68-475: The Bristol Type 170 Superfreighter Mk 32 was a larger, stretched version of the Bristol Freighter designed for Silver City Airways for use on the short air ferry routes to France. The first Superfreighters, with a longer - 42 ft 3 in (12.88 m) - hold than the earlier Mark 31, were delivered to Silver City Airways in spring 1953 and were used on cross-channel services to Europe. One example
136-543: A Sperry Corporation -built autopilot would typically be installed. The flight deck was typically operated by a two-man crew, a first pilot and second pilot or radio operator; in addition, space was provided at the rear for a third crew member. The Bristol Hercules 734 radial engines that powered the type, along with all of its major subsystems such as the cowling, oil tank, cooler and control cables, could also be easily detached for servicing; an entire engine replacement could be performed within 90 minutes. The fuel system
204-541: A British responsibility and operations were to be directed from India. General Wavell was made Viceroy of India and General Claude Auchinleck became Commander-in-Chief, India , on 20 June 1943. In August 1943 the Allies formed a new South East Asian Command to take over strategic responsibilities for the theatre. The reorganisation of the theatre command took about two months. On 4 October Winston Churchill appointed Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten supreme Allied commander of
272-549: A Japanese air attack off Malaya on 10 December 1941. Following the invasion , the government of Thailand formally allied itself with Japan on 21 December. Japan invaded Hong Kong in the Battle of Hong Kong on 8 December, culminating in surrender on 25 December. January saw the invasions of Burma and the Dutch East Indies and the capture of Manila and Kuala Lumpur . Japanese forces met stiff resistance from III Corps of
340-503: A convoy escort force as other commitments called for the more powerful ships. From May 1942, it was also used in the invasion of Madagascar — an operation aimed at thwarting any attempt by Japan to use bases on the Vichy French controlled territory. In 1942, Madras City was attacked by a Mitsubishi Rufe , (the Zero's seaplane version) operating from the carrier Ryūjō which dropped
408-584: A highly reliable military shuttle service for allies in Thailand during the Vietnam War and served several other roles, being adapted for—amongst other things— aerial topdressing experiments, although to avoid competition with private enterprise, the New Zealand government did not use them in that role. The airline Aigle Azur operated Bristol 170 Freighters in early 1950s French Indo-China . At least one aircraft
476-650: A number of demonstration flights around the world, the Bristol 170 entered full production. One of the first sales was to the Argentine Air Force , which ordered 15 aircraft. The managing director of Silver City Airways was Wing Commander Griffith James Powell, who realised that he could adapt the Bristol Freighter to fly passengers with their cars from Britain to Continental Europe and Jersey . As an " air ferry ", it would allow people going on holiday to avoid
544-531: A rugged vehicle capable of carrying various cargoes, including a 3-ton truck . Various changes to the design were made to accommodate their requirements, but being completed too late to participate in the conflict, the majority of sales of the Freighter were to commercial operators. In response to customer demand, an enlarged version to maximise vehicle-carrying capacity, known as the Bristol Superfreighter ,
612-492: A single bomb near the St. George Fort . The physical damage was negligible, though the public response was major and the city was evacuated because of fears of subsequent Japanese bombing and invasion. Many rich families from Madras moved permanently to the hill stations in fear. Also in 1942 in preparation for a possible Japanese invasion of India, the British began improvements to
680-403: Is deliberately simple in its construction, while the use of maintenance-intensive components was kept to an absolute minimum and, where necessary, these were made as accessible and readily serviceable as possible. Manufacturing of the Freighter was eased by many components being standardised and identical where feasible; this ideology was also applied to elements of the internal structure, such as
748-597: Is on display at Founders Historical Park in Nelson , and a fourth, the only one of its kind in Europe, is in storage in Bristol, United Kingdom after being transported from Ardmore Airport (New Zealand) by Aerospace Bristol . Other Freighter airframes around New Zealand now serve as novelty tea-rooms, backpacker hostels, and motel rooms, such as one in Ōtorohanga . One Freighter was in service in turn with British Ministry of Supply ,
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#1732852685319816-496: Is uncomplicated, being contained within a pair of 300-gallon fuel tanks positioned in the interspar bays of the wings; neither fuel tanks or hydraulic pipelines were present in the outer wings. The only elements needing hydraulic systems were the clamshell doors and flaps . The electrically controlled carburation system had three different intakes, each suited to starting the engine under different conditions – these being hot, sub-zero, and temperate climates. The airframe itself
