The Fairey Battle

The other aircraft comparable with the Battle is the IL2

The RAF bought Fairy Battles because they were available, not because they thought they were the best aircraft for their preferred doctrine,which was strategic bombing and deterrence. The Russians persevered with the IL2 because light bombers providing close air support for the field army was exactly what the Red Air Force was supposed to so. The British really did not like the idea of CAS and more or less disapproved of any aircraft designed for that purpose. The P39 (advertised by Bell as a tank buster) was given a thumbs down and the limited numbers of Vultee Vengance (A24?) dive bombers shunted off to Burma.

Had the RAF persevered with the Battle a two seat version added cannon, armour and upgraded versions of the Merlin they would have ended up with the Fairey Firefly or the IL2 .

Actually the RAF ended up by using single seat fighters instead.

 

The enduring impression I get from it is that it becomes a metaphor for Anglo-French combat operations during the German Attack in the West. More badly used than inherently bad in design. We constantly hear how many Stuka's were lost doing attacks during BoB, but regaining is usefulness in the East and North Africa, then again the last nail for the Battle was attacking German held ports along the French coast, essentially the same mission assigned the Ju 87.

To be fair the US did much the same in shelving a Army variant of the SBD calling it ineffective while it was one the most effective when carrier based and turning to faster 'fighter-bombers' like the F4U and P-47.

 

There was also a dive bomber variant of the P-51 I believe that didn't see a whole lot of use either.

 

The A-36 Apache...the US Army was not really interested in or saw any use for dive bombing. Instead the US Army Air Force put it's weight behind the medium bombers, which could fly further, carry a heavier payload, and perform the tasks for which the USAAF wanted to accomplish.

 

Air forces prior to WW2 had to define requirements, and manufacturers build aircraft without knowing the rules of air warfare. E.g. no one knew whether the principles of air combat, developed with 100mph biplanes would apply for all metal monoplanes at 300mph? It turned out that Boelcke's rules very much applied, air gunnery was possible at 300mph and favoured single seat single engined scouts with the best combination of firepower, power to weight ratio and wing loading.

One of the standard aircraft that emerged from WW1 was a single engined twin seat aircraft that could serve for reconnaissance,.ground attack, bombing and army co-operation. The Fairey Battle was a logical extension to the development line such as Fairey Fox and Gordon - and contemporary with the Hawker Hart. The Fairy Battle wasntl the only aircraft in this category. The Japanese Ki30 was a similar concept.

 

Point of order here - the Fulmer wasn't designed as a fighter, but as a a 2 seat recon aircraft, that could also perform as a fihgter for fleet defence. It's specification was O 8/38 (observation), nor F 8/38 (fighter)