I was at Wigram (The RNZAF museum) in 2011 and took photos of the skeleton frame of the Vildebeest, at the time the guide told me that it might have to be a hybrid of various marks and aircraft as not enough parts one mark remain to make a "pure" type rebuild. It was unbelievable to see the dedication of the team there rebuilding a type that no longer exists in any museum!
It would be their only armed fixed wing aircraft 🤣😅 as an Australian I say we let NZ pay the price in the next war by not defending their unarmed arses .
@@mathewkelly9968 Except for the Orions. NZ will pay the price in the next war by being stuck with Australian made equipment that doesn't work properly - the frigates, the Steyrs (thankfully gone), the 105mm Light Guns - everything we buy from the Australians is faulty when delivered.
@@iancurtis1152 The Australians didn't build the Skyhawks and NZ upgraded them to the NZ Kahu standard, so irrelevant to the point I was making: Australian built equipment is ALWAYS crap
@@iatsd I never said they were Ozzie built but they were ex Aus Navy, with their upgrades they were competitive as in war games with other nations. ( I’ve been in Oz for years) are the Sea Sprite Navy choppers still active, the Ozzie ones were scraped years ago. I’ve heard NZ Navy Sprites were flying but not certified for “over water” operations, 🥴can you confirm?
Astounding indeed. They didn't know it, but they were furnishing the Japanese with the template for the kamikaze pilots that were to come later in the war.
The Vildebeest's name followed the tradition of RAF service aircraft having alliterative names, so the initial V was deliberate and NOT a spelling error, and South Africans speaking Afrikaans pronounced the name the same way that Vickers spelt it. Vickers had difficulty finding more relevant names beginning in V suitable for military aircraft, and must have breathed a sigh of relief when they were informed that their latest RAF order was to be a bomber named Wellesley and their next the Wellington. They reverted to names beginning with V for civilian types built after WW2: Valetta, Viking, Viscount, Vanguard and VC-10. Well done on telling the story of some the bravest men ever to wear RAF uniform - those who flew the type to attack Endau with little hope of returning alive were, like Esmonde's 'Channel Dash' Swordfish crews, 'courage personified'.
Ed, it would be really cool to see you do an overview of the air power in the Spanish Civil War. One half may be all borrowed German equipment that we all know already, but I didn't realize the variety of obsolete biplanes that made their way to that conflict. Didn't realize until I heard it over and over again in your obscure aircraft videos, that is.
Plenty of Italian machinery in the hands of Nationalists. More than German planes, which were scarce and normally operated by German crews. The Republicans inherited the major part of existing Spanish Air Force, itself based on early thirties European planes. Later, they were supplied with Soviet planes.
I have been aware of the Vildabeest's deployment in the Far East for many years but had no data on their action other than 'suffering from horrific losses' and 'withdrawn from front line service'. Thanks for your work.
Terrific photo research on this one Ed. I made the Azur kit of the 'Beeste and never could work out what colour the Malaya aircraft were painted. Anyway, the authorities in Singapore were always weak in pressing the case for defences, hence the terrible aircraft available. And before anyone points out the emergency in Europe, this was late 41: Spitfires were basically idle in England with no serious invasion threat. To read of the bravery of these aircrews is humbling.
Great story, fantastically brave men who flew them. RIP to all that perished in those desparate attacks. Thanks for the posting, would love to see one fly again, keep us informed please, it's worth another video. Cheers
Its important to remember what the RAF Brass said officially after the last ones went down near Java: "And that's the end of the Gnus. Here is the weather".
Random stuff I've picked up from watching WWII UA-cam videos: 1) Yes, the TBD's paid a terrible price at Midway. They also distracted the IJN ships from a concurrent dive bomber attack which wreaked great havok. 2) The Faery Swordfish were effective vs the Bismarck b/c the latter's tracking radar was incapable of tracking such slow targets. 3) There was a squadron of Female Russian pilots who were also successful b/c they devised tactics around their completely obsolete biplanes' slow speed.
Ed your content is the best. I know it must take forever to compile all this information and create these awesome presentations for your fellow curious aviation buffs. I really appreciate your efforts, your production quality is top shelf and the occasional bit of well placed, dry British wit goes perfectly with the thoughtfully presented, well informed and fascinating information. You've got one of the best aviation documentary series of all time going on here, please never quit.
Hopefully I can see the one nearby at the RNZAF Museum restored sooner than later. I've been following the progress for years since I worked there in 2009. The Subritzky family near Auckland also has a Vickers Vincent restored which is VERY similar to the Vildebeest
I've visited the Subritzky Vincent around 2009 , fuselage framed up on its wheels centre section in place. Until seen in the flesh I didn't appreciate just how big they are. Jacindas just showing the world how it should be done.
The "Ki" prefix to Japanese Army aircraft designation is a syllable, not two discrete letters. It should be pronounced "Kee". It's the first syllable of the Japanese word for "airframe" which is "Kitai".
Yes. Thank you. I can see that here en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_of_Japan_during_World_War_II All the aircraft beginning with Ki - are Army Aircraft. .
Your stuff is VERY good!. Well researched and hype free. Excellent histories and accompanying images. Christopher Shore's "Bloody Shambles" II has a detailed account of the Endau attacks, down to all the crew member's names, individual fates and crew losses of the A/C. They went through hell.
Viledbeest: Hopelessly obsolete when 14 years old. Boeing B-52: Still in frontline service after 70 years. Yes, the pace of development in the interwar years was incredible!
In the early 2000's i helped in the attempted recovery of some of the these aircraft in a site just outside Blenheim, in New Zealand. They came from Woodbourne AFB at the end of WWII. They had been cut up, dumped in a hole and set on fire by the airforce.
Great Video Ed. Apparently, the name Vildebeest, the Afrikaans word for Wildebeest, was used because Vickers (international arms-dealing company that it was) had high hopes of selling it to South Africa. There were so many different misspellings of the word, even in official documents, that in 1934 the Air Ministry had to take the unprecedented step of sending out a memo specifying how to spell it. To be fair to Vickers, the Air Ministry had specified that the name had to be that of a land mammal, and since Vickers liked to use alliteration when naming their aircraft there were only a few names to choose from. The other two names considered were "Vicuna" and "Vulpes".
Thank you, these aircraft were used in a valiant and unsuccessful defence of Malaya during the Japanese invasion in December 1941. Much respect for the sacrifice of of the RAF , RAAF and RNZAF personnel . God bless them all.
