Please do more content on the lesser known warbirds like this one. They don't get enough exposure and are in danger of being forgotten. That would be a travesty! Thanks Simon and Crew! Your work is very appreciated.

Richard Hillary, author of the book The Last Enemy, was retraining to fly twin-engined night-fighters when he crashed and was killed on a training flight in a Blenheim Mk.V early in 1943. Hillary had, some three years earlier, been a Spitfire pilot during the Battle of Britain, when he was badly burned after being shot down in combat. He later underwent many painful operations to reconstruct his face and repair his damaged hands. It's thought by some that the injuries to his hands may have been partly responsible for his crash in the Blenheim. There's a monument to him at the side of the road near to where he crashed in the Scottish Borders.

G'day Simon, I'm ex-RAAF and I've been a military historian for over 15 years. With the deepest respect for the only air force older than ours -- the RAF -- I have to say that probably 70% of the RAF's aircraft at the opening of WW2 were death traps, the Blenheim and even the Beaufighter among them. Britain embraced powered flight enthusiastically right from the start, pre-WW1. So it was that the UK had a large number of aviation companies and other firms making aircraft parts. In between the wars there was still a large conglomeration of aircraft manufacturers and there was nearly zero technology exchange between them. Before WW2 began the trend in the UK and, significantly, in Germany, was for various types of twin engined, light to medium bombers. This was due to the fact that military planners on both sides of the Channel did not foresee a need for long-haul bombing sorties. Any conflict was seen as a matter of covering, basically, eastern Europe with medium bombers escorted by single engine fighters. Then establishing forward bases, if needed, and then advancing the air war from new positions. (As actually happened in the opening of WW2 where RAF assets were sent to France, as had been done in WW1). Hitler's swift domination of France and smaller European countries with the Luftwaffe's medium bombers were judged highly effective so no immediate plans were made for larger aircraft. The famous Avro Lancaster came about because of the utter failure of its 'older sister' the Manchester, a 'heavy' twin engined bomber. It was slow, had poor manoeuvrability and weight to bomb load was ineffectual. As the Manchester failed spectacularly, most of the RAF's other bombers were being shot out of the skies in horrifying numbers. This led to the RAF only doing ops at night, sadly, further decreasing bombing accuracy. The Hurricanes, and soon after the Spitfires, did magnificently with the aid of advanced radar and code breaking but on the bombing front young aircrew were being slaughtered on a daily basis because of the continued use of the RAF's inventory of sub-standard aircraft. Even the mighty Avro Lancaster had one serious flaw, as did most other RAF bombers; no belly turrets. Quickly, the Luftwaffe developed an upward aimed specialist cannon, nicknamed 'Nacht Musik' which was used to fly up to and underneath Lancasters where the engines and fuel tanks could be attacked without warning. The Germans soon learned to use Nachtmusik after the Lancs had dropped their bomb load lest they blew themselves up during the attack. The amazing effort, dedication and bravery of RAF, Commonwealth and Polish aircrews did, of course, prevail despite and British Air Ministry that was totally out of touch with what was really happening in the air and the overall development of advanced aircraft. It seems insane in hindsight but there were senior pen pushers in the Air Ministry that weren't interested in the Supermarine Spitfire, the Avro Lancaster and, especially, the De Havilland Mosquito. Which makes the eventual victory over the Nazis even more amazing. Had the Air Ministry had the power, I'm sure they would have found fault with USAAF’s B-17s, P-51s and B-24s. Cheers Simon, please make as many aircraft videos as you like. BH

@luckystriker7489

Жыл бұрын

The Canadian Air Force was formed in 1918, followed by the South African Air Force in 1920. Australia came third in 1921. Technically the RAAF is in seventh position after first the Aviation Militaire of the French Army formed in 1910, followed by the Italians, then the RAF, Germany, then the Canadians (who deserve second pace if you use the Anglophile measure of “independent air force”), then South Africa (who correctly claim to be the second colonial air force) and finally you Aussies who are most definitely not the second-oldest air force in the world, not by a long shot! - maybe third colonial air force, if we're being generous.