884-645: The Bristol Aeroplane Company as both a freighter and airliner . Its best known use was as an air ferry to carry cars and their passengers over relatively short distances. A passenger-only version was also produced, known as the Wayfarer . The Freighter was developed during the Second World War , having attracted official attention from the British Air Ministry , which sought the development of
952-805: The Commander-in-Chief, India , directed the British and British Indian Armies in India and Burma. Vice Admiral Sir Ralph Leatham , the Commander-in-Chief, East Indies, directed the Royal Navy's East Indies Station and the Royal Indian Navy . In November 1940 the Far East Command was established under Air Chief Marshal Robert Brooke-Popham based in Singapore. From 23 December 1941, Far East Command
1020-678: The Empire of Japan invaded French Indochina in September 1940 and rose to a new level following the Attack on Pearl Harbor , and simultaneous attacks on the Philippines , Hong Kong , Thailand , Singapore and Malaya on 7 and 8 December 1941. The main landing at Singora (now Songkhla ) on the east side of the Isthmus of Kra preceded the bombing of Pearl Harbor by several hours. Although Japan declared war on
1088-723: The Indian Army , the Australian 8th Division , and British units during the Battle of Malaya , but Japan's superiority in air power, tanks and infantry tactics drove the Allied units back. After being driven out of Malaya by the end of January 1942, Allied forces in Singapore , under the command of Lieutenant General Arthur Percival , surrendered to the Japanese on 15 February 1942; about 130,000 Allied troops became prisoners of war. The fall of Singapore
1156-620: The Kodaikanal-Munnar Road to facilitate its use as an evacuation route from Kodaikanal along the southern crest of the Palani Hills to Top Station . Existing roads then continued to Munnar and down to Cochin where British ships would be available for evacuation out of India. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands (8,293 km on 139 islands) are a group of islands situated in the Bay of Bengal at about 780 miles from Kolkata (known at
1224-1073: The Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin , Alberta . Sixty-eight of the 214 Freighters built were destroyed or damaged beyond economical repair in accidents. At least 45 of these were fatal, resulting in the deaths of at least 385 passengers and crew. Data from Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1953–54 General characteristics Performance Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era South-East Asian theatre of World War II Allies [REDACTED] United States [REDACTED] Netherlands [REDACTED] Free Thai Movement [REDACTED] Việt Minh [REDACTED] Khmer Issarak Axis [REDACTED] Japan Second Sino-Japanese War Asia-Pacific Mediterranean and Middle East Other campaigns Coups The South-East Asian Theatre of World War II consisted of
1292-615: The Royal Australian Air Force and subsequently went into commercial use in Australia until 1978 after which it went on to become a museum exhibit and was given over to the RAAF Museum at Point Cook , Victoria, Australia in 1988. Bristol freighter Mk 31M G-BISU was operated by Instone Airline at Stansted, Essex, UK, for a number of years. This was an ex-RNZAF aircraft and left Ardmore on 2 March 1981 for its 86-hour ferry flight to
1360-677: The South East Asia Command (SEAC). The American General Joseph Stilwell was the first deputy supreme Allied commander. On 15 November, Auchinleck handed over responsibility for the conduct of operations against the Japanese in the theatre to Mountbatten. The initial land forces operational area for SEAC included India, Burma , British Ceylon and Malaya . Operations were also mounted in Japanese-occupied Sumatra , Thailand and French Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos). Initially SEAC commanded: In October 1944, CBI
1428-446: The longerons , frames, and skin. The floor of the main hold is covered by wooden panels, designed to be easily replaceable in the event of damage; these were supported by a floor structure of deep transverse beams with a pair of longitudinal strips, strengthened by a support beam. Another ease-of-maintenance decision was to use cables for the control system where practical, while all flight control surfaces had fabric coverings, which
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#17328526853191496-659: The 14th Army's advance from Imphal to Rangoon, the coastal amphibious assaults, and the Battle of Pegu Yomas, August 1944 to August 1945. The earliest successes were gained by mine laying and submarine warfare. The Japanese minesweeping capability was never great, and when confronted with new types of mines they did not adapt quickly. Japanese shipping was driven from the Burmese coast using this type of warfare. British submarines based in British Ceylon operated against Japanese shipping. It