By the end of 1944 the US Navy was dropping aerial torpedoes at high speed and 5000' altitude. I don't know if this was a new capability or that it was alway possible and no one thought about until later in the war.
@@johnshepherd8687 Most definitely a new capability. I don't know for sure, but I think the US Navy found a way to add parachutes to torpedoes. This would at the very least reduce the speed at which said torpedoes hit the water. I don't know how they solved the aiming of those torpedoes. Or maybe I'm confusing this method with the one used for anti-submarine self-guiding torpedoes? In any case, anti-ship torpedoes were a very complex and very delicate piece of machinery and the delivery method (flying low and slow) reflected this very problem.
@@johnshepherd8687 Are you sure about that? I can't find any reference to it. The Japanese Type 91 was launched from as high as 330 ft.. and that was considerd high for the time... Even modern ASW torpedos are launched from low altitude...There is a project underway at Boeing it seems to launch Mk54 torpedos fitted with wings and a guidance system as gliders from high altitude...but thats NOW not 1944! How a WW2 style torpedo could be in ANY way aimed from that height I have no idea..
@@trooperdgb9722 Drachinfel has referenced that. The GLIDETORP concept has been around for a long time. The concept is to drop the torpedo from 20k'+ so the air raft can remain ar altitude. A modern torpedo has sensitive electronics whereas a Mk 13 is a dumb weapon.
Yes, the Vildebeest was badly obsolete by 1941. But would the Vildebeest squadrons in SE Asia have done any better if they'd been equipped with state-of-the-art aircraft (say, the Grumman TBF Avenger and Fairey Barracuda - both of which were in trials by this time)? Probably not, I think. The operational circumstances - lots of unescorted, penny-packet attacks - would have combined with the requirement to fly low and slow to successfully deliver torpedoes to produce very similar results. This is not to take anything away from the crews who flew these aircraft. Just pointing out that the airplane itself wasn't their biggest problem.
Excellent points, and you are almost certainly correct. If theyd got Beauforts, their loss rate may have been better, but suspect you are quite right it wouldve been the same result.
@@EdNashsMilitaryMatters There was an officer named Patrick Heenan, a New Zealand Army officer who was a liaison officer with the RAF. He was also a Japanese spy. Repeatedly, Blenheims were shot up as they formed up for attacks, vulnerable on their airfields. So, indeed. Most Vildebeeste operations were bombing rather than torpedo attacks in December-January-February 1942.
one can be interested in the machine. but you have to marvel at the bravery and determination of men willing to use it in war. salute to all the fallen!
One of the observers in No. 36 Squadron on 26 January 1942 was my grandmother's younger brother, Joe Lockhart. He was best friend of my grandfather and was best man at their wedding. He's buried in a military cemetery in Singapore and is how I remember Australia Day on that date.
A few years ago I visited a historic aircraft restoration workshop near Auckland, where they had one of these, a Hawker Hart and a Meteor under restoration. I don't know if it was the same machine that you refer to, but if not, there may be 2 of these rare beasts still in existence. edit - after reading the posts below, I realise that it may have been a Vincent that I saw, not a Vildebeest. Equally rare, I suspect.
I believe Z is still pronounced zed in New Zealand.🇳🇿 😅 And It doesn't surprise me at all that we had these relics considering we were still flying Bristol F.2 Fighters from WW1 in 1936. Visiting the RNZAF Museum at Wigram, Christchurch is well worth it. Pity it's not an airfield anymore.
Basically all Brittish two or three seated biplanes were just enlarged, heavier Bristol F.2 Fighters. The F.2 was one of the most effective and most versatile combat aircraft of WW1 and it stayed a very effective combat aircraft well into the 1920s. It was the first true multirole combat aircraft in history and it was successful in every role. From that perspective it makes a whole lot of sense to stay on that path and just use the availability of larger engines to increase weapons load and range. For the whole 20s and the first half of the 30s that was not problem at all because all fighters worldwide were also basically enlarged WW1 fighters, made for nothing else than dogfighting in the tightest possible turns and climbing not really fast but very steep. Against fighters like that, F.2 style aircraft never had a hard time standing their ground because they were not much slower, could turn almost as good as the fighters and the flexible mounted rear machine gun was highly effective in that style of combat. Only after the emerge of aerodynamically advanced high speed bombers in the mid 30s and fast monoplane fighters that were mainly designed to fight these new bombers, the slow biplanes experienced a growing problem. The fighters were not onle able to kill the new and fast bombers but they were also able to use their advantage in speed for deadly hit and run attacks on the much slower biplanes. The Sowjets later found a new niche for slow biplanes. They used them for night attacks. Flying at tree top level it was almost impossible to kill them.
I always feel for crews of obsolescent aircraft, tanks or any other weapons system who relied on sheer courage whilst knowing they would likely be killed and their chances of achieving anything slim.
Another brilliant episode, Mr. Nash. Japanese had excellent torpedoes (probably the best of any in WW2) and good pilots. American pilots at Midway in lost squadron Torpedo 8 had crappy torpedoes and no fighter escort due to incompetent flight leader of the mission who flew them the wrong way. The Torpedo 8 boys sacrifice kept the Japanese occupied long enough for the US dive bombers to whack the enemy carriers. Sad story but their effort helped the overall US victory at Midway.
Unfortunately this isnt true, the Japanese CAP had almost 15 minutes to get back to altitude after massacring Torpedo 8, before the next wave arrived. Their sacrifice did nothing but use up ammunition, litteral cannon fodder. Drach's excellent video on Midway covers this in detail.
Which perhaps started with the Vimy. Followed by: Valentia, Vengence, Vampire, Ventura, Venom & Virgina. And pushing it a bit.,,,,,,,, Viking, Valetta, Victoria, Varsity, Vernon, Vega Gull, Vigilant and of course the inestimable Vestland Virlvind. You'd have thought 'Vulture' would have made it to a naming too but sadly no.
What doesn't come across so will is how big they were. Beaufighter dimensions. Turns out, to lift a torpedo, three men, and fuel with only about 700 horsepower, you need a LOT of wing.
The only way is fly as low as you possibly can and try to get between the ships so the ships aa gunners have a hard time not hitting each other. Now your in and can aim your torpedo. But you still have no way out because once you are not between the ships anymore they will shoot again with everything they have. Basically it is a suicide attack. As long as no high speed torpedo was availlable, every torpedo bomber had basically the same problem. They could not use their speed because the torpedo had to be dropped at low speed anyway. Only after high speed torpedos became available, fast hit an run style torpedo attacks became possible. I think the US Navy was the first to have torpedos that could be dropped at high airspeeds.
