The angular Short Stirling was unique in that it was designed from the outset to take four power plants, unlike its contemporaries the Halifax and Manchester. It had the ability to carry bomb loads far greater than the current bombers in service yet despite these capabilities it was regarded as a ‘disappointment’ in the RAF Official History.
Whatever its shortcomings, for the most part these were the result of short sighted limitations imposed on its designers. Its greatest handicap was the Air Staff’s insistence that the wingspan not exceed 100 feet, the opening of standard RAF hangar doors. The design team was obliged to employ a wing of low aspect ratio; as a consequence this induced a high drag factor.
Stirling Shortcomings
These features gave the bomber outstanding manoeuvrability but at the expense of a limited ceiling. Such a handicap proved increasingly serious, following improvements in anti-aircraft defences. Equally hazardous were raids on Italian targets when Stirlings frequently had to negotiate a path through the Alps rather than over them.
Another feature that limited the Stirling’s usefulness was its inability to carry a really large bomb. Its bomb bay was capacious but divided into three cells, the heaviest bomb that could be accommodated was of 4000 lb. Such restrictions made the Stirling more of a compromise than most warplanes, and with Its wing mounted mid-way on the slab-sided fuselage, this necessitated an under-carriage of exceptional height and complexity. This characteristic tended to create a dangerous swing at take-off if the pilot was not adept with the throttles.
First Flights
The prototype S29 made its test flight in May 1939. All went well until the landing when the stalky undercarriage collapsed due to a brake seizure. As a result the machine was a total write-off, which delayed the development programme considerably. Nevertheless the Air Ministry expressed an urgency to begin quantity production with a projected total of 1,500 Stirlings, to be delivered by April 1942. Such a target was highly optimistic; however the first deliveries began in August 1940 when No.7 squadron received 6 examples as replacements for their Wellingtons. As expected with such a new design, many teething problems were encountered, but in general, aircrew expressed approval of the Stirling’s handling characteristics.
Into Service
It was not until April 1941 that the Stirling became operational, when three aircraft from No.7 carried out a raid on storage tanks at Rotterdam. The operation marked the debut of the ‘first of the heavies’. Over the following months a series of daylight raids was conducted, some provided with fighter escort and some unescorted. By the beginning of 1942 the daylight missions tapered off; from then the Stirling operated by night alongside the Halifax and Lancaster. During these raids the Stirling demonstrated the ability to absorb an incredible amount of battle damage and remain airborne, despite the altitude handicap. Italian targets also featured in Stirling missions and on two separate occasions while raiding Turin, Stirling captains were awarded posthumous V.C.s.; the pilots were F/Sgt. R. Middleton (149 Sqdrn) and F/Sgt. A.Aaron (218 Sqdrn)
Versatility
In late 1943 production reached its peak. By that time the Stirling squadrons were relegated to less hostile targets such as flying bomb sites in northern France; with Bomber Command’s last Stirling sortie taking place on 8 September 1944.
A measure of its versatility was the employment of the Stirling by No7, as one of the original five Pathfinder squadrons, and also two Special Duties squadrons, Nos.138 and 161, which took part in clandestine operations parachuting saboteurs and supplies to partisans in occupied territories.
Other versions with armament removed were converted to glider tugs, making their operational debut on D-day 6 June 1944. The airborne landings at Arnhem also saw their involvement and later as transports serving with 2nd Tactical Air Force on the continent.
The Stirling’s career as a first-line bomber was relatively brief, due to the fact that it was not amenable to be modified to meet new demands. But as the RAF’s first ‘heavy’ it occupies an important place in Bomber Command’s history.
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