TEMPEST IN ACTION
TEMPEST IN ACTION
Having flown early production Tempest Vs, the Air Fighting Development Unit recommended that the first RAF squadrons to be formed with the Tempest should be former Typhoons units. It was felt that since the two aircraft were similar in handling characteristics, re-equipping former Typhoon units would speed up the introduction of the Tempest. During January of 1944, No 486 Squadron received its first aircraft at Tangmere, later passing these aircraft to No 3 Squadron. As more Tempests were delivered, both units became fully equipped and were declared operational during late April of 1944.
| The first operational sorties (ASR patrols) were flown by No 3 Squadron on 23 April. A short time later both squadrons moved to Newchurch, Kent, where they were joined by No 56 Squadron (flying Spitfire IX). Although deliveries of new Tempests were slow and No 56 Squadron was yet to re-equip, the three squadrons were designated as the first Tempest Wing and placed under the command of Wing Commander Roland Beamont. In the event, No 56 did not receive their Tempest before D-Day, but the squadron did fly missions over the beachheads with their Spitfire IXs. |
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During the D-Days landings, Tempests were kept in reserve as a precaution against Luftwaffe attacks against landings. When this threat failed to materialize, Wing Commander Beamont led nine No 3 Squadron Tempests over the beaches on 8 June. During the patrol the squadron engaged five Bf 109Gs near Rounen, shooting down three of the German fighters without loss. It was an auspicious combat debut for the new fighter and the first of an impressive total of air-to-air kills. Intially, however, kills racked up by Tempests were not to be against conventional aircraft, but rather the "malignant robots" - the V-1 flying bombs.
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Air Defense of Great Britain (ADGB) had the vital task of intercepting the deadly V-1s, preventing them from penetrating far inland and keeping London safe from another Blitz. Throughout the V-1 attacks, RAF fighter squadrons achieved a remarkable degree of success. On 16 June 1944, the Newchurch Tempest Wing began anti V-1 patrols and shot down thirteen in one day. Tempest patrols were flown daily and claims for bombs destroyed were filed every evening, more or less as a matter of course. |
The V-1 offensive lasted until the end of August. By the end of the campaign Tempest pilots had claimed a total of some 800 V-1s destroyed. No less than 55 pilots had became Divers (V-1) aces. The top scorer being Squadron Leader J. Berry of the Fighter Interception Unit and No 501 Squadron, with a total of sixty and one-third destroyed.
On 25 August 1944, No 56 Squadron conducted a fighter sweep across the channel to Cassel and Tempests were once more back in action over the continent. In addition to the Newchurch Wing, Nos 274 and 80 Squadrons were engaged in attacks against targets in France. All Tempest squadrons were retained on English airfields pending the ill-fated Arnhem operation in September 1944. Flying strafing attacks and flak suppression sorties against gun positions on islands in the Scheldt estuary, the Tempest 's contribution to the operation was successful. However, Operation Marketgarden failed in its objective, the early capture of bridges over the Rhine into Germany.
On 28 September the Tempests squadron were returned to the operational control of the 2nd TAF and took up residence on the continent. Nos 3 and 56 Squadrons were the first to deploy followed by Nos 80, 274 and 486. The renewed round of combat had cost fourteen aircraft, primarily to ground fire, although the squadrons did clash with Luftwaffe fighters on more than one occasion.
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Shortly after the five Tempest squadrons settled into Belgium, they were moved to Volkel, Holland under No 122 Wing. Nos 80 and 274 Squadrons were based at Grave temporarily, just long enough to come under attack by an Me262, before rejoining the rest of the Wing at Volkel. Beamont was shot down and became POW on 12 October, with command of the Wing being passed to Wing Commander J.B. Wray. The Tempest Wing then embarked on a intensive period of air superiority missions, which was to last until the end of the war. |
| It was the German jets that offered Tempest pilots their greatest challenge. On 13 October Tempest of No 3 Squadron destroyed one, although usually only probables could be claimed. Finally on 3 December, a No 80 Squadron Tempest flown by F/O "Judy" Garland made short work of an Me262 of I/KG(J) 51. The jet fighters were seen in small numbers, while Bf 109s and Fw 190s were occasionally encountered in some strength. Hectic activity took place on 17 December as Luftwaffe strove to give some air support to the Ardennes offensive. Tempest pilots of different squadrons clashed with both day fighters, nocturnal He219s, and Me262s. |
 Heinkel He162 Salamander |
 Camera gun picture taken by Beamont 's Tempest, show hits on a good train. |
As the Allied forces swept on towards the German borders during the winter of 1944-45, the Tempest established itself as one of the most successful ground attack in the European theatre. The main factors contributing to this were speed, controllability, weapons accuracy and superior all-round and attack vision. |
Fortunately the Tempest base at Vokel was not attacked during the 1 January Luftwaffe raids and airborne fighters of No 486 Squadron claimed five, with a further five shared between Nos 3, 56 and 80 Squadrons. Three Tempests were shoot down by American flak on 13 January, fortunately without casualties. The next day the victory tally included two kills for FLT LT Fairbanks of No 3 Squadron, the first Tempest to score five confirmed kills.