While it may have felt like that, at times, the heroes who flew the planes, knew they stood a pretty good chance, of surviving, even(possibly even because it was slow) in one of the slowest planes........ Because, as is said in the video, this was shown to be so, when all of the gunners on Bismarck, were unable to knockdown even one of the Fairey Swordfishes that flew against it, and crippled it, so it could be sunk by the rest of the Royal Navy.......... And, they had seen that the Italian shore batteries, were not very effective, when they unintentionally showed the Japanese how to attack Pearl harbour, with the successful attack on the Italian fleet in Taranto..............
@@norrinradd3549 That's a pretty good point. Japanese light guns were notoriously slow to train on target when operated by remote gun directors. The small size and slow speed would make it hard to keep them "in the sights" from a moving ship. And AA guns, in general, had to fire hundreds of rounds to even get a hit on targets. (on average) I sill would be clenched tight with a Volkswagon weight of hot metal in the air around me though :D
@@norrinradd3549 Germans had completely underestimated the impact of naval aviation and Italians were the same or only slightly better. The naval aviation equipment, the naval anti aircraft equipment and the training of the crews in terms of naval air war was well below Brittish, American and Japanese standards. At sea the Japanese were a much stronger enemy in the first phase of the war. Not only did they know how to use their naval air force effectively. They also knew how dangerous enemy aircraft can be to their own ships and they did invest a lot to protect them. In 1942 flying a torpedo attack against a Japanese ship was much more dangerous than flying a torpedo attack against a similar German ship.
I think one was used to drop supplies to the Australian 2/19th and 2/29th Battalions at the bridge at Parit Sulong during their epic battle on the Bakri Parit Sulong Road Malaya January 1942
The reason for the *’V’* in the apparent misspelling is because the word Wildebeest is pronounced as though it is spelled *Vilderbeest.* The pronunciation is “VILL-DER-BEAST.” Dutch/Afrikaans pronunciation.
Good stuff, I like the Wilderbeast, Excited to hear RNZAF are puttin, maybe put one together. just over the ditch from there, although with the pandemic. Thanks m8!
The Fairey Swordfish was an ancient looking biplane but it actually served as a (relatively) heavy-lift STOL. It’s ability to lift a heavy torpedo from a heaving carrier deck and get back to the same heaving deck was unparalleled. Despite the similarities, Wildebeest was the previous generation design and far less capable.
It really does encapsulate how quickly war made aircraft literally obsolete over night ! And those poor souls were so utterly brave to take to the skies knowing their chances of survival were almost nil ! And as you point out the Fairey Fulmar ....more of the same ! But in reality it was no ones fault ! Thanks Ed.
I hope they do restore the New Zealand one to full flying condition. With the RNZAF having disbanded their Air Combat Force in 2001, it would be the most modern attack aircraft they had !
I had read that in Malaya/Singapore the Vildebeest aircraft were incapable of making torpedo attacks at night. Was that due to the aircraft (or sights) or training? Any idea?
Greetings from South Africa. Regarding the name wildebeest is an Afrikaans name and as such the w is pronounced as a v so it would be called a vildebeest spelt with a w. I believe the south African airforce operated a few in North Africa in the early days of that campaign. Abasynia I think.
MY Great uncle Deryck Milne was in 100 squadron, based in Scotland ,the squadron was transferred to Singapore in 1934. his Vilderbeast was the first one assembled there . at one stage in October 1934 , during a storm, they crashed in the Malaysian jungle in the tree tops .his crew all survived & the aircraft was recovered. he eventually was requisitioned by the RNZAF to return to NZ & help set up for war in 1939. His brother Cecil Snowy had gone through Cranwell college to become an officer & was shot down in a PRU spitfire on 22 April 1940 over Stuttgart. both brothers survived the war to return to New Zealand.
Quite a few forgotten aircraft in Africa and Asia. Vickers Wellesley is another example - went from record breaker to fodder for biplane fighters in 5 years flat
I remember my father saying he collected a prop blade off one that clipped a fence and crashed when he was in the airforce In WW2, he said they were huge lumbering things,
Thank you very much for this video. I've read about vildebeest's being in frontline service at the start of the war in the pacific, but I've never found any details nor any pictures. Btw: wasn't there vildebeests used in East Africa against the Italians too? Do you have information about that?
Other the the fuselage turtledeck, they were all fabric covered. When reference is made to "all metal" construction, it means it didnt have wooden wing structure. The wings were Aluminium (mainly pressed channel) framing with Fabric covering, the fuselage steel tube truss, also fabric covered. Its pretty easy to see the fabric wing covering in the pictures.
It's amazing how the Fairey Swordfish had such a illustrous career during WWII but when came in service but went into service it didn't mark a notable improvement over it's predecessors the Vildebeest and Blackburn Shark.
Ed, In re; W versus V. Some person may have already brought the following to your attention: In the places where the local language has a Germanic base. W is pronounced as a V. So when the Dutch settlers reached what's now South Africa, the animal that's variously called the Wildebeest or Vildebeest, both could be correct. As I couldn't find any support for this assertion, an alternate suggestion might be Vickers wanting the Vildebeest to follow the similar Vickers Victor. As always, I learned of yet another obscure event. Thank you for your efforts in making your Videos
Thank you so much for this video, I´m actually a huge fan of the Vildebeest (mainly it´s history during the Spanish Civil War). Curiously, while Spain purchased the Vickers Vildebeest, the neighbor country of Portugal purchased the Blackburn Shark instead. You could make a video about the Blackburn Shark too someday; to give you and idea, the airframes were so badly finished and weak that the Pilots sent from Lisbon to bring the planes from the UK refused to accept them and fly with them. Eventually, the planes were delivered in 1936 but were removed from service in 1938, after the loss of one of these planes in an accident. It seems that even the British hated the Shark too, since it was acquired by the Fleet Air Arm in 1935 but immediately replaced in 1936 by the Swordfish...
@@thejustice7305 Hi Tomasi! I was about to send you a copy of this video to you when I saw your comment. :D I made some improvements, I shall post the photos in the future.
As a kid in the 60s I had a model Swordfish and could not believe that thing had been used in WWII. Now I find and even slower and more obsolete plane that was also used. I can’t imagine the courage or foolishness it must have taken to go into combat in either one.
