| GladiatorSea Gladiator |
|
|
| Gloster Gladiator in pre-war RAF markings |
| Role |
Fighter |
| Manufacturer |
Gloster Aircraft Company, Ltd. |
| Designer |
Henry Phillip Folland |
| First flight |
12 September 1934 |
| Introduction |
1937 |
| Retired |
1953 (Portugal) |
| Primary users |
Royal Air Force
Fleet Air Arm
Chinese Nationalist Air Force
Finnish Air Force
Norwegian Army Air Service |
| Number built |
747 |
| Developed from |
Gloster Gauntlet |
The
Gloster Gladiator (or
Gloster SS.37) was a British-built biplane fighter. It was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) (as the
Sea Gladiator
variant) and was exported to a number of other air forces during the
late 1930s. It was the RAF's last biplane fighter aircraft and was
rendered obsolete by newer monoplane designs even as it was being introduced. Though often pitted against more formidable foes during the early days of the Second World War, it acquitted itself reasonably well in combat.
The Gladiator saw action in almost all theatres during the Second
World War, with a large number of air forces, some of them on the Axis
side. The RAF used it in France, Norway, Greece, the defence of Malta, and the brief Anglo-Iraqi War (in which the Royal Iraqi Air Force
was similarly equipped). Other countries deploying the Gladiator
included China against Japan, beginning in 1938; Finland (along with Swedish volunteers) against the Soviet Union in the Winter War and the Continuation War; and Norway, Belgium, and Greece resisting Axis invasion of their respective lands.
The South African pilot Marmaduke "Pat" Pattle was the top Gladiator ace with 15 victories over Italian aircraft.
Contents
- 1 Design and development
- 2 Operational history
- 2.1 China
- 2.2 The Finnish Winter War and Continuation War
- 2.3 The Phoney War
- 2.4 The Norwegian Campaign
- 2.4.1 Jagevingen
- 2.4.2 263 Squadron
- 2.5 Belgium
- 2.6 Battle of Britain
- 2.7 Mediterranean and Middle East theatres
- 2.7.1 Malta
- 2.7.2 North Africa
- 2.7.3 Eastern Africa
- 2.7.4 Greece
- 2.7.5 Anglo-Iraqi War
- 2.7.6 Syria
- 2.8 Operations elsewhere
- 2.9 Epilogue
- 3 Survivors
- 4 Quotations
- 5 Variants
- 6 Operators
- 7 Specifications (Gloster Gladiator Mk I)
- 8 See also
- 9 References
- 10 External links
Design and development
The Gladiator was developed from the
Gloster Gauntlet as a private venture by H.P. Folland's team at
Gloster to meet
Specification F.7/30.
F.7/30 demanded a top speed of at least 250 mph (400 km/h) and an
armament of four machine-guns, while encouraging the use of the new
Rolls-Royce Goshawk evaporatively cooled
engine, which was used by most of the competitors for the
specification. This engine proved, however to be unreliable, and Folland
realised that the Gauntlet could be quickly revised to meet the
specification. To reduce drag, the new fighter, the SS.37, had
single-bay wings instead of the two-bay wings of the Gauntlet, and was fitted with a
cantilever main undercarriage incorporating internally sprung wheels.
[1][2]
The SS.37 first flew on 12 September 1934, powered by a 530 hp (395 kW)
Bristol Mercury
VIS engine, but was soon fitted with a more powerful engine, reaching
242 mph (390 km/h) while carrying the required four machine guns (two
synchronised
Vickers guns in the fuselage and two
Lewis guns
under the lower wing). On 3 April 1935, the Royal Air Force commenced
operational evaluations, while Gloster planned a further improved
version with a 830 hp (619 kW) Mercury IX and a fully enclosed cockpit.
[3]
Three months later, a first order was placed for 23 aircraft to
Specification F.14/35, with the aircraft named "Gloster Gladiator",
[4] followed by an order of 180 in September.
[5]
The first version, the Mk I, was delivered from July 1936, becoming
operational in January 1937. The Mk II soon followed, the main
differences being a slightly more powerful Mercury engine driving a
Fairey fixed-pitch, three-bladed metal propeller instead of the two-bladed wooden one. A modified Mk II, the
Sea Gladiator, was developed for the Royal Navy's
Fleet Air Arm (FAA), with an arrestor hook to be engaged when landing on an
aircraft carrier, catapult points, a strengthened frame and an under-belly fairing for a dinghy lifeboat.
[6][7]
Of the 98 aircraft built as, or converted to, Sea Gladiators, 54 were
still in service by the outbreak of the Second World War in September
1939.
[6]
The Gladiator was to be the last British biplane fighter and the
first fighter with an enclosed cockpit. The Gladiator had a top speed of
around 257 mph (414 km/h) yet, even as it was introduced, the design
was being eclipsed by new-generation
monoplane fighters, such as the RAF's new
Hurricane and
Spitfire, and the
Luftwaffe's
Messerschmitt Bf 109.
A total of 747 aircraft were built (483 RAF, 98 RN; 216 exported to
13 countries, some of them from the total allotted to the RAF
[8][9]). Gladiators were sold to
Belgium,
China,
Egypt,
Finland,
Free France,
Greece,
Iraq,
Ireland,
Latvia,
Lithuania,
Norway,
Portugal,
South Africa and
Sweden.
The first prototype Gladiator, with Gauntlet fuselage, G-7, later K5200. April 1935
Operational history
NoAAS Gloster Gladiator 423 in 1938–1940
The first units to equip with Gladiators were Squadron No. 72 at
Tangmere in February 1937 and, subsequently, No. 3 Squadron at
Kenley,
in March-April. The Gladiator‘s introduction into RAF service was
difficult. Although it was well liked by pilots, the accidents during
operational training were so numerous that a small replacement batch of
28 Mk IIs was hurriedly produced. Most accidents were caused by pilots
being caught out by the fighter’s increased wing loading. Moreover, many
aviators had still little experience in landing aircraft with such a
wide flap area. The new Gloster biplane stalled more abruptly with the
tendency to drop a wing. The Gladiator proved even easier to enter a
flat spin, and great skill was needed to recover it.
[10]
The Gladiator was largely replaced in front line RAF service by the
Hurricane and Spitfire at the outbreak of the Second World War, though
two squadrons were used in the
French and
Norwegian
campaigns. It would, however, see service in more peripheral campaigns
during the early years of the Second World War. The classic biplane
fighter was also one of Britain's biggest pre-war export successes,
seeing service in many countries. The Gloster Gladiator performed
reasonably well in limited Finnish service against Soviet fighters
during the
Winter War,
but was found to be outclassed by German fighters in other theatres.
