Blackburn Roc

BLACKBURN ROC

This page is devoted to photos and images of the Roc I have found in old pre-war or wartime books, magazines and postcards. If any of these images are covered by copyright or are owned by picture libraries please let me know and I will remove them from the page straight away.

Thanks to Mark E Horan for details of the Rocs operational use from HMS Ark Royal, and to Peter C. Smith for the information on the Roc's only air-to-air victory.

Two Rocs - the picture was obviously taken on the same "photo shoot" as the large photo at the bottom of the page. It shows the same two Rocs as those nearest the camera in the large picture.

Overview

The Blackburn Roc was a development of the Skua Fighter/Dive Bomber. It was fitted with a rotating electrically driven turret mounting four .303 Browning machine-guns. The production of the Roc was undertaken for Blackburn by the Boulton-Paul factory on the outskirts of Wolverhampton, Boulton Paul being the designers and manufacturers of the turret. In all 136 Rocs were produced .The First production Roc (there were no specially built prototypes) flew on 23rd December 1938. It must have been heart-breaking for Boulton Paul to be producing the Roc when their own turret armed design, the Defiant, the prototype of which had first flown a year and a half earlier, was 100 miles per hour faster! Defiant production was underway from July 1939 and Rocs and Defiants were produced in the same factory for a year, the last Roc not being delivered until August 1940. The Roc differed from the Skua in having dihedral on the wings, doing away with the Skua's upturned wing tips. It carried no wing guns. It could be fitted with a "universal carrier" under each wing along with "light series carrier" bombracks for light or practice bombs. The loads that each universal carrier could carry was listed in the pilots notes as either a 250 lb "B" or Semi-Armour Piercing (S.A.P.) bomb or a 100 lb Anti-submarine (A.S.) bomb or a bomb container. It was cleared for dive-bombing up to angles of 70 degrees. Its role was seen as that of a fighter but the extra weight of the turret made it even slower than the Skua and it could not catch anything but the slowest of German sea planes (amazingly the only confirmed victory by a Roc was the shooting down of a Ju 88, the fastest of the German bombers). The thinking behind the Roc's design was heavily influenced by the Royal Navy's belief that the fleet at sea would be able to defend itself from air attack by anti-aircraft (AA) fire. The Navy invested considerable amounts in this policy; building and converting a whole range of "anti-aircraft cruisers" that were designed to put up a impenetrable barrage of AA. Foremost amongst the weapons deployed by the navy were the 2 pounder "pom-poms" and heavy calibre Vickers machine guns. Both were usually fitted in multiple mounts - and to be fair to the navy anyone seeing an eight barrelled pom-pom firing would be easily convinced that no aircraft within range could possibly survive. It was considered that defending fighters would simply get in the way of the AA barrage, and that to turn an aircraft carrier into wind and steer a straight course to launch fighters when enemy bombers were attacking would make the carrier extremely vulnerable. Of course a "fleet shadowing" aircraft could stay outside the range of the AA barrage and radio back the fleet's position to the enemy, and it was to destroy this kind of aircraft that the Roc was designed (and indeed it was for that purpose they were used off Norway in 1940). You could regard it as a kind of flying machine gun post, flying around the fleet to extend the range of the AA barrage and acting as a sort of flying piquet to warn of approaching enemy aircraft. It could also be used to escort a torpedo bomber strike against an enemy fleet, staying alongside the torpedo bombers as they went in for the attack.*

Floats

The Roc was designed to be fitted with a pair of floats of the same design as used by the earlier Blackburn Shark biplane. In August 1938 , 4 months before the Roc first flew, the Director of Air Material had suggested that Roc Floatplanes be allocated to the large capital ships of the Royal Navy, with no less than 3 Rocs apiece for Malaya, Warspite, Repulse, Renown, Queen Elizabeth and Valiant and a single Roc for Rodney.***Four Rocs are known to have been modified this way (there is only photographic evidence for three). It was found that the flying qualities of the Roc with floats fitted was poor (the first one modified this way (L3059) was lost in a crash) but the fitting of a large dorsal fin under the tail improved the stability of the three other Roc floatplane modifications that are known to have followed (L3057, L3060 and L3174). The last of these operated with the turret removed and a target winch fitted. However, it seems extremely likely that some Rocs listed on the strength of 773 FRU on Bermuda also operated on floats; if for no other reason that there was no airfield on Bermuda at the time!- If any readers have any information on the use of Rocs and Skuas on Bermuda I would be very interested to hear from you.

Cine-Camera

A single Roc (L3089) was modified with a special turret to take a cine camera for air-to-air filming. Presumably there was some reason for this but it is not known if this installation was ever put to use.