On 23 January, 2nd TAF Tempests had their best day, claiming twenty-one kills (including one Me262), without loss. Good weather in February brought a series of interdiction missions and losses to flak. the territory held by German forces was being squeezed into a ever narrowing pocket bristling with guns. Tempest squadrons lost thirty-one aircraft during Ferbruary, with nine pilots being killed. More German jets were destroyed, including examples of the Arado Ar 234, but the major part of February 's effort was against German transport.
Also during the month, Nos 33 and 222 Squadrons arrived at Gilze Rijen as part of 135 Wing, while Nos 349 and 485 Squadrons returned to England. No 222 Squadron flew its sorties on 24 february, bouncing fiften Fw 190s and shooting down four.
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Experienced pilots continued to be lost, not only to flak but to enemy fighters as well. FLT LT Fairbanks led six Tempests into a dogfight with fourty Fw 190s on 28 February. He was shot down and spent the rest of the war as a POW. March brought a temporary ban on ground attacks due the high risk of losing pilots and aircraft at this late stage in the conflict. The ban did not remain in force for long and twenty-three Tempests were lost during March on armed reconnaissance, standing patrols, fighter sweeps, strafing attacks and escort missions. |
During April Hopsten Airfield was occupied by No 122 Wing, which became the first tempest Wing to operate from German soil. Few thought that the war would last much longer and on 19 April No 80 Squadron returned to England. That same day, No 222 Squadron undertook a strafing attack on Husum Airfield. During this mission F/O Walkington chased and shoot down a small jet aircraft unlike any previously seen. Subsequent analysis of combat reports and gun camera film revealed that the aircraft was an He 162, one of the few to fly operationally.
 A bunch of Tempest pilots at Quackenbruck in between operations against the retreating German armies. |
By 26 April 135 Wing was at Quackenbruck and Nos 3 and 56 Squadrons had occupied Fassberg, Germany. Air combat continued, with vast numbers of Allied fighters hunting down the last of the Luftwaffe. It was not always one sided. JG 26 was a dangerous opponent and this unit shot down fourteen Tempests during one month. |
The final aerial victory claim by a Tempest pilot occured on 3 May 1945 and the last combat loss was the aircraft flown by F.G. Auston, who was claimed (as a Typhoon) by LT Schmidt of JG 1 flying an He 162.
At the close of hostilities there were seven squadrons of Tempests in 2nd TAF and one in ADGB. Between them, the 2nd TAF squadrons had accounted for 240 enemy aircraft destroyed in air combat, plus thirteen probably destroyed.
The Tempest Post-War
With BAFO, as the 2nd TAF had been temporarily renamed, the Tempest was to soldier on for some years yet. The close of hostilities in May had found the greater part of 122 Wing at Fassberg, where 80 Squadron rejoined the Wing. 486 Squadron was detached at Celle, but was soon moved to Kastrup in Denmark, where the other three squadrons followed in June.
135 Wing was at Quackenbruck, from where in June 222 Squadron departed for England to convert to Gloster Meteors. The other two units of the Wing, 33 and 274 Squadrons, moved to Dedelstorf, from where 274 proceeded to Warmwell APC in July. While there it was renumbered 174 Squadron. Meanwhile the 122 Wing squadrons returned individually to various bases German bases and the Wing was disbanded.
In September 1945 486 Squadron was disbanded at Flensburg, to allow its New Zealand personnel to return home. Its aircraft were then passed to 41 Squadron. This unit remained with 124 Wing at Lubeck for the time being, joined by 80 Squadron. In September, 3 and 56 Squadrons came together again, joining 135 Wing at Dedelstorf, with 174 Squadron and the resident 33 Squadron. This Wing moved to Fassberg in October.
There were to be yet more changes to the Wings so 1 April 41 Squadron was renumbered 26 and 56 Squadron became 16. 174 Squadron was disbanded. The final Tempest V line-up was thus 123 Wing (3 and 80 Squadrons) at Wunstorf and 135 Wing (16, 26 and 33 Squadrons) at Fassberg.
During the summer of 1946 the Fassberg squadrons was re-equipped with Tempest IIs and kept them until 1949. The two Wunstorf units would carry on with their Mk Vs until converted to Spitfire F.24s (80 Squadron) and Vampires (3 Squadron) in 1948.