Carrier-based Sea Gladiators were more successful, since their slower
speed made them more suitable for carrier operations and they were less
likely to be facing more modern fighter opposition. In the African
theatres against Italian opposition, which included some biplanes, the
Gladiator fared well.
China
Arthur Chin(陳瑞鈿) is the Chinese Ace during WWII.
In October 1937, the Chinese Central Government ordered 36 Gladiator Is, which were delivered in two crated batches to
Guangzhou via
Hong Kong. The Chinese Gladiators were used the American
M1919 Browning machine gun to fire the American
.30-06 Springfield which was the main ammunition of the
Chinese Nationalist Air Force
at that time. By February 1938 these aircraft had been assembled into
two squadrons, and the Chinese pilots familiarised themselves with them.
[11] The Gloster Gladiator had its combat début on 24 February 1938.
[12] That day, in the
Nanking area, Chinese-American Capt John Wong Sun-Shui (nicknamed 'Buffalo') shot down an
A5M Claude
navy fighter, Gladiator's first victim. Wong is believed to have shot
down a second A5M, for the wrecks of two Japanese fighters were found.
[12] During that clash, Chinese Gladiators lost two of their number.
[13] Chinese Gladiators scored several more victories over Japanese aircraft between 1938 and 1940 during the
Second Sino-Japanese War.
In China Gladiators were used extensively before the start of 1940 by
the 28th, 29th and 32nd Squadrons of the 3rd Group. The Chinese aviators
considered the Gladiator an excellent fighter in its class. But pilots
flying the Gloster fighter were soon finding it increasingly difficult
to hold their own against the modern A5M, and because of a lack of
spares due to arms embargo, the surviving Gladiators were mostly
relegated to the training role.
[14] Then, when newer Japanese aircraft such as the
Mitsubishi A6M entered the theatre, the Gladiators' days were numbered. American-born Chinese pilot
John "Buffalo" Wong, the first Gladiator
flying ace and first American fighter ace of the
Second World War, was eventually shot down in a combat with A6M Zeros on 14 March 1941 and died two days later from the injuries.
[15] He and
Arthur Chin were among a group of 15
Chinese Americans who formed the original group of American volunteer combat aviators resisting Japanese aggression in China.
[16]
The Finnish Winter War and Continuation War
During the
Winter War, the
Finnish Air Force
(FAF) obtained 30 Mk II fighters from the UK. Ten of the aircraft were
donated while the other 20 were bought by the FAF; all were delivered
between 18 January and 16 February 1940.
[17] The Finnish Gladiators served until 1945, but they were outclassed by the more modern Soviet fighters during the
Continuation War.
The aircraft was mostly used for reconnaissance from 1941 onwards. The
Finnish Air Force obtained 45 aerial victories by 22 pilots with the
aircraft type during the Winter War and one victory during the
Continuation War. Twelve Gladiators were lost in combat during the
Winter War and three during the Continuation War.
[17] Two pilots became aces with this aircraft:
Oiva Tuominen (6.5 victories with Gladiators) and
Paavo Berg (five victories).
Besides the FAF Gladiators, the
Swedish Voluntary Air Force,
responsible for the air defence of northernmost Finland during the
later part of the Winter War, was also equipped with Gladiator fighters,
designated as J8s (Mk Is) and J8As (Mk IIs) by the Swedes. The Flying
Regiment F 19 arrived in
Finnish Lapland
on 10 January 1940, and remained there until the end of the
hostilities. It fielded 12 Gladiator Mk II fighters, two of which were
lost during the fighting,
[18] and five
Hawker Hart dive bombers, plus a
Raab-Katzenstein RK-26 liaison aircraft and a
Junkers F.13 transport aircraft. The aircraft belonged to and were crewed by the
Swedish Air Force,
but flew with Finnish nationality markings. The Swedish Gladiators
scored eight aerial victories and destroyed a further four aircraft on
the ground. One concern was expressed when F 19's executive officer
Captain
Björn Bjuggren
wrote in his memoirs that the tracer rounds of the Gladiator's machine
guns would not ignite the gasoline when penetrating the fuel tanks of
Soviet bombers.
The Phoney War
At the beginning of World War II during what was known as the "
Phoney War",
Gladiators flew patrol flights that led to occasional clashes with
Luftwaffe reconnaissance aircraft. On 17 October 1940, the British
Gladiators scored their first success when No 607 Squadron "B" Flight
shot down a
Dornier Do 18 flying boat ('8L+DK' of 2.KuFlGr 606), on the North Sea.
[19] On 10 April 1941, 804 NAS took off from
Hatston, in
Orkney,
to counteract the attack of a wave of German aircraft. Lt Cdr J C
Cockburn was credited with one destroyed and his unit's Blue Section
with a "damaged".
[20]
The Norwegian Campaign
The sole Norwegian air-to-air Gloster Gladiator loss – Sergeant Pilot
Schye's Gladiator 427 on 9 April 1940
The
Norwegian Campaign saw both Norwegian and British Gladiators battling the
Luftwaffe, with the Norwegian
Jagevingen fighting in the defence of
Oslo on the first day of
the German invasion. Later British Gladiators fought to provide
fighter cover for the
allied reinforcements sent to the assistance of the Norwegian government.
Jagevingen
The Gladiator pilots of the Norwegian
Jagevingen (fighter flight)
[21] were based at
Fornebu Airport. On 9 April, the first day of the invasion of Norway, the seven serviceable aircraft
[22][23] managed to shoot down five German aircraft: two
Messerschmitt Bf 110 fighters, two
He 111 bombers and one
Fallschirmjäger-laden
Ju 52 transport. One Gladiator was shot down during the air battle by the future
Experte Helmut Lent, while two were
strafed
and destroyed while refuelling and rearming at Fornebu airport. The
remaining four operational fighters were ordered to land wherever they
could away from the base. The Gladiators landed on frozen lakes around
Oslo and were abandoned by their pilots, then wrecked by
souvenir-hunting civilians.
[24]
The fuselage .303 inch machine guns
The .303 inch machine guns under each lower wing
Gloster Gladiator N5628. Damaged by German air attack while based on the frozen lake
Lesjaskogsvatnet on 28 April 1940 and abandoned the same day. It eventually sank in May and was recovered in 1968 by a diving team from
RAF Cranwell.
263 Squadron
Gladiators were also used by
263 Squadron during the remaining two months of the Norwegian Campaign. The squadron arrived on the
carrier HMS Glorious on 24 April, and first operated from an improvised landing strip built by Norwegian volunteers on the frozen lake
Lesjaskogsvatnet in
Oppland
in central southern Norway. After less than a week, all the squadron's
aircraft were unserviceable and the squadron was evacuated back to the
UK.
