Throughout the annals of the Second World War, the Hawker Hurricane is etched as one of the hallmarks of British ingenuity in engineering and wartime resilience. Designed by Sydney Camm, the Hurricane was the first modern fighter for the Royal Air Force, which took to the air for the first time in December 1937. Although it has often been overshadowed in reputation by the more glamorous Supermarine Spitfire, the Hurricane played a vital role in the Battle of Britain, carrying much of the load of the fighting and gaining more air-to-air victories than the Luftwaffe.
The general design of the Hurricane combined elements of traditional and modern. The tubular metal airframe was fabric-covered, and it had a retractable undercarriage with an enclosed cockpit. Powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, the Hurricane was able to exceed 300 mph in level flight feat no other plane had accomplished at that time. “The Hurricane embodied Hawker’s many years’ hard-earned experience of fighter aircraft design,” one historian pointed out, noting its great reliability and easiness of repair.
During the Battle of Britain, the RAF flew 32 squadrons of Hurricanes against 19 squadrons of Spitfires. This numerical ascendancy proved highly important. Of the 2,741 claims for aerial victories submitted by RAF Fighter Command, 55 percent were credited to Hurricanes. Versatility in the air allowed the plane to attack a range of Luftwaffe targets, everything from bombers up to and including the redoubtable Messerschmitt Me 109s. Its robust construction gave the Hurricane a very high level of tolerance for battle damage trait that would become very important in the savage dogfights around British airspace.
One of the most famous Hurricane pilots was Sgt. Antoni Głowacki from No. 501 Squadron RAF. Indeed, Głowacki managed to get five enemy aircraft in one day, thus becoming a “one-day ace.” His plane, Hurricane MkI serial V7234, received six kill markings plus one damaged during the Battle of Britain. Sgt. Josef František-another outstanding pilot of the same 303 Polish Squadron-gained as many as 17 victories before his tragic crash.
The adaptability of the Hurricane went further than just fighting. Realizing this, from about mid-war, it was clear that the aircraft was getting outclassed in its role. It was adapted to other duties: the ‘Hurribomber’ variant with bombs slung under the wings, the Mk IID with 40 mm cannons attached for tank busting. Hurricanes served as night intruders, attack planes, and even carrier fighters. Its variant, the Sea Hurricane, operated off aircraft carriers, providing close air cover for convoys and maritime operations.
Its legacy does not lie with the Battle of Britain, for it fought in every British campaign from the deserts of North Africa to the frozen steppes of Russia. Some 3,000 Hurricanes were dispatched to the Soviet Union under Lend-Lease, and they went on fighting.
One of the most famous Hurricanes is P3351, which truly has a storied history. Built in early 1940, P3351 served in the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain before being transferred to active duty with the Soviet Air Force. It was damaged and repaired multiple times until it found its way into storage before being restored to airworthy condition. It now flies as a living testimony to the strength and adaptability of the Hawker Hurricane.
In the end, however, despite the Spitfire’s glamourous tag, it was the Hurricane that bore the brunt of Britain’s defense during the Battle of Britain. Its tough build and adaptability joined with the intrepidity of the flying crews, made it one of the Second World War’s most effective and versatile aircraft. As one military expert succinctly summarized, “The Hurricane was the workhorse of the RAF, a true defender of the Empire.”