Balsa Wood Bomber: De Havilland Mosquito

By Will Dabbs, MD

Posted in
#History

I have had the privilege of listening to Presidents speak. I have seen famous actors strut their stuff on-stage. I have sat down to chat with war heroes, scientists and seriously wealthy men. However, the most compelling speaker I have ever heard was an unassuming little old British lady named Eve Gordon. During World War II, Eve Gordon was a spy.

One-half left front view of a de Havilland D.H.98 Mosquito B.Mk.XVI of 571 Squadron, serial number ML963, in flight. The photograph was taken on September 30, 1944. Image: NARA

Her story was simply mesmerizing. Curiously, I have only found one reference online to her ever having existed. Eve was one of those rare special operators who took her security seriously both during and after the war.

One of the most compelling of her many compelling tales involved her being captured by the Gestapo. Piecing the story together after the fact, it seems she was taken to Amiens Prison in German-occupied France for interrogation and execution. Eve had been working intimately with the resistance forces in the area and could name names. Her handlers knew that she could only hold out for so long. If Eve broke, untold numbers of resistance operatives would die. As a result, the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) staged an emergency air raid to either liberate or kill Eve and the rest of her resistance buddies being held at Amiens. They called this mission Operation Jericho.

A World War II–era bulletin poster produced by the UK Ministry of Aircraft Production, featuring artwork and text about the de Havilland Mosquito aircraft. The design emphasizes the plane’s speed, versatility, and wooden construction, which made it unique among wartime bombers. Posters like this were distributed to inform workers, encourage factory efficiency, and highlight Britain’s engineering achievements. The poster likely includes imagery of the Mosquito in flight, factory workers building airframes, or patriotic slogans. It reflects the government’s effort to keep morale high while ensuring continuous aircraft production. The message underlined the Mosquito’s role as both a bomber and reconnaissance aircraft. These visual campaigns were as much about inspiration as they were about information. — A wartime production poster highlighting the de Havilland Mosquito’s importance. British factories used materials like plywood and balsa to build the “Wooden Wonder”. Image: H.M. Stationary Office/Public Domain

Eve explained in level tones what the Gestapo did to her. Her interrogation was indeed unimaginably horrible. If you needed any more reasons to despise the Nazis, hearing this grandmotherly figure talk about having her fingers smashed and the skin removed from her back would be adequate to get any normal person energized. While all this was going on, the RAF was making ready.

Operation Jericho orbited around nine twin-engine bombers along with a dozen Typhoon fighters as escorts. The plan was to breach the prison walls in hopes that the shock waves from the 500-pound bombs would spring the interior doors. Heavily-armed resistance teams waited nearby to enter the prison and free the prisoners amidst the chaos. At noon on 18 February 1944, the first wave of bombers came roaring in at treetop level.

A de Havilland F-8 Mosquito aircraft photographed in flight during testing at Langley Research Center, piloted by NACA test pilot Bill Gray. The aircraft is seen against a clear sky, highlighting its twin-engine configuration and streamlined wooden airframe. Unlike its wartime combat missions, this Mosquito was used for research into longitudinal stability and control. The F-8 designation was applied to a small number of Mosquitoes evaluated by NACA after World War II. These trials provided valuable aerodynamic data that influenced later high-speed aircraft design. The photo emphasizes the clean lines of the Mosquito and its adaptability as both a combat aircraft and a research platform. It reflects the transition from wartime aviation to the scientific study of flight performance. — This de Havilland F-8 Mosquito was flown at Langley by NACA pilot Bill Gray during longitudinal stability and control studies of the aircraft. Image: DVIDS

The lead aircraft hit the walls with eight 500-pound bombs, each equipped with an 11-second time delay. Given the extreme low altitude, the time-delayed fuses were necessary to prevent shrapnel from the exploding ordnance from damaging the attacking planes. A follow-on flight orbited nearby. If the mission failed and the walls could not be breached, the second group of aircraft had orders to bomb the prison proper and kill everyone inside, friend and foe alike.

It took a couple of runs, but the attack did successfully breach the walls. The second phase of the aerial attack was canceled, and the resistance forces stormed the prison to liberate the captives. 102 of the 832 prisoners perished in the bombing. 74 were wounded, and a further 258 escaped. Counted among the escapees were 79 members of the resistance. Eve Gordon was one of them.

Mosquito FB Mark VI, HX918, on the ground at Hatfield, Hertfordshire, fitted with underwing rocket projectile rails. Image: IWM

Once she recovered, Eve married an American pilot whom she had repatriated from occupied Norway and then immigrated to America. She spent the rest of her professional career working with hospice programs. The lightning-fast, twin-engine attack planes that had helped spring Eve from the Amiens Prison were de Havilland Mosquitoes.

The Airplane

The de Havilland Mosquito was unique in the annals of WWII aviation. Rugged, versatile and unnaturally swift, the Mosquito was actually as fast the single-engine Messerschmitts and Focke Wulfs that they faced in the air over occupied Europe. The reason for the Mosquito’s unnatural speed rested in its unconventional construction. The de Havilland Mosquito was actually made of plywood.

