When Hawker Aircraft took over Gloster’s Works in 1934 studies were to integrate production techniques and was then decided that Gloster should adopt Hawker systems of construction. Air ministry placed a second production order for 104 Gauntlets in April 1935 with a further contract for 100 in September.

  Designated Gauntlet IIs these follow-on aircraft employed the Hawker structure in the rear fuselage consisting of two warren trusses built up with lengths of steel and aluminium tube swaged to square section and bolted together with fish plates. Also included in Gauntlet IIs were Hawker’s wing spars. These employed pairs of steel strips rolled to form flanged octagonal tubes and connected together  with a steel strip web.

 May 1936 saw the first Gauntlet IIs deliveries. 24 aircraft were delivered to Northolt,UK, for equal distribution between No56 and 111 Fighter Squadrons replacing the Bristol Bulldogs. Engine failures and fires gave rise to a number of accidents, faults being traced to breakdown of valve gear lubrication that was to re-occur several times both on the Gauntlet and the Gladiator during the period 1936-40.

 

In July the next Gauntlet squadron was formed, this was No 66 Fighter squadron forming at Duxford with a nucleus provided by No 19 Squadron commanded by Sq.Ldr.Victor Croome. Working up on this unit continued smoothly throughout the remainder of 1936. The following year a number of mishaps hit the squadron, five of the aircraft being destroyed in mid-air collisions.

 

No 151 Squadron was another unit reformed on August 4^th 1936. The squadron flew an assortment of replacement Gauntlets and seldom possessed a strength of more than half a dozen aircraft, and did not receive its full quota until March 1938.

 

Several other squadrons received the Gauntlet and the last to receive them during 1937 was No74 ‘Tiger’ squadron. These Gauntlets were conspicuous in co traversing current Air Staff instructions by extending their famous black and yellow “tiger’s teeth” markings to the tailplane leading edge thereby excluding or re-positioning the serial number normally placed at the rear of fuselage sides.

 

The Hornchurch based 74 squadron received its Gauntlets after having discarded Gladiators in June 1937, an anomaly that had never been explained authoritatively. Among its pilots who won the Air Firing Challenge Trophy in Gauntlets in 1938 was Flying Officer A.G. (Sailor) Malan.

 

In 1937 no less than 14 first-line RAF squadrons were equipped with Gauntlets but by the end of that year Gladiators began to replace the older aircraft, while monoplane fighters-Hurricanes- started to arrive at Northolt before Christmas 1937. By May 1938 all Gauntlet 1s were gone from front line squadrons in UK, and three-bladed metal Fairey propellers were introduced on most Mk IIs. So unprepared for war Britain was at the time of Munich crisis was shown by the fact that not one Gauntlet and Gladiator squadron was available in combat readiness. All Gauntlet squadrons being on leave. Within 4 days all had been recalled, most of the aircraft being hurriedly and inconsistently daub with various camouflage schemes. Some aircraft were painted dark brown and green while others black overall in the role as night-fighters.