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Audax - Aircraft Profile - Hawker Engineering Company : Audax

Audax

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Manufacturer : Hawker Engineering Company
Number Built : 625
Production Began : 0
Retired : 0
Type :

Based largely on the Hawker Hart, which it resembled, the Hawker Audax was produced between 1931 and 1937. The aircraft was intended as a trainer / observation aircraft / light bomber. The Audax was the main army co-operation aircraft in RAF service from 1932 until its replacement by the Westland Lysander in 1937-8. The Audax was then used for second line duties, amongst them advanced training and communication duties in Britain. The number of aircraft produced meant that the Audax remained in use in India and the Middle East well into the Second World War. In Egypt a small number were used by Nos. 173 and 267 squadrons for local communication and transport duties, only being replaced in 1942. Further south No. 237 Squadron had used the Audax in operations on the Kenyan-Ethiopian border between the Italian declaration of war in June 1940 and September 1940 when the squadron concentrated on the Hawker Hardy. Finally in the Middle East, a number of Audaxes were allocated to No. 52 Squadron in Iraq between July 1941 and January 1942. However No. 52 Squadron had no aircrew, and so the aircraft were flown by pilots of No. 31 Squadron, providing local reconnaissance. The Audax saw most active service in India. The RAF in India had been stripped of many modern aircraft during the first two years of the war, leaving it very vulnerable after the Japanese entry into the war in December 1941. Two squadrons (Nos. 5 and 146) were even forced to use the Audax as single seat fighters, before receiving the Curtiss Mohawk in early 1942. No. 28 squadron retained a number of Audaxes during the Japanese advance through Burma. The final squadrons to use the Audax were Nos.1 and 3 of the Indian Air Force. No. 3 Squadron used the Audax to fly patrols over the North West Frontier between October 1941 and September 1943. Most remarkably, No. 1 Squadron used the Audax in its original role, as an army co-operation aircraft, for four months between September 1943 and January 1944.

Audax


Latest Audax Artwork Releases !
  On the night of  Friday 26th November 1943,  97 Squadron Bombers on there way to bomb targets in Stuttgart, Germany were intercepted by Night Fighters.  The painting shows Halifax Mk V   LK946 MP-F being attacked by the night fighter pilots Major Wilhelm Herget of the Stab I./NJG 4 (flying a Bf 110 G-4 from Florennes airfield, Belgium) and Hauptmann Eckart-Wilhelm von Bonin of the Stab II./NJG 1 (flying a Bf 110 G-4 from St Trond (Sint-Truiden) airfield, Belgium).  6 of the crew managed to parachute from the stricken aircraft but the mid upper gunner Sgt. Berndt was killed while returning fire.

Tragedy by Moonlight by Ivan Berryman. (PC)
 It is the Battle of Trafalgar, 21st October 1805 and the British 2nd rater Temeraire with 98 guns, having followed HMS Victory through the Franco-Spanish line, finds herself alongside the Spanish flagship, La Santisima Trinidad. This giant was by some measure the largest warship in the World, boasting four full gun decks and 130 guns. Undaunted, Captain Eliab Harvey took on the Santisima Trinidad, delivering a number of blows into the enemy’s massive red and black hull. However, Temeraire was largely out of control by this time, having taken much punishment as she had approached the enemy fleet. Her main topgallant mast had been shot away, as well as the mizzen topgallant. Her fore yard had crashed down onto her deck and her fore topsail had caught fire and been extinguished. Taking fire from both sides, the Temeraire lumbered on, eventually colliding with Le Redoutable, which was engaged with Victory. Between them, the two British three-deckers poured fire into the French ship until it struck its colours

Tugging the Tiger's Tail by Ivan Berryman. (PC)
 As Nelson’s column of ships began their approach to the French and Spanish fleet at the start of the Battle of Trafalgar on 21st October 1805, the first four ships to break through were to be HMS Victory at the head of the line, HMS Temeraire, HMS Neptune and the 74 gun two-decker HMS Leviathan. Afraid for his admiral’s safety in the lead ship, Captain Harvey of the Temeraire decided to break away from the line in order to overtake Victory and be the first ship through, thus taking the worst of the gunfire from the enemy line as they approached. However, it was Admiral Nelson’s habit always to lead from the front and, as Temeraire manoeuvred alongside Victory, Nelson took up his speaking trumpet, went to his ship’s side, and sternly shouted, 'I will thank you, Captain Harvey, to maintain your proper station which is astern of the Victory'. Harvey complied at once and fleet continued into battle as originally planned.

Line of Battle by Ivan Berryman. (PC)
 Few ships availed themselves better at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21st October 1805 than HMS Temeraire. Here, she is depicted engaging the French Fougeuex, the two ships inflicting the most terrible damage upon one another in the early stages of the battle. Some crew members can be seen on Temeraire’s foredeck, trying to cut away the fallen fore yard and sail while her fore topsail flaps helplessly above after being set on fire. The acrid gun smoke soon became so bad that Captain Harvey ordered the Temeraire’s larboard guns to stop firing briefly so that he could check that he was not firing on his own ships. Temeraire would eventually take both the Fougeuex and The Redoutable as prizes, at one point having one enemy ship lashed to each side of her hull. As an aside, Temeraire was most likely the only ship at Trafalgar to have no figurehead. Having been built during a more austere period, she lacked much of the decoration of her contemporaries. It is believed, however, that her crew funded a figurehead after the battle from their own prize money, as a ship with no figurehead was considered a ship with no eyes and no soul. A modest crowned head featured at her bow until she was broken up at Beatson’s Yard in Rotherhithe between 1838 and 1839.

The Fighting Temeraire by Ivan Berryman. (PC)

Squadrons for : Audax
A list of all squadrons from known to have used this aircraft. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name.
SquadronInfo

No.20 Sqn RAF


Country : UK
Founded : 1st September 1915

Facta non verba - Deeds not words

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No.20 Sqn RAF

Full profile not yet available.

No.28 Sqn RAF


Country : UK
Founded : 7th November 1915

Quicquid agas age - Whatwsoever you may do

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No.28 Sqn RAF

Full profile not yet available.

No.5 Sqn RAF


Country : UK
Founded : 26th July 1913

Frangas non flectas - Thou mayst break but shall not bend me

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No.5 Sqn RAF

Full profile not yet available.

No.614 Sqn RAF


Country : UK
Founded : 1st June 1937
Fate : Disbanded 10th March 1957
County of Glamorgan

Codaf I geislo - I rise and search

Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.614 Sqn RAF

No.614 Sqn RAF

Full profile not yet available.
Signatures for : Audax
A list of all signatures from our database who are associated with this aircraft. A profile page is available by clicking their name.
NameInfo

Group Captain Alec Ingle
Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by or with the mounted signature of Group Captain Alec Ingle

31 / 7 / 1999Died : 31 / 7 / 1999
Group Captain Alec Ingle

Alec Ingle was commissioned in June 1940 and joined 615 Squadron at Drem flying Hurricanes before moving to Croydon during the Battle of Britain. He probably destroyed a Do17 in September; in October he shot down an Me109 and probably two more, and yet another victory in November, at which time he was appointed B Flight Commander. He later commanded 609 Squadron at Manston before leading 124 Wing in 1943 flying Typhoons. He was shot down in September 1943 after his Typhoon blew up in combat with an Fw190. Badly burned, he spent the remainder of the war as a POW in Stalag Luft III. Alec Ingle was awarded the AFC and DFC. Sadly Alec Ingle died on 31st July 1999.


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