AHTL: The Battle of the Atlantic is dead

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Part 9
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    • HMS Audacious

    HMS Audacious

    25th October 1939

    Lt Eric Brown transfers to the Fleet Air Arm and is posted to the Royal Aircraft Establishment. The Gloster Aircraft
    Company under heavy pressure from the Admiralty deliver the second prototype of their aircraft for Air Ministry specification F.5/34.

    27th October 1939

    Lt Brown takes the second Gloster prototype into the air. After an hour test flight Lt Brown lands and is immediately asked by Rear Admiral Sir Arthur Dowding what he thinks of the Prototypes performance and if it's what the Fleet Air Arm needs as a fighter.
     
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    • HMS Audacious

    HMS Audacious

    Gloster gorshawk MK 1 single seat Fighter specs

    Crew: 1
    Range: 850 miles
    Engine: 1 RR Merlin
    Speed: 350 mph
    Armament: six 50 cal Vickers heavy machine guns
     

    Butchpfd

    Now looking much better.. Let Hood close on one of the twins, fights and wins damage requires major repair which butterflies Bismark fight result.
     
    AlanJWhite

    AlanJWhite

    HMS queen Elizabeth said:
    Gloster gorshawk MK 1 single seat Fighter specs

    Crew: 1
    Range: 850 miles
    Engine: 1 RR Merlin
    Speed: 350 mph
    Armament: six 50 cal Vickers heavy machine guns
    Click to expand...

    The guns are good (especially since the RN knows them well) but change the Merlin.

    F5/34 airframe was designed for a Radial ... IOTL not the Perseus but the more powerful Mercury.

    If the RAF is not involved the RN / FAA prefer Radials anyway and there is already too much competition for the Merlin.
    Perhaps use the opportunity to give the Bristol Directors a kick and get them to accelerate work on the Hercules and better props (e.g. ROTOL where Bristol was already a partner)
     
    Last edited:
    Part 10
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    • HMS Audacious

    HMS Audacious

    1st November 1939

    Lt Brown takes the second prototype now called the Goshawk up into the air for a mock dogfight with a Hurricane. It is found out that the Goshawk has a higher rate of climb and is more manuvorable at high altitude. The only problem to be found is the engine for the Prototype is a Rolls Royce Merlin, to get round the engine bottle neck the Bristol aircraft company is told to get the problems with their Hercules engine fixed or the engine manufacturing will be taken and given to Rolls Royce.
     
    Last edited:
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    • Part 11
  • Index
    • HMS Audacious

    HMS Audacious

    3rd November 1939

    HMS Belfast is hit by a mine in the Firth of Forth luckily it causes minimum damage. The Admiralty puts an inital order for 300 Gloster Goshawk fighter aircraft with the possibility of another 300+.

    The first King George V class Battleship is commissioned along with the first Illustrious class Carrier, it is hoped that these two ships will form the start of the Royal Navies fast battle group along with the heavy county class cruisers Norfolk and Gloucestershire, The light town class cruisers Belfast and Newcastle along with four Tribal class destroyers as ASW escort.
     
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    • tomo pauk

    AlanJWhite said:
    The guns are good (especially sinee the RN knows them well) but Change the Merlin.

    F5/34 airframe was designed for a Radial ... IOTL not the Perseus but the more powerful Mercury.

    If the RAF is not involved the RN / FAA prefer Radials anyway and there is already too much competition for the Merlin.
    Perhaps use the opportunity to give the Bristol Directors a kick and get them to accelerate work on the Hercules and better props (e.g. ROTOL where Bristol was already a partner)
    Click to expand...

    Merlin X was the best Merlin available before mid-1940, and probably the best engine for a fighter in that time - in the world. Also very suitable for bombers.
    Many airframes were outfitted with a V12 engine, despite being concieved with radial engine in the mind. FAA was using Merlins from 1940 on per OTL.

    HMS queen Elizabeth said:
    1st November 1939

    Lt Brown takes the second prototype now called the Goshawk up into the air for a mock dogfight with a Hurricane. It is found out that the Goshawk has a higher rate of climb and is more manuvorable at high altitude. The only problem to be found is the engine for the Prototype is a Rolls Royce Merlin, to get round the engine bottle neck the Bristol aircraft company is told to get the problems with their Hercules engine fixed or the engine manufacturing will be taken and given to De Havilland.
    Click to expand...

    I don't think that De Havilland was any bit better than Bristol. 500 HP engines vs. 1000 HP and 1400 HP types don't stand up well, and D-H does not have anything in the pipeline that can compete. Since the Goshawk is found to be performing better than Hurricane (and, by extension, than Defiant), then produce more Goshawks. Thus RAF can have two 350+ mph fighters in good numbers once 1940 arrives, instead of one 320 mph and ther 360 mph type as per OTL. In 1939, the problems with Hercules were that there was just a small amount produced, that went into the god awful Saro Lerwick.
    If we want a 1000-1500 HP engine from D-H for 1939-40, the design need to be started in 1934-35-36.
     

    Some Bloke

    HMS queen Elizabeth said:
    1st November 1939

    Lt Brown takes the second prototype now called the Goshawk up into the air for a mock dogfight with a Hurricane. It is found out that the Goshawk has a higher rate of climb and is more manuvorable at high altitude. The only problem to be found is the engine for the Prototype is a Rolls Royce Merlin, to get round the engine bottle neck the Bristol aircraft company is told to get the problems with their Hercules engine fixed or the engine manufacturing will be taken and given to De Havilland.
    Click to expand...

    Good save.
     

    Some Bloke

    AH writing convention?
    Hercules engined F.5/34 = Goshawk
    Mercury/Perseus engined F.5/34 = Gallant

    I've noticed this distinction a lot.
     

    tomo pauk

    The F.5/34 with Merlin also opens up the possibility for the Spitfire III to be produced, since there is no pressing need to up-engine Hurricane with Merlin XX. The Spit III being a slightly more refined version of the usual Spitfire, with internal BP glass, retractable tailwhell, fully covered main wheel wells, fuel increased from 84 to 99 gals, and Merlin XX (= extra ~20% power above 11000 ft vs. Merlin III, also better take off power). Thus RAF can have a 390 mph fighter by second part of 1940, featuring also better range & endurance.
    In 1940, the Gloster can switch to Merlin XII, in 1941 to Merlin 45 (same power above 10000 ft as the Merlin XX).
     
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