Hawker Tempest II

The Tempest II fighter-bomber was intended primarily for operations with “Tiger Force” against the Japanese in the Far East but, in the event, hostilities terminated before the aircraft had reached squadron-status. R.A.F. units in India received Tempest IIs by the spring of 1946 and as the year wore on, No.5 Squadron R.A.F. began ferrying in Tempests for the R.I.A.F., No.3 Squadron at Kolar becoming the first to re-equip with the type followed by No. 10 Squadron later in 1946. A total of eighty nine ex-R.A.F. Tempest IIs were supplied to the Royal Indian Air Force, Nos. 4, 7 and 8 Squadrons being equipped with the type in summer 1947. While Nos. 1 and 9 Squadrons were also converted to the Tempest by the R.A.F., these units were stood down and their equipment transferred to the Royal Pakistan Air Force which received 24 Tempest Its as its share on partition.

R.I.A.F. Tempest H units were located at Poona, Palam, Ambala and Kanpur when, in the wake of Dakotas airlifting troops to Srinagar, a flight of Tempests from No. 7 Squadron was directed to Kashmir in October 1947; the Tempests went into action immediately, providing close support to the Indian Army flung against tribal invaders at Badgam, barely half a mile from the airfield itself. On 28th October a lone Tempest from Amritsar receed the area west of Srinagar along the road to Kohala and the next day 4 fighter sorties were flown from Ambala, strafing enemy positions and transport in the vicinity of Patan, 15 miles from Srinagar. On the 7th November, No. 7 Squadron’s Tempests played a decisive role in the battle of Shelatang which broke the back of the enemy’s drive. The RIAF pursued the retreating tribals beyond Baramula and Uri, a flight of Tempests from Amritsar attacking convoys and destroying a bridge near Muzzafarabad. Operating eventually from Jammu and Srinagar, from dusty airstrips pronounced as unfit for fighters, Tempests flew Tac/Rs over high and thickly forested hills, through winding valleys and awkward gorges, spotting concealed enemy positions and concentrations, hammering them systematically with rockets, bombs and cannon.

In February 1948, Tempests “softened” enemy defence positions as the 50th Parachute Brigade advanced on Kot and provided close support in the battle of Naushera, the biggest in the campaign. On April 28th 1948, Tempests carried out concentrated airstri-kes on enemy emplacements and headquarters in Traqbal, north of the Wular lake. Under difficult flying conditions, sustained and effective offensive sorties were flown leading to the capture of Gurais in June 1948. Tempests also lent support in the advance and capture Tithwal in May 1948, the aircraft facing considerable anti-aircraft fire in this sector. In spite of brave attempts by Tempests to carry ammunition and vital supplies in extra-fuel tank containers to the beseiged State Forces garrison in Skardu, this sector was dominated by the enemy. In a bold operation to deprive the enemy use of the strategic Domel and Kishenganga bridges, Tempests of No. 10 Squadron from Jammu carried out six sorties on April 23rd 1948, bombing the bridge at dangerously low level as also the defending Bofors guns. In the operational phases leading to the relief of Poonch, Tempest twins carried out strikes against hostile positions on Pir Badesar at regular intervals through the 15th of October, synchronising with barrages from field and mountain guns. A few days earlier, three Tempests had established location of the hostile 25-pounder guns shelling Poonch and finally destroyed them with rockets. In October and November 1948, Tempests mounted raids on Gilgit and Chilas airfields cratering the runways, destroying hangers and barracks and although on one occasion a RPAF Dakota was intercepted near Chilas, it was not shot down. Sorties to the artic-type north involved flying over 26,000 foot (7,745 m.) mountains and on October 21st, Tempests bombed and rocketed the Skardu forts.
The Army’s advance from Rajauri to Bhimber Gali was supported by Tempests as was the action leading to the capture of Dras in November 1948, enemy gun and mortar positions on the mountain slopes on either side of the defile in Zojila being strafed and rocketed. As the cease fire approached, Tempests attacked enemy concentrations around Kotli and Bagh with the object of dissolving any buildup for offensive activity in Eastern Jammu. To nullify the enemy’s last desperate effort to pierce Indian defences at Tithwal, their gun positions and concentrations were engaged by the Tempests during October 1948.

In the words of the Army, “the enemy would have undoubtedly overrun our positions but for the Tempest”.

Over a thousand miles to the south, Tempests of two squadrons participated in “Operation Polo”, the Hyderabad police action. No. 3 Squadron at Poona, and No. 4 Squadron moving to Gannavaram from Kanpur, concentrated their efforts on providing air cover for the main thrust by 1st Armoured Division from Sholapur while also flying a few sorties for 2/5 Royal Gurkha Rifles (F.F.) Group in the capture of Suriapet. Tempests had carried out regular air reconnaissance over Hyderabad state from July 1948 onwards but active operations began at dawn on 13th September, Tempests bombing the Warangal airstrip, an enemy parade at Gulbarga and shooting up the few resisting strong points. The scale of effort required was low as judged from the fact that the eight serviceable Tempests of No. 4 Squadron flew a total of only 32 sorties, dropped 14 x 500 lb. bombs, fired 33 x 60 lb. r.ps and 2302 rounds of 20 m.m. cannon.
To make up attrition suffered by Tempest Squadrons in the 12-month fighting in Jammu and Kashmir, a further batch of Tempest IIs were obtained from Britain, these arriving in December 1948 and a number were also refurbished by HAL, Bangalore.

Alongside the Spitfire XVIIIs, Tempest Its remained first-line equipment with I.A.F. fighter squadrons till supplanted by Vampire F.B.52 jet fighters in the early fifties while No. 10 Squadron converted to the Vampire N.F. 54 in 1953; No. 4 Squadron was the last formation with the Tempest II, operating the type till 1955. The Tempests continued in service for some years thereafter as advanced trainers at Hakimpet and at the Armament Training Wing, Jamnagar.

Notes :
The first Tempest II prototype flew initially on June 28th 1943 and deliveries to the RAF commenced in October 1944, becoming that services last single-seat piston engined fighter-bomber. Developed in parallel with the Tempest I and V, the Mk. II was powered by the 2,520 h.p. Bristol Centaurus V/VI eighteen-cylinder air cooled radial engine and a total of 450 numbers were built by Hawker Aircraft and Bristol Aeroplane company.