RAF Rescue Launch

Quelle: Bausatzanleitung Airfix

"During the Second World War, the Royal Air Force Air Sea Rescue Service, whose motto was „The Sea Shall Not Have Them“, played a vital role in saving thousands of highly trained aircrew from the waters around the British Isles and in overseas war zones.Co-operating closely with the Royal Navy, the ASR Service used both aircraft and high-speed launches for its task. One of the most famous craft used was the British Power Boat Company´s Type Two 63ft HSL. Known as the ´Whaleback´ because of its distinctive cambered deck, it was, without doubt, the ´Spitfire´ of the ASR units. Designed in 1937 by Hunert Scott-Paine, the far-sighted founder of the BPB Co. at Hythe and formaly of the Supermarine Aviation Co., the Type Two began joining RAF Marine Craft Units towards the middle of 1940. For sheer beauty of line, The ´Whaleback´ had few equals. The low cabin containing the wheel-house, chart room and sickbay was surmounted by two Armstrong-Whitworth aircraft-style turrets, each mounting a single .303in Vickers machine-gun for defensive use. Following the disastrous Dieppe raid in August 1942 when a number of craft were badly shot up, additional armament was installed in the form of paired .303in machine-guns on „free“ mountings on either side of the wheel-house and a single 20mm Oerlikon fitted on a strengthened rear deck. For further protection, anti-shrapnel padding was aplied around the forward cabin area. Maximum speed of the 63ft Type Two was arespectable 36 knots on the power of the three 500 h.p. Napier Sea Lions. Developed from the famous Napier Lion aero engine, the petrol-driven Sea Lions consumed 60 gallons an hour per engine at maximum speed; range at 25 knots was some 500 miles. The crew comprised nine personnel including the captain and a medical orderly. Initially, RAFrescue launches were based around the south-eastern coast of Britain, known as ´Hellfire Corner´, where casualties were high as a result of frequent air battles over the English Channel and North Sea. Details of a ditched airman´s position could come from a number of sources including his own radio before bailing out, from another aircraft or from the Navy. Flashed to one of the ASR units, the news scrambled an HSL to the pilot´s last known position. Initially painted in a striking scheme of yellow and black for greater visibility, the launches later adopted a more sombre grey/black scheme after attacks by German aircraft. By D-Day in June 1944, the RAF had 300 launches in service at ASR units covering the whole of the United Kingdom and many areas abroad including the Mediterranean, an the Indian Ocean. Malta, under ceaseless air attack in 1941 organised an ASR service in the summer of that year and 125 valuable aircrew were saved by December 1942. Markings for three launches are provided in the kit. HSL 156 (call-sign Seagull 70) commanded by Flying Officer Geoffrey Lockwood, D.S.C., operated out of 28ASR unit, Newhaven in 1943-44. Notable among the rescues accomplished by 156 was the succesful retrieval of two American Fortress crews totalling 19 men from the middle of a minefield in October, 1944. This craft depicts the standard equipment and armament layout for the late war period. The toned down colour scheme is in contrast to the early period example shown by HSL 130. This launch also operated in the English Channel in 1941-42 but has yellow/grey decks and upperworks. Third is HSL 127 commanded by Flt.Lt. D.Jones, D.S.C. and based at 27 ASR unit, Ramsgate. Unique in surviving until recently as a luxury motor launch, 127 was on station in the Channel at the time of the Dieppe raid in August 1942 and during its period of service rescued no less than 98 men including 20 from a ditched glider off Dover in September 1944. Some 69 ´Whalebacks´ were built for the RAF between 1940 and 1942 and they remained in service throughout the war."