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The De Havilland Mosquito (or mosquito , in recall of the function of harassing initially planned for this apparatus) was a British fighter-bomber multi-role. It been useful within Royal Air Force like within many air forces during the second world war and after war. Mosquito affectionately called “Mossie” by its crews, is also known as being “the wooden wonder” - wonder of wood - or “the timber terror” - the wood terror - because of its outstanding performances.

Mosquito was a twin-engine been driven with a pair by engine Roll-Royce Merlin, one of its characteristics was that the pilot and the navigator had sat side by side. Resolutely not very orthodoxe in its design, it used a lamellate plywood structure of balsa and birch, per hour when wood was regarded as obsolete. At the time of its design, the research department De Havilland noted that the addition of defensive armament reduced to a significant degree its maximum speed, thus the original version of fast bomber of day was drawn without any armament. The cell of Mosquito was however used as universal platform for various roles like fast bomber of day, fighter-bomber, tactical bomber, night or diurnal hunter, plane of intrusion, reconnaissance aircraft and embarked hunter.

Mosquito sucita the admiration of all, in particular of the other with dimensions of the Rhine with the commander-in-chief of Luftwaffe, Hermann Göring. January 30th, 1943, Göring was to go to a commemoration in Berlin for the tenth birthday of the accession to the capacity of the Nazi party. An attack at low altitude of 3 Mosquito B.Mk. IV of the 105 Squadron on the principal radio station of Berlin occurring at the time of the speech of Reichsmarschall, stopped during more than one hour the emissions.

Reichsmarschall Göring was furious: " In 1940, I could have made as fly my planes far as Glasgow, but maintaining not! I am furious when I see Mosquito, I become green about it of rage and yellow of desire. The British, who can allow the luxury of aluminum, build one of these wood wonders in any factory of piano, giving him in more one top speed which does not cease being improved. And you who is what you made?!? " Hermann Göring, January 1943

In answer, German was freely inspired Mosquito, with the Focke-Wulf Your 154 “ Moskito ”, which as its homonym was built out of wood. Mosquito will be also used as platform for the design of a single-seat heavy hunter with the De Havilland DH.103 “Hornet”.

Design & Development

Throughout the Thirties, De Havilland cut a solid reputation in the design of civil aircraft at high speed, in particular with the DH.88 Comet (mail plane) or the DH.91 Albatross (airliner) which used a structure wood already successfully.

Mosquito had this characteristic to be built in plates of balsa and Bouleau, using a very advanced technique for the time, from where a weaker weight allowing him to fly more quickly, which was invaluable for its reconnaissance missions and of bombardment. Its wood design also made it possible to minimize as much as possible the use of " materials stratégiques" such as the Aluminum and the Steel, and to make it detectable with more difficulty by the German Radar S.

The Air Ministry was not interested in the beginning by such a concept, but quickly changed opinion with the sight of the performances speed and handiness of the prototype established by the chief engineer of the firm De Havilland, Ronal Eric Bishop.

Construction

The genius of the construction of Mosquito is in the innovative use and little orthoxe of materials and techniques ordinary. The cell consists of plywood special, more resistant and lighter than the standard. This special plywood is produced thanks to an alternation of layers of Ecuadorian Balsa and Canadian Birch, pasted using a woodworking glue containing casein (later of Formaldehyde).

The fuselage is formed using mould: the sides left and right of the fuselage as well as the other structural elements are built separately. These elements are reinforced by hundreds of small wood screws in Laiton. This arrangement simplified much the installation by the workmen of the internal systems hydraulics and other wiring, owing to the fact that the two parts of the Fuselage are open. These two halves are then stuck and sealed together, to be finally covered by fabric Madapolam cotton.

The wings are also made out of wood. To increase their resistance, they are built in once, and are assembled with the fuselage as soon as these two halves are stuck.

Metal is used with moderation in the construction of the structural elements: it will be especially employed for the landing gear, the shutters and obviously the screws out of brass.

The adhesive used at the beginning was a woodworking glue containing Caséine. It will be replaced by a woodworking glue containing formaldehyde, prompter to support strong amplitudes of heat and moisture, in particular during the engagement of Mosquito under tropical climates. De Havilland also developed a technique of acceleration of the drying of the adhesive thanks to furnaces microwaves.