Range

There is some controversy about the range of the Roc. Many books and on-line guides quote a figure of 810 miles, but this is simply an impossible figure for the standard Roc. The Skua had a range of some 760 miles, this was provided by fuel tanks with a combined capacity of 163 imperial gallons, this was mode up of a 39 gallon tank in front of the cockpit and two side-by side tanks of 62 gallons each between the pilot and gunner position. The Roc carried only 117 gallons of fuel, this was provided by the same 39 gallon tank as the Skua in front of the cockpit but only a single, albeit slightly larger, tank of 78 gallons behind the pilot.. The extra space between the pilot and gunner was largely taken up by the radio equipment which had to be placed here to keep the balance of the aircraft within acceptable levels (on the Skua the radio equipment was carried just aft of the gunners position). There was just enough room to allow the gunner to use the escape hatch in the floor of the fuselage. Space inside the Roc was at such a premium that there was apparently nowhere left to fit an IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) set, which must have limited it's combat use somewhat! So it is impossible to see how the standard Roc could have had a longer range than the Skua while carrying considerably less fuel and also weighing more and having the extra drag of the turret. However, a bulged "belly tank" of some 70 gallons capacity was fitted to at least one Roc and it would seem likely that it was the fitting of this that gave rise to the often-quoted figure of 810 miles range. However, this belly tank was by no means a standard fittment and it is not mentioned at all in the Roc pilot's notes. It seems likely this belly tank was only produced in prototype form following complaints about endurance from the squadrons using the Roc for defensive patrols around the naval base at Scapa Flow (see combat history below).

Made Ready for Finland

In early 1940 it was decided to give a large part of the production run (33 aircraft) to the Finns, at the time fighting the Russians. Preparations went as far as painting the aircraft ready for delivery and collecting them together in Scotland for the flight. The end of the Finnish "Winter War" stopped delivery. The Finns had a reputation for getting the most out of the assorted aircraft they operated and it would have been interesting to see what use they would have made of the Rocs had they arrived. One suspects they would have been better used as dive bombers rather than fighters. By all accounts, the Roc's performance as a dive bomber was good, and if it made its getaway flying just above the ground or sea it was a difficult target for enemy fighters to engage, and in such a fight there was at least a chance that it its four belt-fed turret guns could bring down an attacking fighter.

Blackburn Roc Profile from wartime aircraft reconition postcard.

Blackburn Roc Specification

Two seat naval turret fighter

Engine: One 815 hp Bristol Perseus XII engine (gave 900 hp plus for short bursts)

Max speed 223 mph (with engine on emergency power), Cruising speed 135 mph.

Range and Endurance: - The subject of controversy; see main text.

Armament: four 0.303 Browning machine guns with 600 rounds per gun housed in electrically operated turret. A 250 lb "B" or "SAP" bomb or 100 lb anti-submarine bomb could be carried beneath each wing and a standard RAF light series carrier bombrack could also be fitted beneath each wing. Each carrier could hold 4 x 20 lb or 2 x 40 lb bombs or incendiaries.

A Widely reproduced image of a Blackburn Roc.

A factory-fresh Roc on a test flight. Note in the tope picture the projections under the fuselage, these are the rearmost pair of four fittings for attaching the catapult launch trolley.

This picture is from an an early wartime book "The Skies the Limit" by JM Speight.

Service and Combat History

The Roc was destined never equipped a full combat squadron, they were always operated alongside Skuas. However the Fleet Air Arm's 805 Squadron was formed at Donibristle in early May 1940 with the intention that it it should become an all-Roc squadron to operate in the floatplane role against the Germans in Norway. This plan was quickly scrapped and the squadron was disbanded only a few weeks later. The Roc was first used operationally to help defend the naval base of Scapa Flow (Roc patrols by 803 Squadron were being flown over Scapa Flow as early as October 1939). On 23rd April 1940 800 and 803 squadrons took 2 and 3 Rocs with them respectively when they sailed to Norwegian waters aboard the Ark Royal, there was reportedly also a single Roc on board HMS Glorious. The three Rocs of 803 squadron were launched twice on 28th April when they drove off German aircraft shadowing the British carrier force (see Skuas over Norway). The next combats for Rocs came over Dunkirk, where the only confirmed "kill" by a Roc took place about 6.30pm on 29th May 1940 when a Roc of 806 squadron piloted by Midshipman Day, RNVR with his gunner Naval Airman Newton claimed one Ju88 destroyed (it was seen to crash into the sea) and another damaged in an action in defence of a British evacuation shipping. 801 Squadron used its Rocs for dive bombing attacks on Bologne harbour on 12th and 13th June 1940** and on gun positions on Cap Griz Nez on 21st June, loosing a single Roc on the last attack (see Dunkirk). During the Battle of Britain period Rocs were used for air sea rescue duties over the Channel (see Skua and Roc Memories). Some Rocs were even used as machine gun posts, parked around the perimeter of Gosport aerodrome near Southampton. After 1940 Rocs were used for training and target towing duties. They found their way to the Mediterranean, Egypt, South Africa and Bermuda. The last operational Rocs were withdrawn through lack of spare parts in 1943.

The use of the Roc in combat is covered well in the book Blackburn Skua and Roc by Matthew Willis It includs some enlightening comments on what it was actually like to use the turret by ex-TAG Ken Sims.