1564-445: The 1966 comedy film That Riviera Touch as the means by which Morecambe and Wise travel abroad with their car. The aircraft also appears in the 1965 film " Hysteria ", and in the 1969 TV series " The Gold Robbers " Data from Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1953–54 General characteristics Performance Bristol Freighter The Bristol Type 170 Freighter is a British twin-engine aircraft designed and built by
1632-488: The Freighter would play a logistical role in the South-East Asian theatre of the war, being operated by British Far East Command . However, as it was becoming clear that the conflict would be over before the aircraft could enter service, an increasing emphasis was placed on suiting the aircraft to meet the demands of civilian operators. A cost analysis demonstrated that for civil use, it would be more economic to increase
1700-812: The Pacific theatre into three areas: the Pacific Ocean Areas (POA), under Admiral Chester Nimitz ; the Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA), under MacArthur as Supreme Allied Commander South West Pacific; and the Southeast Pacific Area . McArthur took up his Supreme Commander's post on 18 April. SWPA was given responsibility for the Philippines, Java, Borneo, and all the water areas of the South China Sea . Malaya, French Indochina, and Thailand remained
1768-548: The Pacific, from Burma to the Dutch East Indies . However, advances made by the Japanese over the next month split the ABDA forces in two. On 23 February 1942, with Malaya lost and the Allied position in Java and Sumatra precarious, ABDACOM was closed down and its headquarters in Java evacuated. Wavell returned to India to resume his position as C-in-C India where his responsibilities now included
1836-648: The South West Pacific was the Southern Expeditionary Army headquartered in Saigon , Indochina . It was commanded by General Count Hisaichi Terauchi , who commanded it from 1941 to 1945. The Japanese also deployed the South Seas Force , a combined force of Army and Special Naval Landing Force personnel. The Southern Army's major field commands were the 14th Army , the 15th Army , the 16th Army and
1904-492: The UK. It subsequently flew its first charter flight on 3 August 1981 delivering two racehorses to Deauville . This role of flying livestock was to take up half a year, while other work included carriage of oil drilling machinery, car parts, newspapers and mail. Re-registered as C-FDFC , in 1996 it crashed on takeoff with the crew escaping, but was essentially a write-off. The captain, John Duncan, and co-pilot Malcolm Cutter reported that
1972-871: The United Kingdom and their bases in France and West Germany. The Royal New Zealand Air Force ordered 12 Mk 31M Freighters in the late 1940s. RNZAF Freighters ranged as far as supplying the New Zealand Army in Malaya , the British High Commissions (and other support staff) in the Maldives , Ceylon , India and Nepal , performing Far East Air Force tasks in Malaya (often when other aircraft types were unserviceable owing to maintenance problems) and Hong Kong . They ran
2040-594: The United States and the British Empire , the declaration was not delivered until after the attacks began. On 8 December, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and the Netherlands declared war on Japan, followed by China and Australia the next day. The Allies suffered many defeats in the first half of the war. Two major British warships, HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales were sunk by
2108-682: The administration of the territory. One of the major logistical efforts of the war was "flying the Hump" over the Himalayas and the building of the Ledo Road from India to China as a replacement for the Burma Road . RAF battle honours : Qualification: For operations against Japanese aircraft and naval units by squadrons based in Ceylon during the Japanese attacks of April 1942 . Qualification: For operations during
Bristol Superfreighter - Misplaced Pages Continue
2176-467: The aircraft entered a severe yaw after takeoff, which was uncontrollable despite use of full opposite aileron and rudder control. In trying to avoid collision the aircraft stalled. The last Freighter in service, which flew for Instone Airline then later returned to New Zealand, was bought from surplus by Hawkair in Terrace, British Columbia , Canada. In 2004, this aircraft undertook its final ferry flight to
2244-465: The aircraft's cargo deck on electrically powered screw-jacks. The pallets could then be rolled into the nose of the aircraft. Other adaptations allowed the carrying of horses and other high-value large animals. Freighters were the major link between the Chatham Islands and mainland New Zealand until Armstrong Whitworth Argosy aircraft replaced them. SAFE Air developed a soundproofed "container" for
2312-401: The all-up weight of the design from 30,000 to 35,000 lb (14,000 to 16,000 kg) and to adopt the more powerful Bristol Hercules engine to power the Freighter. It was also considered that there would be a market for a passenger aircraft suitable for use from basic airstrips, and so a version without the nose doors and capable of carrying up to 36 passengers, to be known as the Wayfarer ,