It seems this aircraft had retractable slats on the upper wing. This must have been one of the very first implementations of these high lift devices. Also not common for the period and for a biplane is the 3 blade (apparently) constant speed propeller. Obsolete maybe, but still advanced in some ways.
I'm pretty sure that in his book 'Spitfire' John Nichols recounts a squadron of 11 or 12 Wildebeasts being despatched cross channel to bomb the Germans advancing on Dunkirk. One returned having turned back with engine trouble a couple of miles off the English coast. It was the only one which did return. The pilot requested transfer to Fighters and served in Spitfires until being killed in action.
Ironically, the Vickers Wildebeest was actually faster than the Fairey Swordfish that replaced it. The Swordfish had a maximum airspeed of 138 MPH unlaiden and 75 MPH carrying a torpedo.
The last action by the Vildebeest was actually after the attack on the Invasion fleet. On the night of 7th March the day before the Dutch surrender, 3 Vildebeest did a night raid on an airfield. My father, an Australian, was the navigator in one aircraft that was shot down. The gunner and my father parachuted out but the NZ pilot attempted to land the stricken plane and died in the crash. I presume the two aircraft that tried to fly to Ceylon were the other aircraft in that raid.
What? No mention of the FAA attack on the Italian fleet at Taranto? It was that successful attack that convinced the IJN that torpedoes could be used in shallow harbors like Taranto and Pearl.
Churchill: "You must defend our colony by all means". Local commander: "By what means? Oh, you mean a few prehistoric Vildebeests? I wish us good luck. We'll do our best!"
Interesting video, so I subscribed. I bet without fighter cover they flew so slow the ships gunners would have a real problem tracking. Just like the Germans had with the Stringbags.
Mostly attacking barges and small ships in landing situations. The Japanese generally had air cover where it was needed and the RAF rarely managed to co-ordinate fighters and bombers. The speed differential was an issue, but not too hard for the experienced Japanese pilots. The surviving 'Beestes were usually full of holes.
@@lllordllloyd Yes, but some of their newer anti aircraft guns also had a hard time tracking airplanes traveling so slow. The Germans learned how to lead and hold. It did cut the effectiveness of the guns rate of fire
My late Father served at Bletchley, using signal interception they warned Malaysia, although they could do nothing, they also tracked another group of ships that ended up off pearl harbour. He was always very annoyed that his unit which contained US service men was never given credit for the warning they gave which resulted in the US carriers leaving port. Tbh I think the Americans just ignored them. But moved the carriers just in case then didn't want to admit it. When my late Father managed to talk to an expert at Bletchley he wasn't told he was wrong he was told "shut up, never mention it again"!
![The British Bomber That Looked Utterly Ridiculous | Handley Page Heyford [Aircraft Overview #91]](/img/n.gif)
I was at Wigram (The RNZAF museum) in 2011 and took photos of the skeleton frame of the Vildebeest, at the time the guide told me that it might have to be a hybrid of various marks and aircraft as not enough parts one mark remain to make a "pure" type rebuild. It was unbelievable to see the dedication of the team there rebuilding a type that no longer exists in any museum!
Ed, you do realise the restoration of the Vildebeest is part of the long term plan by RNZAF to reconstitute it's strike arm.
It would be their only armed fixed wing aircraft 🤣😅 as an Australian I say we let NZ pay the price in the next war by not defending their unarmed arses .
@@mathewkelly9968 Except for the Orions. NZ will pay the price in the next war by being stuck with Australian made equipment that doesn't work properly - the frigates, the Steyrs (thankfully gone), the 105mm Light Guns - everything we buy from the Australians is faulty when delivered.
@@iatsd they stuck with the ex Ozzie Skyhawks for years, with upgrades they were quite good.
@@iancurtis1152 The Australians didn't build the Skyhawks and NZ upgraded them to the NZ Kahu standard, so irrelevant to the point I was making: Australian built equipment is ALWAYS crap
@@iatsd I never said they were Ozzie built but they were ex Aus Navy, with their upgrades they were competitive as in war games with other nations. ( I’ve been in Oz for years) are the Sea Sprite Navy choppers still active, the Ozzie ones were scraped years ago. I’ve heard NZ Navy Sprites were flying but not certified for “over water” operations, 🥴can you confirm?
My late Father went to war in Singapore flying the MkIII for 2GR Squadron RNZAF. It was great seeing your video of some flying. Thank you.
Thanks for doing a piece on this forgotten gem and reminding of the astounding heroism of these young men.
Astounding indeed. They didn't know it, but they were furnishing the Japanese with the template for the kamikaze pilots that were to come later in the war.
Hats off to the valiant crews. Respect from Argentina.
The Vildebeest's name followed the tradition of RAF service aircraft having alliterative names, so the initial V was deliberate and NOT a spelling error, and South Africans speaking Afrikaans pronounced the name the same way that Vickers spelt it. Vickers had difficulty finding more relevant names beginning in V suitable for military aircraft, and must have breathed a sigh of relief when they were informed that their latest RAF order was to be a bomber named Wellesley and their next the Wellington. They reverted to names beginning with V for civilian types built after WW2: Valetta, Viking, Viscount, Vanguard and VC-10.
Well done on telling the story of some the bravest men ever to wear RAF uniform - those who flew the type to attack Endau with little hope of returning alive were, like Esmonde's 'Channel Dash' Swordfish crews, 'courage personified'.
New Zealand again! There's an incredible pool of aircraft restoration expertise down there, what with the restorations and new-build WW1 'replicas'.
Thank Peter Jackson ( the movie guy) for a lot of that.
New~Zeal~Land... pretty much sums it up.
Ed, it would be really cool to see you do an overview of the air power in the Spanish Civil War. One half may be all borrowed German equipment that we all know already, but I didn't realize the variety of obsolete biplanes that made their way to that conflict. Didn't realize until I heard it over and over again in your obscure aircraft videos, that is.
the Republic flew some french aircraft that might be interesting; obscure anyway
@@aasphaltmueller5178 Hawker Harts, too.
Plenty of Italian machinery in the hands of Nationalists. More than German planes, which were scarce and normally operated by German crews.
The Republicans inherited the major part of existing Spanish Air Force, itself based on early thirties European planes. Later, they were supplied with Soviet planes.
I have been aware of the Vildabeest's deployment in the Far East for many years but had no data on their action other than 'suffering from horrific losses' and 'withdrawn from front line service'. Thanks for your work.
