Air Defence of Great Britain
Encyclopedia
The Air Defence of Great Britain (ADGB) was a RAF
command comprising substantial Army and RAF elements responsible for the air defence of the British Isles. It lasted from 1925, following recommendations that the RAF take control of homeland air defence, and lasted until 1936 when it became RAF Fighter Command
.
to the Air Ministry
. It main initial elements were:
ADGB was organised into three defensive zones:
In 1936, ADGB was abolished as a Command, with the Bombing Area becoming Bomber Command
and the Fighting Area becoming Fighter Command
and remaining responsible for the ADGB function. The OAZ was abolished and the AFZ expanded. The guns from the OAZ were used for port and base defence and were added to the London defences. However, the changing threat meant that AA defences were needed for many more potential targets in the British Isles, notably industries important for war production. The AA component became 1st AA Division, and in 1937, 2nd AA Division was formed to defend the Midlands
, with AA Command created to replace the previous Army arrangements.
In 1937, light AA guns were added, the RAF's view that small-calibre artillery were unsuitable having been finally overturned. In 1940, searchlights were transferred from the Royal Engineers to the Royal Artillery. Unrotated Projectile
(rocket) batteries were deployed at the beginning of the war. At its peak in 1941-42, AA Command comprised three AA corps with twelve AA divisions comprising several hundred regiments. GOC-in-C AA Command for most of the war was General Sir Frederick Pile, the equal in rank of his 'superior' AOC-in-C Fighter Command.
ADGB was resurrected as a formal Command in 1943 for the rump of Fighter Command dedicated to the defence of the United Kingdom
after the formation of the Second Tactical Air Force
in 1943 and the still-large AA Command. It was Fighter Command in all but name, and this was finally reflected in 1944 with a return to the previous name.
{|class="wikitable"
!From !!To !!Name
|-
| 1 January 1925 || 26 May 1928 || Air Vice Marshal Sir John Salmond
|-
| 26 May 1928 || 1 January 1929 || Air Vice Marshal F R Scarlett
(temporary appointment)
|-
| 1 January 1929 || 5 September 1931 || Air Marshal
Sir Edward Ellington
|-
| 5 September 1931 || 17 January 1933 || Air Marshal Sir Geoffrey Salmond
|-
| 17 January 1933 || 1 August 1935 || Air Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham
|-
| 1 August 1935 || 13 July 1936 || Air Marshal Sir John Steel
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
command comprising substantial Army and RAF elements responsible for the air defence of the British Isles. It lasted from 1925, following recommendations that the RAF take control of homeland air defence, and lasted until 1936 when it became RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
.
History
The ADGB was created as a command in 1925 as a result of the 1923 recommendation of the Steel-Bartholomew Committee, including their recommendation to transfer responsibility for homeland air defence from the War OfficeWar Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
to the Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
. It main initial elements were:
- The RAF's Metropolitan Air Force, initially comprising 25 squadrons (9 fighter), soon expanding to 52 squadrons (17 fighter).
- 264 heavy AA guns (Royal ArtilleryRoyal ArtilleryThe Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
) and 672 searchlights (Royal EngineersRoyal EngineersThe Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
). - The newly-formed part-time volunteer Observer CorpsRoyal Observer CorpsThe Royal Observer Corps was a civil defence organisation operating in the United Kingdom between 29 October 1925 and 31 December 1995, when the Corps' civilian volunteers were stood down....
.
ADGB was organised into three defensive zones:
- Inner Artillery Zone (IAZ), over London.
- Air Fighter Zone (AFZ), divided into two areas controlling regular squadrons, the Wessex Bombing Area and the Fighting Area.
- Outer Artillery Zone (OAZ), a narrow belt along the coast from SuffolkSuffolkSuffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
to SussexSussexSussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
.
In 1936, ADGB was abolished as a Command, with the Bombing Area becoming Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
and the Fighting Area becoming Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
and remaining responsible for the ADGB function. The OAZ was abolished and the AFZ expanded. The guns from the OAZ were used for port and base defence and were added to the London defences. However, the changing threat meant that AA defences were needed for many more potential targets in the British Isles, notably industries important for war production. The AA component became 1st AA Division, and in 1937, 2nd AA Division was formed to defend the Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
, with AA Command created to replace the previous Army arrangements.
In 1937, light AA guns were added, the RAF's view that small-calibre artillery were unsuitable having been finally overturned. In 1940, searchlights were transferred from the Royal Engineers to the Royal Artillery. Unrotated Projectile
Unrotated Projectile
The Unrotated Projectile, or UP, was a short range rocket-firing anti-aircraft weapon developed for the Royal Navy to supplement the 2 pounder Pom-Pom gun due to a critical lack of close-range anti-aircraft weapons. It was used extensively by British ships during the early days of World War II...
(rocket) batteries were deployed at the beginning of the war. At its peak in 1941-42, AA Command comprised three AA corps with twelve AA divisions comprising several hundred regiments. GOC-in-C AA Command for most of the war was General Sir Frederick Pile, the equal in rank of his 'superior' AOC-in-C Fighter Command.
ADGB was resurrected as a formal Command in 1943 for the rump of Fighter Command dedicated to the defence of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
after the formation of the Second Tactical Air Force
RAF Second Tactical Air Force
The former RAF Second Tactical Air Force was one of three tactical air forces within the Royal Air Force during and after the Second World War...
in 1943 and the still-large AA Command. It was Fighter Command in all but name, and this was finally reflected in 1944 with a return to the previous name.
Air Officers Commanding-in-Chief 1925 - 1936
Air Officers Commanding-in-Chief included:{|class="wikitable"
!From !!To !!Name
|-
| 1 January 1925 || 26 May 1928 || Air Vice Marshal Sir John Salmond
John Salmond
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir John Maitland Salmond, GCB, CMG, CVO, DSO and Bar was a British military officer who rose to high rank in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I...
|-
| 26 May 1928 || 1 January 1929 || Air Vice Marshal F R Scarlett
Francis Rowland Scarlett
Air Vice Marshal Francis Rowland Scarlett CB, DSO, RAF was a senior Royal Air Force commander.-Military career:Scarlett joined the Royal Navy in 1891 and in April 1913 he attended the Central Flying School, being awarded his Aviator's Certificate no. 468 on 4 April 1913...
(temporary appointment)
|-
| 1 January 1929 || 5 September 1931 || Air Marshal
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir Edward Ellington
Edward Leonard Ellington
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Edward Leonard Ellington GCB, CMG, CBE was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force...
|-
| 5 September 1931 || 17 January 1933 || Air Marshal Sir Geoffrey Salmond
|-
| 17 January 1933 || 1 August 1935 || Air Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham
Robert Brooke-Popham
Air Chief Marshal Sir Henry Robert Moore Brooke-Popham, GCVO, KCB, CMG, DSO, AFC, was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force. During World War I he served in the Royal Flying Corps as wing commander and senior staff officer...
|-
| 1 August 1935 || 13 July 1936 || Air Marshal Sir John Steel
John Miles Steel
Air Chief Marshal Sir John Miles Steel GCB, KBE, CMG, RAF was a senior Royal Air Force commander.-Military career:...