263 Squadron: Gladiators over the Fjords
By John D. Miller
Author: Alex Crawford
Publisher: Mushroom Model Publications
ISBN: 978-8363678821
Binding: Softcover
Pages: 120
At 0515 hrs on 9 April, 1940, Germany invaded Denmark. Simultaneously, Junkers Ju-52s with German paratroopers aboard were inbound for Fornebu airfield in southern Norway. The invasion of Scandinavia was on. Within hours of the invasion 263 Squadron was ordered to ready for a move to Norway to provide air cover for beleaguered ground troops. This new book by Alex Crawford tells the story of a brave group of Gladiator pilots that were willing to fly and fight in the harsh conditions of Norway in an attempt to stem the German invasion.
This is a well-written and fascinating account of desperate measures in desperate times. The initial plan was to have 263 squadron join a group of Norwegian Gladiators operating from Vagsmjösa, a frozen lake where supplies and support were available. Unfortunately for the men of 263 Squadron, RAF air staff decided to place the squadron on lake Lesjaskog, closer to their area of operations. This proved to be a mistake. Between a lack of equipment and severe weather conditions, the squadron suffered terribly. After two days of heavy fighting, all the Gladiators (18) had been destroyed and the squadron was evacuated back to England.
Barely one month later 263 Squadron was outfitted with new Gladiators and ordered back to Norway to support the forthcoming Narvik operations. Operating from an airfield with better organization and support, the squadrons' performance greatly improved. Following three weeks of intense fighting, the squadron was again evacuated to England on HMS Glorious. Sadly, Glorious was intercepted by German naval units and sunk with a heavy loss of life including all the remaining ten 263 Squadron pilots and their Gladiators. While in Norway, 263 operations resulted in claims for 32 enemy aircraft destroyed, lost two pilots to enemy action, and one to an accident.
Author Alex Crawford is an experienced and engaging writer with four previous books published by MMP, two of which focus on the Gladiator. This gentleman knows his subject. The book is filled with 122 black and white photos, six color side views, and two color 3-views by Karolina Holda. In addition, 34 pilot biographies are provided along with a table showing serial numbers and other data for Gladiators associated with 263 Squadron. One of the more interesting sections of the book describes the six Gladiator airframes currently under restoration. This is yet another great book from MMP - highly recommended! My thanks to MMP for the review sample.