The total production of the Tempest VI was 142 aircraft, more than enough to equip five RAF squadrons. No 249 received its first aircraft at Habbaniya, Iraq during December of 1946. No 6 Squadron re-equipped at Nicosia on Cyprus during December. Nos 213 (also at Nicosia) and 8 at Aden, were re-equipped during January and March 1947 respectively. The only other Tempest VI squadron was No 39 which temporarily replaced No 213 at Nicosia.
Action soon followed the arrival. Unrest in Aden, Iraq and Palestine in the turbulent post war years found the RAF holding the line pending political solutions to Britain's role in the area. Numerous ground attack sorties were flown in such diverse areas as Mogadishu in Italian Somaliland, and Eritrea in the Horn of Africa. It was over the emergent state of Israel that the last air combat for the Tempest was flown. These sorties were usually against former British aircraft flown by pilots who had been British allies a few short years ago. Casualities on both sides were few before the British Mandate ended and the RAF withdrew. By March of 1950 the Tempest VI had been replaced by Vampire jet fighters and had been withdrawn from RAF service.
It was in the Far East that the Tempest II was to see its longest period of service. Two aircraft had been dispatched to India during June of 1945 and, beginning in December of 1945, a total of 180 aircraft were delivered to the RAF in India. These aircraft were used by Nos 5, 20, 30 and 152 squadrons. These units flew patrols supporting the gradually dwindling British presence in India during the period immediately before the partition of India. While most missions were of a show the flag nature, they occasionally fired rockets against hostile tribes that treatened far flung British garrisons. All four squadrons disbanded between Dec 1946 and July 1947. During their last weeks on the Indian sub-continent personnel of No 5 Squadron organized a conversion course for pilots of the Royal Indian Air Force (RIAF). Nos 3 and 8 of the RIAF took over all remaining RAF Tempest IIs in India by 15 August 1947.
The last RAF unit to use the Tempest II in the Far East was No 33 Squadron, which brought its aircraft to Changi, Singapore (from Germany) to support Operation FIREDOG, the RAF's anti-guerilla campaign against the communists in Malaya. Establishing its base at Butterworth, Malaya, the squadron began operations on 16 Aug 1947. It flew rocket and cannon strikes against communist lines of communications, villages, supply dumps and camps until 6 June 1951. On that date, the last combat sortie by a Tempest in RAF service was flown.
Foreign Tempests
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The first aircraft received were ex-RAF Tempest IIs passed on by squadrons departing India. Nos 3, 8 and 10 Squadrons were formed before the end of 1946. No 4 Squadron received Tempest IIs after its return from Japan, where it had carry out Occupation Force duties flying Spitfires. By the time of the Partition of India, Nos 1, 7 and 9 Squadrons had also received Tempests. Upon partition, Nos 1 and 9 Squadrons passed 35 Tempests to Pakistan, leaving the RIAF with five squadrons. |
 Indian factory fresh Tempest IIs. |
During October of 1947, trouble flared up in Jammu and Kashmir and for some 15 months the Tempest were used in ground attack against insurgent forces. The fighting ended on 1 January 1949, by time India had received 89 additional Tempest IIs direct from England. 20 more were delivered from RAF stocks during 1951.
By January of 1950, India had becomed a republic and the armed forces dropped the Royal prefix with Nos 3, 4, 8 and 10 Squadrons of the Indian Air Force still flying Tempests. In the event, No 4 Squadron, was the last to retire the Tempest during the mid-1950s.
On 15 August 1947, Nos 5 and 9 Squadrons of the Royal Pakistani Air Force were formed with Tempest IIs. These squadrons were soon heavily engaged in operations against rebel tribesmen on the North West Frontier. Expansion of the air force during 1949 saw delivery of another 24 Tempest IIs, allowing a third squadron, No 14, to be formed. Pakistan received a total of 80 Mk IIs.
Pakistani Tempests were the last to remain in operational service. But the by 1954, they finally had been replaced by another Hawker fighter, the Fury. Most of the Tempest were scrapped during 1958.
Images from (from top):
No 1, 9 - 12: Typhoon/Tempest in action (Squadron/Signal Publications No 102).
No 2, 6 - 8: Typhoon/Tempest at War (Arthur Reed & Roland Beamont).
No 3 - 4: The Typhoon & Tempest Story (Chris Thomas & Christopher Shores).
No 5: Kriget i luften (Bokorama).
Text sources:
Typhoon/Tempest in action (Squadron/Signal Publications No 102).
Typhoon/Tempest at War (Arthur Reed & Roland Beamont).
The Typhoon & Tempest Story (Chris Thomas & Christopher Shores).
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