2nd Tactical Air Force, Vol. 1: Spartan to Normandy, June 1943 to June 1944

o ACTICAL AIR FORCE Volume One

Spartan to Normandy June 1943 to June 1944

Christopher Shores & Chris Thomas

...........---

o

TACTICAL AIR FORCE Volume One

Spartan to Normandy June 1943 to June 1944

/

.I

I

''"IC

~

..

o TACTICAL AIR FORCE Volume One

Spartan to Normandy June 1943 to June 1944

Christopher Shores & Chris Thomas

CLASSIC An imprint of Ian Allan Publishing

Christopher Shores served in the ATC and RAP during the 1950s and produced his first book, Aces High, in 1966. This was followed by Fighters over the Desert in 1969, and then by the original 2nd Tactical Air Force the following year. Since then he has produced an average of one book a year on aviation subjects, including a completely rewritten Aces High in 1994, plus many articles, aircraft monographs and similar works. He and Chris Thomas have worked together before to produce The Typhoon and Tempest Story in 1988. By profession a chartered surveyor, Christopher Shores worked in the commercial property market for more than 40 years. Retired in mid-2000, he continues to be a consultant, but is now able to devote much more of his time and energy to aviation research and writing. He is married with three grown-up children and lives in Dorset, England.

Chris Thomas worked for more than 30 years as a civilian Air Traffic Controller (at Manchester, Northern Radar, Heathrow, West Drayton and Swanwick). Retirement has given him the time to collaborate again with Christopher Shores in assembling this work - a long held ambition. He is the son of a 2nd TAP pilot, and is married with two adult children and a grandson (who already, at 20 months, shows a promising interest in aviation!). He co-authored The Typhoon and Tempest Story with Christopher Shores following a long-running series in Le Fanatique de l'Aviation. An Air-Britain specialist on the two Hawker fighters for more than 20 years, he has also written The Typhoon File, Warpaint No.5 Typhoon and Typhoon and Tempest Aces. Despite this specialisation, he has a wider interest in military aviation and has provided illustrations for a number of books and periodicals, including The]G 26 Album and Under the Guns of the Red Baron, as well as cover paintings for more than twenty publications.

First published 2004 ISBN 1 903223 40 7 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any meal}S, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission from the Publisher in writing. © Christopher Shores and Chris Thomas © Aircraft profiles: Chris Thomas, 2004

Produced by Chevron Publishing Limited Project Editor: Robert Forsyth Book and Jacket design by Colin Woodman Design Published by Classic Publications an imprint ofIan Allan Publishing Ltd, Hersham, Surrey KT12 4RG Printed by Ian Allan Printing Ltd, Hersham, Surrey KTl2 4RG Visit the Classic Publications website at www.classic-books.co.uk

Printed in England

n

o 2

-I

rn

2 -I

' · II I

.

II

•

'. ..

Authors' Introductions

6

Acknowledgements

7

Foreword by Air Chief Marshal Sir Harry Broadhurst

8

Foreword by Air Commodore C.D. North-Lewis

9

Glossary

10

FORMATION

11

March-November 1943

EXPANSION

48

November 1943-June 1944

INVASION

122

June 1944 Index

190

en

Authors' Introductions

CD Co.) ~

o

LL

~

I

n the 35 years since work was undertaken to produce the first edition of 2nd Tactical Air Force, much additional information has become available to researchers and historians alike. A new ~ edition of the original book, which went out of print many years ago, has long been planned, but the approach of the 60th Anniversaries of the events dealt with therein provides a welcome opportunity for the original author once more to put pen to paper and produce a completely rewritten and revised version of the book. In this endeavour I am now joined by my good friend, Chris Thomas, with whom I worked in happy collaboration when we produced 'The Typhoon and Tempest Story' some 15 years ago. The original book provided a trio of overview chapters, followed by a chapter on each major aircraft type used by 2nd TAF, and the units and personalities involved. It concluded with a small number of limited appendices. This time it has been possible to commence at a somewhat earlier date - 1 June 1943, when the Tactical Air Force was formed within Fighter Command, rather than 15 November 1943, when 2nd Tactical Air Force became an independent command. The narrative is now arranged in a strictly chronological order, each chapter dealing with all the relevant units and aircraft involved. The much greater availability of information collected by, and available to, the authors indicated the need for a considerably greater number of detailed - and hopefully exhaustive - appendices. These matters have all conspired to produce a considerably longer n~rrative section, whilst the very substantial number of illustrations now available, inclusion of relevant maps, and of comprehensive indices, have required that the history now be divided into three volumes. The first volume covers the period 1 June 1943-30 June 1944, whilst the second and third volumes, to follow, will deal with events from 1 July 1944-8 May 1945. Because the narrative text is considerably greater in the first two volumes than in the third, all the appendices for the entire work will be found in that final volume. For ease of reference, a unit index will be included at the end of each volume, but the personnel index in its entirety will feature in Volume Three