2380-583: The area a series of strikes were flown against oil targets in Sumatra , such as Operation Meridian . USS Saratoga was lent for the first attack by the United States. The oil installations were heavily damaged by the attacks, aggravating the Japanese fuel shortages due to the American blockade. The final attack was flown as the carriers were heading for Sydney to become the British Pacific Fleet . After
2448-633: The campaigns of the Pacific War in the Philippines , Thailand , Indonesia , Indochina , Burma , India , Malaya , and Singapore between 1941 and 1945. Japan attacked British and American territories with near-simultaneous offensives against Southeast Asia and the Central Pacific on 7/8 December 1941. Action in this theatre ended when Japan announced an intent to surrender on 15 August 1945. The formal surrender of Japan ceremony took place on 2 September 1945. Conflict in this theatre began when
2516-535: The change. It combined Commonwealth and US forces, with its headquarters at Kandy. On 1 December ALFSEA HQ moved to Barrackpore, India. On 15 August 1945 responsibility for the rest of the Dutch East Indies was transferred from the South West Pacific Area to SEAC. SEAC was disbanded on 30 November 1946. The Imperial Japanese Army Unit controlling all army land and air units in South East Asia and
2584-486: The clamshell doors. In addition to providing a good all-round view for the flight crew, this placement kept the flight deck clear of the loading activity below. Flight stated of the cockpit: "The control and instrument layout is quite the best we have seen in any Bristol aircraft". The major controls are typically comfortable and smooth, while each pilot is provided with a standard blind-flying panel. Instrumentation fittings differed dependent upon customer specification, but
2652-474: The condition that the design was modified so that it would be compatible with the air-transporting of a British Army 3-ton truck . For this requirement, the Air Ministry formulated and issued Specification 22/44 (which was later revised as C.9/45) around the envisioned design. As proposed, the aircraft was an all-metal, twin-engine high-wing monoplane based on the pre-war Bristol Bombay , having wings of
2720-576: The defence of Burma . Burma ( Burma Command and RAF forces there) had been included in Far East Command; reverted to direction by India; transferred to ABDA, but with India remaining responsible for administration; and then finally reverted back to command from India. Dutch resistance to the Japanese in Java ceased on 8-9 March 1942. On 30 March 1942, the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington divided
2788-539: The departure of the main battle forces the Indian Ocean was left with escort carriers and older battleships as the mainstay of its naval forces. Nevertheless, during those months important operations were launched in the recapture of Burma, including landings on Ramree and Akyab and near Rangoon. At the start of the war the British forces in the area fell under at least three separate commands. General Sir Archibald Wavell ,
Bristol Superfreighter - Misplaced Pages Continue
2856-634: The half of the aircraft given over to passengers on these flights. Bristol 170s were still in commercial use with SAFE until the late 1970s. Trans Australian Airlines bought four MK31 or MK 32s from the Pakistan Air Force. Two were flown back to Sydney Australia where they were rebuilt and then sent to New Guinea for TAA ‘s Sunbird services, flying freight into the New Guinea highlands. One then went to Archerfield airport in Brisbane Australia and
2924-417: The invasion of Burma . The raid was only partially successful. It did not succeed in destroying Allied naval power in the Indian Ocean but it did force the British fleet to relocate from British Ceylon to Kilindini at Mombasa in Kenya , as their more forward fleet anchorages could not be adequately protected from Japanese attack. The fleet in the Indian Ocean was then gradually reduced to little more than
2992-608: The last aircraft to Dan-Air in March 1958. The New Zealand aircraft was delivered to Straits Air Freight Express (SAFE), which eventually operated one of the largest fleets of Freighters. One of the lengthened aircraft, registered G-AMWA, had 60 seats fitted and was known as a Super Wayfarer . In New Zealand SAFE Air moved rail freight from Wellington (the North Island ) across the Cook Strait to Blenheim (the South Island ) and back, using Bristol Freighters, starting in 1951. The airline later reconfigured its aircraft to accept palletised cargo loaded on patented "cargons". This
3060-437: The lengthy waits and travel times involved in traditional sea ferries . On 14 July 1948, the airline made the first flight with a car, from Lympne Airport in Kent to Le Touquet on the northern coast of France . Silver City Airways would become one of its most prolific operators: during 1954, each Freighter in the company's fleet averaged 2,970 landings and take offs — in excess of eight sectors per day for every day of
