ON THE COVER:

As noted in last month’s installment of “Colors of War,” the Fairey Battle was slaughtered during the Battle of France. There were numerous reasons for this — the aircraft itself, poor intelligence and planning, along with the stubborn refusal to send the Battles into combat with effective fighter escort. The type was hurriedly withdrawn from front-line service but hundreds remained in storage and it was decided to use these planes for a variety of training duties. The biggest user was the Royal Canadian Air Force. The RCAF received its first eight Battles in August 1939 and hundreds would follow. They were employed as dual control trainers, target tugs, and gunnery trainers with the many bombing and gunnery schools of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan based at fields across Canada. This fascinating photo shows a well-worn Battle preparing for another gunnery flight. The pilot does not even bother to shut down the Merlin as the gunner trainee in the rear cockpit hands down a canvas bag of spent casings while an armorer prepares to hand up a fresh .303-caliber machine gun as the next gunner trainee looks on. The .303 was less than an effective weapon and Luftwaffe pilots derisively referred to it as a “paint scratcher.” (RCAF)