In England, the parts of the fuselage are built by the companies E. Gum, Parker Knoll and Styles & Mealing. The wings are produced by J.B. Heath and Dancer & Hearne. Many of other parts, such as the shutters of control, the leading edges of the wings and the doors of the bomb bay are manufactured with High Wycombe in the Buckinghamshire, thanks to its well established industry of piece of furniture. Thus 5000 Mosquitos out of the 7781 produced units, consist of manufactured parts with High Wycombe.

The particular technique of plating of wood used was made by the American manufacture Roddis, based with Marshfield, in the Wisconsin: Hamilton Roddis constituted skilful teams of young women who passed by again an exceptionally fine wood plating before dispatching it in the United Kingdom.

Operational service

The DH.98 is often described as being faster than the enemy hunters. During its introduction, the mosquito was faster than the principal German hunters of the face, namely the Messerschmitt Bf 109F and Focke-Wulf Fw 190A. The following versions of these aircraft reduced the advance of Mosquito. However although their margin speed was weak, the mosquitos had time to conclude their mission of bombardment and to return at the base, before the German planes do not arrive at the altitude of interception.

However with the introduction of the Protoxide of nitrogen for booster rocket the speed of rise of Bf 109s and the arrival, although late, of the jet fighters Messerschmitt Me 262, Luftwaffe had finally interceptors being a clear advantage speed. The version PR.Mk 32 (version photo recognition) is then produced in answer with larger wings, special compressors for high-altitudes and by the elimination of as much of weight than possible, thus making it possible to increase its ceiling max to 12800 meters of altitude. Even with these changes, the DH. 98 did not remain completely with the shelter December 1944, Mosquito was intercepted at this altitude .

Royal Air Force: Version Bomber

The first squadrons of bomber to receive Mosquito B.IV used it for raids of day to fall altitude. One of these missions was that of January 30th, 1943 against a meeting Nazi in Berlin, during the speech of Hermann Göring which affirmed that such a raid was impossible. And as to prove to the Nazis that this raid was not a stroke of luck, the RAF sent the DH.98 of the No.139 Squadron to even proceed to the same mission the afternoon, to stop the speech of the Minister for propaganda Nazi, Joseph Goebbels.

The version bomber of Mosquito was used by the Bomber Command within the No.8 Group ( Pathfinder Force ) and within the No.105 and No.139 Squadron constituting the Light Night Strike Force (LNSF).

The LNSF carried out night intrusions at high speed using sophisticated instruments of navigation (system GEE & Système Oboe) and of assistance to the aiming as a blind man (System H2S). Its mission was double: initially to destroy essential objectives of modest size but and in the second place, to make diversion to cover the heavy bombers, by simulating great formations by the use of countermeasure radar (metal spangles). The nights when no heavy bombardment was planned, the LNSF struck the German anti-aircraft defenses not to leave any rest to the enemy.

Mosquitos of the No.8 Group took part in many operations of bombardment, in particular as a scout by marking the targets with loads pyrotechnics (Flares) for the formations of heavy bombers. Mosquitos of the Royal Air Force Bomber Command thus entered 28000 exits and 35000 tons of bombs released by losing only 193 planes in operation. This known apparatus the lowest rate of the Attrition of the planes implied in the conflict (0,7% of losses compared with the 2,2% of the heavy four-engined planes). It was calculated that a DH.98 transporting the bomb of 4000 pounds " Cookie", could go as far as Germany, to release it, return full throttles until its base to supply, set out again in Germany, to release a second bomb of 4000 pounds, for finally returning and landing before a Short S.29 Stirling (slowest of the bombers of the RAF) does not release its cargo of bombs, whereas they had left at the same time…

Mosquito IX holds also the record of mission for a allied bomber of the Second world war: Mosquito LR503 code name " F for Freddie ". Holder of 213 exits within the No.105 and No.109 Squadron during the war, his chance stops on May 10th, 1945, two days after the victory, with the airport of Calgary during a lap of honor, following an pilot error.

