#Ibomber defense great britain plus#

During the first months of WWII, the squadrons that defended Canada’s seashores were unable to obtain the modern aircraft they required.Īnd things did not really improve. In addition, within the Commonwealth, the RAF and the BCATP had precedence over the HWE and received all the planes manufactured in Great Britain. went to war in December 1941, their neutrality act forbade exporting military planes to belligerent nations. The situation was even worse when it came to planes and spare parts. The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) did provide training grounds and air crews, but Article 15 of the agreement signed with Great Britain specified what percentage of Canadian crews were to be sent overseas and what percentage were to serve with territorial defence, and that quota did not allow the HWE to secure the men it needed. From the beginning the HWE was plagued by difficulties and unable to secure the men, aircraft and bases that its objectives demanded. The 49-squadron plan was approved by the Canadian government but never completed. This also meant adding 989 officers and 11,347 airmen, for an additional cost of CAN$216 million.

#Ibomber defense great britain plus#

He asked that the HWE be increased to 49 squadrons, which meant Canada had to buy 380 Hurricane fighters, 244 Mosquito bombers, 144 Canso flying boats, 40 Vultee Vengeance light bombers, plus transport aircraft: the total price tag was estimated at CAN$151 million. To face those challenges, Breadner drafted a revised plan. The Air Defence of Canada (National Archives of Canada, MG 26 J 4, vol.

possible invasion of Canadian Pacific Coast by enemy seaborne and air-borne forces.

possible bombardment of East and West Coast ports by enemy naval ships and.

possible enemy aircraft attacks on vital targets in East and West Coast regions.

greatly increased enemy U-boat sinkings of our merchant shipping in the Western Atlantic.

The changing war situation makes it expedient that Canada increase Air Defences to deal more effectively with the following dangers to Supply Life Line to the United Kingdom and our own existence as a nation:

Breadner summarized the dangers that Canada was facing in those words: The fear of an air or naval assault reached its peak in 1941 when Japan dealt a mighty blow to the U.S.

A far cry from the 16 squadrons and 574 aircraft allotted to the HWE in the air defence plan.Īn enemy attack against Canadian territory was a definite threat in 1939 this became even more likely in the summer of 1940, if ever Great Britain were to fall. Only two of the other squadrons had the airplanes to carry out their mission: No 1 (Fighter) Squadron with seven Hawker Hurricanes, and No 11 (Bomber-Reconnaissance) Squadron with ten Lockheed Hudson. Both the western and eastern commands were placed under the Home War Establishment (HWE).Īt the end of 1939, the HWE was comprised of 14 active squadrons, including No 110 (Army Cooperation) Squadron soon to be detached to serve overseas with the First Infantry Division.

To be ready, the RCAF set up its Eastern Air Command (EAC) on September 15th, 1938, and prepared a new defence plan that included building bases and deploying squadrons in the Maritimes. The September 1938 Munich crisis was evidence enough that war in Europe was as serious a threat. National Defence Image Library, PL 16700. Langmuir, Captain, and Flight Sergeant M.W. Standing from left to right, Warrant Officer Class 2 C.C. A Canso crew serving on maritime patrols along the Atlantic seaboard.