Lunchtime Lecture (London): Air Control from the Sea: Tactical Air Command and Control during Operation Neptune
14 November 2024
On Thursday 14th November 2024 at 12pm, Group Captain (Retired) Christopher Finn will consider the role of tactical air command and control during Operation Neptune (the Normandy Landings). This talk will be hosted in-person at the RAF Museum’s London site and virtually via Crowdcast.
Talk Outline
Operation Neptune, the start of the liberation of Northwest Europe in the Second World War, was mounted over a distance, from shore to shore, of 120 nautical miles. With all the air support for the landings coming initially from England and amounting to 13,000 individual aircraft sorties on D-Day alone, delivering effective command and control of air power during the assault phase was an enormous challenge for the planners.
The talk will briefly examine the development of expeditionary air command and control (C2) in the European Theatre in 1942 and 1943. It will then: examine the problems facing the planners for the air aspects of Operation Neptune; describe the solutions arrived at; explain how they were implemented; examine the problems that occurred, and the successes; explain the implications of these factors in the different conduct of day and night air defense; and briefly describe the subsequent uses of sea-based air C2 in the final year of the war in Europe.
It will be shown that the solutions employed to deliver continuous C2 of Allied airpower, in the transition from bases in UK to ones in France, were specific to that situation. And, whilst the ability to control air support assets from the naval HQ ships proved to be of limited value the ability to control day and night fighters from the Fighter Direction Tenders (FDTs) was of significant value and employed for much longer than envisaged.
Location
This hybrid lecture will be hosted in-person at the RAF Museum’s London site in the Sunderland Suite. Attendance in-person is free but registration is required via Digitickets.
Livestream
To attend virtually, register via Crowdcast.
About Group Captain (Retired) Christopher Finn
Christopher Finn served in the RAF for 33 years as a navigator, primarily on the Buccaneer, and was a weapons and tactics specialist. He has twice been awarded a Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air. A graduate of the Joint Services’ Defence College, in 2000 he gained an MPhil in International Relations from Cambridge University. His last 5 years in the RAF were spent at Shrivenham, firstly on the Directing Staff of the Advanced Command and Staff Course and then, on promotion to Group Captain, as the RAF’s Director of Defence Studies. In this role he lectured extensively on air power to UK and international audiences, published articles on air power and ran the RAF’s staff ride programme.
On leaving the RAF in 2005 he spent ten years as a Senior Lecturer in Air Power Studies with Kings College London, later Portsmouth University, based at the RAF College Cranwell. During this time he developed an expertise in designing and leading battlefield studies. This led to him joining the International Guild of Battlefield Guides in 2008 and becoming and Accredited Guide.
Chris’ primary expertise is in the influence of air power on the battlefield and areas such as joint fires, logistics, command and control, intelligence, campaign planning, leadership at all levels and the political aspects of warfare. However, he has covered maritime battles (Malta & NEPTUNE) and land battles (Monte Cassino & Berlin) as well.
Chris also lectures on Aviation and Military History to a wide range of audiences including the Western Front Association, the British Modern Military History Society and the RAF Historical society. He has just completed a chapter on “Air Control from the Sea” for a book about Operation Overlord which is due to be published in 2025.
He is a Fellow of both the Royal Aeronautical Society and the Higher Education Academy, and works as a volunteer Guide at the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
