Ep.131: Coastal Command Chapter 8 – The Fleet Air Arm

Welcome to our Coastal Command series. This is Chapter 8 – The Fleet Air Arm.

In this chapter we look at the role of the Fleet Air Arm as it supported RAF Coastal Command in World War Two.

Swordfish MK1 (Navy Wings) in 820 Sq colours during the attack of the Bismarck in 1941 (c) Matt Willis

We go back to Ben Kite who opened the series for us, to help us look at the strategic alignment of the Fleet Air Arm with RAF Coastal Command and set the scene for this Chapter.

A Fairey Swordfish Il next to a Fairey Barracuda II at an airfield in Britain in early 1945, both carrying depth charges for anti submarine work, and both fitted with ASV II radar which could detect surface vessels and surfaced U-boats (c) Matt Willis

We then turn back to Naval Air Historian, Matt Willis, to help us better understand the more tactical elements of their role; the aircraft, the squadrons and the sorties they undertook

Recorded December 17th 2021

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Ben Kite

• Website: https://ben-kite.com/
• Helion Books: https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/britain-and-the-commonwealths-war-in-the-air-1939-1945-volume-1-through-adversity.php
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/benkite1

Matt Willis

• Website: https://navalairhistory.com/
• Books Discussed:
o Mustang: The Untold Story https://shop.keypublishing.com/product/View/productCode/KB0036/Mustang:%20The%20Untold%20Story
o The Bristol Scout – Warpaint Series (28) https://guidelinepublications.co.uk/index.php?GOTO=787&PICFILE=787&STKNR=787&STRH=&ORDN=&RNZ=893745&THISVIEWMODE=2&SUPPLIER=&FINDRETR=&WIDENET=&CATEGORY=4&SUB=2&VWW=1&VANCE=99
o Indomitable: The Fortress of Malta Book 3 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08Z3CSCNQ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i2
• Matt Willis on Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Matthew-Willis/e/B00DQNCNZS/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
• Twitter https://twitter.com/navalairhistory

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Grumman Avengers operating from RAF Hawkinge, 854 or 855 Squadron, in June-July 1944. Both squadrons covered Channel operations respectively from May until September (c) Matt Willis

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