«

T

hroughout the production of this book, despite the vast amount of detail it contains, it has been a constant concern that only the peaks and troughs of 2nd TAF's endeavours have been recorded. The daily tables record the highlights and summaries of air combat during 2nd TAF operations (and those of its predecessor 'The Tactical Air Force' within Fighter Command) and although fighter, bomber, ground-attack and reconnaissance operations of note are recorded, the vast majority of such sorties have perforce been omitted, owing to their sheer volume and repetitive nature. This is in no way intended to devalue such operations - far from it as they were indeed the very sine qua non of the 2nd TAF's existence. Earlier works by the authors, the original 2nd Tactical Air Force in 1970 and The Typhoon and Tempest Story in 1988 made insufficient reference to the support organisations which made the work of the

Because it has now been possible to gather details of all operational losses and casualties, together with all claims made during aerial combats, full listings of such matters are included within the main text on a daily basis. To deal in the narrative with each and every such entry would require a great deal of repetition and a hugely increased number of words. Consequently, readers will find that the narrative for each day in the majority of cases highlights the more interesting and significant actions and summarises other matters where appropriate. On a number of the less significant days no narrative is provided, but the listings are nonetheless included to provide complete information for those with specialist interests. A word about the designation of Luftwaffe aircraft mentioned within the text. When referring to Messerschmitt 109 and 110 fighters, we have adopted the official Luftwaffe descriptions of Bf 109 and Bf 110 (Bf indicating Bayerische Flugzeugwerke); by the time that the Messerschmitt 210 and 410 had entered production, the manufacturer had become formally Messerschmitt, and hence the designations became Me 210 and Me 410. The products of most other manufacturers were referred to by a two letter abbreviation from the name of the builders. Hence Heinkel (He), Junkers Ou), Henschel (Hs), Fieseler (Fi). However two manufacturers had double names, and in these cases the first letter of each name was adopted, rather than an abbreviation. Therefore it appears correct for Focke-Wulf to use 'FW', not 'Fw', and for Blohm und Voss to employ 'BV', not 'Bv'. In practice 'BV' was always used, but both 'FW' and 'Fw' were employed - the latter more frequently. This is possibly due to Focke-Wulf being a hyphenated name, unlike Blohm und Voss. Consequently, after considerable thought, we have adopted 'Fw' here. When referring to Luftwaffe personnel and units, the German nomenclature has been employed, but for the sake of clarity, when noting the decorations with which certain personnel had been awarded, we have translated them into English, thus referring to the Knights' Cross with Oak Leaves, rather than Eichenlaube zum Ritterkreuz. Christopher Shores, Dorset, England, October 2003

more glamorous front line units possible. This was a matter of available space and priorities; however, it is hoped that this latest work will redress those oversights to some degree, although the reader will have to await the publication of Volume Three which will contain appendices dealing with the organisation of operational planning and control, Repair and Salvage units, the Group Support Units, as well as details of weapons and tactics employed. Losses and claims listed on the daily summaries are based on the '2nd TAF Log of Casualty Claims Assessment and Losses' and its predecessors, which detail losses and claims in the course of operations. Losses incurred during training, relocation, test flights, etc are not included. It has to be said that many relevant losses did not find their way into the 2nd TAF Log; these have been added to our lists by careful

