Fleet Air Arm 3- Blackburn Skua and Roc

Blackburn Torpedo Bombers

By the 1920s the Blackburn Company had become a consistent supplier of aircraft to meet Admiralty
requirements. Their first successful post-war type was the Dart; a single-seat torpedo bomber, which
had a quite lengthy operational career, until being declared obsolete in March 1933. The Dart was
succeeded in 1924 by the much-improved two-seat Ripon torpedo bomber, powered by the
ubiquitous 570hp Napier Lion. The Ripon was in turn superseded by the Baffin; and although
superficially identical, the Baffin was powered by the 565hp Bristol Pegasus. This new power plant
offered only a marginally better performance than the Napier Lion, and the Baffin was in service
only until 1936 when it was supplanted in first-line service by the Fairey Swordfish.
The Shark
Blackburns final torpedo biplane was the Shark, which embodied the experience gained by such
stalwarts as the Dart, Ripon and Baffin. Its first public appearance was at the 1934 RAF Display at
Hendon, and it was designed to operate as a landplane or seaplane. Its first-line service was
relatively brief, for in 1938, all three squadrons operating the Shark were re-equipped with the
Swordfish; with the Shark being used in the training role.
The Monoplane Skua
Thus far Blackburn had gained a worthy reputation for its range of durable torpedo bombers;
however they were all of biplane configuration, and when their monoplane Skua was exhibited at the
final RAF Hendon Display of 1937 it was something of a quantum leap in naval aircraft development.
It would be remembered in FAA history as their first operational monoplane, and also the first

British aircraft designed specifically as a fighter/dive-bomber. The first two prototypes, unlike later
production aircraft were powered by the Bristol Mercury; and such was the Air Ministrys interest,
that Blackburn were rewarded by a production contract for 190 aircraft; and these Skuas used the
905hp Bristol Perseus sleeve-valve engine. Maximum speed at 6,500 feet was 225 mph, which would
prove dangerously slow when the Skua was faced with the harsh reality of aerial combat; although
its forward armament of four wing-mounted machine guns was an improvement over the Nimrod and
Osprey which the Skua supplanted. Rear-ward defence was handled by the wireless operator/air
gunner with a moveable Vickers gun on its special mounting.
Skuas at War
No.800 squadron was the first FAA unit to be equipped with the Skua aboard an aircraft carrier.
This was in November 1938 when six Skuas superseded Nimrod and Osprey biplanes aboard HMS
Ark Royal; as were Nos.801 and 803 later in the year. This famous carrier was frequently in the
news during the first months of the war; and in the course of a North Sea patrol two Skuas were
launched from the carrier to intercept a pair of Dornier Do18 flying boats shadowing the carrier and
its escorts. In this action a Skua from No803 shot down one of the Dorniers; while its partner
managed to escape; nevertheless it represented the first enemy aircraft claimed by Britain in World
War 2.
During April and May 1940 Ark Royal was heavily involved in the Norwegian campaign. One of these
actions involved a daylight attack on the battleship Scharnhorst, anchored in Trondheim Fjord.
During this costly attack the eighteen Skuas involved were severely dealt with by the defending
Me109s; with eight Skuas brought down; while no damage was suffered by Scharnhorst. On April 10
there was a more positive outcome when land-based Skuas operating from Hatston dive-bombed and
sank the cruiser Konigsberg moored in Bergen Harbour.
Final Operations
During the Dunkirk evacuation, Skuas of 801 squadron operated with Fighter Command in that
bitterly-contested Operation Dynamo. In September 1940, Skuas from Ark Royal were also active
against the Vichy French at Dakar; where they bombed the battleship Richelieu Skuas remained
operational until 1941, with 801 being replaced initially by Fulmars, and 803 by Sea Hurricanes
during May. As a fighter the Skua proved inadequate for the rigours of air combat, but in the divebomber role it justified its place in FAA history. Following their withdrawal from first-line service
they continued for several years as trainers and target-tugs.
Blackburn Roc
The Roc was the first FAA aircraft to be equipped with a power-driven gun turret, and was the navy
equivalent of the RAFs Boulton Paul Defiant. The tactical concept of a turret-fighter which brought
its four guns to bear in broadside attacks on enemy bombers was subsequently proved to be
unsound. At the time of the Defiants conception in 1935 it would appear to have been a reasonable
theory; where the turret-fighter would be merged with traditional fighters, like the Hawker
Hurricane in attacking unescorted enemy bomber formations. The enemy was presumed to be
Germany; however this theory was completely transformed with Frances capitulation in 1940 and
the Luftwaffe now based in strength along the French coast.
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was launched in earnest in September 1940; and for the Defiant squadrons it

was a sobering experience in their encounters with the escorting ME109s. With no forward-firing
armament and the penalty of a heavy power-turret the concept was proven to be fatally flawed;
which saw the Defiant taken from daylight operations after suffering unacceptable losses and
reinstated in the night-interception role.
Farewell to the Roc
Plainly, there was no future for the Roc as a day-fighter, which was already slower that the failed
Defiant. Although intended for the purpose, the Roc never operated from aircraft carriers; with the
result that any activities were confined to shore stations. Two squadrons, Nos. 891 and 806 had a
mix of Rocs and Skuas on strength; and after only a few months service they were superseded by
Sea Hurricanes and Fulmars respectively. The unfortunate Roc, which was named after a fabled
gigantic bird ended its days on training and target-towing duties and few remained in service after
1942.
Reference:
British Naval Aircraft Thetford 1958 (Putnam & Co.
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