@alexfdz2916

10 ай бұрын

Hi, I have a dream since I was 4 years old, with that airplane, I dream that I was playing with some kids, I was like between 7 and 11 years old and we saw that airplane with smoke in one engine trying to land, it was near a farm and I remember the explosion, the farm was near water maybe was a cliff near, and it was like during the World war 2 in some place around Europe, it can be Norway, Scotland or some place like that, so you know something about a similar story? Cause I’m sure it was a past life memory I have. Thanks

My father was a navigator/bomb aimer flying in Blenheim IVs in 1941. Something he told me is that the bomb bay was kept closed using parachute elastic, and only opened when they dropped the bombs. The weight of the bombs caused the doors to open, and the heavy duty elastic then snapped the doors closed again once the bombs had cleared the plane.

@jimeditorial

2 жыл бұрын

My father's brother and namesake, lost his life flying one against the German Navy in the North Sea in a Blenheim IV, L9247, 18 Squadron, on 13 April 1941. A sergeant pilot, he was about to be forced into a commission, as his navigator/aimer, FO Tapp, was an officer and it was thought that it just wouldn't do to have the aircraft commander a sergeant!

1:15 - Chapter 1 - Concept 3:05 - Chapter 2 - Design 5:25 - Chapter 3 - Production 7:20 - Chapter 4 - Blenheim in action 9:30 - Chapter 5 - End of the blenheim

7:14 Chapter 4's intro card has my favorite little musical bit. I like that one.

Love the content sir! You might have the only blenheim video on KZread. You should do more lesser known British WW2 warbirds...

@JBinthesticks

2 жыл бұрын

Not quite.🙂 kzread.info/dash/bejne/io2Y26ilfJOuo7g.html

Really underated and under appreciated aircraft of the early war. Served valiantly in all theatres.

I think one of *THE* biggest missed opportunities during World War II was the RAF refusing to use the Blenheim in the low-altitude interdiction role during the Battle of Britain. Using a combination of low altitude and low cloud cover, the Blenheims could have wreaked great havoc to _Luftwaffe_ bases along the French coast, which would have reduced the number of planes available to bomb Britain.

With their light bombloads and sub-par performance by 1939, Blenheims really were a classic case of the British pre-war rearmaments programme not quite being in step with the rapidly-developing situation on the continent. The UK was just barely ready for the war when it started - absolutely barely.

You are awesome! Your videos are allways entertaining, cheers to you!

You should do a side project on your beard for April fools day.

@duckrutt

2 жыл бұрын

Dunno, I think that's more of a mega project

A great video about a lesser known plane of the WW2 era, a damn shame this video doesn't have more views, as this content is always interesting!

Good video 👍

Excellent video 📹 Almost a megaproject

If you're not going to fix that neon light, can I have it?

Gotta give it to the algorithm, sometimes it's absolutel, spot-on. Thanks to War Thunder, my interest in British WW2 tech recently took to the skies, so it's perfect timing for me to find my favourite true crime KZreadr talking about one of Britain's bombers that I fly virtually every day

Beautiful machine 😍😍👏👏

Suggestion: How the United States Air Force became an independent branch of the military. Suggestion: The WW2 Navajo Wind Talkers.

6:44 - that's the Mk. V with rearward firing chin guns rather than the Mk. IV with the forward firing belly pack

There's a partly-restored Blenheim (or it might be a Canadian-built Bolingbroke) just a few miles away from me.

I've noted a few inconsistencies with this video. It was never a medium bomber candidate, only light bomber, with the latter night fighter "f" version considerations. Incorrect picture shown for Mk1.f and Mk4.f gun pod referral, that was a Mk5. There was no top mounted gun in the front of the aircraft. Initially the singular wing mounted .303, then a stopgap installation of a, rather abysmal, Vickers K gun on a gimbal in the nose, and finally, the dorsal nose turret that only fired rearward. The MkV still only had a rearward firing pod similar to the Mk4. The only top mounted gun(s) were in the rear turret. There were 2 Bisley prototypes with 4 guns fitted inside a solid Mk5 nose (AD657, AD661), but they went back to a half glazed nose design. The Type 142 flew 12 Apr 35, with the first production (Type 142M) aircraft flying 25 Jun 36, so just over a year. Just to name a few references: Bristol Blenheim - Warpaint Series No.26 by Andrew Thomas Bristol Blenheim - Chaz Bowyer Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV Profile #218

You talked at the end of the video of the DH Mosquitos, would you make a vidéo on it ? Thanks love your videos

SECOND! Last time I was this early, we were in a world war

Awesome video, now do the Lancaster!

