The First Tin Opener
In the lead up to WW2 the British, like other European governments, was rapidly trying to re-arm and prepare for the coming conflict. Of particular interest were new combat aircraft. While Britain’s own industry was producing aircraft as fast as they could, they couldn’t keep up with demand and thus were looking for options to buy from overseas producers, especially the United States.
At the same time as this was happening, many officers in the British Armed Forces were looking to recent conflicts such as the Spanish Civil War to help ascertain possible lessons to be learnt. Two particular lessons identified were the development in the use of armoured vehicles especially tanks and tankettes with types such as the Soviet T-26 and BT-5, German Panzer 1 and Italian L3/33 and L3/35 types noted to being quite a step up since the Great War especially in terms of speed. If used aggressively, such types could be a serious threat. Concurrently, the use of dive bombers and close air support (CAS) aircraft such as the Junkers Ju87 and Henschel Hs 123 was also noted. The Royal Air Force (RAF) already had extensive experience in the Army Co-operation role going back to the use of the Bristol F.2 Fighter. This continued through to the current day with types such as the Hawker Audax, however it was quickly recognised that a newer type would be required to survive over the future battlefield.
During a visit to Curtiss-Wright Corporation by a British Govt/RAF delegation in 1938, as part of their seeking new types such as the Curtiss P-36/Hawk 75 and the later P-40 derivative, the Curtiss-Wright team happened to show the delegation a batch of fixed undercarriage Hawk 75N derivatives being produced for the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF). While of lower overall performance than other types, the simplified nature of the type seemed a perfect match for the Army Co-operation role, which might entail aircraft operating off roads and rough fields. Moreover, the fact that the type was already fitted with the Madsen 20mm cannon alongside a pair of 8mm or 12.7mm machine guns was of particular interest. It was also able to carry small 30 or 50lb bombs under the wings and a 500lb bomb on the centreline.
Following internal discussions the delegation soon asked the Curtiss-Wright team to provide a price for an initial 60 of a modified version (designated the Hawk 75R by Curtiss-Wright and Goshawk by the RAF) of the 75N version. This would basically be the same as the 75N but replaced the fuselage machine guns with a pair of British .303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns and replaced the standard 20mm cannon with the Madsen F5 version which was a dedicated anti-tank version. These cannons only carried a 15 round magazine each but were able to pierce at least 32mm of armour at 500m.
In November 1939 the first 12 Curtiss-Wright Goshawk were received by No. 6 Squadron RAF. With war in Europe looming, this unit had been brought home from Ramleh in Palestine leaving behind their Hardy army co-op biplanes. After a couple of months of training they were deployed to France to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) Air Component.
When in May 1940 the German assault on France and the Low Countries commenced, 6 Squadron was still the only unit operating the type as other units were still awaiting a full complement of aircraft to arrive. Over the coming weeks the Squadron found itself operating virtually non stop as their CAS role was highly sought after by British and French units in combat. Often flying from improvised strips not far behind the front lines the Goshawks proved themselves highly potent even against the heaviest tanks the Germans had deployed (of note the thickest armour used on any of the German tanks was that on the few Panzer III/IVs or 38(t)s and that was only 30mm). It wasn’t just the tanks the Goshawks attacked though. Other lighter vehicles such as trucks were also easy targets. It was during this time that the squadron earned their nickname 'The Flying Tin Openers'
Despite these exploits, the unit was only a single one and, while proving deadly against armoured vehicles and other ground targets, the type was still susceptible to anti-aircraft fire and certainly no match for Luftwaffe fighters such as the Bf-109 or Bf-110. Also of particular threat was the exhaustion of the pilots and their ground crews. As such, slowly but surely the Squadron was taking casualties. By early June, the decision was reluctantly made to pull them out of the battle. As it was, by then only 3 Goshawks could still be put into the air.
Upon their return to the United Kingdom, the Squadron was reformed and re-equipped with new aircraft arriving from the USA. In late November 1940, once it was deemed that the immediate threat of a German invasion of Great Britain had eased, the squadron transferred to North Africa, moving to Barca in Libya, with a flight forward deployed at Agedabia. Once there, the Goshawk’s continued to prove how deadly they were against the Italian tanks and tankettes. When the German Africa Corp entered the battle they expanded their target list. However time was running out for them. Due to a combination of being the only unit operating the type (thus placing additional logistics burdens on the RAF) and the growing acceptance that the Goshawk was unsuitable for operations when faced by modern fighters, it was decided to reequip the squadron with Hawker Hurricanes at the start of March 1941.
