With war clouds looming in Europe, the Royal Air Force found themselves lacking a longrange fighter that had considerable firepower. In 1938 realising this gap within the Inventory Bristol set off on a private venture to produce an aircraft to fulfill the need. The Beaufighter was born. Based off the Beaufort torpedo based, the Beaufighter would be one of the most heavily armed strike aircraft of the war. Entering service as a nightfighter, a role at which it excelled in, throughout its career it was adapted to undertake a variety of roles that included antishipping operations, ground attack and convoy protection. Known for being a rugged and hard hitting strike aircraft, it served with distinction in all major theatres of the Second World War. It was also supossedly nicknamed the ‘Whispering Death” by the Japanese. It saw service with 52 squadrons and 5,562 were built in Britain and a further 364 in Australia.

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Images:
Imperial War Museum
San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives
Australian War Memorial

Sources:
Books:
Aircraft Made in Australia Volume Two by Stewart Wilson
Jane’s Fighting Aircraft of Worl War II
Profile Publications No.137 Bristol Beaufighter I & II by Philip J. R. Moyes
The Encyclopedia of Aircraft of World War II by Paul Eden
The World Encyclopedia of Fighter & Bombers by Francis Crosby

Websites:
211 Squadron: http://www.211squadron.org/bristol_be...
Aces Flying High: acesflyinghigh.wordpress.com
BAE Systems: https://www.baesystems.com/en/heritag...
Classic Warbirds: https://www.classicwarbirds.co.uk/bri...
History of War: http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/...
Moorabbin Air Museum: https://www.aarg.com.au/dapmk21beau...
National Museum of the United States Air Force: https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Vis...
Royal Australian Air Force: https://www.airforce.gov.au/sites/def...
ThoughtCo.: https://www.thoughtco.com/bristolbea...

0:001:22 Origins
1:221:58 Prototype
1:583:19 Mk.IF
3:194:27 Mk.II
4:274:44 Modifications
4:444:50 Mk.III & Mk.IV
4:505:14 Mk.V
5:146:39 Mk.IC
6:397:35 Mk.VI
7:358:23 Mk.VIF
8:238:47 Mk.VIC
8:479:20 Far East Operations
9:209:32 Mk.VII, Mk.VIII & Mk.IV
9:3210:16 Torpedo Testing
10:1610:43 American Beaufighters
10:4311:46 Mk.X
11:4611:55 Mk.XI
11:5512:26 Strike Wings
12:2612:33 Mk.XII
12:3313:16 Australian British Beaufighters
13:1615:29 Australian Production, Mk.XXI
15:2915:48 TT.Mk.X
15:4816:30 Survivors
16:3017:21 Conclusion

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