3128-413: The low speeds and short ranges for which the aircraft was intended, the fuel economy improvements that would be provided by a retractable undercarriage was outweighed by the increase in structural weight; therefore, it was decided that a fixed undercarriage would be used, which also had the benefits of reduced production and maintenance costs. The combination of a high-mounted wing and fixed undercarriage
3196-411: The main hold; as a direct consequence of this arrangement, the unpressurised fuselage was somewhat breezy during flight. The doors, which are hinged outwards, led into a main hold that had an internal volume of 2,020 cu ft; it was capable of being loaded with heavy payloads, up to a maximum of 350 cu ft per ton. To better facilitate loading, a built-in hoist is installed on the fixed upper surface of
3264-428: The nose, which reduced the need for airport-based infrastructure. Fixed restraining points to secure payloads are present throughout the internal space. On the passenger-carrying Wayfarer variant, the nose-mounted doors were substituted by a fixed shell and the area immediately behind would be used either as a cargo hold or galley . The flight deck of the Freighter was positioned in an elevated position, directly above
3332-437: The rear section of the fuselage. Silver City Airways dubbed this variant the Superfreighter and subsequently built an airport named " Ferryfield " at Lydd in Kent, beginning air ferry services in 1955. In the same year, Channel Air Bridge started operations from Southend , with four Bristol Freighters flying to Calais . The last two Freighters of the 214 built were delivered in 1958, one to New Zealand in February and
3400-412: The role of a freighter and thus not a major diminishing factor. According to aviation publication Flight , the economics of the Freighter were judged to be a major factor of its market appeal, as well as the wider economic situation of the UK at this time. Operationally, the Freighter was intended to be employed upon high-frequency short distance routes as opposed to long-haul routes. Being flown at
3468-409: The same section and taper but with a swept leading edge and straight trailing edge with two spars in place of the seven used in the Bombay. The square-section fuselage was clear of internal obstructions; in the original design this was to be loaded via a trapdoor in the nose, but the Air Ministry requirements necessitated a change to clamshell doors in the nose. Considerable effort was made to maximise
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#17328526853193536-402: The time as Calcutta), 740 miles from Chennai (known at the time as Madras ) and 120 miles from Cape Nargis in Burma . On 23 March 1942 a Japanese invasion force seized the islands and occupied them until the end of the war. On 29 December 1943, political control of the islands was theoretically passed to the Azad Hind government of Subhas Chandra Bose . Bose visited Port Blair to raise
3604-425: The tricolour flag of the Indian National Army . After Bose's departure the Japanese remained in effective control of the Andamans, and the sovereignty of the Arzi Hukumat-e Hind was largely fictional. The islands themselves were renamed "Shaheed" and " Swaraj ", meaning "martyr" and "self-rule" respectively. Bose placed the islands under the governorship of Lt Col. A. D. Loganathan , and had limited involvement with
3672-508: The usable internal volume of the aircraft in order to readily accommodate the carriage of bulky cargoes. The flight deck was elevated above the load space on the nose as to not obstruct access; the crew would enter the flight deck via a fixed vertical ladder on the side of the cargo bay. Power was to have been provided by a pair of a development of the Bristol Perseus using nine Bristol Centaurus cylinders, each engine rated at 1,150 hp (860 kW). Early on, it had been envisioned that
3740-423: The year. In 1953, production of the freighter was moved to Whitney Straight 's Western Airways factory at Weston-super-Mare airport. A lengthened version, the Freighter 32 , which featured movable wooden partitions in the cargo compartment, was introduced; it could be configured to carry either three 14 ft (3.3m) cars and 20 passengers or two larger vehicles and 12 passengers, the passenger seats being in
3808-399: Was a first anywhere in the aviation world. Cargons were loaded near the rail yards and their load was calculated and arranged to remain within the aircraft's load and centre of gravity limits. They were then trucked to the airport and placed on the Freighter using a mechanical loading device. The loader accepted cargons from horizontal-tray road vehicles and then raised them to the level of
3876-426: Was both light and easy to replace. On 30 April 1946, the second prototype, which was also the first 34-seat Wayfarer, registered G-AGVB , made its first flight. It quickly commenced proving flights in the colours of Channel Islands Airways , where it carried in excess of 10,000 passengers over six months. The third aircraft, registered G-AGVC, was the first Freighter I and had fully operational nose doors. After