You really deserve more subs, always turning out fascinating and well researched videos.
Thanks!
agreed. making steady progress mind. I'm sure you'll hit 100k before long Ed
Terrific photo research on this one Ed. I made the Azur kit of the 'Beeste and never could work out what colour the Malaya aircraft were painted. Anyway, the authorities in Singapore were always weak in pressing the case for defences, hence the terrible aircraft available. And before anyone points out the emergency in Europe, this was late 41: Spitfires were basically idle in England with no serious invasion threat. To read of the bravery of these aircrews is humbling.
Great story, fantastically brave men who flew them. RIP to all that perished in those desparate attacks. Thanks for the posting, would love to see one fly again, keep us informed please, it's worth another video. Cheers
'Wildebeast eh? - is this what the Air Ministry call 'suitably Gnu equipment' for 'a brave gnu world?' 'Er, yes Minister.'
Oh deer
A "Gnu World Disorder."
Its important to remember what the RAF Brass said officially after the last ones went down near Java:
"And that's the end of the Gnus.
Here is the weather".
Random stuff I've picked up from watching WWII UA-cam videos:
1) Yes, the TBD's paid a terrible price at Midway. They also distracted the IJN ships from a concurrent dive bomber attack which wreaked great havok.
2) The Faery Swordfish were effective vs the Bismarck b/c the latter's tracking radar was incapable of tracking such slow targets.
3) There was a squadron of Female Russian pilots who were also successful b/c they devised tactics around their completely obsolete biplanes' slow speed.
Ed your content is the best. I know it must take forever to compile all this information and create these awesome presentations for your fellow curious aviation buffs. I really appreciate your efforts, your production quality is top shelf and the occasional bit of well placed, dry British wit goes perfectly with the thoughtfully presented, well informed and fascinating information. You've got one of the best aviation documentary series of all time going on here, please never quit.
Thank you for the kind words! Hope to carry on with videos for as long as I can :)
Hopefully I can see the one nearby at the RNZAF Museum restored sooner than later. I've been following the progress for years since I worked there in 2009.
The Subritzky family near Auckland also has a Vickers Vincent restored which is VERY similar to the Vildebeest
You in AKL?
@@thejustice7305 based in Christchurch
You have some great vintage warplanes in NZ, shame about your bat shit crazy prime minister.
@@jonathansteadman7935 hahahahahahahahahahm. Mate it's even worse that she's my 3rd cousin. Haha. Yeah she's just going full throttle now
I've visited the Subritzky Vincent around 2009 , fuselage framed up on its wheels centre section in place. Until seen in the flesh I didn't appreciate just how big they are.
Jacindas just showing the world how it should be done.
The "Ki" prefix to Japanese Army aircraft designation is a syllable, not two discrete letters. It should be pronounced "Kee". It's the first syllable of the Japanese word for "airframe" which is "Kitai".
Excellent, I'll bear that in mind when I get around to more japanese planes. Thanks for that.
Damn, this is one of my "I was today years old when I learned this". Thanks!
Yes. Thank you. I can see that here
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_of_Japan_during_World_War_II
All the aircraft beginning with Ki - are Army Aircraft.
.
I thought 'Kitai' meant it was home built in Lancashire, Yorkshire or maybe Cumbria or Derbyshire?
Didst mek that thisel then lad?
Kit? Aye.
@@Farweasel Shouldn't the last "t" on "that" - not be there?
.
Your stuff is VERY good!. Well researched and hype free. Excellent histories and accompanying images. Christopher Shore's "Bloody Shambles" II has a detailed account of the Endau attacks, down to all the crew member's names, individual fates and crew losses of the A/C. They went through hell.
Cheers MATE, Another great video!
Viledbeest: Hopelessly obsolete when 14 years old.
Boeing B-52: Still in frontline service after 70 years.
Yes, the pace of development in the interwar years was incredible!
In the early 2000's i helped in the attempted recovery of some of the these aircraft in a site just outside Blenheim, in New Zealand. They came from Woodbourne AFB at the end of WWII. They had been cut up, dumped in a hole and set on fire by the airforce.
I've always loved the British “Oh, bloody hell, why not?“ approach to aircraft model designation.
Great Video Ed. Apparently, the name Vildebeest, the Afrikaans word for Wildebeest, was used because Vickers (international arms-dealing company that it was) had high hopes of selling it to South Africa. There were so many different misspellings of the word, even in official documents, that in 1934 the Air Ministry had to take the unprecedented step of sending out a memo specifying how to spell it. To be fair to Vickers, the Air Ministry had specified that the name had to be that of a land mammal, and since Vickers liked to use alliteration when naming their aircraft there were only a few names to choose from. The other two names considered were "Vicuna" and "Vulpes".
Thanks John, always an education :)
Thank you, these aircraft were used in a valiant and unsuccessful defence of Malaya during the Japanese invasion in December 1941.
Much respect for the sacrifice of of the RAF , RAAF and RNZAF personnel . God bless them all.
You're forgetting the Dutch!
Reading Patrick Gibbs ‘Torpedo Leader’ it sounds like any torpedo attack, no matter what the aircraft utilised, was extremely hazardous.
By the end of 1944 the US Navy was dropping aerial torpedoes at high speed and 5000' altitude. I don't know if this was a new capability or that it was alway possible and no one thought about until later in the war.
@@johnshepherd8687 Most definitely a new capability. I don't know for sure, but I think the US Navy found a way to add parachutes to torpedoes. This would at the very least reduce the speed at which said torpedoes hit the water. I don't know how they solved the aiming of those torpedoes. Or maybe I'm confusing this method with the one used for anti-submarine self-guiding torpedoes?
In any case, anti-ship torpedoes were a very complex and very delicate piece of machinery and the delivery method (flying low and slow) reflected this very problem.
@@johnshepherd8687 Are you sure about that? I can't find any reference to it. The Japanese Type 91 was launched from as high as 330 ft.. and that was considerd high for the time... Even modern ASW torpedos are launched from low altitude...There is a project underway at Boeing it seems to launch Mk54 torpedos fitted with wings and a guidance system as gliders from high altitude...but thats NOW not 1944! How a WW2 style torpedo could be in ANY way aimed from that height I have no idea..
@@trooperdgb9722 Drachinfel has referenced that. The GLIDETORP concept has been around for a long time. The concept is to drop the torpedo from 20k'+ so the air raft can remain ar altitude. A modern torpedo has sensitive electronics whereas a Mk 13 is a dumb weapon.
