To read some accounts from 1940, one might think RAF Fighter Command had a new wonder-weapon in the Boulton Paul Defiant. More generally received wisdom, with the benefit of hindsight, has it that the two-seat fighter was a dismal failure, the concept of a 'bomber destroyer' proving fatally flawed. It was the experience of No 141 Squadron that, above all, bore this out. The fundamental mistake was for Air Ministry planning staffs of the late 1930s not to consider the idea of German bombers flying over England with single-seat fighter escorts. A similar size to the Hurricane but 1,5001b (680kg) heavier, the Defiant's pilot furthermore had constantly to judge the gunner's field of fire. For modern aerial warfare, it was the wrong concept. However, the aircraft's combat debut with No 264 Squadron in May 1940 saw several successful engagements during the Dunkirk evacuation masking its shortcomings. The events of 29 May, on which date 264's crews claimed 37 - some sources say 38 - Luftwaffe aircraft destroyed, represented the high point. The unit's actual score that day, 14, was still impressive. But it was not to last.
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