alternatehistory.com

Part Eight - The RAF at 31st March 1934
WORK IN PROGRESS

Finance





Personnel



The Order of Battle
The Metropolitan Air Force


There were a grand total of 548 aircraft in 50 squadrons plus No. 24 (Communications) Squadron. Except that 2 squadrons existed on a skeleton basis and one flying boat squadron was under strength. There were 3 commands the Air Defence of Great Britain (ADGB), the Coastal Area and the Inland Area plus the RAF Cranwell and RAF Halton which reported directly to the Air Ministry.

The Air Defence of Great Britain Command controlled the Home Defence Force. After the 2 skeleton squadrons attached to the A&AEE were deducted it had a nominal strength of 448 aircraft in 39 squadrons. It should have had 594 aircraft in 52 squadrons plus 24 light bombers in 2 Emergency Squadrons which provided part of the Air Component of the Expeditionary Force. What was known as the 1923-Scheme was originally planned for completion in March 1928 but under the current plan it was not to be completed until March 1938.

There should have been 3 Bombing Areas and No. 1 (Air Defence) Group. However, only 2 the Central and Western existed. They were formed by splitting the Wessex Bombing Area on 01/10/33. There should have been 390 aircraft in 39 squadrons (26 regular, 5 Special Reserve and 8 Auxiliary Air Force squadrons) plus the emergency squadrons. There were actually 292 aircraft in 26 squadrons (13 regular, 5 S.R. and 8 Auxiliary).

There should have been 150 heavy bombers in 15 squadrons (12 regular and 3 S.R.). There were actually 80 in 8 squadrons (5 regular and 3 S.R.). There were was one Heyford, one Hinaidi and 6 Virginia squadrons.

There should have been 240 day bombers in 20 squadrons (10 regular, 2 S.R. and 8 AuxAF) plus the 2 emergency squadrons. There were actually 212 in 18 squadrons (8 regular, 2 S.R. and 8 Auxiliary) including the 2 emergency squadrons. There were one Gordon, 8 Hart, one Horsley, one Sidestrand, one Wallace and 4 Wapiti day bomber squadrons. Both emergency squadrons were equipped with the Fairey Gordon. The sole two-engine day bomber squadron only had 8 aircraft in 2 flights of 4 instead of the usual 12 aircraft in 3 flights of 4.

Because half of the 26 existing squadrons were reserve units which would take time to work up only the other 13 squadrons would be immediately available in an emergency. If the 2 Emergency Squadrons had to go overseas to support the Expeditionary Force only 6 regular day bomber squadrons would be left for Home Defence.

Under the Fighting Area were 156 fighters in 13 squadrons (9 Bulldog, one Demon and 3 Fury Mk I). Under the 1923 Scheme there should have been 204 fighters in 17 squadrons including 3 for the Air Component. This meant that if the Expeditionary Force had to go overseas only 10 squadrons would be left at home instead of 14. The anti-aircraft guns and searchlights that complimented the fighters were belonged to the Air Defence Troops a command of the British Army. It had not reached the strength planned for March 1928 either and in common with the RAF it was not planned to be reached until March 1938.

The Coastal Area had 4 flying boat squadrons. 3 of them were equipped with the Supermarine Southampton. The other one was equipped with the Blackburn Iris/Perth and because it was built in small numbers this squadron only had 3 aircraft instead of the normal 4.

The Inland Area had Nos. 21 (Training), 22 (Army Co-operation) and 23 (Training) Groups. Under No. 21 Group was the Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment with the 2 day bomber squadrons that existed on a skeleton basis. No. 22 Group had 5 army co-operation squadrons of which one had the Atlas and 4 had the Audax.

The Overseas Commands

The overseas commands had 272 aircraft in 24½ squadrons. There were 24 bomber-transports in 2½ squadrons, 144 day bombers in 12 squadrons, 60 army co-operation aircraft in 5 squadrons, 24 torpedo-bombers in 2 squadrons and 24 coastal reconnaissance aircraft in 3 squadrons.