@@johnshepherd8687 Thats what I'm curious about. Launch a straight running unguided torpedo from high altitude? How could it possibly be aimed?
Yes, the Vildebeest was badly obsolete by 1941. But would the Vildebeest squadrons in SE Asia have done any better if they'd been equipped with state-of-the-art aircraft (say, the Grumman TBF Avenger and Fairey Barracuda - both of which were in trials by this time)? Probably not, I think. The operational circumstances - lots of unescorted, penny-packet attacks - would have combined with the requirement to fly low and slow to successfully deliver torpedoes to produce very similar results.
This is not to take anything away from the crews who flew these aircraft. Just pointing out that the airplane itself wasn't their biggest problem.
Excellent points, and you are almost certainly correct. If theyd got Beauforts, their loss rate may have been better, but suspect you are quite right it wouldve been the same result.
@@EdNashsMilitaryMatters There was an officer named Patrick Heenan, a New Zealand Army officer who was a liaison officer with the RAF. He was also a Japanese spy. Repeatedly, Blenheims were shot up as they formed up for attacks, vulnerable on their airfields. So, indeed. Most Vildebeeste operations were bombing rather than torpedo attacks in December-January-February 1942.
one can be interested in the machine. but you have to marvel at the bravery and determination of men willing to use it in war.
salute to all the fallen!
Good one...can I suggest the Vickers Wellesley?
I never knew about the cat being shot down, thank you for the vid
One of the observers in No. 36 Squadron on 26 January 1942 was my grandmother's younger brother, Joe Lockhart. He was best friend of my grandfather and was best man at their wedding. He's buried in a military cemetery in Singapore and is how I remember Australia Day on that date.
At 4:41 Did you noticed the huge dent on the torpedo's head under the plane in the right?
A few years ago I visited a historic aircraft restoration workshop near Auckland, where they had one of these, a Hawker Hart and a Meteor under restoration. I don't know if it was the same machine that you refer to, but if not, there may be 2 of these rare beasts still in existence.
edit - after reading the posts below, I realise that it may have been a Vincent that I saw, not a Vildebeest. Equally rare, I suspect.
Please if you would do one on the Wellesley, that'd be splendid. Greetings from Germany.
I believe Z is still pronounced zed in New Zealand.🇳🇿 😅
And It doesn't surprise me at all that we had these relics considering we were still flying Bristol F.2 Fighters from WW1 in 1936.
Visiting the RNZAF Museum at Wigram, Christchurch is well worth it. Pity it's not an airfield anymore.
There is also one in a private collection in the North Island
You should have saved your sopwith camels for ww2.
@@davesy6969 Not sure about Camels but still have two Pups and a Snipe.
ua-cam.com/video/sXXZYpGVaoQ/v-deo.html
Basically all Brittish two or three seated biplanes were just enlarged, heavier Bristol F.2 Fighters.
The F.2 was one of the most effective and most versatile combat aircraft of WW1 and it stayed a very effective combat aircraft well into the 1920s. It was the first true multirole combat aircraft in history and it was successful in every role. From that perspective it makes a whole lot of sense to stay on that path and just use the availability of larger engines to increase weapons load and range. For the whole 20s and the first half of the 30s that was not problem at all because all fighters worldwide were also basically enlarged WW1 fighters, made for nothing else than dogfighting in the tightest possible turns and climbing not really fast but very steep. Against fighters like that, F.2 style aircraft never had a hard time standing their ground because they were not much slower, could turn almost as good as the fighters and the flexible mounted rear machine gun was highly effective in that style of combat.
Only after the emerge of aerodynamically advanced high speed bombers in the mid 30s and fast monoplane fighters that were mainly designed to fight these new bombers, the slow biplanes experienced a growing problem. The fighters were not onle able to kill the new and fast bombers but they were also able to use their advantage in speed for deadly hit and run attacks on the much slower biplanes.
The Sowjets later found a new niche for slow biplanes. They used them for night attacks. Flying at tree top level it was almost impossible to kill them.
@@Itsjustme-Justme That make a lot of sense. It also goes a way towards explaining the disaster that was the Fairey Battle.
Another fascinating video Ed, I had no idea that the venerable Vildebeest had seen action.
I always feel for crews of obsolescent aircraft, tanks or any other weapons system who relied on sheer courage whilst knowing they would likely be killed and their chances of achieving anything slim.
Aircrews with real guts. It’s madness but they went on to do it.
Another amazing vid, Ed!
Awesome video. I'll live not far from Wellington. That's awesome, now I know where to go for a holiday.
Some wonderful photos in this video.
Another brilliant episode, Mr. Nash.
Japanese had excellent torpedoes (probably the best of any in WW2) and good pilots. American pilots at Midway in lost squadron Torpedo 8 had crappy torpedoes and no fighter escort due to incompetent flight leader of the mission who flew them the wrong way. The Torpedo 8 boys sacrifice kept the Japanese occupied long enough for the US dive bombers to whack the enemy carriers. Sad story but their effort helped the overall US victory at Midway.
Unfortunately this isnt true, the Japanese CAP had almost 15 minutes to get back to altitude after massacring Torpedo 8, before the next wave arrived. Their sacrifice did nothing but use up ammunition, litteral cannon fodder. Drach's excellent video on Midway covers this in detail.
Yeah about a decade ago I saw the Wing Jig for the RNZAF Vildebeast restoration at the B-24 restoration hangar at Werribee, Australia.
*The Vickers Vildebeest:* an ancient, little-known ancestor to *Britain's V Bombers - Victor, Valiant and Vulcan.*
Which perhaps started with the Vimy. Followed by:
Valentia, Vengence, Vampire, Ventura, Venom & Virgina. And pushing it a bit.,,,,,,,,
Viking, Valetta, Victoria, Varsity, Vernon, Vega Gull, Vigilant and of course the inestimable Vestland Virlvind.
You'd have thought 'Vulture' would have made it to a naming too but sadly no.
Good video with comprehensive history, enjoyed.
Never heard of this aircraft, obsolete in service apparently ,but you gotta give kudos to the aircrew flying these.
What doesn't come across so will is how big they were. Beaufighter dimensions. Turns out, to lift a torpedo, three men, and fuel with only about 700 horsepower, you need a LOT of wing.
Flying these at modern heavily armed ships must have felt like standing in front of a firing squad without a blindfold.
