British Military Aviation in 1940 - Part 2

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12 May
Flying Officer D.E. Garland and his observer, Sergeant T. Gray, are posthumously awarded the first Royal Air Force Victoria Crosses of the war, for a bombing attack on Veldwezelt bridge in Belgium, flying Fairey Battle P2204 'K' of No.12 Squadron, Advanced Air Striking Force. Four of the five Battles that attacked the bridge were lost.

14 May
A Luftwaffe bombing raid destroys the centre of Rotterdam, killing 814 civilians. The raid causes an international outcry in neutral countries. In fact, the German High Command had sent a signal aborting the raid, but it was not received by the attacking force.

The entire available bomber force of the Royal Air Force's Advanced Air Striking Force in France attack troops and bridges near Sedan in an attempt to halt a German breakthrough. 39 of 71 aircraft of an attacking force are shot down by flak and fighters. In the evening, a further attack by 28 Bristol Blenheims of No.2 Group fails, with the loss of six more aircraft.

15 May
The Dutch Army surrenders to Germany.

15 May
In the first large-scale Bomber Command attack on German industrial targets, 99 aircraft bomb 16 targets in the Ruhr area. This raid effectively marks the start of the Strategic Air Offensive against Germany. No aircraft are lost to enemy action, however, a Vickers Wellington of No.115 Squadron is blown off course and crashes into high ground near Rouen in France and the five aircrew aboard are killed.

17 May
The Ministry of Aircraft Production is constituted by an Order in Council and Lord Beaverbrook is appointed the first Minister of Aircraft Production.

18 May
British battleship HMS Resolution is hit, but not sunk, by a 1,000 kilo bomb from a Junkers Ju88 near Narvik.

21 May
A further eight Gloster Gladiators of No.263 Squadron fly from HMS Glorious and land at Bardufoss, north of Narvik in Norway.

22 May
7 Westland Lysanders of No.16 Squadron Army Co-operation Command drop supplies to a besieged Allied garrison at Calais. Over the course of the next two weeks more than 30 Lysanders from 5 squadrons were lost on these operations.

23-24 May
The first combats between Royal Air Force (RAF) Supermarine Spitfires and Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Bf109s take place. Amongst the Royal Air Force pilots shot down and taken prisoner during these engagements is Squadron Leader Roger Bushell, who will later to lead the 'Great Escape' from Stalag Luft III, on 24 March 1944.

26 May
Twelve Hawker Hurricanes of No.46 Squadron, led by Squadron Leader K.B.B. 'Bing' Cross, fly from the deck of the aircraft carrier HMS Glorious; flights from the squadron land at Bardufoss and Skaanland. The flight of No.46 Squadron at Skaanland flies its first operational sorties on 27 May, however, following a succession of landing accidents it joins the rest of No.46 Squadron and No.263 Squadron at Bardufoss later that day.

26 May
The evacuation of British and French forces from Dunkirk begins (Operation Dynamo) and continues until the 4 June, during which time 338,226 Allied troops are brought back to the United Kingdom. Two British Army divisions, the 1st Armoured Division, which is the United Kingdom's only armoured division at that time, and the 51st Highland Division, remain in France and continue to fight alongside the French Army.

The fighter squadrons of No.11 Group, RAF Fighter Command, operating from the south-east of England, provide fighter cover throughout the operation, although fuel constraints limit the time that patrols could spend over the Dunkirk area. This resulted in intensive air combat between the Luftwaffe and the Royal Air Force, with neither side able to achieve permanent air superiority. The Royal Air Force lose 177 aircraft over Dunkirk, including 106 fighters and the Luftwaffe lose 132 aircraft of all types.

27 May
Royal Air Force Training Command disbands, to be replaced by Flying Training Command and Technical Training Command. Royal Air Force Reserve Command is disbanded.

27 May
The Belgian Army surrenders to Germany.

29 May
The first fighter operations using Very High Frequency (VHF) Radio Telephone control take place during the air battle over Dunkirk. However, shortages of the new VHF equipment mean that Fighter Command is forced to revert to using less efficient High Frequency radios to ensure that all squadrons can operate on the same frequencies.

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