Roc in Pictures

This interesting picture above shows a formation of Rocs. Note the wide difference in the type of fuselage and wing roundels. Also note that the second aircraft has a reflector gunsight and there is a gun camera mounted near the wing root. All the aircraft carry bomb racks. It seems to have been common for the front sliding portion of the cockpit to be removed altogether (as in the 4th aircraft and the photo below). The fairing aft of the turret and the section of cockpit "greenhouse" between the pilot and turret were raised and lowered automatically to allow the turret to be rotated without obstruction, hence the difference in profile between the aircraft. The wireless aerial also "bent" with the retracting greenhouse section. Fleet Air Arm aircraft operating from land bases had the upper camouflage extending down the side of the fuselage while those flying from carriers had only the extreme top of the fuselage covered, thus you can see the aircraft in the foreground seems to have had engine and forward fuselage panels fitted from an aircraft with the "carrier" colour scheme.

Two Rocs from wartime photographic postcard

A Great picture of a pair of Rocs. It is taken from a wartime postcard that was produced by photographic methods. With a magnifying glass on the original you can see that the front engine panels were held in place by pins with very large "O" rings on the end, like big keyrings, so much for streamlining! The Roc was a very large aircraft, note how small the pilot looks in his cockpit. You can see the "light series" bomb rack beneath the wing and the larger rack for a 250 lb bomb inboard of it.

Light Series bomb carrier and 250 Lb bomb rack on the stub winglets of a westland Lysander.

The picture above is not of a Roc, but of the stub wings on the wheels of a Westland Lysander, however it does show up close exactly the same type of bomb racks used on the Roc. On the right is the Light Series Carrier, able to take four 20 lb or two 40 lb bombs, this bombrack was also used on Skuas. On the left is the 250 lb rack, in this case holding a supply container.

Taken from dustjacket of book, our heroes win through and give Jerry a bloody nose!

The dustjacket of this wartime boys adventure story shows a Roc over an aircraft carrier. Many books on World War II aviation that mention the Roc,- even Putnam's " Blackburn Aircraft since 1909",- state that the Roc never made any carrier flights at all, - they most certainly did, and not just training flights either (see combat history above), this is confirmed in the combat reports of the squadron's involved. To prove that Roc trainers also operated from carriers a photo in the Public Records Office shows a Roc target tug upended on the flight deck of the carrier HMS Formidable (reproduced in the book "The Fleet Air Arm in Camera 1912-1996" by Roger Hayward). The combat reports of the various Fleet Air Arm Squadrons that used Rocs on operations are available via the Public Record Office at Kew.

Blackburn Roc taxiing.

The two lines behind the landing light on the wing are two small strakes, a permanent feature on both the Roc and Skua, it was to these that the light bomb carriers were attached when needed.

Suggested Alternative Roc Use

Back in October 1938 a meeting of the Air Council had decided that Roc production should go ahead while acknowledging that it was unlikely to be a good combat aircraft***. It was pointed out that the Roc could be used as an advanced trainer by the RAF if needed. With hindsight it is sad that this very sensible suggestion was not carried out and the Rocs not handed over to the RAF "en bloc". As trainers for gunners for the Defiant squadrons and for the same type of turret fitted in Halifax and Albermarle bombers the Roc would have been very useful. It would have been ideal for use on short range air-sea rescue duties by RAF Coastal Command, dropping smoke floats and sea markers to help rescue vessels locate downed pilots or maybe even dropping inflatable dingys. The Roc was used for air-sea rescue duties as recalled on the Skua and Roc memories page. As it was, we have the ludicrous position that the Fleet Air Arm was taking the turrets out of Rocs to convert them to target tugs at the same time as the RAF was converting Fairey Battle target tugs into turret trainers!

*As it was, the Royal Navy's doctrine that the Fleet could defend itself was flawed. The 2 pdr pom-pom and Vickers .50 calibre guns were nowhere near as deadly as was hoped and the volume of fire they put up was itself a problem since under sustained attack a ship could quickly run out of AA ammunition. The Navy had expected the main aerial threat to come from slow torpedo bombers (the form of attack it itself favoured), and the German's use of accurate dive-bombing (first experienced off Norway) caused a rapid reappraisal of strategy. Unfortunately when the Navy did experience the large scale use of torpedo bombers against itself it was by the Japanese who used their revolutionary "Long-Lance" torpedoes which could be launched outside the range of the AA barrage. It was the arrival of radar that transformed the nature of fleet defence by fighter aircraft, making it possible to detect incoming bombers and launch high speed single-seat fighters as defence.

** Sources for the Dive bomb attack on Boulogne are "Fleet Air Arm -The Admiralty Account of Naval Air Operations" HMSO 1943 and Captain Tom Harrington's interview in "Dive Bombers In Action" by Peter C. Smith.

** Source for use of Roc floatplanes from Capital Ships and the decision to go ahead with production from the article "Shopping for Naval Aircraft in the Thirties" in the "Out of the Archives" section of Air-Britain "Aeromilitaria" Volume 28 Issue 109 Spring 2002

Other Websites...

A page devoted to the Bolton Paul Aircraft Company- Includes good photos of Rocs

The "Padbury Aircraft Hanger " have a Blackburn Roc and Skua for Microsoft's Combat Flight Sim

Fleet Air Arm Archive - Roc Details | Fleet Air Arm Archive