Gloster Gladiator saw action in almost all theatres during the Second World War, with a large number of air forces, some of them on the Axis side.
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13 Facts About Gloster Gladiator
2.
Gloster Gladiator, being already engaged with development of the Gloster Gladiator Gauntlet, did not initially respond to the specification, which later proved to be beneficial.
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3.
Development of what would become the Gloster Gladiator began as a private venture, internally designated as the SS.
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4.
On 16 February 1937, K6129, the first production Gloster Gladiator, was formally accepted by the RAF; on 4 March 1937, K6151, the last aircraft of the initial batch, was delivered.
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5.
Gloster Gladiator was the last British biplane fighter to be manufactured, and the first to feature an enclosed cockpit.
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6.
The Gloster Gladiator saw considerable action during early stages of the war, including participating in the action in the French and Norwegian campaigns, in addition to various peripheral campaigns.
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8.
One Gloster Gladiator was shot down during the air battle by the future experte Helmut Lent, while two were strafed and destroyed while refueling and rearming at Fornebu airport.
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10.
On 11 June 1940, a Gloster Gladiator damaged a Macchi and on 23 June, a Gloster Gladiator flown by George Burges, managed to shoot down an MC.
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11.
The dedication of the posthumous Medaglia d'oro al valor militare states that Malavolti shot down a Gloster Gladiator and forced another to crash land, but was himself shot down by a third Gloster Gladiator.
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12.
That same day, the Gloster Gladiator debut came in the form of a surprise, intercepting a section of five Italian CR.
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13.
Top scoring Gloster Gladiator aces flew it in North Africa and Greece, scoring most of their successes against Regia Aeronautica aircraft.
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