How about The Memphis Belle? Shoot, that should be a BioGraphics vid.....

Do one about the B-24 liberator

Had a friend who flew Blenheims during the war, mostly in clandestine service after they'd become second line machines. went places they weren't supposed to in Europe.

@alanmiller8887

2 күн бұрын

Interesting ! The Blenni that I flew in, in 1941, when I was 11 and at my ATC camp at Lyndholme ? (YORKS) ), Was one of 4 that had been on some sort of a special mission somewhere way up in Europe, and North of our Airfield. It sems, 4 went out, 3 came back. The one that I cleaned out and titivated, and then flew on re-test, (by local pilots), was otherwise still in good shape and no real body damage . I never saw the proper Crew. (They were sleeping.) The following day they and their three planes were gone.

Blennys!!!!!!!!

Greetings from Blenheim (Blindheim), Germany. ;)

Always liked the Blenheim-another great show. Show suggestion- it might be Megaprojects for the roughly two decades it represents. The inter-war years. For example-RAF/RN war doctrines and the aircraft they produced- some great aircraft, some medicore aircraft, some missed their calling, and the duds. You could examine all the WW2 participant's air forces/services with a series like that.

Regardless of the bomb doors...they mostly missed the target...great content mate!

@owenshebbeare2999

2 жыл бұрын

@Tom Foster Pretty much! Its usually a criticism directed at the Allies, particularly the British, but affected all bomber forces.

@davidwright7193

2 жыл бұрын

@Tom Foster bomb sights helped precisely bugger all. The problem wasn’t that they missed the target by a few hundred yards, the problem was that they missed what the crew thought was the target by a few hundred yards. They typically missed the actual target by a few 10’s of miles.

@davidwright7193

2 жыл бұрын

@@owenshebbeare2999 The only difference between the RAF and other air forces was that the RAF understood and acknowledged the problem. USAF commanders just wittered on about how tight the bomb patterns were…

Last time I looked (20 years ago) there was one of these at Chino Airport.

Filton Aerodrome is in Bristol. I live right next to it.

Lord Rothermere looks like a Bio shock villain.

my great uncle flew a blenheim bomber and was shot down on a raid on ypenberg airfeild at the beginning of the war

I don't know if this belongs on a sideproject or a megaproject, but you guy should do a video about the V-bombers

Hi thanks for this one what was the soundtrack at the beginning of chapter 4 please

At what point is fact boy gonna be hired by war thunder to make videos on the rest of the vehicles in the game?

Has a video been done about the Boulton Paul Defiant ?

I like the bomb bay door idea, the "Keep it simple and hope it works" principle, not the best choice really... :P

I jus follow Simon on the internet 🖖😁

strange looking airplane. looks like a glider with engines.

and named after a small village in bavaria. fun fact :D

The heinkel 70 was the predecesor to the he 111 if y'all don't know

Dear Simon, you cover weak aircraft like Blenheim but still don't cover the beloved Mosquito. It's a travesty. The Mosquito deserves an episode of its own.....please.

@allangibson2408

2 жыл бұрын

Blenheim’s led to Beaufort’s and Beaufighter’s.

@toemas8

2 жыл бұрын

There are a lot of KZread videos on the mosquito… I wish someone would do a video on the beaufighter which was pretty unique evolution…

Can you do a video of the much forgotten Hadley Page? A relative of mind died in one.

@canuckloyalist4681

2 жыл бұрын

I fear something has been lost to time here. Handley Page is a British manufacturer. You are probably thinking about the Halifax which has hardly been forgotten.

@thebarronflights

2 жыл бұрын

@@canuckloyalist4681 in some ways you are right. I meant the Hadley Page Hampton.

@canuckloyalist4681

2 жыл бұрын

@@thebarronflights Thought iy might have been the Hampton...threw the Halifax in for odds.

Blenheim were used in the summer of -44 by the Finns in the continuation war.

@JanoTuotanto

2 жыл бұрын

The last Blenheim in Finnish air force service (BL-199) was built 1956 ! By Valmet. Out of left over parts.