3944-507: Was commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Royds Pownall . Far East Command was responsible for Hong Kong, Malaya, Singapore and other British Far East possessions, and took over responsibility for Burma. It was responsible for military and air, but not naval, forces. A month after the outbreak of war with Japan on 7 December 1941, the Allied governments jointly appointed General Wavell as Supreme Allied Commander of all " American-British-Dutch-Australian " (ABDA) forces in South East Asia and
4012-449: Was considered to be atypical for the era, and resulted in greater drag than a low-mounted counterpart would have. The main gear legs, which featured Dowty -built shock absorbers , were supported by an arrangement of strengthened vertical struts, positioned beneath the aircraft's engines and horizontally from the lower edge of the fuselage. The lower nose of the Freighter was covered by a pair of large clamshell doors, for easy access to
4080-437: Was converted to a 60-seat all-passenger "Super Wayfarer". The Mark 32 could carry 20 passengers instead of 12 in the smaller Mark 31 Freighter, and three cars instead of two in its air ferry role. The Superfreighter was distinguishable from the earlier Freighter by having a longer nose, in which the extra car was carried, and a fin fillet as well as rounded wingtips. A British United Air Ferries Superfreighter appears in
4148-405: Was developed specifically for the economic carriage of freight by air. It was a visually distinctive aircraft, possessing a 'boxy' fuselage, rounded nose, and a high-set flight deck. In order to maximise the economical performance of the Freighter, compromises were implemented on other aspects of performance, resulting in a relatively low cruising speed; this was not viewed as being of importance to
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#17328526853194216-403: Was developed. The Bristol Type 170 was designed as a stop-gap project to provide work for the Bristol Aeroplane Company while the Bristol Brabazon was under development. Subsequently, the British Air Ministry expressed interest in the project, believing that it would provide a rugged transport aircraft capable of using unimproved airstrips; accordingly, a pair of prototypes were ordered on
4284-464: Was impressed by French authorities to fly supplies into the base at Dien Bien Phu . The New Zealand Freighters were retired from military use when replaced by Hawker Siddeley Andovers in the 1970s. After retirement, a number of smaller local operators briefly flew Freighters. Some were exported to Canada. A SAFE Air Freighter is preserved in taxiable condition at Blenheim and another at the Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum in Christchurch . A third
4352-449: Was only after the war in Europe was clearly coming to an end that large British forces were dispatched to the Indian Ocean again. Following the neutralisation of the German fleet in late 1943 and early 1944, forces from the Home Fleet were released, and the success of Operation Overlord in June meant even more craft could be sent, including precious amphibious assault shipping. During late 1944, as more British aircraft carriers came into
4420-440: Was proposed. On 2 December 1945, the first prototype, registered G-AGPV , was first flown at Filton by Cyril Uwins . Cyril found the aircraft to be generally satisfactory, but requested that the tailplane be lowered and increased in span as to enable the aircraft be trimmed to fly "hands off" over a wide range of centre of gravity positions. The Bristol Type 170 Freighter was a twin-engine, high mounted-wing monoplane that
4488-412: Was split into US Forces China Theater (USFCT) and India-Burma Theater (USFIBT). On 12 November 1944 Eleventh Army Group was redesignated by Allied Land Forces South East Asia (ALFSEA) still under SEAC, as it was felt that an inter-Allied command was better than the purely British headquarters. Command problems with General Stilwell and his interactions with the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff had precipitated
4556-452: Was the largest surrender in British military history . The Japanese Indian Ocean raid was a naval sortie by the Fast Carrier Strike Force of the Imperial Japanese Navy from 31 March to 10 April 1942 against Allied shipping and bases in the Indian Ocean. Following the destruction of the ABDACOM forces in the battles around Java in February and March, the Japanese sortied into the Indian Ocean to destroy British seapower there and support
4624-458: Was used for shipping Crayfish from Tasmania. In military service, Bristol Freighters were operated by the air forces of Argentina , Australia , Burma , Canada , Iraq , Pakistan and New Zealand. Bristol Freighters were operated briefly by the Pakistan Air Force . After withdrawal, some of the Pakistan aircraft were bought by SAFE Air and used in New Zealand. The Royal Canadian Air Force used five Freighters to carry spares and supplies between
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