Striking by Night - Short Stirling
This was the first operational four-engine heavy bomber in the RAF. At the time it was considered a modern giant, capable of reaching the most distant targets. An Australian Stirling pilot, Flight Sergeant R. H. Middleton, was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross after a raid on Turin, Italy, in November 1942. The Stirling could not achieve the altitude or range of the Lancaster, and had a reduced bomber role as the war progressed.
Short S29 Stirling Mk III
| Wingspan | 30.2 metres |
|---|---|
| Length | 26.6 metres |
| Engines | Four Bristol Hercules XVI radial engines of 1,650 horsepower |
| Armament | Nine .303-inch machine-guns; up to 7,710 kilograms of bombs |
| Crew | Seven |