Having re-equipped in Britain, 263 Squadron resumed its Gladiator operations in Norway when the squadron returned to the
north of Norway on 21 May, flying from
Bardufoss airfield near
Narvik. At the
Narvik front, 263 Squadron was reinforced by
Hurricanes of
46 Squadron, which flew into an airstrip at
Skånland
a few days later. Due to unsuitable ground at Skånland, 46 Squadron
also moved to Bardufoss and was operating from this base by 27 May. The
squadrons had been ordered to defend the fleet anchorage at Skånland and
the military base at
Harstad on the island of
Hinnøya,
as well as the Narvik area after it was recaptured. The action was
short but intense before the squadrons, due to the British government's
response to the
invasion of France, were instructed on 2 June to
prepare for evacuation.
By then, 263 Squadron had flown 249 sorties and claimed 26 enemy
aircraft destroyed. 263 Squadron's 10 surviving Gladiators landed on HMS
Glorious on 7 June.
Glorious sailed for home but was intercepted by the German
battleships Gneisenau and
Scharnhorst. Despite the valiant defence put up by her two escorting destroyers,
HMS Acasta and
HMS Ardent,
she was sunk along with the aircraft from four squadrons. 263 Squadron
lost its CO, S/Ldr John W. Donaldson, and F/Lt Alvin T. Williams along
with eight other pilots.
[25][26][27]
No
Norwegian Army Air Service aircraft were able to evacuate westwards before the 10 June
surrender of the
mainland Norwegian forces. Only the aircraft of the
Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service (one
M.F.11 and four
He 115s) had the range to fly all the way from their last bases in northern Norway to the UK. Two Army Air Service
Fokker C.V.Ds and one Tiger Moth also managed to escape eastwards to
Finland before the surrender. Further three naval M.F.11s and one He 115 flew to Finland, landing on Lake Salmijärvi in
Petsamo.
[17] All the former Norwegian aircraft were later flown by the Finns against the Soviet Union.
Belgium
Belgian Gladiators suffered heavy losses
to the Germans in 1940, with all 15 operational aircraft lost,
[28][29] while only managing to damage two German aircraft.
[30] During the preceding
Phoney War,
on 24 April 1940 Belgian Gladiators on neutrality patrol shot down a
German Heinkel He 111 bomber which subsequently crashed in the
Netherlands. The bomber, V4+DA of
Kampfgeschwader 1, had been damaged by French fighters at
Maubeuge, France, and chased across the Belgian border.
[31]
Battle of Britain
The Gloster Gladiator was in operational service with
247 Squadron, stationed at
RAF Roborough,
Devon during the
Battle of Britain.
Although no combat sorties took place at the height of the aerial
battles, 247 Squadron Gladiators intercepted a Heinkel He 111 in late
October 1940, without result.
239 Squadron, using Gladiators in an army cooperation role, and
804 Squadron Naval Air Squadron, outfitted with Sea Gladiators, were also operational during the Battle of Britain.
[32]
Mediterranean and Middle East theatres
In the
Mediterranean Theatre during 1940–41, Gladiators saw combat with four Allied air forces: the RAF,
Royal Australian Air Force,
South African Air Force and
Ellinikí Vasilikí Aeroporía (Royal Greek Air Force) squadrons. These achieved some success against the
Italian Regia Aeronautica, which was mainly equipped with
Fiat CR.32 and
Fiat CR.42 biplanes, and against
Luftwaffe bombers. The South African ace
Marmaduke "Pat" Pattle (who served with the RAF), claimed 15 kills in Gladiators during the
North African and
Greek Campaigns, making him the highest-scoring RAF biplane ace of the Second World War.
The 1941
Anglo-Iraqi War was unique in the context of Gloster Gladiators in that the opposing air forces, being the RAF and
Royal Iraqi Air Force, both used the Gladiator as their main fighter.
[33] Gladiators also saw action against the
Vichy French in
Syria.
[34]
Malta
Faith (serial number N5520), a Gloster Sea Gladiator Mk I, on the ground at an airfield in
Malta,
in about September 1940. The aircraft has been refitted with a Bristol
Mercury engine and three-bladed Hamilton propeller salvaged from a
Bristol Blenheim.
One of the best-known campaigns fought by Gladiators was the
siege of Malta in 1940. The fighter force defending
Malta was, for a period of 10 days, a small force of British-operated Gladiators, the
Hal Far Fighter Flight, giving rise to a myth that three aircraft, named
Faith,
Hope and
Charity, formed the entire
fighter cover of the island. The aircraft names came into being only after the battle was over.
[35][36][37][38] In fact, more than three aircraft were operational, though not always at the same time; others were used for spare parts.
[39] No 1435 Flight, which later assumed control of Malta's air defence, took on the names
Faith,
Hope and
Charity for its aircraft upon its reformation as the air defence unit in the Falkland Islands in 1988.
A stock of 18 Sea Gladiators from
802 Naval Air Squadron had been delivered by
HMS Glorious,
in early 1940. Three were later shipped out to take part in the
Norwegian Campaign, and another three were sent to Egypt. By April,
Malta was in need of fighter protection and it was decided to form a
flight of Gladiators at
RAF Hal Far, to be composed of RAF and FAA personnel. Several Sea Gladiators were assembled and test-flown
[40] and they became badly needed, since the war started soon thereafter.
The Italian air force units deployed against Malta should have easily
defeated the weak defence offered by Gladiators, but the Gladiator's
agility and tactics won several engagements, often started with a dive
on the
Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero bombers before the
Fiat CR.42 and
Macchi MC.200
escort fighters could react. On 11 June 1940, a Gladiator damaged a
Macchi and on 23 June, another successful battle was fought against
S.79s and three Macchis. One of the two Gladiators, flown by
George Burges, managed to shoot down a MC.200.
[41] Another successful pilot over Malta was "Timber"
Woods who managed to shoot down two S.79s and two CR.42s, also claiming a Macchi hit on 11 June and another S.79 (only damaged).
[42] Gladiators held the defence against
Regia Aeronautica raids and forced Italian fighters to escort bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Although the
Regia Aeronautica
had started with a numerical advantage and air superiority, during the
summer of 1940, the situation was reversed with Hurricanes being
delivered as fast as possible, and gradually taking over the island's
air defence. Even if Gladiators had not scored many air victories, they
were a very important asset for the island's defence.
[43]
By June, two of the Gladiators had crashed and two more were assembled.