The only way is fly as low as you possibly can and try to get between the ships so the ships aa gunners have a hard time not hitting each other. Now your in and can aim your torpedo. But you still have no way out because once you are not between the ships anymore they will shoot again with everything they have. Basically it is a suicide attack.
As long as no high speed torpedo was availlable, every torpedo bomber had basically the same problem. They could not use their speed because the torpedo had to be dropped at low speed anyway. Only after high speed torpedos became available, fast hit an run style torpedo attacks became possible. I think the US Navy was the first to have torpedos that could be dropped at high airspeeds.
without a blindfold, but at least they were handed a rock to throw at the firing squad.
While it may have felt like that, at times, the heroes who flew the planes, knew they stood a pretty good chance, of surviving, even(possibly even because it was slow) in one of the slowest planes........
Because, as is said in the video, this was shown to be so, when all of the gunners on Bismarck, were unable to knockdown even one of the Fairey Swordfishes that flew against it, and crippled it, so it could be sunk by the rest of the Royal Navy..........
And, they had seen that the Italian shore batteries, were not very effective, when they unintentionally showed the Japanese how to attack Pearl harbour, with the successful attack on the Italian fleet in Taranto..............
@@norrinradd3549 That's a pretty good point. Japanese light guns were notoriously slow to train on target when operated by remote gun directors.
The small size and slow speed would make it hard to keep them "in the sights" from a moving ship.
And AA guns, in general, had to fire hundreds of rounds to even get a hit on targets. (on average)
I sill would be clenched tight with a Volkswagon weight of hot metal in the air around me though :D
@@norrinradd3549 Germans had completely underestimated the impact of naval aviation and Italians were the same or only slightly better. The naval aviation equipment, the naval anti aircraft equipment and the training of the crews in terms of naval air war was well below Brittish, American and Japanese standards.
At sea the Japanese were a much stronger enemy in the first phase of the war. Not only did they know how to use their naval air force effectively. They also knew how dangerous enemy aircraft can be to their own ships and they did invest a lot to protect them. In 1942 flying a torpedo attack against a Japanese ship was much more dangerous than flying a torpedo attack against a similar German ship.
I think one was used to drop supplies to the Australian 2/19th and 2/29th Battalions at the bridge at Parit Sulong during their epic battle on the Bakri Parit Sulong Road Malaya January 1942
Aircraft of the Royal Air Force - Owen Thetford, (1995 ed) lists the Vilebeest as all fabric covered.
Huzzah1
and '"Alas."
Brave men condemed to death by duty.
Rest in eternal peace, Brothers.
The reason for the *’V’* in the apparent misspelling is because the word Wildebeest is pronounced as though it is spelled *Vilderbeest.* The pronunciation is “VILL-DER-BEAST.” Dutch/Afrikaans pronunciation.
Yes indeed
It also alliterates with Vickers.😎
An ancient, little-known ancestor to Britain's V Bombers: Victor, Valiant and Vulcan.
Great video, informative and well presented - thanks mate...
Good stuff, I like the Wilderbeast, Excited to hear RNZAF are puttin, maybe put one together. just over the ditch from there, although with the pandemic. Thanks m8!
Great episode 👏.
The Fairey Swordfish was an ancient looking biplane but it actually served as a (relatively) heavy-lift STOL. It’s ability to lift a heavy torpedo from a heaving carrier deck and get back to the same heaving deck was unparalleled.
Despite the similarities, Wildebeest was the previous generation design and far less capable.
Funny thing is the Vildebeest had a faster top speed
It really does encapsulate how quickly war made aircraft literally obsolete over night ! And those poor souls were so utterly brave to take to the skies knowing their chances of survival were almost nil ! And as you point out the Fairey Fulmar ....more of the same ! But in reality it was no ones fault ! Thanks Ed.
Hawker Hartebeest next?
Thanks for the NZ link…interesting reads there. Beautiful image at 8:59.
Yet another great video Ed!! :-)
Have you covered the Gloster gladiator?
IIRC Vincent’s were active over the Red Sea from Aden well into WW2 and were active in the East African campaign and Iraq too.
I hope they do restore the New Zealand one to full flying condition. With the RNZAF having disbanded their Air Combat Force in 2001, it would be the most modern attack aircraft they had !
The Military here in New Zealand is so run down the Royal New Zealand Navy has to use a privately owned MIG 21 to run various testing
It doesn’t look that big until someone is standing in front of it……a ‘Beast’ of a plane!
The Swordfish is pretty big too- there is one in the Warplane Museum in Hamilton, Ontario.
k2939 picture was taken in Hong Kong Kai Tak airport. I can recognize the outline of Lion Rock Mountain in the background.
I had read that in Malaya/Singapore the Vildebeest aircraft were incapable of making torpedo attacks at night. Was that due to the aircraft (or sights) or training? Any idea?
Greetings from South Africa. Regarding the name wildebeest is an Afrikaans name and as such the w is pronounced as a v so it would be called a vildebeest spelt with a w. I believe the south African airforce operated a few in North Africa in the early days of that campaign. Abasynia I think.
9 aircraft claimed to have torpedoed eight ships? Pretty damn good numbers. I wonder how many were really hit though.
That would seem less unlikely if they were transports at anchor ... but I don't know if they were.
.
@@BobSmith-dk8nw Still seems pretty good , would like to see a video/article on that raid.
@@guaporeturns9472 Sound Track's a No Brainer
ua-cam.com/video/TthzEy3HUm8/v-deo.html
.
@@BobSmith-dk8nw ?
@@guaporeturns9472 The sound track for the "Video/article" you wanted on the raid by the New Zealand Vildabeest!
.
Thanks for a cracking good video!
MY Great uncle Deryck Milne was in 100 squadron, based in Scotland ,the squadron was transferred to Singapore in 1934. his Vilderbeast was the first one assembled there . at one stage in October 1934 , during a storm, they crashed in the Malaysian jungle in the tree tops .his crew all survived & the aircraft was recovered.
he eventually was requisitioned by the RNZAF to return to NZ & help set up for war in 1939. His brother Cecil Snowy had gone through Cranwell college to become an officer & was shot down in a PRU spitfire on 22 April 1940 over Stuttgart. both brothers survived the war to return to New Zealand.
Quite a few forgotten aircraft in Africa and Asia. Vickers Wellesley is another example - went from record breaker to fodder for biplane fighters in 5 years flat
The swordfish was an absolute unit
100 Squadron used to be located at RAF Leeming as the Joint Forward Air Controller School Training Unit with BAe Hawk's.
There was also an inter-war biplane called the Hawker Hartbees, which is also named after an African antelope. I wonder if this coincidence or not.
