadron was formed at Mullion in August 1918 from Nos 493, 515 and 516 Flights as a coastal reconnaissance unit with DH6s and for the remaining months of the war flew anti-submarine patrols off south-west England. It disbanded on 15 May 1919.

On 31 October 1939, No 236 Squadron reformed at Stradishall in Fighter Command and received Blenheim fighters in December. It moved to North Coates at the end of February 1940 to join Coastal Command, but reverted to Fighter Command in April on arrival at Speke. During May and June the squadron flew defensive patrols over shipping in the English Channel and on 4 July rejoined Coastal Command for fighter and reconnaissance duties. A detachment was based in Northern Ireland from 18 September, which became No.272 Squadron on 19 November, but the bulk of the squadron's operations were flown from Cornwall and Pembrokeshire until 9 February 1942, when it moved to East Anglia and became a cadre unit, its Beaufighters having been withdrawn from service with other squadrons. It became operational again on 15 March with Beaufighters, which it used for escort and shipping reconnaissance missions. In July 1942 it began taking part in attacks on enemy shipping off the Dutch coast, while detachments flew patrols over the Bay of Biscay to protect Coastal's anti-submarine aircraft from enemy fighters. In April 1943, a strike wing was formed at North Coates. No.236 joined it and remained an anti-shipping unit until the end of the war disbanding on 25 May 1945.

One noticable action that should not be left unmentioned is that of a Beaufighter Mk VIC, of 236 Squadron, flown by Fl.Lt. Ken Gatward. When flying low over the Champs Elysées on a clear day he threw out he French tricolore after which Gatward attacked the local Gestapo headquarter with all his canons.