[Pursuivant]

Continuing my posts on early war RAF aircraft which are appropriate for the new English Channel map.

This is a very stripped down listing of RAF aircraft in service on "Eagle Day" (August 18, 1940). Starred aircraft are those which played a particularly important role in the Battle of Britain.

Heavy Bomber: Stirling I

Medium Bomber: Blenheim IV, Hampden I, Whitley I

Light Bomber/Patrol: Anson I, Beaufort I, Battle I, Hudson I

Flying Boat/Heavy Patrol: Lerwick, Stanraer, Sunderland I

Fighter: Hawker Hurricane I (mid)*, I (late)*, IIA, Supermarine Spitfire I, IA*, II*, IIA*

Night Fighter: Blenheim IF, IVF

Turret Fighter: Defiant I

Coop/Liaison: Lysander I, Anson I.

To have a decent "Battle of Britain" order of battle for the RAF, at minimum the early marks of Hurricane and Spitfire are needed for the UK (Say Hurricane I (late), Spitfire IA and IIA). "Nice to have" aircraft for the RAF would be a flyable Blenheim IV and the Defiant (AI).

There's a good enough selection of early war Luftwaffe aircraft that no additions are needed. But, "nice to have" Luftwaffe aircraft which were commonly used during the battle are the Bf 109E-1, Bf 109E-1/B, Bf 109E-3, Do 17Z-2, He 111A-1 (flyable), and He 115B-1.

Aircraft which weren't that important to the actual battle, but which became more important later on, are the Anson, Beaufighter IIF, Hampden, Hudson, Stirling, and Sunderland.