List of Bristol Blenheim operators

List of Bristol Blenheim operators

The following are units which operated the Bristol Blenheim:

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Operators

 Australia

Royal Australian Air Force

• No. 454 Squadron RAAF
• No. 459 Squadron RAAF

 Canada

Royal Canadian Air Force

• Article XV squadrons serving under direct command and control of the RAF, with RAF owned aircraft.
  • No. 404 Squadron RCAF used Blenheim IVF (Apr 41 - Jan 43) with Coastal Command.^[1]
  • No. 406 Squadron RCAF used Blenheim I and IV (May 41 - Jun 41) as night fighters.^[2]
  • No. 407 Squadron RCAF used Blenheim IV (May 41 - Jul 41) while working up to operational status with Coastal Command.^[3]

 Independent State of Croatia

Zrakoplovstvo Nezavisne Države Hrvatske

Eight captured ex-Royal Yugoslav Air Force Mk I aircraft were acquired by the ZNDH from the Germans after the April invasion in 1941.^[4] Several survived to the end of the War, with one retreating to Klagenfurt Austria upon the collapse of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) in May 1945.^[5]

 Finland

Bristol Blenheim of the Finnish Air Force. Photo taken in March, 1944.

Finnish Air Force

Finland was the first export order for the Blenheim and 18 Mark Is were delivered between 29 July 1937 and 27 July 1938. A licence to local produce the aircraft was granted in April 1938 but none of the 15 ordered from State Aircraft Factory were delivered before the Russian invasion. Twelve new Mark IVs were diverted from RAF production and these were followed by 12 former RAF Mark Is.

• No. 41 Squadron^[6]
• No. 42 Squadron^[7]
• No. 43 Squadron
• No. 44 Squadron^[7]
• No. 45 Squadron^[6]
• No. 46 Squadron^[7]
• No. 48 Squadron^[7]

 Free France

Free French Air Force

• No. 342 Squadron RAF

 Greece

Hellenic Air Force

The Hellenic Air Force in its campaigns against Italy and Germany in 1940 and 1941, operated 12 Mk IVs (delivered before WWII without sights, bomb racks, wireless radios and intercoms) and 6 Mk Is (delivered in February 1941). ^[8] In the Middle East, the Hellenic Air Force operated 19 Mk IVs (from January 1942 till January 1943) and 31 Mk Vs (from January 1943 till September 1943).

 India

Royal Indian Air Force

 Kingdom of Italy

Regia Aeronautica

Blenheim Mk.IV N3589 of No. 40 Squadron RAF landed in error at Pantelleria on 13 September 1940 and was evaluated at Guidonia airfield near Rome.^[9] One more was captured in Yugoslavia while two were seized in Italian East Africa but were recaptured when this territory fell into British hands.^[10] N3589 might be the Mk.IV appearing in a non-flying role in the movie Un Pilota Ritorna (1942) directed by Roberto Rossellini.

 New Zealand

Royal New Zealand Air Force

• No. 489 Squadron RNZAF

 Poland

Polish Air Forces in Great Britain

• No. 307 Polish Night Fighter Squadron operated four aircraft of Mk Is and Mk IVs variants as trainers and hacks.
• One Blenheim IV rebuild to VIP transport variant was used as personal transport aircraft of the General Władysław Anders, commander of 2nd Polish Corps

 Portugal

Portuguese Air Force

Portuguese Naval Aviation

 Romania

Romanian Air Force

Germany provided 6 captured ex-Royal Yugoslav Air Force Mk I aircraft to Romania in 1941,^[11] where they joined 12 Mk Is previously purchased from Britain.

 South Africa

South African Air Force

• No. 15 Squadron SAAF

 Turkey

Turkish Air Force

 United Kingdom

Royal Air Force

• No. 6 Squadron RAF
• No. 8 Squadron RAF
• No. 11 Squadron RAF
• No. 13 Squadron RAF
• No. 14 Squadron RAF
• No. 15 Squadron RAF
• No. 17 Squadron RAF
• No. 18 Squadron RAF
• No. 20 Squadron RAF
• No. 21 Squadron RAF
• No. 23 Squadron RAF
• No. 25 Squadron RAF
• No. 27 Squadron RAF
• No. 29 Squadron RAF
• No. 30 Squadron RAF
• No. 34 Squadron RAF
• No. 35 Squadron RAF
• No. 39 Squadron RAF
• No. 40 Squadron RAF
• No. 42 Squadron RAF
• No. 44 Squadron RAF
• No. 45 Squadron RAF
• No. 52 Squadron RAF
• No. 53 Squadron RAF
• No. 55 Squadron RAF
• No. 57 Squadron RAF
• No. 59 Squadron RAF
• No. 60 Squadron RAF
• No. 61 Squadron RAF
• No. 62 Squadron RAF
• No. 64 Squadron RAF
• No. 68 Squadron RAF
• No. 82 Squadron RAF
• No. 84 Squadron RAF
• No. 86 Squadron RAF
• No. 88 Squadron RAF
• No. 90 Squadron RAF
• No. 92 Squadron RAF
• No. 101 Squadron RAF
• No. 103 Squadron RAF
• No. 104 Squadron RAF
• No. 105 Squadron RAF
• No. 107 Squadron RAF
• No. 108 Squadron RAF
• No. 110 Squadron RAF
• No. 113 Squadron RAF
• No. 114 Squadron RAF
• No. 139 Squadron RAF
• No. 140 Squadron RAF
• No. 141 Squadron RAF
• No. 142 Squadron RAF
• No. 143 Squadron RAF
• No. 144 Squadron RAF
• No. 145 Squadron RAF
• No. 150 Squadron RAF
• No. 162 Squadron RAF
• No. 173 Squadron RAF
• No. 203 Squadron RAF
• No. 211 Squadron RAF
• No. 212 Squadron RAF
• No. 218 Squadron RAF
• No. 219 Squadron RAF
• No. 222 Squadron RAF
• No. 223 Squadron RAF
• no. 224 Squadron RAF
• No. 226 Squadron RAF
• No. 229 Squadron RAF
• No. 233 Squadron RAF
• No. 234 Squadron RAF
• No. 235 Squadron RAF
• No. 236 Squadron RAF
• No. 242 Squadron RAF
• No. 244 Squadron RAF
• No. 245 Squadron RAF
• No. 248 Squadron RAF
• No. 252 Squadron RAF
• No. 254 Squadron RAF
• No. 267 Squadron RAF
• No. 272 Squadron RAF
• No. 285 Squadron RAF
• No. 287 Squadron RAF
• No. 288 Squadron RAF
• No. 289 Squadron RAF
• No. 353 Squadron RAF
• No. 500 Squadron RAF
• No. 516 Squadron RAF
• No. 521 Squadron RAF
• No. 526 Squadron RAF
• No. 527 Squadron RAF
• No. 528 Squadron RAF
• No. 600 Squadron RAF
• No. 601 Squadron RAF
• No. 604 Squadron RAF
• No. 608 Squadron RAF
• No. 614 Squadron RAF

