The Bristol Beaufort is a twin-engine torpedo bomber designed for the RAF Coastal Command as a land based maritime patrol aircraft used for torpedo, bombing and mine-laying operations. It entered service in 1939 with the RAF and in 1940 with the FAA for similar activities. They were in active service for home defence and in the Mediterranean theatre until 1942 when the type was removed from frontline duties being relegated to training until being declared obsolete in early 1945.
The design was a progression from their earlier Blenheim model but larger and more powerful with a four-man crew. It was named after the Duke of Beaufort whose ancestral home was close to the Bristol factory in Gloucestershire, England. A total of 1,180 were produced at Bristol’s factory in Filton. Another 700 were built under licence in Australia, known as the Beaufort Mk.V to Mk.VIII, and used extensively in the Pacific Campaign.
It was powered by the Bristol Taurus engines of various marks and was able to carry one Mk.XII 1,605lb torpedo or 1000lbs of bombs in the bomb bay with an additional 500lb under the wings. For protection it was fitted with three .303 Vickers GO machine guns, two in the turret and one in the port wing. Later models had six Vickers GO, an additional two in the nose and a lateral firing one in the entry hatch. Early versions had a Browning .303 fitted in a clear chin mount firing to the rear, but it was useless and soon removed by crews.
The type had moderate success in most operations. It was used to a certain extent as a torpedo bomber but, more often than not, a conventional bomber. Beauforts were first used in a mining raid in April 1940. In May 1940 a Beaufort dropped the first 2000lb bomb on a German cruiser off Norderney. Subsequent raids included attacks on German shipping along the Northern Europe coast including the first torpedo attack by the RAF on 11 September 1940. Three Beaufort squadrons were involved with the attack on the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau during Operation Cerberus, otherwise known as the ‘Channel Dash’. In the operation 33 Beauforts were dispatched, 13 failed to find the targets, 3 were shot down and one failed to release its torpedo. Only 11 aircraft released their torpedos with no hits. It was decided a faster, longer ranged torpedo bomber was required as Bristol were working on an improved type.
The Beaufort squadrons were systematically moved to other theatres of operation, most moving east to the Med, North Africa or Pacific. Many Beauforts were involved in the Defence of Malta attacking Italian shipping and later German convoys heading to North Africa. Three squadrons, No.’s 39, 217 and 86, were based at RAF Luqa, Malta. Unfortunately, they had marginal success and substantial losses before 217 Sqd was moved to Ceylon and 86 Sqd absorbed into 39 Sqd. By June 1943 the last Beauforts of 39 Sqd were replaced by the Bristol Beaufighter. The Beauforts were relegated to training duties and finally retired in 1946.
There are only 5 complete Beauforts in existence; two under restoration in Australia, one static in Australia at the National War Memorial, Canberra, one in America and a composite example, made up of several RAAF aircraft, represented as a Mk.IIa DD931, at the RAF Museum, Hendon, London.