[44] Charity was shot down on 31 July 1940.
[45][46]
Its pilot, Flying Officer Peter Hartley, scrambled at 09.45 with fellow
pilots F. F. Taylor and Flight Lieutenant William Joseph "Timber"
Woods, to intercept an SM.79, escorted by nine CR.42s from 23° Gruppo.
During a dogfight a CR.42 flown by Serg. Manlio Tarantino shot down
Hartley’s Gladiator (N5519), badly burning him.
[47] Woods shot down Antonio Chiodi, commander of the 75a
Squadriglia five miles east of Grand Harbour (he was subsequently awarded a posthumous
Medaglia d’Oro al Valor Militare, Italy’s highest military award). In May 2009, the remains of
Charity and others were the subject of an underwater search by NATO minesweepers.
[48]Hope (N5531) was destroyed on the ground by enemy bombing in May 1941.
[48] The fate of at least five more Gladiators that saw action over Malta is not as well documented.
North Africa
In North Africa, Gladiators had to face Italian Fiat CR.42
Falcos, the performance of which was slightly superior to that of the Gladiator at higher altitudes.
[49]
The first aerial combat between the biplanes took place on 14 June over Amseat.
Tenente Franco Lucchini, of 90
a Squadriglia, 10°
Gruppo, 4°
Stormo, flying a CR.42 from
Tobruk, shot down a Gladiator; it was the first claim made against RAF in the desert war.
[50] On the afternoon of 24 July, CR.42s and Gladiators clashed over
Bardia. A formation of 11 CR.42s from 10°
Gruppo, backed by six more from the 13°
Gruppo
attacked a British formation of nine Blenheims that was attacking
Bardia, and was in turn reportedly attacked by 15 Gladiators. The five
Gladiators of 33 Squadron claimed four CR.42s destroyed.
[51]
On 4 August 1940, Fiat biplanes from 160
a Squadriglia of
Capitano Duilio Fanali intercepted four Gladiators commanded by
Marmaduke "Pat" Pattle (eventually to become one of the top-scoring Allied aces with approximately 50 claims) that were attacking
Breda Ba.65s
while they were strafing British armoured vehicles. On this occasion,
the Fiats managed to surprise the Gladiators, shooting down three of
them.
[52] Wykeham Barnes (who survived losing his Gladiator in the battle) claimed a Breda 65, while Pattle claimed a Ba 65 and a CR.42.
[53]
On 8 August 1940, during another
dogfight, 14 Gladiators of 80 Squadron took 16 Fiat CR.42s from 9° and 10°
Gruppi of 4°
Stormo (a
Regia Aeronautica
elite unit) by surprise over Gabr Saleh, well inside Italian territory.
British pilots claimed 13 to 16 confirmed victories and 1 to 7
probables, while losing two Gladiators.
[54]
That battle highlighted the strong points of the Gladiator over the
CR.42, especially the radio equipment, which had permitted a coordinated
attack, being also crucial for obtaining the initial surprise, and the
Gladiator's superior low-altitude overall performance, including speed
and a markedly superior horizontal manoeuvrability over its Italian
opponent. The British celebrated the victory, while the Italians had to
admit a hard defeat.
[55]
Overall, the few Gladiators and CR.42s clashed with a substantial
parity, despite many Italians having gained combat experience over
Spain. Firepower, agility and speed were not far different in any sense,
even the engine was comparable; although the Italians had the initial
advantage to have fought over Spain while RAF pilots did not, but this
was not too important either, as RAF/RAAF pilots had often better
fighting tactics. From 1941, monoplanes like the Hurricane and the
MC.200 increasingly replaced biplanes in air combat, relegating them to
secondary roles or ground attack.
Eastern Africa
In Eastern Africa the Gladiators faced the Italian biplane fighters:
Fiat CR.32s and CR.42s. The latter, more modern than the Gladiator, was a
formidable opponent. On 6 November 1940, in the first hour of the
British offensive against Ethiopia, the Fiat CR.42 fighters of the 412a
Squadriglia led by Capt. Antonio Raffi shot down five Gloster Gladiators
without losses, at the expenses of 1 SAAF Sqn; among the Italian pilots
there was the ace
Mario Visintini, but the real difference was made by tactical situation, as the Gladiators came few at once, and were heavily outnumbered.
[56] On 6 June 1941, the
Regia Aeronautica
had only two serviceable aircraft: a CR.32 and a CR.42, therefore the
air superiority was finally archivied by Gladiators and the Hurricanes.
The Gladiator's last air combat with an Italian fighter was on 24
October 1941, with the CR.42 of Tenente Malavolti (or, according to
historian Håkan Gustavsson,
sottotenente Malavolta). The Italian pilot took off to strafe British airfields at
Dabat and
Adi Arcai.
According to the Italian historian Nico Sgarlato, the CR.42 was
intercepted by three Gladiators and managed to shoot down two of them,
but was then itself shot down and the pilot killed.
[57] Other authors state that Malavolti managed only to fire on the two Gladiators before being shot down.
[58]
According to Gustavsson, South African Air Force pilot (no. 47484V)
Lieutenant Lancelot Charles Henry "Paddy" Hope, at Dabat airfield,
scrambled to intercept the CR.42 (MM7117). Diving on it, he opened fire
at 300 yards. Although the Italian pilot took violent evasive action,
Hope continued to follow, closing to only 20 yards and firing as the
Fiat tried to dive away. There was a brief flicker of flame and the last
Italian aircraft to be shot down over East Africa spun into the ground
and burst into flames near Ambazzo. Next day, the wreckage was found,
the dead pilot still in the cockpit. Hope dropped a message on the
Italian positions at Ambazzo: "Tribute to the pilot of the Fiat. He was a
brave man. South African Air Force." But operational record books of
the Commonwealth units in the area state that they didn’t suffer any
losses on this date. The dedication of the posthumous
Medaglia d’oro al valor militare
states that Malavolti shot down a Gladiator and forced another one to
crash land, but was himself shot down by the third Gladiator.
[59]
This was the last air-to-air victory in the East African campaign.
[60]
Greece
Tension had been building between Greece and Italy since 7 April 1939, when Italian troops
occupied Albania.
On 28 October 1940, Italy issued an ultimatum to Greece, which was
rejected, and after few hours Italian troops invaded Greece, initiating
the
Greco-Italian War.
Britain sent help in the form of
80 Squadron, elements of which arrived at
Trikkala
by 19 November. That same day, the Gladiator debut came in the form of a
surprise, intercepting a section of five Italian CR.42s on
Coritza,
only one of which returned to base. On 27 November, seven Gladiators
attacked three Falcos, shooting down the lead aircraft, piloted by Com.