RAF Mediterranean had 12 Fairey IIIF floatplanes in one coastal reconnaissance squadron instead of the normal 4 flying boats.

RAF Middle East had 70 aircraft in 6 squadrons in Egypt, Palestine and the Sudan. There were 12 Vickers Victorias in one bomber-transport squadron. But the bulk of its strength consisted of 48 day bombers in 4 squadrons (one Fairey IIIF and 3 Gordon) including one in Palestine and one in the Sudan. Finally there were 12 Atlas army co-operation aircraft in one squadron.

The Iraq Command had 52 aircraft in 5 squadrons. There were 36 Wapiti day bombers in 3 squadrons, 10 Victoria bomber-transports in one squadron and 4 Rangoon flying boats in one coastal reconnaissance squadron. The latter was to be sent to Singapore in the event of a war with Japan.

The Aden Command had 12 Fairey IIIF day bombers in one squadron.

RAF India had 100 aircraft in 8½ squadrons. Sub-commands consisted of No. 1 (Indian) Group and Nos. 1, 2 and 3 (Indian) Wings. There were 4 Victorias in one flight, 48 day bombers in 4 squadrons (2 Hart and 2 Wapiti) and 48 Wapiti army co-operation aircraft in 4 squadrons.

RAF Far East's area or responsibility consisted of Ceylon and Hong Kong as well as the Malay peninsular (and Burma too after it was separated from India), but its 28 aircraft in 3 squadrons were all at Singapore. There were 24 torpedo-bombers in 2 squadrons (one Horsley and one Vildebeest) and 4 Southampton flying boats in one coastal reconnaissance squadron.

The Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Air Force

I'm counting the strength of the FAA as 162 aircraft in the equivalent of 15 squadrons. However, some official documents only count 159. There were 36 fleet fighters in 4 squadrons of which 2 were at half-strength. There were 36 fleet torpedo aircraft in 3 squadrons. There were 54 fleet spotter reconnaissance aircraft in 5 squadrons 2 of which had 9 aircraft each instead of the normal 12. Finally there were 36 catapult aircraft in 6 flights operating from capital ships and cruisers. I don't know what the equipment of the FAA was at this time.

Squadrons to be formed during the 1934-35 Financial Year

This brought the total strength of the RAF proper to 820 first-aircraft in 74½ squadrons. Adding the FAA increased the total to 982 aircraft in the equivalent of 89½ squadrons.

The programme for 1934-35 was for the formation of the equivalent of 6 squadrons.
  1. 2 squadrons (one day bomber and one fighter) would be formed for Home Defence leaving the ADGB 8 squadrons of the 1923 Scheme outstanding.
  2. One coastal reconnaissance squadron was to be formed on 4 flying boats for RAF Far East.
  3. The 2 Home Defence Squadrons incorporated in the A&AEE were to be reconstituted on an effective basis. In plain English that meant that the 2 existing squadrons would be renamed while 2 new day bomber squadrons would take their numbers.
  4. 2 FAA flights would be formed to bring 2 of the existing squadrons up to full-strength.
  5. The twin-engine day bomber squadron was to be increased from 8 to 12 aircraft.
  6. The coastal reconnaissance squadrons in the Coastal Area were to be brought up to full-strength.
As part of Expansion Scheme F (approved by the Cabinet 18/07/34) 3 Auxiliary day bomber squadrons were transferred to the Fighting Area and converted to fighter squadrons. One day bomber squadron was converted to a torpedo bomber squadron and transferred to the Coastal Area (but it was still counted as part of the Home Defence Force). This reduced the day bomber force from 212 aircraft in 18 squadrons at the end of March 1934 to 204 aircraft in 17 squadrons a year later.

The strength of the RAF proper at 31/03/35 was 852 aircraft in 77½ squadrons of which 576 aircraft in 52 squadrons were in the Metropolitan Air Force and 276 aircraft in 25½ squadrons were in the overseas commands. At the same date the FAA had 174 aircraft in the equivalent of 15 squadrons. The grand total was 1,026 aircraft in the equivalent of 92½ squadrons.