I remember my father saying he collected a prop blade off one that clipped a fence and crashed when he was in the airforce In WW2, he said they were huge lumbering things,
So what was the difference between the Vildebeest and the Vincent?
Thank you very much for this video. I've read about vildebeest's being in frontline service at the start of the war in the pacific, but I've never found any details nor any pictures.
Btw: wasn't there vildebeests used in East Africa against the Italians too? Do you have information about that?
Not that I'm aware of, possibly the Vincent's. I need to a video on them sometime.
Other the the fuselage turtledeck, they were all fabric covered. When reference is made to "all metal" construction, it means it didnt have wooden wing structure. The wings were Aluminium (mainly pressed channel) framing with Fabric covering, the fuselage steel tube truss, also fabric covered. Its pretty easy to see the fabric wing covering in the pictures.
Never have so few,done so much,with so much obsolescence.
It's amazing how the Fairey Swordfish had such a illustrous career during WWII but when came in service but went into service it didn't mark a notable improvement over it's predecessors the Vildebeest and Blackburn Shark.
Ed, In re; W versus V. Some person may have already brought the following to your attention: In the places where the local language has a Germanic base. W is pronounced as a V. So when the Dutch settlers reached what's now South Africa, the animal that's variously called the Wildebeest or Vildebeest, both could be correct. As I couldn't find any support for this assertion, an alternate suggestion might be Vickers wanting the Vildebeest to follow the similar Vickers Victor. As always, I learned of yet another obscure event. Thank you for your efforts in making your Videos
Thank you so much for this video, I´m actually a huge fan of the Vildebeest (mainly it´s history during the Spanish Civil War). Curiously, while Spain purchased the Vickers Vildebeest, the neighbor country of Portugal purchased the Blackburn Shark instead. You could make a video about the Blackburn Shark too someday; to give you and idea, the airframes were so badly finished and weak that the Pilots sent from Lisbon to bring the planes from the UK refused to accept them and fly with them. Eventually, the planes were delivered in 1936 but were removed from service in 1938, after the loss of one of these planes in an accident. It seems that even the British hated the Shark too, since it was acquired by the Fleet Air Arm in 1935 but immediately replaced in 1936 by the Swordfish...
Hey Eínon
Guy from NZ who made the lego V bombers. How's you model now?
Talk to ya on flickr
@@thejustice7305 Hi Tomasi! I was about to send you a copy of this video to you when I saw your comment. :D I made some improvements, I shall post the photos in the future.
I love this series we're you are talking about unknown aircraft
Great video Ed
Ed, Lucas is correct. In Afrikaans (and Dutch, as far as I know) "w" is pronounced as a "v".
Not in Dutch. But definitely in German.
How about a video on the Wellesley...
On the list :)
My late dad flt ltht bw peryman flew these at wigram new Zealand 1938 he liked them
As a kid in the 60s I had a model Swordfish and could not believe that thing had been used in WWII. Now I find and even slower and more obsolete plane that was also used. I can’t imagine the courage or foolishness it must have taken to go into combat in either one.
It seems this aircraft had retractable slats on the upper wing. This must have been one of the very first implementations of these high lift devices. Also not common for the period and for a biplane is the 3 blade (apparently) constant speed propeller. Obsolete maybe, but still advanced in some ways.
I'm pretty sure that in his book 'Spitfire' John Nichols recounts a squadron of 11 or 12 Wildebeasts being despatched cross channel to bomb the Germans advancing on Dunkirk.
One returned having turned back with engine trouble a couple of miles off the English coast. It was the only one which did return.
The pilot requested transfer to Fighters and served in Spitfires until being killed in action.
Fantastic Content. Well Done.
Ironically, the Vickers Wildebeest was actually faster than the Fairey Swordfish that replaced it. The Swordfish had a maximum airspeed of 138 MPH unlaiden and 75 MPH carrying a torpedo.
And the Swordfish squadrons, on at least one occasion, were outrun by a German surface ship by sailing upwind.
The last action by the Vildebeest was actually after the attack on the Invasion fleet.
On the night of 7th March the day before the Dutch surrender, 3 Vildebeest did a night raid on an airfield. My father, an Australian, was the navigator in one aircraft that was shot down. The gunner and my father parachuted out but the NZ pilot attempted to land the stricken plane and died in the crash. I presume the two aircraft that tried to fly to Ceylon were the other aircraft in that raid.
What? No mention of the FAA attack on the Italian fleet at Taranto? It was that successful attack that convinced the IJN that torpedoes could be used in shallow harbors like Taranto and Pearl.
That would be far more appropriate in a video on the Swordfish. Or on Pearl Harbour. Why mention it when talking about aircraft that were not there?
Churchill: "You must defend our colony by all means".
Local commander: "By what means? Oh, you mean a few prehistoric Vildebeests? I wish us good luck. We'll do our best!"
Top stuff, Ed
A fascinating plane. I love those early torpedo and bombing planes.
Wonder why the Wilderbeast pilots tried to fly to Ceylon and not Australia?
Thanks Ed....
Interesting video, so I subscribed. I bet without fighter cover they flew so slow the ships gunners would have a real problem tracking. Just like the Germans had with the Stringbags.
Mostly attacking barges and small ships in landing situations. The Japanese generally had air cover where it was needed and the RAF rarely managed to co-ordinate fighters and bombers. The speed differential was an issue, but not too hard for the experienced Japanese pilots. The surviving 'Beestes were usually full of holes.
@@lllordllloyd Yes, but some of their newer anti aircraft guns also had a hard time tracking airplanes traveling so slow. The Germans learned how to lead and hold. It did cut the effectiveness of the guns rate of fire
Aircraft name:spelled wrong, pronounced correctly. Admiralty: That'll be fine. Fetch me another Gin and Tonic.
My late Father served at Bletchley, using signal interception they warned Malaysia, although they could do nothing, they also tracked another group of ships that ended up off pearl harbour. He was always very annoyed that his unit which contained US service men was never given credit for the warning they gave which resulted in the US carriers leaving port. Tbh I think the Americans just ignored them. But moved the carriers just in case then didn't want to admit it. When my late Father managed to talk to an expert at Bletchley he wasn't told he was wrong he was told "shut up, never mention it again"!
That is one fugly bird. Really enjoy watching your videos.