Masfaldi, commanding the 364a Squadriglia. On 28 November, the commander
of 365a
Squadriglia, Com. Graffer, was shot down during a combat where seven aircraft were downed, four of them British.
[61] On 3 December, the Gladiators were reinforced with elements from
112 Squadron. The following day, a clash between 20 Gladiators and ten CR.42s resulted in a loss of five, two of them Italians.
[61]
After a break of two weeks, 80 Sqn returned to operations on 19
December 1940. On 21 December 20 Gladiators intercepted 15 CR.42 Falcos,
shooting down two with two losses.
[62] Over the next few days, several groups of Italian
Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 and
Savoia-Marchetti SM.81 bombers were also intercepted and victories claimed.
The complete 112 Sqn moved to
Eleusis
by the end of January 1941, and by the end of the following month, had
received 80 Sqn’s Gladiators, after the latter unit had converted to
Hawker Hurricanes. On 5 April, German forces
invaded Greece and quickly established air superiority. As the Allied troops retreated, Gladiators covered them, before flying to
Crete during the last week of April. There No 112 Sqn recorded a few claims over twin-engined aircraft before being evacuated to
Egypt during the
Battle of Crete.
[63]
Anglo-Iraqi War
Arab Legionnaires guard Gloster Gladiators of No. 94 Squadron RAF at the landing ground at H4 pumping station in Transjordan
The Royal Iraqi Air Force (RoIAF) had been trained and equipped by the British prior to independence in 1932.
[64]
One result of this was the dominance of British-built aircraft in the
RoIAF inventory. In 1941, the sole RoIAF single-purpose fighter
squadron, No. 4 Squadron consisted of seven operational Gloster
Gladiators at
Rashid Air Base.
[65]
After a pre-emptive RAF attack from
RAF Habbaniya
against blockading Iraqi forces, Iraqi Gladiators took part in attacks
on the British air base, strafing it ineffectively on 2 May.
[66]
Although much of the RoIAF was destroyed in the air or on the ground in
the following days, the Iraqi Gladiators kept flying until the end of
the war, carrying out strafing attacks on A Company of 1 Battalion The
Essex Regiment on the outskirts of
Baghdad on 30 May.
[67]
Before the outbreak of hostilities in Iraq, the 4th Service Training
School at RAF Habbaniya operated three old Gladiators as officers'
runabouts. With the increased tension, the base was reinforced with
another six Gladiators on 19 April, flying in from Egypt.
[68]
During the early part of the war the nine Gladiators flew numerous
sorties against air and ground targets, taking off from the base'
polo field.
[69] The Gladiator force in Iraq was further reinforced when, on 11 May, another five aircraft arrived, this time from
94 Squadron in
Ismaïlia on the
Suez Canal.
[70]
A last resupply of Gladiators came on 17 May in the form of four more 94 Squadron machines.
[71]
During the fighting, the sole Gladiator-on-Gladiator kill occurred on
5 May, when Plt. Off. Watson of the Fighter Flight shot down an Iraqi
Gladiator over
Baqubah during a bomber escort mission. The Iraqi Gladiators' only claim during the war was a
Vickers Wellington bomber shared with ground fire on 4 May.
[72]
Immediately after launching his coup against King
Faisal II in early April 1941, Prime Minister
Rashid Ali al-Gaylani
approached Germany and Italy for help in repelling any British
counter-measures. In response, the Germans assembled a Luftwaffe task
force under Iraqi colours called
Fliegerführer Irak ("Flyer Command Iraq") which from 14 May operated out of Mosul.
[73]
Before this force collapsed due to lack of supplies, replacements,
quality fuel and aggressive RAF attacks, two Gladiators fought a pair of
Me 110s over Rashid Airfield at Baghdad on 17 May. Both German machines
were swiftly shot down.
[71] "Regia Aeronautica" sent 12 Fiat CR.42s that arrived in Iraq on 23 May. Six days later, the Fiat CR.42s intercepted RAF
Hawker Audax
and clashed with escorting Gladiators in what was to prove the final
air-to-air air combat of the brief campaign. Italian pilots claimed two
No.94 Sqn Gladiators but one Fiat was shot down by a Gladiator flown by
Wg Cdr Wightman, close to Khan Nuqta.
[74] The Iraqis continued to use Gladiators until 1949 for ground attack missions against the
Kurds.
[citation needed]
Syria
After the end of the Iraq fighting the British decided to invade
Vichy French-controlled Syria to prevent the area from falling under
direct German control. The French in Syria had supported the Iraqi
rebellion materially and allowed
Luftwaffe aircraft to use their airfields for operations over Iraq. The month-long
Syria-Lebanon Campaign
in June–July 1941 saw heavy fighting both in the air and on land, until
the Vichy French authorities in Syria surrendered on 12 July 1941. In
one encounter between the Royal Air Force and the
Vichy French Air Force on 15 June 1941, six Gloster Gladiators were jumped by an equal number of
Dewoitine D.520
monoplane fighter aircraft. In a confused battle, both sides lost one
aircraft shot down and one severely damaged. French fighter ace
Pierre Le Gloan shot down the Gladiator for his 15th confirmed kill. Le Gloan himself had to crash land his damaged D.520 at his own air base.
[75]
As late as mid-1941, the RAF Chief-of-Air Staff offered 21 Gloster
Gladiators gathered from various meteorological and communications
flights in the Middle East, as well as five from a Free French unit, to
AOC Singapore
in order to strengthen the colony's defences against the emerging
Japanese threat. The offer was turned down and later reinforcements
consisted of Hawker Hurricanes.
[76]
Operations elsewhere
The
Irish Air Corps was supplied with four Gladiators on 9 March 1939. On 29 December 1940, two Irish Gladiators were scrambled from
Baldonnel to intercept a German
Ju 88 flying over Dublin on a photographic reconnaissance mission, but were unable to make contact.
[77] Although unable to intercept any intruding aircraft, the Irish Gladiators shot down several British
barrage balloons that had broken from their moorings.
[78]
For a short time in 1940, an order was given to Irish fighter pilots to
use their aircraft to block the runways of airfields. They were then to
use rifles and shoot at any invaders.
[79] Irish Gladiators also overflew the site of the sinking of the liner
SS Athenia
in 1939 and offered the help of the Irish military. The flight was
fired upon by Royal Navy ships in attendance, consequently, the Irish
Gladiators withdrew.
[citation needed]
The Luftwaffe used captured Latvian Gladiators as glider tugs with
Ergänzungsgruppe (S) 1 from Langendiebach near Hanau during 1942–3.