Royal Air Force: Night version Hunter

The use of the DH.98 for missions of hunting of night, arised when the Air Ministry gave up the project Gloster F.9/37 to concentrate the production on other apparatuses.

First apparatus DH.98 configured for night hunting has to be introduced was a NF.Mk II , armed with 4 Hispano guns of 20mm in the fuselage and 4 machine-guns of gauge 0.303 (7.7mm) Browning assembled in the nose. Using a radar of interception (AI) Mk IV/Mk IV, its mission was to operate like defensive hunter of night to the top of England. However, it was also used for night missions of intrusions, walking to the top of Europe to cause the maximum of disturbances on the lines of communications and the air operations enemy.

In May 1942, the NF.Mk II records its first victories and until the end of the war, night Mosquitos of hunting proclaimed 600 shot down planes and 600 Flying Bombs destroyed V1. This alternative will be used for Malta, in Italy, in Sicily and North Africa starting from the end 1942.

From 1944, the " Moustique" raise a new role, that of plane of escort for the bombers of the No.100 Group of the Bomber Command . Its task will be to thwart the attacks of the NachtJagd (Hunters of night of Luftwaffe) in the " corridors of bombardement" combined with the top of Germany. Approximately 268 night hunters of Luftwaffe were destroyed by the Group , for the loss of 70 Mosquitos. The omnipresence of the threat of DH.98 NF caused at the German crews a " Mosquitoschreck" or phobia of the mosquito. As the pilots of Luftwaffe were never sure when and where to go to arrive the attack of the Mosquitos, this phobia caused good number of accidents of hunters Nazis hurrying to land to avoid a real or imaginary attack… The DH.98 did not meet to them " just punition" that in February 1945, with the appearance of the first jet fighters Messerschmitt Me 262 of the 10. /NJG 11 . The commander of this unit, the Oberleutnant Kurt Welter cut down 25 Mosquitos of night, plus 2 of day, this table of hunting being added to the 7 previously obtained on board sound Bf 109G-6/AS. But that was able too late to change the course of the History.

Royal Air Force: Version Fighter-bomber

The operational experiment on varied roles showed the need for developing a version of general-purpose fighter-bomber: the DH.98 FB.VI , which was born at the beginning of 1943. The alternative VI has wings reinforced to support, in addition to the 2 bombs of 250 pounds out of compartment, 2 bombs of 250 pounds or 8 rockets under the wings. The following versions with a more powerful motorization could carry bombs of 500 pounds.

FB.VI became the version most produced with 2292 units, equipping the No.2 Group with the Bomber Command , the Squadron of intrusion of the Fighter Command and the 2nd TAF, and to finish the force of attack of the Costal Command with a anti-maritime version of fight equipped with 8 rockets RP-3 of 60 books.

FB.VI became the version most produced with 2292 units, equipping the No.2 Group with the Bomber Command , the Squadron of intrusion of the Fighter Command and the 2nd TAF, and to finish the force of attack of the Costal Command with a anti-maritime version of fight equipped with 8 rockets RP-3 of 60 books. One of the riskiest missions of Fighter-bomber DH.98 FB.VI, that was carried out by the No.2 Group of the 2nd TAF, under the name of code of Opération Jericho. The objective was to destroy the walls and the districts of the guards of the prison of Amiens to make it possible resistant French to escape.

April 11th, 1944, following a request of Dutch resistance, 6 Mosquitos BFR VI of the No.613 Squadron of Manschester, lead a surgical attack to height of roof on the center of filing of the Gestapo of $the Hague. Their " cocktail" cluster bombs and flamers entered by the windows and the doors by destroying all the compromising files. The only killed people were those present in the building.

March 21st, 1945, a raid similar at very low altitude - the Operation Carthage - was carried out against the general headquarter of Gestapo to Copenhagen (Denmark). A mosquito released by error its cargo of bombs on a French Catholic school, and caused the death of 86 children, 1O religious, 8 teachers and 21 civilians. The HQ Nazi was destroyed with his files, but 8 prisoners are killed, while 18 others manage to flee. The principal attack on the building of Gestapo caused the death of 55 German soldiers and 47 Danish collaborators. 4 mosquitos were lost and 9 team members died on the return voyage because of the Flak. This attack was requested from many recoveries by Danish resistance, but was considered to be too dangereous because of the RAF. Although the assessment civil side is heavy, the destruction of the files and the organization saved the life of many resistant Danish.