Fleet Air Arm

• No. 748 Squadron FAA
• No. 759 Squadron FAA
• No. 762 Squadron FAA
• No. 770 Squadron FAA
• No. 771 Squadron FAA
• No. 772 Squadron FAA
• No. 775 Squadron FAA
• No. 776 Squadron FAA
• No. 780 Squadron FAA
• No. 787 Squadron FAA
• No. 788 Squadron FAA
• No. 798 Squadron FAA

Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment

Royal Aircraft Establishment

 Yugoslavia

Royal Yugoslav Air Force

The Royal Yugoslav Air Force acquired 24 Mk I aircraft from RAF stocks and subsequently undertook a licensed production run of some 36 aircraft. Tooling up for the production of the Mk IV was about to commence when interrupted by the Invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941. Some 20 partly completed airframes, as well as production tools and spare parts were subsequently sold by Germany to Finland.^[12]

See also

• Bristol Blenheim

References

Notes

1. Kostenuk and Griffin, 1977, pp. 88-89
2. Kostenuk and Griffin, 1977, pp. 91-92
3. Kostenuk and Griffin, 1977, pp. 92-93
4. Neulen, 2000, p. 171
5. Likso and Canak 1998 p. 72.
6. Stenman Air Enthusiast Summer 1994, p. 35.
7. Stenman Air Enthusiast Summer 1994, p. 33.
8. Shores, et al. 1987
10. Garello, Giancarlo; Gueli Marco (2007). Ali straniere in Italia - War Prizes. Apostolo Editore.
11. Savic and Ciglic 2002, p. 62.
12. Savic and Ciglic 2002, p. 62.

Bibliography

• Boiten, T. Bristol Blenheim. London: The Crowood Press, 1998. ISBN 1-86126-115-2.
• Bowyer, C. Bristol Blenheim. London: Ian Allen, 1984. ISBN 0-7110-1351-9.
• Jefford, Wing Commander C.G., MBE, BA, RAF(Retd.). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988 (second edition 2001). ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
• Keskinen, Kalevi et al. Suomen Ilmavoimien Historia 10, Bristol Blenheim (in Finnish). Loviisa, Finland: Painoyhtymä Oy, 2004. ISBN 952-99432-1-0.
• Kostenuk, S. and J. Griffin. RCAF Squadron Histories and Aircraft: 1924–1968. Toronto: Samuel Stevens, Hakkert & Company, 1977. ISBN 0-88866-577-6.
• Lake, Jon. Blenheim Squadrons of World War II. London: Osprey Publishing, 1998. ISBN 1-85532-723-6.
• Likso, T. and D. Canak. Hrvatsko Ratno Zrakoplovstvo u Drugome Svjetskom Ratu (The Croatian Airforce in the Second World War). Zagreb, 1998. ISBN 953-97698-0-9.
• Mackay, Ron. Bristol Blenheim in Action. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1998. ISBN 0-89747-209-8.
• March, Daniel J., ed. British Warplanes of World War II. London: Aerospace, 1998. ISBN 1-874023-92-1.
• Marttila, Jukka. Bristol Blenheim - Taitoa ja tekniikkaa (in Finnish). Vantaa, Finland: Blenimi-Publishing, 1989. ISBN 952-90-0170-3.
• Mason, Francis K. The British Bomber Since 1914. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1994. ISBN 0-85177-861-5.
• Neulen, H.W. In the Skies of Europe – Air Forces allied to the Luftwaffe 1939-1945. Wiltshire, UK: Crowood Press, 2000. ISBN 978-1-86126-326-1.
• Savic, Dragan and Boris Ciglic. Croatian Aces of World War II (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces - 49). Oxford, Osprey, 2002. ISBN 978-1-84176-435-1.
• Shores, C., B. Cull and N. Malizia. Air War for Yugoslavia, Greece & Crete – 1940-41. London: Grub Street, 1987. ISBN 978-0-948817-07-6.
• Thomas, A. Bristol Blenheim (Warpaint No. 26). Denbigh East, Bletchley, UK: Hall Park Books, 2000. ISBN 1-84176-289-X.
• Warner, G. The Bristol Blenheim: A Complete History. London: Crécy Publishing, 2nd edition 2005. ISBN 0-85979-101-7.