[80]
After becoming obsolete, RAF Gladiators carried out non-combat tasks such as meteorological work.
[81]
Epilogue
The
Finnish Air Force
was the last to use the Gloster biplane in combat. So it was under
Finnish insignia that the Gladiator achieved its last air victory.
During the
Continuation War, against the Soviets, Glosters supported the advance of the Karelian Army around
Lake Ladoga. On 15 February 1943, 1st Lt Håkan Strömberg of
LLv 16, during a reconnaissance mission along the
Murmansk railway, between the White Sea and the
Lake Onega, spotted, on Karkijarvi, a Soviet
Polikarpov R-5 taking off. Stromberg dived on it and shot it down in the forest near its airfield with two bursts.
[82]
Survivors
Gladiators have been preserved at the
Shuttleworth Collection, Fighter Collection at Duxford,
Gloucestershire Aviation Collection (in
Bedfordshire, UK), the
National War Museum,
Malta[83] and the
RAF Museum (in
Hendon and
Cosford, UK). One Swedish Gladiator Mk I is preserved in
Winter War markings at the
Swedish Air Force Museum in Malmen, just outside of
Linköping,
Sweden.
Norway
The
Norwegian Aviation Museum
has in its collection Gladiator II, serial N5641, operated by No. 263
squadron and abandoned at Lake Lesjaskog during the squadron's retreat.
[84]
The aircraft had been purchased by a local farmer who preserved it into
the 1960s when it was brought to the museum for restoration.
[85]
Malta
The fuselage of the only surviving Gladiator from the Hal Far Fighter Flight (N5520), later called
Faith, was presented to the people of Malta in 1943. The fuselage remains are displayed in the War Museum at Fort St Elmo, Valletta.
[83] Research on the airframe has indicated that it incorporates parts of at least one other Gladiator.
[86]
Malta's Aviation Museum has been trying since at least 2005 to obtain
possession of the Gladiator remains from the War Museum which, it
claimed, was lacking sufficient security for valuable heritage exhibits.
In its Air Battle of Malta Memorial Hangar at
Ta' Qali,
the Aviation Museum had demonstrated superior expertise in aircraft
restoration and had managed to acquire "a set of wings and other parts
for the Gladiator".
[87]
This request was reinforced in November 2008 by a newspaper article
which stated "the aircraft is in a very bad state and now approaching
the point of no repair".
[83]
Quotations
| “ |
Those old Gladiators aren't made of stressed steel like a Hurricane or a Spit. They have taut canvas wings, covered with magnificently inflammable dope,
and underneath there are hundreds of small thin sticks, the kind you
put under the logs for kindling, only these are drier and thinner. If a
clever man said, 'I am going to build a big thing that will burn better
and quicker than anything else in the world,' and if he applied himself
diligently to his task, he would probably finish up by building
something very like a Gladiator. |
” |
|
|
Gladiator aces
The top scoring Gladiator aces flew it in North Africa and Greece, and scored most of their successes against
Regia Aeronautica aircraft. Flight Lieutenant
Marmaduke T. "Pat" St. Pattle,
from No. 80 Squadron, while flying the Gloster fighter, achieved 15.5
confirmed air victories (out of his 50+ kills), plus four probably
destroyed and six damaged. Second is Pilot Officer Bill "Cherry" W Vale,
from No. 33 and 80 Squadrons, with 10 individual kills, shared and 1.5
damaged. Flight Lieutenant Joe P. Fraser, from No. 112 Sqdn, and Flight
Sergeant Don S. Gregory, from Nos. 33 and 80 Sqdns, scored all of their
kills (respectively, 9.5 and 8) flying the Gladiator. Sergeant C. E.
"Cas" Casbolt, from No. 80 Sqdn, shot down 7.5 e/a (plus one probably
destroyed and 1.5 damaged).
[88]
Variants
- SS.37
- Prototype.
- Gladiator I
- Version powered by a single 840 hp (627 kW) Bristol Mercury IX air-cooled radial piston engine. The aircraft was designated J 8 in Swedish Air Force service. Delivered 1937–38, 378 built.
- Gladiator II
- Version powered by a single Bristol Mercury VIIIA air-cooled radial piston engine. The aircraft was designated J 8A in Swedish Air Force service. Delivered 1938–39, 270 built.
- Sea Gladiator Interim
- Single-seat fighter biplane for the Royal Navy, 38 modified Gladiator II. Fitted with arrestor hooks. Serial numbers: N2265 – N2302.
- Sea Gladiator
- Single-seat fighter biplane for the Royal Navy, 60 built. Fitted with arrestor hooks and provision for dinghy stowage. Serial numbers: N5500 – N5549 and N5565 – N5574.
Operators
Gladiator in pre-Second World War
RNoAF colours
Specifications (Gloster Gladiator Mk I)
Data from Gloster Aircraft since 1917
[90]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
In at least some Sea Gladiators, provision existed for a pair of
Brownings to be fitted under the upper wings as well, bringing the total
to six. Official service release trials were not completed before the
Sea Gladiators were replaced by later types – but some upper wing
Brownings may have been fitted in the field, in particular in Malta.
[92]
See also
- Related development
- Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
- Related lists
References
- Notes
- ^ Lumsden 1992, p.10.
- ^ James 1971, p. 206.
- ^ James 1971, pp. 206–207.
- ^ Lumsden 1992, p. 12.
- ^ James 1971, p. 207.
- ^ a b Barber 2008, p. 6
- ^ Matricardi, Paolo. Aerei Militari: Caccie e Ricognitori. Milano: Mondadori Electa, 2006.
- ^ Mason 1964, p. 128.
- ^ Spencer 2003, pp. 10, 12.
- ^ Håkan & Slongo 2012.
- ^ Thomas 2006, pp. 73–75.
- ^ a b Thomas 2002, p. 11.
- ^ Thomas 2006, p. 73.
- ^ Thomas 2002, p. 13.
- ^ Thomas 2002, p. 12.
- ^ Gustavsson, Håkan. "Chinese biplane fighter aces – 'Buffalo' Wong Sun-Shui." Håkans Aviation page, 2 July 2007. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
- ^ a b c Perttula, Pentti. "Finnish Air Force Aircraft: Gloster Gladiator." Backwoods Landing Strip – Finnish Air Force Aircraft, 2007. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
- ^ Henriksson, Lars. "J 8 – Gloster Gladiator (1937–1947)." Avrosys.nu, 2 January 2008. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
- ^ Thomas 2002, pp. 14–15.