The Royal Air Force Compared to France and Italy

Although that looks impressive the RAF was a long way behind the French Armée de l' Air and Italian Regia Aeronautica.

According to Green and Fricker in Air Forces of the World the Aviation Militaire (the French equivalent of the Royal Flying Corps) had a first-line strength in excess of 1,500 machines in the early 1920s. It did not become the Armée de l' Air until 2nd July 1934. Unfortunately they don't give its strength in the first half of the 1930s but it would have been at least the same as the early 1920s.

The French equivalent of the RNAS the Aéronatique Navale (usually abbreviated to Aeronavale) had 11 squadrons in its equivalent to the RAF Coastal Area, but it appears that there were no squadrons overseas. Sea based naval aviation consisted of 3 squadrons on the aircraft carrier Bearn and 20 torpedo carrying seaplanes aboard the Commandant Teste. This is about the strength that would have existed in March 1934 because Green and Fricker say there was little expansion during the next few years.

According to the same source the Regia Aeronautica had grown to 108 squadrons by 1933 and that expansion continued steadily thereafter. The squadrons in 1933 consisted of 37 fighter, 34 bomber and 37 reconnaissance and observation squadrons (the latter including naval reconnaissance squadrons). The first-line strength exceeded 1,200 aircraft.

Furthermore the RAF was a "Shop Window" air force because it did not have the reserves of equipment and personnel required to fight a campaign against another great power for more than a few weeks. For example the Home Defence Force required a reserve of 100% in airframes and 150% in engines. These were needed to replace losses while the aircraft industry was put on a war footing. All that existed was the Immediate Reserve set at 25% of the nominal first-line strength of the squadrons. Similarly there were insufficient reserves of aircrew to cover "wastage" while the training organisation was put on a war footing.

Aircraft on Charge

I don't have the figures for March 1934, but the later editions of Aircraft of the Royal Air Force Since 1918 by Owen Thetford has them for February 1935 when the RAF had a first-line strength of 1,020 (including 174 FAA) which was only 38 more than a year earlier (982 including 162 FAA).

There was a grand total of 2,942 aircraft (2,513 RAF proper and 429 FAA).

The 2,513 aircraft in the RAF proper consisted of:
  • 183 night bombers and bomber-transports (19 Handley Page Hianidi, 32 Handley Page Heyford, 61 Vickers Virginia and 71 Vickers Valentia)
  • 1,412 day bombers, torpedo-bombers and army co-operation aircraft (185 AW Atlas Trainer, 13 Boulton Paul Overstrand, 49 Fairey IIIF, 242 Fairey Gordon , 162 Hawker Audax, 333 Hawker Hart, 33 Hawker Hart Trainer, 21 Hawker Hardy, 21 Hawker Horsley, 21 Vickers Vincent, 53 Westland Wallace, 203 Westland Wapiti, 76 Vickers Vildebeest
  • 399 fighters (10 AW Siskin, 9 AW Siskin DC, 178 Bristol Bulldog, 45 Bristol Bulldog TM, 5 Gloster Gauntlet, 76 Hawker Demon and 76 Hawker Fury)
  • 466 trainers (113 Avro 504N, 273 Avro Tutor and 80 De Havilland Gipsy Moth)
  • 53 flying boats (16 Saro Cloud, 6 Short Rangoon, 4 Short Singapore and 27 Supermarine Southampton)
The 429 FAA aircraft were made up of:
  • 123 Fleet Fighters (52 Hawker Nimrod and 71 Hawker Osprey)
  • 82 Fleet Forpedo bombers (78 Blackburn Baffin and 4 Blackburn Ripon
  • 220 Spotter Reconnaissance aircraft (145 Fairey IIIF and 75 Fairey Seal)
  • 4 Torpedo Spotter Reconnaissance (4 Blackburn Shark)

Top