Coastal Command Tiger Moths

Try ‘So Few’ by David Masters, there is an entire chapter devoted to the Coastal Command Moths.

Try ‘So Few’ by David masters, there is an entire chapter devoted to the Coastal Command Moths.

I am sure there was an article in an early Air International or RAF Flying Review on these aircraft . I cannot find the date but it looks like 1950’s, there were 6 Flights formed , Dyce , Abbotsinch ,Hooton Park, Aldergrove,Carew and St Eval . They were camouflaged and carried “operational numbers”. In the front cockpit they carried two pidgeons in a wicker basket and a car inner tube partially inflated in the compartment behind the the rear cockpit as an aid if the aircraft ditched .
Tiger Moths also served in France before Dunkirque.
They were also fitted out to carry bombs , underthe wings or more usually under the rear cockpit.
There was also a scheme to fit them with a slasher to rip the parachutes of the invading paratroops .

What a small world, I was reading the article this morning. Was in an old RAf Flying Review circa 1956.

Martin

There is a bit of info about the ‘scarecrow patrol’ flights in the book ”The Tiger Moth Story” by Alan Bramson and Neville Birch which has been reprinted a few times by Airlife.Lots of other interesting info for Tiggie enthusiasts and some good photos inc the famous one of a Tiger club aircraft just about to hit the ground vertically with the spinner about 18 inches off the ground….. ouch!!!!

Just out of idle interest and a view to maybe painting up a “different” model kit, does anyone here have any knowledge of the Tiger Moths allegedly used by Coastal Command in the early part of World War Two for submarine spotting?
Just if anyone is interested, like…? Sounds like a heroic little force.

Jay

I can believe it. In the US, the Civil Air Patrol used light planes for submarine spotting. Fairchilds (In a recent FlyPast there was a piece on one in the UK in CAP markings), Stinsons, Pipers and the like.
They had some success too.

I would guess fying a small single-engine plane over winter seas was not a job for the fainthearted.

I am sure there was an article in an early Air International or RAF Flying Review on these aircraft . I cannot find the date but it looks like 1950’s, there were 6 Flights formed , Dyce , Abbotsinch ,Hooton Park, Aldergrove,Carew and St Eval . They were camouflaged and carried “operational numbers”. In the front cockpit they carried two pidgeons in a wicker basket and a car inner tube partially inflated in the compartment behind the the rear cockpit as an aid if the aircraft ditched .
Tiger Moths also served in France before Dunkirque.
They were also fitted out to carry bombs , underthe wings or more usually under the rear cockpit.
There was also a scheme to fit them with a slasher to rip the parachutes of the invading paratroops .

Do you have any photos?

Did the coastal patrol tigers retain their yellow training colourschemes and earth/dark green top surfaces?

I’m intrigued now after finding my post again!

Jay

My friend’s Tiger flew with the Coastal Patrol Flight at Hooton Park and just prior to war was with 206 Squadron at Bircham Newton in who’s colours she flies.

Coastal Command Tiger Moths

They certainly were used on anti-submarine duties – or rather bluffing duties. The shortage of aircraft in the early months of the war forced the C-in-C of Coastal Command to use anything he could get his hands on and some Tiger Moths were available so he formed six Coastal Patrol Flights with these aircraft.

According to Wing Commander Hal Roberts DFC (he served with 2 CPF) in his book “Moths to Mosquitos”, the idea was that they patrolled over the sea at dawn and dusk in the hope of finding a U-boat on the surface to re-charge its batteries. If they did it was further hoped that the U-boat crew would mistake the Tiger Moth for a depth-charge laden Swordfish and dive in a hurry, thus cutting short its re-charging time.

As may be imagined, it was something of a makeshift expedient. Hal Roberts mentions, for instance, that they had no means of keeping afloat in the event of coming down in the sea, so carried a motor car inner tube in the small compartment behind the rear cockpit.

The CPFs seem to have been formed in the middle of December 1939 and been disbanded by the end of May 1940, using Tiger Moths and Hornet Moths.

Nearly as mad as the story about their proposed use as light ground attack bombers in the event of an invasion….Cant remeber where i came across that one though!!

It is in the DH documentary film on the Mosquito for one.

Probably work as well as the USMC and USA using l-4s and L-5s in ground attack roles! One pilot claimed several German Armored vehicles by mounting bazookas. In the Pacific, some pilots where known to do ground attack by dropping a grenade in a glass Mason Jar with the pin pulled. When it hit the ground it went live!. The last German A/C shot down in the ETO, a Fi 156 Storch, was shot down by a L-4 Grasshopper with their 45’s!

Don’t count the Moth short. Though slow, it was a small maneuverable target! Determined pilots do crazy things and some of them even lived through it!

Nearly as mad as the story about their proposed use as light ground attack bombers in the event of an invasion….Cant remeber where i came across that one though!!