US Air Force

USAF ordered 120 Mosquitos of photographic recognition, but only 40 were delivered under American designation F-8 (6 B.Mk VII built under Canadian license and 34 B.Mk XX). Only 16 were useful in Europe: 11 are turned over under command of the RAF and 5 were sent in Italy. The RAF provided 145 PR.Mk XVI to the 8th USAAF between on April 22nd, 1944 and the end of the war. Those are used for many weather, night missions and of photo recognition; but also for the dropping of countermeasure radar; like scout for the bombers heavy; for missions Red Stocking concerning the OSE; and like platform of test of radar H2X Mickey within the 802d Recognition famous Group later the 25th Bomb Group (Recognition) . This unit showed 3246 exits and the loss of 29 PR.Mk XVI.

British Overseas Airways Corporation

Between 1943 and 1945, Mosquitos were used like civil transport aircraft on a regular way with the top of the the North Sea between Leuchars (Scotland) and Stockholm (Sweden). Lockheed L-18 Lodestar and Lockheed Hudson were also used, but these planes too slow could fly only night or by bad weather, to avoid being shot down. During the long days of summer, Mosquito was the only possible alternative.

Since the Sweden was neutral, the planes carried civil markings and were flown by Norwegian aviators, as civil employees of BOAC. Although their load of carrying was small, the transported goods were highly strategic, like rolls of the dice of utmost precision and steel for machine tool. Time with others, VIP were embarked in a cabin improvised in the compartment. The physicist, Niels Bohr, was thus evacuated of Stockholm in 1943 on board DH.98 not armed with the RAF. The flight could have been finished tragically, Bohr not having put his oxygen mask as indicated by the crew. He would have died if the pilot, indicator that Bohr did not answer the intercom since he was unconscious, was not descended at a lower altitude for the remainder from the vol. the comment from Bohr on his tour was than he had slept like a baby during all the voyage…

After war

Mosquitos flying for the Israeli air force passed their baptism of fire lasting the Crise of Suez Canal in 1956. Although at that time, the DH.98 is withdrawn from the active service, 13 apparatuses of various versions left the reserve. 13 other DH.98 TR are repurchased by a retailer of English spare parts.

in 1948, Sweden bought with the RAF, 60 Mk XIX in order to use them like hunter of night, under designation J 30 . These planes were assigned with the F1 Wing of Västerås, while becoming thus the first (and only) night unit of hunting of the Swedish air force. These Mosquitos were put at the retirement in 1953, replaced by jet fighters De Havilland Venom Mk 51, under the name J 33 . A third of the J 30 was crushed or undergone technical breakages during the service, especially because of the rudder. However, the commander of the Swedish air force, General Björn Bjuggren, will write in his memories that the engineering problems of the swivelling antenna radar, assembled on the nose, caused such vibrations, that they caused the destruction in flight of 1 or 2 J 30 .

