How Britain’s Wooden “Mosquito” Fighter Terrorized Nazi Germany
A critical advantage to the Mosquito’s wooden construction was its relatively light weight—giving it a fantastic top speed of 415 miles per hour.
During World War II, the Allied nations had different philosophies with respect to attacking the Nazi homeland. The Americans, whose homeland was insulated from direct conflict on the other side of a vast ocean, had reservations about bombing the Germans at night, when residents were asleep in their beds. The British, who had endured years of Luftwaffe raids on London and other industrial centers around the clock, lacked the Americans’ sympathies. Accordingly, the bombing of Germany was divided by nation: American bombers would target the Third Reich during the day, and British bombers at night.
One of the aircraft that the British relied upon to assist their nighttime bombing campaigns was the de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito, at the time one of the fastest aircraft in the world. Britain’s defense sector produced the Mosquito in prolific numbers—and the Royal Air Force put it to tremendous use in the hostile skies above Europe.
Introducing the De Havilland Mosquito
Constructed almost entirely from wood, the Mosquito assisted the Allied war effort through a wide variety of roles, including as a fighter, bomber, intruder, and reconnaissance aircraft.
By the time the Mosquito was built, the use of wood in aircraft construction was already considered outdated. But by using wood to build the Mosquito, Britain was able to leverage the skills of carpenters, a large existing workforce whose abilities had previously been underused in the war effort. Putting furniture makers and other specialized carpenters to work in aircraft factories, the British were able to build the Mosquito with great haste.
The Mosquito’s monocoque fuselage was constructed from a ply-balsa-ply configuration, and then covered with a doped fabric covering. The result was a strong and stiff surface with low weight and superb aerodynamic performance. Pilots commended the finished craft for its light and effective control surfaces.
The plane had its share of drawbacks. The rudder could not be deflected too sharply at high speeds. And at low speeds, aileron control was mushy. The Mosquito’s stall speed was quite high, too, at 120 miles per hour with the flaps and undercarriage raised; when the flaps and undercarriage were lowered, as they would be for landing, the stall speed decreased from 120 miles per hour to only 100 miles per hour. Fortunately, the Mosquito handled stalls gracefully, with only a slight nose droop that was easy to recover from.
A critical advantage to the Mosquito’s wooden construction was its relatively light weight—giving it a fantastic top speed of 415 miles per hour. For propulsion, two Rolls Royce Merlin V-12 engines were used, providing 1,710 horsepower each.
The Mosquito ‘Stung’ Germany’s Airfields
The Mosquito was a versatile aircraft, but proved especially adept at night fighting. Mosquitoes were often used to escort nighttime bombing runs, and sometimes to drop bombs themselves. One tactic the Mosquito employed during their nighttime missions—to great effect—was attacking Luftwaffe planes as they were landing. Planes are at their most vulnerable during landings; they have reduced airspeed, low altitude, and a predictable flight path, making them sitting ducks for a faster plane’s strafing run. The Mosquito’s attack runs on German airstrips were so prolific that the Germans began to refer to them as Moskitoschreck, or “Mosquito terror.”
By the end of the war, the easy-to-make wooden Mosquito was everywhere. Over 7,000 of the planes were manufactured, with exports ranging from Australia to China to South Africa to Venezuela. Today, only a few Mosquitos have survived, and fewer still—only five—are airworthy.
About the Author: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
Image: Shutterstock / Alex JW Robinson.