h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Any comments about the Glad Entry, pop em here

Hi there,
I'm enjoying your series of articles immensely although I haven't read all yet. They are comprehensive and give a good 'flavour' of the aeroplaneconcerned.

With regard to the Gladiator, I believe I'm right in saying that it was also the first RAF aeroplane in service to have flaps as well as an enclosed cockpit.

There was also something I've half remembered, (and I could be wrong here) that one of the Gladiators in the Norwegian campaign was reputed to have the highest score for one sortie in that it downed no fewer than five E/A. I'll try looking up the details on that if you're interested.
All the best
DK

DEke,

Hi Thanks for your comments, that makes me feel like I've hit a mark with the entries

I had read somewhere about the flaps too, but wasn't quite sure. If you can tell me for sure I'll add the details in

As for the Norwegian combat...um, yes one of the pilots did claim 5 aircraft down in one mission. Someone with a name starting with B from memeory. But German Luftwaffe sources confirmed that this was just a bit of...uh, exaggeration. Many of the kills on 9 April were in fact from anti-aircraft fire. Or a combination of the both. The Glads in some cases were simply finishing off the work of the AA. I was going to put that in the section, but left it out because it made the Norwegian pilots look a bit unheroic, which of course they were far from. Seven Glads against the might of the Luftwaffe, they sure as heck had some guts, and the rest!

MJ

Hi again
I’ve been reading up my Boys Own book of the Gloster Gladiator and it did indeed have landing flaps on upper and lower wings just inboard of the ailerons.

It also records that Pilot Off Jacobsen possibly destroyed as many as six E/A on the 2nd June 1940 of which three Heinkel He 111’s were credited to him. I’d have to agree with you about not including this as they weren’t confirmed.

There was a further action on 28th Feb 1941 over the Albanian border when 28 Hurricanes and Gladiators took on over 50 Italian aircraft. One Flt Lt Pattle shot down five E/A in the one action.

Gladiators served on almost every front in the first two years of WW2 including Finland, Norway, Belgium, France, Britain, Egypt, Libya, Greece, Malta, Aden, Somaliland, Iraq, Syria and Crete.

Not bad for an obsolete old biplane!

If I recall correctly the RAF museum at Hendon used to have the remains of one of the Gladiators that was salvaged from a Norwegian lake. It was only the front end up to the undercarriage but it was on display the last time I was there.

All the best
DK

MJ, do you wish to include this info, and if so can you tell me where it should be included?

um, I thought about it when D proffered it, but I think it can be left for now.