Famous pilots

  • "Bob" John Randall Daniel Braham – English pilot more decorated with the Second world war and have hunting of night.
  • Branse Burbridge – Pilot of the RAF having the largest table of hunting on a DH.98 NF.
  • Leonard Cheshire VC – Ordering No 617 Squadron (and successor of Guy Gibson); One of the pilot most famous for the marking of precision within the Pathfinders ; It will be distinguished also later while being devoted to the care from the handicapped people and in final phase by melting the houses Cheshire .
  • Sidney Knitting machine – Australian spy and photographic recognition.
  • John " Cats Eyes" Cunningham – Night fighter pilot of RAF
  • Geoffrey de Havilland Jr – Wire of the founder of the firm éponyme and test pilot as a chief, accomplished the flight of inauguration of Mosquito.
  • Bill Edrich – English cricketer, flew on several apparatuses of the Blenheims in Mosquito. Receipt Distinguished Flying Cross-country race and will become major.
  • Guy Gibson – Ordering No 617 Squadron ; Committed suicide on board its Mosquito in Holland whereas it returned of mission.
  • Kirk Kerkorian – Work like conveyer of Mosquitos enters Canada and England during the Second world war. The transatlantic road dangerous but was well remunerated: $1000 per voyage.
  • Keith Miller – International Australian player of Cricket. At the end of her life, when it was asked him how it managed the pressure on a ground of cricket, Miller answered that: " The true pressure is that of a Messerschmitt close on your heels, not that of the cricket".
  • Bolesław Orliński – Celebrate Polish pilot who carried out a Warsaw-Tokyo-Warsaw circuit on board a Breguet 19 in 1926 and, establishes speed records, on June 28th, 1934 on board a PZL P.24. Ordering of No305 Polish Squadron of Bomber, it carried out on board sound mosquito a mission against a prison camp to Lille and against an important German fuel stock with Nomexy.
  • Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema – Resisting and Dutch secret secret agent, which carried out 72 exits with the 139th Pathfinder squadron ; It will describe its experiment in its book: Soldier off Orange .
  • Kenneth Wolstenhome – Lieutenant of the No 105 Squadron . He will become the presenter and commentator of football for BBC.

Alternatives

Prototype

The original design goes back to 1938, even if construction does not start when 1940, the delay being due to an insufficient interest of the RAF. 3 prototypes were built, each one having a different configuration. The first to be flown was the prototype bomber W4050 on November 25th, 1940, follow-up of the hunter of night on May 15th, 1941 and the alternative photo recognition on June 10th, 1941.

  • Mosquito Mk I : First Prototype

  • Mosquito Mk II : Second prototype

Photo recognition

Photo the Reconnaissance prototype becomes the base for the Mosquito PR Mk I , while the Bombardier model will become the Mosquito B Mk IV , 273 apparatuses PR were built. The first operational flight by Mosquito PR Mk I was made on September 20th, 1941. Mk IV entered in service in May 1942 within the No105 Squadron of the RAF. The B Mk IV could transport 4 bombs of 500 lb (227 kg) like 2 additional tanks or 2 other bombs of 500 lb under aerofoil.

  • Mosquito PR.Mk IV : This designation was given to 32 Mosquito B.Mk IV (Bomber), reconverted in the two-seater of photo recognition.

  • Mosquito PR.Mk VIII : Recognition-Photo version. Equip with 2 piston engines Rolls-Royce Merlin 31 piston. 25 Built.
  • Mosquito PR.Mk IX : Recognition-Photo version based on Mosquito B.Mk IX. Equip with 2 engines Merlin 72 (of 1,680-HP or 1253 kw).
  • Mosquito PR.Mk 32 : Version Recognition-Photo great autonomy. Equip with 2 piston engines Rolls-Royce Merlin 32 with 1,960-HP or 1260 kw. 5 converts.
  • Mosquito PR.Mk 34 : Version Recognition-Photo very great autonomy with an additional tank in the bomb bay. 50 built.

Bomber

The Mosquito B.Mk IX was an alternative of bomber of high-altitude, but the version of bombardment the most built was the Mosquito B.Mk XVI with 1,200 units. The Mosquito bomber could transport a bomb of 4,000 lb (1  816  kg) " blockbuster " in its compartment. This bomb bay could also accommodate more than 6 bombs of 500 lb. The mosquito was largely used by RAF Pathfinder of the RAF for the marking of the targets for night strategic bombardments. In spite of a rate of loss raised at the beginning, the DH.98 finishes the war as being the apparatus having sudden less losses within RAF Bomber Command . The RAF noted that on level of power of equivalent striking, Mosquito was 4.5 times less expensive than a Lancaster. Special units of Luftwaffe ( Jagdgruppe 25 and Jagdgruppe 50 ) were formed to counter the attacks of Mosquitos, though the result was never with the height. Luftwaffe considered that Mosquito was quite higher than their concept of " Schnellbomber".

  • Mosquito B.Mk V : Prototype of bomber with supports of ducted under-surface. A built specimen.

  • Mosquito B.Mk 35 : Bomber of high-altitude to great autonomy. Have a pressurized cockpit. 122 built.

