Royal Air Force: Timeline

1912   In the United Kingdom United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country and sovereign state [i] tha ... 

, the Royal Flying Corps (forerunner of the Royal Air Force) is established.

1918   April 1 — The Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service are merged to form the Royal Air Force.

1940   Winston Churchill Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG [i], OM [i], CH [i] ... 

 pays tribute in the House of Commons House of Commons

The House of Commons is the elected lower house [i] of the bicameral [i] parliament [i] in the United Kingdom [i] ... 

 to the Royal Air Force: "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."

1940   World War II: In response to Germany Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country [i] in central Europe [i]. ... 

 leveling Coventry Coventry

Coventry is a city [i] and metropolitan borough [i], in the West Midlands [i] ... 

 two days before, the Royal Air Force begins to bomb Hamburg Hamburg

Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany [i] and with Hamburg Harbour [i], its principal port, Ham ... 

 (by war's end, 50,000 Hamburg residents died from Allied attacks).

1943   World War II: RAF Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the air force [i] branch of the British Armed Forces [i]. ... 

 delivers a highly destructive airstrike on the German industrial and population center of Kassel

1943   World War II: 440 Royal Air Force planes bomb Berlin Berlin

Berlin is the capital [i] city and a state [i] of Germany [i]. ... 

 causing only light damage and killing 131. The RAF lost nine aircraft and 53 aviators.

1943   Edward R. Murrow Edward R. Murrow

Edward R. "Ed" Murrow, was an American [i] journalist [i] and famous media figu ... 

 delivers his classic "Orchestrated Hell" broadcast over CBS CBS

CBS is one of the largest television network [i]s, and formerly one of the largest radio network [i]s, ... 

 Radio describing a Royal Air Force nighttime bombing raid on Berlin Berlin

Berlin is the capital [i] city and a state [i] of Germany [i]. ... 

.

1944   The Royal Air Force drops 2,300 tons of bombs on Berlin Berlin

Berlin is the capital [i] city and a state [i] of Germany [i]. ... 

. The U.S. Army 36th Infantry Division, in Italy, attempts to cross the Rapido River.

1944   RAF Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the air force [i] branch of the British Armed Forces [i]. ... 

 Flight Sergeant Nicholas Alkemade's bomber is hit over Germany and he has to bail out without a parachute Parachute

A parachute is a soft fabric device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creati... 

 from the height of over 4000 meters. Tree branches interrupt his fall and he lands safely on deep snow

1945   World War II: The Royal Air Force bombs Dresden, Germany Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country [i] in central Europe [i]. ... 

.

1945   World War II: Sinkings of the floating-jails Cap Arcona, Thielbek and Deutschland by the RAF Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the air force [i] branch of the British Armed Forces [i]. ... 

 in the Lübeck Lübeck

Lbeck is the second largest city [i] in Schleswig-Holstein [i], in northern Germany [i]. ... 

 Bay.

1956   RAF Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the air force [i] branch of the British Armed Forces [i]. ... 

 retires its last Lancaster bomber

1969   The Hawker-Siddeley Harrier enters service with the RAF Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the air force [i] branch of the British Armed Forces [i]. ... 

.

1982   Falklands War Falklands War

The Falklands War was fought in 1982 between Argentina [i] and the United Kingdom [i] over the Falkland Islands [i] ... 

: A Royal Air Force Vulcan bomber takes off from Ascension Island and bombs Stanley Airport.

2005   A Royal Air Force C-130 Hercules transport plane crashes in Iraq Iraq

The Republic of Iraq, is a Middle East [i]ern country [i] in southwestern Asia [i] encomp ... 

, killing 10 British servicemen. Iraqi insurgents release a video claiming to have shot the aircraft down using a missile.