A de Havilland Mosquito NF Mk XIII night fighter displayed with its four 20mm Hispano cannons mounted in the nose section. The aircraft is painted in a typical dark night camouflage scheme, optimized for stealth during nocturnal operations. The Hispano cannons were standard RAF armament, offering high rate of fire and destructive power against both bombers and ground targets. The NF XIII was fitted with airborne radar, allowing pilots to intercept German aircraft during night raids. This version of the Mosquito combined speed, wooden construction, and heavy armament to create one of the most effective night fighters of World War II. The photograph highlights the placement of the cannons beneath the cockpit area. It captures the balance of firepower and aerodynamic efficiency that defined the aircraft. — The Mosquito NF Mk XIII night fighter armed with four Hispano 20mm cannons. This heavy firepower made it a lethal interceptor against German bombers. Image: IWM

The development path followed by the Mosquito was fascinating. The tender specified an exceptionally fast, twin-engine, lightweight attack aircraft that could be built using a minimum of critical materials like aluminum. Work on the airframe was fairly far along by the summer of 1940. However, the frenetic evacuation from Dunkirk changed absolutely everything. With the German air attack on the British home islands looming large, Lord Beaverbrook, the Minister of Aircraft Production, directed Air Vice Marshal Freeman to cease work on the zippy bomber in favor of fighter production. Freeman, for his part, ignored the directive. That is the reason that the Mosquito eventually saw combat.

The Mosquito was powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, the same powerplant that drove the Spitfire and the Mustang. With a max takeoff weight of 25,000 pounds and a maximum payload of 4,000 pounds, the Mosquito was a formidable machine. Armament included four 7.7mm Browning machine guns and a further four 20mm Hispano cannons.

An oblique aerial photograph taken on 19 September 1944 during a Royal Air Force attack on the Norwegian merchant vessel LYNX in Stav Fjord. The image shows explosions erupting on the 1,367-ton ship after direct rocket projectile hits. The attack was carried out by Bristol Beaufighters and de Havilland Mosquitos of the Banff Strike Wing, a coastal strike force based in Scotland. The photograph captures the moment of impact, with smoke and debris rising from the ship’s deck. This coordinated strike sank the LYNX, part of the broader RAF effort to disrupt German supply lines and shipping in occupied Norway. The image reflects the precision and destructive capability of rocket-armed Mosquitos and Beaufighters. It is both a combat record and a visual reminder of the dangers faced by Axis shipping. — A rocket strike on a merchant ship during a Banff Strike Wing attack in Stav Fjord, September 1944. Bristol Beaufighters and Mosquitos carried out the raid, sinking the vessel. Image: IWM

In February of 1941, a prototype Mosquito hit 392 miles per hour. This was considerably faster than the Spitfire fighters of the day. Production Mk XVI versions topped out at 415 mph. With a little head start coming across the Channel, German fighters would be unable to climb fast enough to run the Mosquitoes down. This made the Mosquito an exceptionally versatile and survivable platform.

Missions

The Mosquito was indeed produced as a pair of plywood shells fused together along the midline. These shells were built around a balsa core. The airframe was adapted for a wide variety of missions. These included conventional medium bomber, tactical strike, reconnaissance, anti-submarine patrol machine and night fighter. The Mosquito lent itself to conventional daylight level bombing as well as shallow dive attack profiles.

A de Havilland Mosquito PR Mk IX, serial number MM230, captured in flight shortly after completion at the company’s Hatfield works in Hertfordshire. The aircraft is seen in midair, showcasing its long wings and streamlined fuselage designed for high-speed reconnaissance. Originally intended for photographic missions, the PR IX carried cameras instead of heavy armament, relying on speed for defense. MM230 served with the RAF’s Fighter Interception Unit before being returned to de Havilland Ltd for trials and display purposes. The photo highlights the clean finish and aerodynamic efficiency of the Mosquito design. With its Merlin engines and lightweight wooden structure, it was among the fastest aircraft of its time. The image reflects both the operational and developmental roles played by this particular Mosquito. — Mosquito PR Mk IX MM230 flying after completion at Hatfield. Originally built for photo reconnaissance, it later served with the Fighter Interception Unit and as a company trials aircraft. Image: IWM

Certain mosquitoes were modified to accept the 4,000-pound Cookie bomb. This piece of ordnance gave the lightweight, fast Mosquito some proper punch. The combination of cannon and rifle-caliber machine guns offered serious firepower when hunting Axis shipping or troop trains. However, where the Mosquito really came into its own was as a recon aircraft.

We take timely, reliable intelligence for granted today. Orbiting platforms combined with ubiquitous drones mean that modern tactical commanders can easily see what’s on the far side of a ridge without putting friendly troops in danger. Back in WWII, however, that was a much harder chore. The answer was fast recon fighters like the American P-38 Lightning and the British Mosquito.

Stripped of armament and equipped with state of the art, high-resolution cameras, these photo-reconnaissance Mosquitoes used their superior speed to get in and get out before enemy aircraft could be scrambled to catch them. In so doing, they provided intelligence that aided tactical commanders in focusing limited resources.

Conclusion

7,781 Mosquitoes were produced during the war. Thirty non-flyable examples remain today. Five airframes are currently airworthy.

A de Havilland Mosquito aircraft in mid-flight during a demonstration at the California Capital Airshow, Mather, on March 23, 2025. The twin Merlin-powered engines are clearly visible, and the aircraft’s wingspan and fuselage silhouette stand out against a light blue sky. This photograph captures a warbird that, despite being built largely of plywood and balsa, remains one of the most elegant and fast aircraft of its era. The Mosquito is flying at an angle, likely in a turn or banking pass, showing off its agility. Spectators below and possibly other aircraft in the show may be out of frame, but the focus is entirely on the Mosquito’s graceful sweep through the air. This image juxtaposes the vintage warplane with a modern airshow setting, bridging past and present. — A de Havilland Mosquito puts on a demonstration at the California Capital Airshow, Mather, California, March 23, 2025. Image: DVIDS

Crafted from wood at a time when the state of the art was riveted aluminum, the Mosquito earned its reputation above battlefields all across mainland Europe. The Balsa Bomber was inexpensive to build and played a critical role in freeing the world from tyranny.

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