- ^ Thomas 2002, p. 15.
- ^ Crawford, Alex. "Norwegian Gloster Gladiators". webachive.org. Retrieved: 26 August 2010.
- ^ Thomas 2002, p. 25.
- ^ Kraglund, Ivar. "Gladiator, Gloster" (in Norwegian). Norsk krigsleksikon 1940-45. Oslo: Cappelen, 1995, p. 136. ISBN 82-02-14138-9.
- ^ Gustavsson, Håkan. "The Gloster Gladiator in the Norwegian Army Air Service (Hærens Flygevåpen)." Håkans Aviation page, 25 May 2004. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
- ^ Royal Air Force History: History of No. 263 Squadron." Royal Air Force, 22 January 2009. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
- ^ Rawlings 1969.[page needed]
- ^ "New Zealanders with the Royal Air Force (Vol. I) Chapter 3 — Meeting the German Attack." New Zealand Electronic Text Centre, University of Victoria, 2008. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
- ^ Crawford 2002, pp. 70–74.
- ^ Spencer 2003, pp. 31–32.
- ^ Thomas 2002, pp. 18, 94.
- ^ Weal 2012, p. 49.
- ^ Rimell 1990, p. 27.
- ^ Lyman 2006, p. 27.
- ^ Ketley 1999, p. 32
- ^ Crawford 2002, pp. 120–121.
- ^ Hayles, John. "Gladiator." aeroflight.co, 17 April 2004. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
- ^ "The fate of Gloster Gladiator 'Faith'." Malta Aviation Museum, 2009. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
- ^ Sanderson, Michael. "Faith, Hope and Charity." killifish.f9.co. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
- ^ Crawford, Alex. "Gloster Gladiators and Fiat CR.42s over Malta 1940–42. geocities.com. Retrieved: 23 October 2010.
- ^ Ministry of Information 1944, p. 8.
- ^ Gustavsson, Håkan. "Group Captain George Burges DFC OBE, RAF no. 33225." Håkans aviation page, 30 March 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
- ^ Gustavsson, Håkan. "Flight Lieutenant William Joseph 'Timber' Woods DFC, RAF no. 39605 ." Håkans aviation page, 29 April 2010. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
- ^ Marcon 1997, pp. 11–15.
- ^ Crawford 2002, pp. 59–66.
- ^ CALL-OUT 2002 p. 32
- ^ or on 31 July, according to the historian Håkan Gustavsson
- ^ Shores et al 1987, p. 41.
- ^ a b "Underwater search for Gloster Gladiator 'Charity'." Malta Aviation Museum News & Events, 20 May 2009. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
- ^ Williams and Gustin 2003, p. 106.
- ^ Jackson 1989, p. 94.
- ^ Gustavsson, Håkan. "Biplane fighter aces: Italy, Capitano Franco Lucchini Medaglia d'Oro al Valor Militare." Håkans aviation page, 30 March 2009. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
- ^ Massimello, Giuseppe Pesce con Giovanni. Adriano Visconti Asso di guerra. Parma: Edizioni Albertelli Speciali srl, 1997.
- ^ Thomas 2002.[page needed]
- ^ Håkan and Slongo 2010, p. 109.
- ^ Gustavsson, Håkan. "Flight Lieutenant Marmaduke Thomas St. John Pattle, D.F.C. (39029), No. 80 Squadron." surfcity.kund.dalnet.se. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
- ^ Gustavsson, Håkan. "Biplane fighter aces, Italy, Capitano Mario Visintini." Håkans aviation page: Biplane Fighter Aces from the Second World War, 20 February 2006. Retrieved 4 December 2009.
- ^ Sgarlato 2005
- ^ Emiliani et al. 1979, p. 63.
- ^ Patri, Salvatore. L' Ultimo Sparviero dell'Impero Italiano. A.O.I. 1940–1941. Roma: IBN editore, 2006.
- ^ Gustavsson, Håkan. "Biplane Fighter Aces from the Second World War." Håkans aviation page, 21 March 2009. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
- ^ a b de Marchi 1994
- ^ Gustavsson, Håkan. "Biplane Fighter Aces: Squadron Leader William Joseph ‘Bill’ Hickey DFC, RAF no. 32035." Håkans Aviation page, 23 October 2006. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
- ^ Thomas 2002, pp. 61–69.
- ^ Lyman 2006, p. 25.
- ^ Lyman 2006, p. 26.
- ^ Lyman 2006, p. 44.
- ^ Lyman 2006, p. 84.
- ^ Lyman 2006, pp. 16, 22.
- ^ Lyman 2006, p. 40.
- ^ Lyman 2006, p. 52.
- ^ a b Lyman 2006, p. 68.
- ^ Thomas 2002, p. 80.
- ^ Lyman 2006, p. 64.
- ^ Thomas 2002, p. 81.
- ^ Ketley 1999, pp. 31–32, 36
- ^ Cull 2004, p. 12
- ^ Kennedy 2008, p. 180.
- ^ Crawford, Alex. "Irish Air Corps Gladiators." geocities.com. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
- ^ Fodor 1982, p. 134.
- ^ Gustavsson, Håkan. "Luftwaffe use of the Gloster Gladiator during the Second World War." Håkans Aviation page. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
- ^ Gustavsson, Håkan. "Gloster Gladiator in Meteorological Flights service." Håkans Aviation page. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
- ^ Thomas 2002, p. 82.
- ^ a b c Mizzi, J.A. "Restoration: Saving the Gloster Sea-Gladiator Faith." Times of Malta.com, 27 November 2008. Retrieved 23 May 2009.
- ^ Gloster Gladiator in 263 RAF Squadron service "[1]"
- ^ "Norwegian Gladiator Discovery." Reader's report, Flight Magazine, 12 July 1967.
- ^ Crawford 2002, pp. 122–123.
- ^ Polidano R. (Museum Director.http://www.maltaaviationmuseum.com/listsearch2.asp?ID=57 "Aviation Museum wants Gladiator from War Museum."] Malta Aviation Museum News & Events, 3 April 2005.
- ^ Thomas 2002, p. 83.
- ^ Ketley and Rolfe 1996, p. 11.
- ^ James 1971, p. 226.
- ^ a b c Thetford 1957, p. 227.
- ^ Mason 1964, pp. 82, 117.
- Bibliography
- Ministry of Information. The Air Battle of Malta, The Official Account of the RAF in Malta, June 1940 to November 1942. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1944.
- Barber, Mark. The British Fleet Air Arm in World War II. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2008. ISBN 978-1-84603-283-7.
