List of Bristol Blenheim operators

The following are units which operated the Bristol Blenheim:

Operators

Independent State of Croatia

Zrakoplovstvo Nezavisne Države Hrvatske

Eight captured ex-Royal Yugoslav Air Force Mk I aircraft were acquired by the ZNDH from the Germans after the April invasion in 1941.^[1] Several survived to the end of the War, with one retreating to Klagenfurt Austria upon the collapse of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) in May 1945.^[2]

The Hellenic Air Force operated a sqaudron of 12 Mk IVs in its campaigns against Italy and Germany in 1940 and 1941.^[3]

India

Royal Indian Air Force

Italy

Regia Aeronautica

One Mk.IV captured in Yugoslavia and evaluated at Guidonia airfield near Rome. It appeared in a non-flying role in the movie Un Pilota Ritorna (1942) directed by Roberto Rossellini.

New Zealand

Royal New Zealand Air Force

No. 489 Squadron RNZAF

Portugal

Portuguese Air Force
Portuguese Naval Aviation

Romania

Romanian Air Force

Germany provided 6 captured ex-Royal Yugoslav Air Force Mk I aircraft to Romania in 1941,^[4] where they joined 12 Mk Is previously purchased from Britain.

South Africa

South African Air Force

Turkey

Turkish Air Force

United Kingdom

Royal Air Force

Fleet Air Arm

No. 748 Squadron FAA
No. 759 Squadron FAA
No. 762 Squadron FAA
No. 770 Squadron FAA
No. 771 Squadron FAA
No. 772 Squadron FAA
No. 775 Squadron FAA
No. 776 Squadron FAA
No. 780 Squadron FAA
No. 787 Squadron FAA
No. 788 Squadron FAA
No. 798 Squadron FAA

Yugoslavia

Royal Yugoslav Air Force

The Royal Yugoslav Air Force acquired 24 Mk I aircraft from RAF stocks and subsequently undertook a licensed production run of some 36 aircraft. Tooling up for the production of the Mk IV was about to commence when interrupted by the Invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941. Some 20 partly completed airframes, as well as production tools and spare parts were subsequently sold by Germany to Finland.^[5]

References

Notes

^ Neulen, 2000, p. 171
^ Likso and Canak 1998 p. 72.
^ Shores, et. al. 1987
^ Savic and Ciglic 2002, p. 62.
^ Savic and Ciglic 2002, p. 62.

Bibliography

Boiten, T. Bristol Blenheim. London: The Crowood Press, 1998. ISBN 1-86126-115-2.
Bowyer, C. Bristol Blenheim. London: Ian Allen, 1984. ISBN 0-7110-1351-9.
Keskinen, Kalevi et al. Suomen Ilmavoimien Historia 10, Bristol Blenheim (in Finnish). Loviisa, Finland: Painoyhtymä Oy, 2004. ISBN 952-99432-1-0.
Jefford, Wing Commander C.G., MBE, BA, RAF(Retd.). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988 (second edition 2001). ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
Lake, Jon. Blenheim Squadrons of World War II. London: Osprey Publishing, 1998. ISBN 1-85532-723-6.
Likso, T. and D. Canak. Hrvatsko Ratno Zrakoplovstvo u Drugome Svjetskom Ratu (The Croatian Airforce in the Second World War). Zagreb, 1998. ISBN 953-97698-0-9.
Mackay, Ron. Bristol Blenheim in Action. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1998. ISBN 0-89747-209-8.
March, Daniel J., ed. British Warplanes of World War II. London: Aerospace, 1998. ISBN 1-874023-92-1.
Marttila, Jukka. Bristol Blenheim - Taitoa ja tekniikkaa (in Finnish). Vantaa, Finland: Blenimi-Publishing, 1989. ISBN 952-90017-0-3.
Mason, Francis K. The British Bomber Since 1914. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1994. ISBN 0-85177-861-5.
Neulen, H.W. In the Skies of Europe – Air Forces allied to the Luftwaffe 1939-1945. Wiltshire, UK: Crowood Press, 2000. ISBN 978-1-86126-326-1.
Savic, Dragan and Boris Ciglic. Croatian Aces of World War II (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces - 49). Oxford, Osprey, 2002. ISBN 978-1-84176-435-1.
Shores, C., B. Cull and N. Malizia. Air War for Yugoslavia, Greece & Crete – 1940-41. London: Grub Street, 1987. ISBN 978-0-948817-07-6.
Thomas, A. Bristol Blenheim (Warpaint No. 26). Denbigh East, Bletchley, UK: Hall Park Books, 2000. ISBN 1-84176-289-X.
Warner, G. The Bristol Blenheim: A Complete History. London: Crécy Publishing, 2nd edition 2005. ISBN 0-85979-101-7.

List of Bristol Blenheim operators

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