2 entire squadrons of those were wiped out on single missions

Why does this guy have 40 channels Jesus

4:49 Oh dear! Not a Vickers K...really? PS. i hear in my little ear: Only the Beau'! ..and nothing about the Bristol Beaufort. Why?

08:00 - Why are you showing destroyed Japanese aircraft in this picture? I further note that you often mention one Blenheim offshoot - the Beaufighter, but you mistake one of the great 'other' versions: The Beaufort bomber, which was extremely important in Australian service in the Pacific, but is now known as 'the forgotten bomber'... so forgotten that you forgot to put it in your video!

@owenshebbeare2999

2 жыл бұрын

Blame the ignorant American researchers and scriptwriters and editors.

@andyyang3029

2 жыл бұрын

@@owenshebbeare2999 oh boohoo he missed an obscure variant. Touch grass

wimon shistler

Umm a not bad intro to the aircraft but I think he needs to do a bit more research, (ok not him his researchers need to do more research) also maby a better choice of pics, he says the blenham carried a gun pack and then showed a variety that did not carry the gun pack (though it was the variety designed for ground attack) also said it had a tail gun which it did not have it had a turret and wing gun and then some squadrons botched a nose gun too.

The guns were chambered in three oh three British, not firing point three oh three inch rounds. I love your content. Just helping with the pronunciation. I have some experience in this stuff.

@quadri31

2 жыл бұрын

but the .303 British is a .303-inch calibre

@sandybarnes887

2 жыл бұрын

Here we call them thirty thirties 🙃

@wormyboot

2 жыл бұрын

@@quadri31 but that's not how we commonly refer to it

@owenshebbeare2999

2 жыл бұрын

@@wormyboot American terminology is often different, often uniquely American and definitely not universal.

THIS is how these videos should be made. Correct pronunciation. punchy, factual content.

Flying coffin.

Nerd!

Is there anything Simon cant do?

You mentioned that the MK 4 Blenheim was used as a Night Fighter, but in the earlier battle of France, the Mk IF was used as a general purpose Day Fighter. As expected, that idea didn't work out as expected. It resulted in HUGE loses, even against the early BF 109E-1's.

The Beaufighter was a development of the Beaufort, itself a development of the Blenheim. As such, the tone of the documentary is flawed, as the Blenheim's design was developed and improved, into the other two. As such the Blenheim was replaced by a development of itself. Hardly a failure. The Beaufighter proving itself to be one of the best aircraft of WWII. Also, 'bungee' cord bomb bay doors was common at the time. Really you should also have mentioned the Butt Report, which was crucial to partially understanding the limitations of that bomb bay door system.

Mk I version is the prettiest.

If the Germans got it it'd be called the Daily Heil 😆

Usa

@ohexra

2 жыл бұрын

no

@GruntTV1776

2 жыл бұрын

@@ohexra communism

@owenshebbeare2999

2 жыл бұрын

Moron!

first

The most astute book in the Bible is Ecclesiastes. In it we are told: “What has been is what will be and what has been done is what will be done; and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, ‘See this is new? It has been already in ages before us, but there is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be remembrance of things yet to happen among those who come after.” This statement is difficult for man to grasp, for he is forever thinking of progress. Man sees things today and thinks they are new and wonderful because he cannot remember them. Just a century ago electricity was unknown. Now we have light powered by nuclear energy and think it was created for and by us, but scripture tells us it has always been! The play of life moves in a wheel, closed-circuited by time, and man with his short memory cannot remember other times.

@alanmiller8887

7 ай бұрын

I don't think Ecclesiastes ever tells us anything about a WW 2, returning and now crash landing a shot up Blenheim (with a jammed bomb stuck in the bay, etc), along some railway line in Belgium, and surviving etc. And then being saved by the "Jumped out" Belgium Train Driver' (who just happens to have a pretty daughter), and who somehow, then eventually get's laid (by the crashed Blenheim pilot, etc. ) . All in, an in-process TV miniseries that will be coming your way.

You sir, need to chill out. I used to watch your other channels until I realized your haughty arrogance. Delete this with a pound of salt.

There is Power in the name of Jesus Christ Amen. Please trust in him to recieve everlasing life.