Armstrong Whitworth Whitley

In July 1934, the Air Ministry issued Specification B.3/34 for a twin-engined bomber, leading to orders for two aircraft being placed. One was the Handley Page Harrow and the other was the Armstrong Whitworth A.W.38, later named the Whitley, which had a crew of five consisting of pilot, second pilot/navigator, wireless operator, bomb-aimer and rear gunner, and was designed by John Lloyd, Armstrong Whitworth's chief designer, with June 1935 seeing the Air Ministry order eighty aircraft.

On the 17th March 1936, flying from Whitley Abbey, and powered by two 795-hp Armstrong Siddeley Tiger IX engines, with Alan Campbell-Orde at the controls, the Whitley prototype flew for the first time. The aircraft was then sent to the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at Martlesham Heath to undergo testing. This was followed on the 24th February 1937 by the maiden flight of the second prototype with Charles Turner Hughes at the controls.

The Whitley Mk I entered Royal Air Force service when No. 10 Squadron, based at RAF Dishforth, received their first on the 9th March 1937. Powered by the 795-hp Armstrong Siddeley Tiger IX engine, its top speed was 192 mph, range 1,250 miles with a service ceiling of 19,200 ft. Armament consisted of two 0.303-in machine-guns, one each in nose and rear turrets and bomb load was 3,365lb. A Whitley Mk I had Rolls-Royce Merlin II engines installed and would undergo testing, flying from Hucknall, the 11th February 1938 saw the aircraft make its first flight. However, the test programme was briefly suspended after engine failure occurred on the second flight. After the test programme was restarted, the aircraft was sent to the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at Martlesham Heath for further tests during April and May 1938.

The Whitley Mk II was next and it was powered by the 845-hp Armstrong Siddeley Tiger VIII engine, giving the aircraft a top speed of 215 mph, a range of 1,315 miles and a service ceiling of 23,000 ft. Armament was two 0.303-in machine-guns, one in the nose turret and one in the rear turret, with a bomb load of 4,000lb.

The Whitley Mk III followed and it was powered by the 845-hp Armstrong Siddeley Tiger VIII engine, its top speed was 215 mph, range 1,315 miles with a service ceiling of 23,000 ft. Armament consisted of four 0.303-in machine-guns, one each in nose and rear turrets and two in a retractable ventral turret and bomb load was 4,000lb.

The Whitley Mk IV was the next variant, with the first production example flying on the 5th April 1939. This featured a number of changes, including a pair of wing tanks being added and improvements to the bomb-aimers view, with the addition in the lower nose of a clear panel. It was powered by the 1,030-hp Rolls-Royce Merlin IV engine, giving the aircraft a top speed of 245 mph, a range of 1,250 miles and a service ceiling of 26,000 ft. Armament was five 0.303-in machine-guns, one in a nose turret and four in the rear turret, with a bomb load of 4,000lb.

Further design changes led to the Whitley Mk V, these included a further increase in the aircraft's fuel capacity, with the bomb bay able to carry extra fuel tanks if needed. The rear of the aircraft was also redesigned to increase the rear gunners field of fire. Powered by the 1,075-hp Rolls-Royce Merlin X engine, its top speed was 230 mph, range 1,500 miles with a service ceiling of 26,000 ft. Armament consisted of five 0.303-in machine-guns, one in the nose turret with four in the rear turret. Bomb load was 7,000lb.

With the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine in demand for use in a number of aircraft, a Pratt & Whitney powered Whitley Mk VI was considered in case Rolls-Royce Merlin engines became unavailable. In the end, this proposed aircraft would never go into production.

The final production variant was the Whitley Mk VII, designed for operational service with Coastal Command, this would see the installation of Air-to-Surface Vessel Mk II radar and the fitting in the rear of the fuselage and bomb bay of additional fuel tanks. It was powered by the 1,075-hp Rolls-Royce Merlin X engine, giving the aircraft a top speed of 215 mph, a range of 2,300 miles and a service ceiling of 20,000 ft. Armament was five 0.303-in machine-guns, one in the nose turret and four in the rear turret and able to carry depth charges.

Whitley's from Bomber Command were in action the same day Britain declared war on Germany, the 3rd September 1939, when ten flew over Bremen, Hamburg and the Ruhr in Germany dropping propaganda leaflets, known as Nickel raids. The 1st October 1939 saw the Whitley become the first Royal Air Force bomber to operate over Berlin, Germany of the Second World War (1939 – 1945), when three from No. 10 Squadron dropped propaganda leaflets over the city, losing one aircraft.

When Germany began Case Yellow, the invasion of Western Europe, on the 10th May 1940, Whitleys were in action the same evening, when four from No. 77 Squadron and five from No. 102 Squadron targeted road and rail connections in Kleve, Germany. The type would also be in action the day after Italy declared war on Britain, when on the 11th June 1940, the Fiat headquarters and manufacturing plant in Turin, Italy was targeted by thirty six Whitleys, comprised from Nos. 10, 51, 58, 77 and 102 Squadron, flying from RAF airfields on the Channel Islands. However, due to engine problems and weather, only thirteen aircraft found the target. The Whitley would also take part in the first bombing raid on Berlin, Germany on the 25th August 1940, alongside the Handley Page Hampden and Vickers Wellington.

With the Royal Air Force's four-engined bombers now entering service, the Whitley's time in Bomber Command was coming to an end, its last official sortie took place on the 29th April 1942 with a raid on Ostend, Belgium. However, aircraft from Operational Training Units would take part in Operation Millennium on the 30th May 1942, which saw over 1,000 aircraft attack Cologne, Germany.

The Whitley would also serve with Coastal Command, and its service began when No. 58 Squadron were seconded from Bomber Command in September 1939. This would see them patrol over the English Channel until February 1940 when they operated as part of Bomber Command again. Other Whitley squadrons would also patrol over the Bay of Biscay. It would take over two years before the type scored its first U-boat victory, when on the 30th November 1941, No. 502 Squadron sank U-205 in the Bay of Biscay.

The type would also be used for a number of special operations. These included Operation Columba, which saw homing pigeons dropped over occupied Europe in the hope that people who came across the pigeons could provide intelligence on German military activities in the area. It would be on the 8th April 1941 that a Whitley would perform the first drop of pigeons for the operation. The aircraft was also involved in Operation Biting on the 27th February 1942 which saw them drop paratroopers at Bruneval, France for what was a successful mission to capture parts of German radar. No. 138 and No. 161 Squadron, based at RAF Tempsford would also be equipped with the Whitley, undertaking special duties. This involved supplying arms and equipment to the Resistance and transporting agents to occupied countries. Other duties for the Whitley saw it used as a glider tug and for parachute training.

In total, 1,814 Whitleys were built.