Aircraft of the Irish Air Corps, 1939-1945
No. 12 Westland Lysander / Dreolín ('Wren')
When Ireland declared war on Germany the most numerous aeroplanes at the Air Corps were the Gloster Gladiators - soon rechristened the Glasóg ('Wagtail') - and the Westland Lysander, renamed the Dreolín ('Wren').
Even before Ireland had joined the war the Lysanders had never really been seen as viable fighters and the Air Corps quickly took them of immediate combat duties, instead utilising the Dreolín's as short range reconnaissance aircraft and spotters to locate downed aircrew - more than Irish (and indeed German) pilot during the Battle of Ireland had reason to be grateful when a Dreolín pilot spotted his life jacket bobbing in the Celtic Sea.
Once the action moved to the North Africa front the Dreolíns followed, acting as army liaison planes for the IEF. They also performed other interesting duties taking advantage of their ability to use a very short take off and landing. However they were also slow and hideously vulnerable and by the time of the landings in Sicily they were withdrawn from active front line service.
Including pre-war types a total of twelve Dreolíns served in the Irish Air Corps.
OOC: Another historical Air Corps plane! I hadn't originally intended to cover them since to my mind they would have been phased out fairly quickly for more modern aircraft but it seemed a shame not to at least note them, especially since they are interesting in their own right - famously these are the ones than smuggled messages (and agents!) to and from the Resistance!
No. 12 Westland Lysander / Dreolín ('Wren')
When Ireland declared war on Germany the most numerous aeroplanes at the Air Corps were the Gloster Gladiators - soon rechristened the Glasóg ('Wagtail') - and the Westland Lysander, renamed the Dreolín ('Wren').
Even before Ireland had joined the war the Lysanders had never really been seen as viable fighters and the Air Corps quickly took them of immediate combat duties, instead utilising the Dreolín's as short range reconnaissance aircraft and spotters to locate downed aircrew - more than Irish (and indeed German) pilot during the Battle of Ireland had reason to be grateful when a Dreolín pilot spotted his life jacket bobbing in the Celtic Sea.
Once the action moved to the North Africa front the Dreolíns followed, acting as army liaison planes for the IEF. They also performed other interesting duties taking advantage of their ability to use a very short take off and landing. However they were also slow and hideously vulnerable and by the time of the landings in Sicily they were withdrawn from active front line service.
Including pre-war types a total of twelve Dreolíns served in the Irish Air Corps.
OOC: Another historical Air Corps plane! I hadn't originally intended to cover them since to my mind they would have been phased out fairly quickly for more modern aircraft but it seemed a shame not to at least note them, especially since they are interesting in their own right - famously these are the ones than smuggled messages (and agents!) to and from the Resistance!
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