Blenheim V6034 Shipping Attack

The RAF recognized the limitations of the Bristal Blenheim and by mid 1941 had switched their operations to primarily shipping and airfield attacks due to the high loss rate on other bombing missions.
I always assumed they did mid level bombing missions. Not so, apparently.

21 Squadron Blenheim V6034 YH-D seconds after hitting a ships mast on its bombing run, seconds before crashing. Their operation was codenamed Beat 17.



This crew had earned a reputation for showing outstanding courage in low-level attacks on enemy shipping.

F/S Leaver's and his observer Sgt Overheu were awarded their Immediate DFMs for their brilliant actions on 31 March 1941 in the attack on on escorted convoy, which left a destroyer severely damaged and listing with black smoke boiling out of it and on a large cargo ship on 18 April 1941.
See: http://www.basher82.nl/Data/Den%20Andel/leavers.htm

 

no fly-by-wire controls back then..less reaction time, 'heavier' controls..salute to these pilots who had to not only fly into pointblank fire, but also line up for a bomb run at low level, and stay out of the bomb blast ....that took great skill......not much room for any error.........did the Blenheims also skip bomb??......
.I was just reading about the 5th AF low level training and bombing in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea.. ......those low level attacks on ships must've been an awesome sight to see.......pointblank fire from predator and prey!

 

Interesting that the Blenheim appeared to find its nitche as an effective night fighter during the Battle of Britain.
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/soc.history.war.world-war-ii/2oTiGWv0rYU

 

Fred....you're sure this was a bombing run, and not a strafing run by one of the ventral gunpack-equipped Blenheims lent for a time to Coastal Command in 1940/41? Quite a few Blenheim squadrons were brevetted to Coastal - for a time they had nothing better for anti-shipping work!