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Bottom: Curtiss Goshawk Mk.I of No. 6 Squadron RAF deployed to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force in early May 1940. Goshawk 'L' was lost to ground fire on 21 May while attacking Wehrmacht road columns advancing east of Saint-Omer.
Top: Curtiss Goshawk Mk.IA of No. 6 Squadron RAF after pulling back to RAF Qasaba, Egypt, in July 1941 after flying intensive top cover during the siege of Tobruk. By this time, the unit had adopted red individual aircraft numbers (although 'JV' squadron codes were not worn on Goshawks). Note that the propeller spinner has also been painted red. [1]
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[1] The larger spinner was an identifying feature of the Goshawk Mk.IA, revealing a Hamilton-Standard propeller in place to the earlier Curtiss Electric.
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Above: A pilot of No. 6 Squadron RAF stands by his Hawker Hurricane Mark IID at Shandur, Egypt.
The squadron would return to their dedicated anti-tank/CAS role in April 1942 when their Hurricanes were updated to the new IID version armed with twin Vickers S 40 mm guns. It would continue to operate this type until February 1944 when re-equipped again, this time with Hawker Typhoons. The Typhoon in question though was the ID 'big gun' variant created by reconditioning Typhoon IAs taken from storage. Four of the original 12 x 0.303-inch Browning machine guns were retained for aiming purposes. Outboard of the Browning pair in each wing was a 40 mm Vickers S gun mounted in a gondola fairing very similar to that of the Squadron's old Hurricane IID. The original concept for the Typhoon ID involved the use of scaled-up 47 mm anti-tank guns. Unfortunately, endless delays were experience with development of the 47 mm Vickers P gun, resulting in the more powerful Typhoons having to make use of the same 40 mm Vickers S gun the No. 6 had employed in North Africa.
No. 6 Squadron put their Typhoon IDs to good purpose 'plinking' exposed German armour in northern France and the Low Countries during the lead-up to Overlord. By then, however, the experience of other 'Tiffie' squadrons was demonstrating the effectiveness of RP.3 rockets. These 60-lb rockets lacked Vickers S accuracy, but the RP.3s made up for it in sheer weight of fire. By D-Day, No. 6 Squadron had also re-equipped on new Typhoon IB rocket fighters. With this new type the squadron continued to operate in the ground attack/anti-tank/CAS role, this time with the powerful 20mm cannon and underwing rockets. It would continue to use the type through to the end of the war.
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Above: Typhoon LF Mk.ID serial R7854 of No. 6 Squadron in late 1943. JV+N has recognition stripes applied below its wings and the Squadron's traditional red individual aircraft letter. However, No. 6 was temporarily forbidden from using red spinners.
Post war the squadron continued to operate and regularly see action. It transitioned to Hawker Tempests, then de Havilland Vampires and Venoms; then English Electric Canberras and McDonnell Douglas F-4M Phantom FGR.2s. Through all of this although gradually moving away from its anti-tank/CAS history, the squadron retained its unique “flying tin opener” logo.
1980 the squadron would once again continue its anti-tank/CAS role when it became the lead RAF Squadron to be equipped with the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II. Designated Thunderbolt GR.1 in RAF service, 48 of these had been purchased by the British Government to strengthen the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). As such the “flying tin openers” were back. It is this type that the squadron continues to operate to today.
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Top: Fairchild-Republic Thunderbolt GR.1 of No. 6 Squadron in 1981 while based at RAF Gütersloh, flying in support of the BAOR. Thunderbolt 'D' is headed for a practice range with a load of CRV7 rocket pods.
Middle: Thunderbolt GR.1 of No. 6 Squadron while taking part in Exercise Cold Winter 85. The 'Norway Detachment' was given a disruptive coat of 'washable white' distemper before leaving West Germany. The painted-over individual aircraft letter 'K' has been reapplied in grey distemper (as well as being added to the nose).
Bottom: Fairchild-Republic A-10K Thunderbolt serial ZX893 of No. 6 Squadron. This aircraft has received an over-all coat of 'Desert Pink' for the Squadron's participation in Operation Granby during the 1991 Gulf War.