The fracture behaviour of a CAS-glass/SiC-fibre-reinforced composite was observed by dynamic in situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In a companion paper [1 ], tests on common delamination geometries are described and the basis of micromechanics models is critically evaluated. Flexure geometries and also the unnotched tensile response of ceramic-matrix composites (CMCs) have received considerable attention, both theoretically and experimentally. The effect of through-thickness notches on the tensile fracture of CMCs has however been relatively neglected. Previous work on polymer-matrix composites demonstrates the strong influence of subcritical damage on the fracture behaviour. In this paper we examine failure of notched CAS-glass/SiC composites in tension, under static- and fatigue-loading conditions, using a combination of in situ and conventional test methods. The subcritical damage which forms is compared with that in polymer-matrix composites, and the consequences for prediction of the notched strength are discussed.