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This OB was sent to me by Jack McKillop. It's the text of a message he sent to the World War Two Listserver in 1995.
It shows the type and number of aircraft on the strength of the
Irish Army Air Corps during 1939 -
1945.
The important thing to notice, and it is fairly obvious upon investigation, is
the very poor quality and quantity of aircraft that the Air Corps had too defend
the skies of Ireland during the Emergency.
On 1 Sept 39, the day that Germany invaded Poland, the Irish Army Air Corps (IAAC) had a total of 43 aircraft; 21 of them (48.8%) trainers. The breakdown on that date was:
3 FIGHTERS:
Gloster Gladiator Mk I's
12 MARITIME RECONNAISSANCE:
9 Avro 652A Anson Mk I's
3 Supermarine VS236 Walrus Mk I's
7 ARMY CO-OPERATION
6 Westland Lysander Mk I's
1 Vickers Type 208 Vespa Mk V
21 TRAINERS
10 Miles M14A Magister's
5 Avro 631 Cadets
3 Avro 636's
2 Avro 626's
1 deHavilland DH-84 Dragon Mk II
The Gladiator remained the IAC's only fighter aircraft for the first 34 months of the war. It was a biplane with a maximum speed of 235 mph (378 km/h) at 14,500 ft (4,420 m). They first entered service with the RAF in March 1937 but had been largely replaced by Hurricanes and Spitfires when the war started.
The Anson was a military version of the Avro 652 six-passenger commercial aircraft and was built as a general reconnaissance aircraft. However, before the war the RAF realized that the Anson could not do the job it was ordered for and they began ordering the Lockheed Hudson. The Anson was then relegated to the training role, a job it was good at.
The Walrus was an amphibian that served in the Air-Sea Rescue (ASR) role.
The Lysander was a single-engine high-wing monoplane designed for Army Co-operation, i.e., observation, photography, etc. Like the USAAC, the RAF ordered these aircraft to do a role that they could not perform when the war started and they were generally superseded by fighter aircraft, e.g., the Mustang, that could perform photographic missions. The Lysander served admirably on ASR duties, as target tugs and, mostly notably, dropping spies and equipment off in the Occupied Countries of Europe.
To allow you to keep track of the "combat" aircraft of the IAAC throughout the war, I have prepared the following list, arranged by date, that will allow an individual to see how weak the IAAC really was. For example, during the Battle of Britain, the IAAC had 19 "combat" aircraft including the three Gladiators. By D-Day, the situation had improved; the IAAC had 21 aircraft including 12 Hurricanes Mk Is (not even one squadron in the USAAF!).
COMBAT AIRCRAFT OF THE IAAC DURING WWII
1 Sept 39: 3 Gladiator I, 9 Anson I, 3 Walrus I, 6 Lysander I, 1 Vespa V
8 Sept 39: Anson Mk I, s/n 45, crashes
3 Gladiator I, 8 Anson I, 3 Walrus I, 6 Lysander I, 1 Vespa V
19 Dec 39: Anson Mk I, s/n 43, crashes
3 Gladiator I, 7 Anson I, 3 Walrus I, 6 Lysander I, 1 Vespa V
12 Jun 40: Vespa Mk V, s/n V-8, written-off
3 Gladiator I, 7 Anson I, 3 Walrus I, 6 Lysander I
18 Sept 40: Walrus Mk I, s/n N-19, crashes
3 Gladiator I, 7 Anson I, 2 Walrus I, 6 Lysander I
8 Jul 41: Lysander Mk I, s/n 62, damaged beyond repair
3 Gladiator I, 7 Anson I, 2 Walrus I, 5 Lysander I
13 Jul 41: Lysander Mk I, s/n 65, written-off
3 Gladiator I, 7 Anson I, 2 Walrus I, 4 Lysander I
28 Sept 41: Anson Mk I, s/n A-22, crashes
3 Gladiator I, 6 Anson I, 2 Walrus I, 4 Lysander I
7 May 42: Lockheed Hudson Mk I, msn 1812, s/n 91, enters service as a maritime recon aircraft. This aircraft, in service with RAF No 48 Squadron, had crashed at Skreen, County Sligo, on 24 Jan 41 and been repaired by the IAAC.
3 Gladiator I, 6 Anson I, 2 Walrus I, 1 Hudson I, 4 Lysander I
Jul 42: Hawker Hurricane Mk I, s/n 93, enters service. This aircraft, in service with RAF No 79 Squadron, had force landed in County Wexford on 29 Sept 40, and been repaired by the IAAC.
3 Gladiator I, 1 Hurricane I, 6 Anson I, 2 Walrus I, 1 Hudson I, 4 Lysander I
3 Sept 42: Walrus Mk I, s/n N-20, crashes.
3 Gladiator I, 1 Hurricane I, 6 Anson I, 1 Walrus I, 1 Hudson I, 4 Lysander I
2 Oct 42: Lysander Mk I, s/n 64, written-off
3 Gladiator I, 1 Hurricane I, 6 Anson I, 1 Walrus I, 1 Hudson I, 3 Lysander I
Jul 43: RAF sells 4 used Hurricane Mk I's to the IAAC
5 Hurricane I, 3 Gladiator I, 6 Anson I, 1 Walrus I, 1 Hudson I, 3 Lysander I
Aug 43: Gladiator Mk I, s/n 25, is scrapped
5 Hurricane I, 2 Gladiator I, 6 Anson I, 1 Walrus I, 1 Hudson I, 3 Lysander I
Nov 43: Anson Mk I, s/n A-20, and Gladiator Mk I, s/n 26, are scrapped
5 Hurricane I, 1 Gladiator I, 5 Anson I, 1 Walrus I, 1 Hudson I, 3 Lysander I
Dec 43: RAF sells 2 used Hurricane Mk I's to the IAAC
7 Hurricane I, 1 Gladiator I, 5 Anson I, 1 Walrus I, 1 Hudson I, 3 Lysander I
Jan 44: Anson Mk I, s/n 41, is scrapped
7 Hurricane I, 1 Gladiator I, 4 Anson I, 1 Walrus I, 1 Hudson I, 3 Lysander I
21 Jan 44: Gladiator Mk I, s/n 24, crashes
7 Hurricane I, 4 Anson I, 1 Walrus I, 1 Hudson I, 3 Lysander I
Feb 44: RAF sells 2 used Hurricane Mk I's to the IAAC
9 Hurricane I, 4 Anson I, 1 Walrus I, 1 Hudson I, 3 Lysander I
Mar 44: RAF sells 3 used Hurricane Mk I's to the IAAC
12 Hurricane Is, 4 Anson I, 1 Walrus I, 1 Hudson I, 3 Lysander Is
Mar 45: RAF sells 6 used Hurricane Mk IIc's to the IAAC
12 Hurricane I, 6 Hurricane IIc, 4 Anson I, 1 Walrus I, 1 Hudson I, 3 Lysander I
Jack McKillop
jack-mckillop@worldnet.att.net
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