- Belcarz, Bartłomiej and Robert Pęczkowski. Gloster Gladiator, Monografie Lotnicze 24 (in Polish). Gdańsk, Poland: AJ-Press, 1996. ISBN 83-86208-34-1.
- Bierman, John and Colin Smith. The Battle of Alamein: Turning Point, World War II. New York: Viking, 2002. ISBN 0-670-03040-6.
- Crawford, Alex. Gloster Gladiator. Redbourn, UK: Mushroom Model Publications, 2002. ISBN 83-916327-0-9.
- Cull, Brian and Paul Sortehaug. Hurricanes over Singapore – RAF,
RNZAF and NEI Fighters in Action against the Japanese over the Island
and the Netherlands East Indies, 1942. London, UK: Grub Street, 2004. ISBN 1-904010-80-6.
- Emiliani, Angelo, Giuseppe F. Ghergo and Achille Vigna. Regia Aeronautica: I Fronti Africani(in Italian). Parma: Ermanno Albertelli editore, 1979.
- Fodor, Denis J. The Neutrals (Time-Life World War II Series). Des Moines, Iowa: Time-Life Books, 1982. ISBN 0-8094-3431-8.
- Goulding, James and Robert Jones. "Gladiator, Gauntlet, Fury, Demon".Camouflage & Markings: RAF Fighter Command Northern Europe, 1936 to 1945. London: Ducimus Books Ltd., 1971.
- Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. WW2 Aircraft Fact Files: RAF Fighters, Part 1. London: Macdonald and Jane's, 1978. ISBN 0-354-01090-5.
- Gustavsson, Håkan and Ludovico Slongo. Desert Prelude: Early Clashes, June–November 1940. Hampshire UK: MMP/Stratus White Star No. 9107, 2010. ISBN 978-83-89450-52-4.
- Gustavsson, Håkan and Ludovico Slongo. GLADIATOR vs. CR.42 FALCO 1940-41. Midland House, West Way, Botley, Oxford /New York, Osprey Publishing, 2012. ISBN 978-1-84908-708-7.
- Harrison, W.A. Gloster Gladiator in Action. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron Signal, 2003. ISBN 0-89747-450-3.
- Kennedy, Michael. Guarding Neutral Ireland. Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2008. ISBN 978-1-84682-097-7.
- Keskinen, Kalevi and Kari Stenman. Hurricane & Gladiator (Suomen Ilmavoimien Historia 25) (bilingual Finnish/English). Espoo, Finland: Kari Stenman, 2005. ISBN 952-99432-0-2.
- Ketley, Barry, and Mark Rolfe. Luftwaffe Fledglings 1935–1945: Luftwaffe Training Units and their Aircraft. Aldershot, UK: Hikoki Publications, 1996. ISBN 978-0-951989-920.
- Jackson, Robert. The Forgotten Aces: The Story of the Unsung Heroes of World War II. London: Sphere Books, 1989. ISBN 978-0-7474-0310-4.
- James, Derek N. Gloster Aircraft since 1917. London: Putnam, 1971. ISBN 0-370-00084-6.
- Ketley, Barry. French Aces of World War 2. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 1999. ISBN 978-1-85532-898-3.
- Lumsden, Alec. "On Silver Wings – Part 19". Aeroplane Monthly, Vol. 20, No, 4, Issue 228, April 1992, pp. 8–14. ISSN 0143-7240.
- Lyman, Robert. Iraq 1941: The Battles for Basra, Habbniya, Fallujah and Baghdad. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2006. ISBN 1-84176-991-6.
- Mason, Francis K. British Fighters of World War Two, Volume One. Windsor, Berkshire, UK: Hilton Lacy Publishers Ltd., 1969. ISBN 0-85064-012-1.
- Mason, Francis K. The Gloster Gladiator. London: Macdonald, 1964.
- Mason, Francis K. The Gloster Gladiator. Leatherhead, UK: Profile Publications, 1966.
- Matricardi, Paolo . Aerei Militari: Caccia e Ricognitori (in Italian). Milan: Mondadori Electa, 2006.
- Neulen, Hans Werner. In the Skies of Europe. Ramsbury, Marlborough, UK: The Crowood Press, 2000. ISBN 1-86126-799-1.
- Patri, Salvatore.L' ultimo Sparviero dell'impero Italiano: A.O.I. 1940–1941 (in Italian). Rome: IBN editore 2006
- Pacco, John. "Gloster Gladiator Mk I" Belgisch Leger/Armee Belge: Het Militair Vliegwezen/l'Aeronautique Militare 1930–1940 (bilingual French/Dutch). Aartselaar, Belgium: J.P. Publications, 2003, pp. 56–59. ISBN 90-801136-6-2.
- Poolman, Kenneth. Faith, Hope and Charity: Three Biplanes Against an Air Force. London: William Kimber and Co. Ltd., 1954. (First pocket edition in 1958.)
- Rawlings, John D.R. Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and Their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's, 1969. (Second edition 1976.) ISBN 0-354-01028-X.
- Rimell, Ray. Battle of Britain Aircraft. Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, UK: Argus Books, 1990. ISBN 1-85486-014-3.
- Sgarlato, Nico. Fiat CR.42 (in Italian). Parma: Delta Editrice, 2005.
- Shores, Christopher and Brian Cull with Nicola Malizia. Malta: The Hurricane Years. London: Grub Street, 1987. ISBN 0-948817-06-2
- Spencer, Tom. Gloster Gladiator (Warpaint Series No.37). Luton, UK: Warpaint Books, 2003. ISSN 1361-0369.
- Thetford, Owen. Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1918–57. London:Putnam, 1957.
- Thetford, Owen. "On Silver Wings – Part 20". Aeroplane Monthly, Vol. 20 No. 5. Issue 229, May 1992, pp. 8–15. ISSN 0143-7240.
- Thomas, Andrew. Gloster Gladiator Aces. Botley, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2002. ISBN 1-84176-289-X.
- Thomas, Andrew. "Oriental Gladiators: The combat debut for the Gloster biplane." Air Enthusiast #121, January/February 2006, pp. 73–75.
- Weal, John. He 111 Kampfgeschwader in the west. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2012. ISBN 978-1-84908-670-7.
- Williams, Anthony G. and Dr. Emmanuel Gustin. Flying Guns: World War II. Ramsbury, Marlborough, UK: The Crowood Press, 2003. ISBN 978-1-84037-227-4.
- Zbiegniewski, Andre R. 112 Sqn "Shark Squadron", 1939–1941 (bi-lingual Polish/English text). Lublin, Poland: Oficyna Wydawnicza Kagero, 2003. ISBN 83-89088-55-X.
