Battle of the Atlantic 80: Flypast times and what planes will be flying over the River Mersey

Liverpool will be hosting a three-day event this weekend to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic. The series of events will run across the bank holiday weekend with multiple flypasts and displays from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight planes, including a Lancaster Bomber, Spitfire and Hurricane.

All flypasts will be family-friendly and will follow a route along the River Mersey, with good visibility on both sides of the river. The events will be subject to the weather and it is recommended that attendees follow the event’s Twitter account for updates.

The weekend will first begin with a private service of commemoration at St Nick’s Church, with Princess Anne attending the event as the guest of honour. The Princess Royal will pay tribute to the sacrifice made by thousands of UK and allied sailors that were involved in the Battle of the Atlantic.

Alongside the flypast and aerobatic displays, the Pier Head will play host to a 1940s themed military village. There will be visiting vessels open to visitors, as well as music and dance performances.

Western Approaches Museum will run family events and the HM Royal Marines will perform a concert at Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall. There will also be a drumhead ceremony and March of the Medals at the Pier Head.

The event will begin on Friday, May 26 at 12pm and run through until the final display ends at 5.30pm on Sunday, May 28. The Battle of the Atlantic 80th anniversary will feature both aircraft and visiting ships, with plenty to see and do.

What times are the Battle of the Atlantic flypasts and displays?

There will be multiple flypasts and displays happening on each day of the three day event. Flypasts on Saturday and Sunday will pass three times per each display, giving everyone the perfect opportunity to spot each plane.

Here’s the exact timings and planes for each of the three days of the Battle of the Atlantic 80th anniversary celebrations:

Friday, May 26

There will be two displays happening on Friday, May 26. The first event is a flypast which will travel North to South down the River Mersey.

The first flypast will be at 12.11pm with the following planes:

• Swordfish 
• Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (Spitfires, Hurricanes & Lancaster Bomber) 
• Poseidon 

A second display will happen at 7pm and will feature the Swordfish. The classic plane is a biplane torpedo bomber which was designed by the Fairey Aviation company in the 1930s.

The Swordfish was used in a submarine-hunter role during the Battle of the Atlantic to detect and attack roaming U-boat packs that were preying upon merchant ships travelling between Britain and North America. The planes attacked submarines as well as guiding destroyers to their locations.

Saturday May 27

Four events will happen during the Battle of the Atlantic 80th Anniversary event on Saturday, May 27. Here is the timings and what planes can be seen:

• 11am - Seafire and Swordfish display 
• 11.50am - Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (Spitfires, Hurricanes & Lancaster Bomber) flypast (three passes)
• 1.15pm -  Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (Spitfires, Hurricanes & Lancaster Bomber) flypast (three passes)
• 3pm - Seafire and Swordfish display 

Sunday, May 28

Three events will happen on Sunday, May 28. Here are the timings and what planes can be seen:

• 12.30pm - Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (Spitfires, Hurricanes & Lancaster Bomber) flypast (three passes)
• 1.50pm - Swordfish display
• 5.20pm - Swordfish display

What ships can be seen at the Battle of the Atlantic anniversary event?

As well as air displays there will be multiple visiting ships to see at the Battle of the Atlantic anniversary event. The following ships will be attending:

• Type 45 Destroyer - HMS Defender 
• French Frigate Bretagne
• Trinity House Vessel Patricia
• American destroyer USS Ramage 

Both the HMS Defender and the Bretagne will be open to visitors and will allow members of the public on board during Saturday and Sunday.