Hunter

Developed in 1940, the first prototype of the Mosquito F Mk II was finalized on May 15th, 1941. This plane was armed with 4 guns Hispano-Suiza HS.404 of 20mm in the fuselage and 4 machine-guns Browning Mk 1.2F2 of 0.303 (7.7mm) in the nose. This version required that the access to the cockpit is done on with dimensions nose and either by lower part. The apparatus had also a canopy redrawn with frontal, non-existent bulletproof panels in the original version. This alternative was produced only with few specimens.

Hunter of night

The first series of hunter of night DH.98 was indicated Mosquito NF Mk II .466 specimens were brought into service within the No 157 Squadron of RAF in January 1942, in order to replace the Douglas A-20 Havoc. The version NF Mk II was similar to the version F Mk II , but was equipped with the Radar centrimetric AI Mk IV. The swivelling transmitting antenna was assembled in the nose and the receiving bipolar antenna in the wings. A certain number of NF Mk II had their equipment radar dismounted and replaced by additional tanks to be used for the intrusion of night. These apparatuses, indicated NF II (Special) were deployed in Malta on December 20th, 1942, and in order to operate targets in Italy against.

97 NF Mk II accepted centimetric radar AI Mk VIII and were indicated Mosquito NF.Mk XII . The Mosquito NF Mk XIII , with 270 produced units, had a production equivalent to the modified NF Mk XII. The centimetric radar was assembled in a solid thimble (Mk XII/XIII) or in a radome (Mk XVII/XIX), which required that the machine-guns are moved. The other alternatives of night hunting were Mk XV , Mk XVIII (Mk II converts), Mk XIX and Mk 30 . The last 3 models were equipped with radar AI Mk X built in the USA.

  • Mosquito NF Mk X : Version Drives out night, ever produced.

  • Mosquito NF Mk XI : Version Drives out night, ever produced.
  • Mosquito NF Mk XIV : Version Drives out night, ever produced.
  • Mosquito NF Mk XV : Designation given to 5 Mosquitos B.Mk IV, which was converted into hunter of night of high-altitude.
  • Mosquito NF Mk XVIII : Designation given to 100 Mosquitos NF.Mk II, which was equipped with the American radar AI.Mk X.
  • Mosquito NF Mk XIX : Version improved of the night hunter Mosquito NF XIII. Equip with radar AI of English or American construction. 220 built specimens.
  • Mosquito NF Mk 30 : Version hunter of night of high-altitude. Equip with 2 engines Roll-Royce Merlin 76 with 1,710-HP or 1275-kw. 526 built specimens.
  • Mosquito NF Mk 31 : Version Drives out night, ever produced.

After war, 2 new versions of night hunter were developed, NF Mk 36 and NF Mk 38 :

  • Mosquito NF Mk 36 : Similar to NF.Mk 30, but equipped with the American radar AI.Mk X. Propelled by 2 engines Roll-Royce Merlin 113/114 of 1,690-HP (1260-kw). 266 built specimens.

  • Mosquito NF Mk 38 : Similar to NF.Mk 30, but equipped with English radar AI Mk IX. 50 built specimens.

To inform the German hunters of night that they were tracked by this radar, the Nazis developed the detector of radar FuG 350 Naxos.

The mosquitos of night intrusion of the No 100 Group of the RAF, were equipped with the detector of radar Serrate to enable them to track the German hunters starting from their radar Lichtenstein B/C and SN-2, as well as Perfectos making it possible to track the IF or Identification friend German gold foe .

Fighter-bomber

  • Mosquito PR.xx : photographic recognition (approximately 720 specimens)

  • Mosquito F.xx: hunter (of day, only one version, few specimens)
  • Mosquito NF.xx: drive out of night (equipped with a radar, less than 1800 specimens)
  • Mosquito B.xx: bomber (approximately 1600 specimens)
  • Mosquito FB.xx: fighter-bomber (more than 3100 specimens)
  • Mosquito TR.xx: destroyer embarked on Aircraft carrier (64 specimens)
  • Mosquito T.xx: plane of drive (approximately 400 specimens)
(xx = number of version in the type).

Country users

See too

  • List of the military aircrafts

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