Blackburn Skua Mk.II

In 1934 the Air Ministry issued specifications calling for multi-purpose carrier borne aircraft. The aircraft should have been able to fulfill both fighter and dive bomber tasks. The British conception of carrier borne fighter of that era was long range two seater aircraft capable of fighting off enemy reconnaissance aircraft. Interception of enemy bomber or even fighter aircraft was not in mind of any of these conceptions.

The maiden flight of the first prototype, later designated Skua, occurred on Feb 9, 1937. Since the admiralty was in a hurry it issued the production order based only on design drawings. Skuas were assigned to front line squadrons 800th, 801st, 803rd and 806th. Due to the rush to production they were considered obsolete for fighter roles.

When the war broke out Skuas participated in combat actions from the very beginning. They served both from aircraft carriers and land bases. On Sept 26th two aircraft from the 803rd shot down a Dornier Do 18 as the first recorded British aerial victory in the war. On April 10th 16 Skuas sunk the German cruiser Konigsberg.