search through the appropriate unit Operational Record Books (Forms 540 and 541), with the results cross-checked against the Aircraft Movement Cards (Forms F.78). Occasionally aircraft losses noted as 'Category B' (i.e. beyond local repair by unit or nearby maintenance or repair unit) in the 2nd TAF Log were later downgraded to 'Category Ac' (shown in our lists as CatB/Ac) which would have excluded them from the Log. Where appropriate details have been found these have been retained for the benefit of those wishing to research further. Where no damage category is given, the airframe was 'Category E' (i.e. written off), as a result of the incident. Occasionally damage was originally classified as 'category B' but was never actually repaired due to changing assessments or requirements (shown as Cat B/E). Times have been given where possible. Where precise times for an occurrence are not recorded in unit ORBs, estimated times, usually based on take-off and landing times (of other aircraft from the same unit if the subject aircraft did not return) are given. These are shown as, for example, 'e1630'. The times given indicate the time of loss, so where aircraft crashed on return, the time given is for the crash, which (usually) caused the major damage, rather than for the combat damage which initiated the incident. Locations given in brackets indicate the briefed target area.

Serial numbers quoted for losses are not necessarily those quoted in the unit records (some of which are notoriously inaccurate), but have been arrived at by correlation of all available sources. Serial numbers quoted for aircraft flown by pilots making claims are taken mainly from the unit ORBs and therefore may be subject to some error; where this is suspected the serial number is shown in inverted commas. Photographic selection has been made with a balance between those which appeared in the original publication and the many appropriate illustrations, which have since come to light. Similarly, there is a balance between high quality photos and those of lesser quality, but of interesting (perhaps unique) content. Full use has been made of the peerless Imperial War Museum collection and especially 'stills' taken from little-seen film. Relatively few 2nd TAF air or ground crew managed to take or acquire photographs during the campaign, but to those who did, and have made their collections freely available to the authors, we are indebted (see Acknowledgements).

Chris Thomas, Hampshire, England, October 2003

Acknowledgements As with all ventures of this nature, there are many individuals without whom it would not have been possible, or at least would have been a lesser work. We welcome this opportunity to thank them all. Firstly, however, our heartfelt thanks to our wives, Marion and Wendy, who must think "perhaps it will be different this time". Alas it never is, but they still give us the essential support that only those who have been through this process can appreciate. We are indebted to Air Commodore c.D. 'Kit' North-Lewis, DSO, DFC & bar, for agreeing to write the foreword; it would be difficult to find a more appropriate scribe. We owe much to the researches and writings of our long-term friends and collaborators Norman Franks, Russell Guest, Frank Olynyk and special thanks to Malcolm Scott DFC for his contribution in this volume, the Dinner Raid. We are most grateful to our Polish friends Wojtek Matusiak and Piotr Wisniewski for providing photographs and passing on the fruits of their researches into the activities of their countrymen, as well as their specialist knowledge of Spitfires and Mustangs. To Keith Young and Robert Grudzien sincere thanks for initiating and encouraging the 'prome' artist's conversion from airbrush to Photoshop. Many friends and fellow-enthusiasts have helped in tracking down those elusive bits of information or seldom-seen photographs, including Peter Arnold, The Baudru collection, Dr Jean-Pierre Benamou, Peter Celis, Steve Coates, Eddie Creek, Chris Goss, Martin Goodman, Zdenek Hurt, Ashley Lamb, Stein Meum, Dusan Mikolas, Peter Petrick, John Rawlings,

Geoff Rayner, Graham Skillen, Bill Smith, Paul Sortehaug, Andy Thomas, Terry Thomas, Laurent Viton and Eunice Wilson. As always, the MOD Air Historical Branch have been most supportive, and in particular we thank Graham Day for his timely assistance. The staff of the Imperial War Museum Departments of Film and Photographs have been ever-helpful and sympathetic to our search for 'new' material, especially Ian Carter. Likewise the Canadian Armed Forces Photographic Unit, Rockliffe (some ten years ago). We are also extremely grateful to those who have given permission for us to reproduce those personal photographs, that add so much to a work of this nature, or to quote from their correspondence, including Bill Bailey, Bob Betts, Lew Boucher, the Brayshaw family, Bill Burge, Denis Clarke, Tony Cooper, Douglas Coxhead, John Caulton, Bill Cross, Air Cdre John Deall, Cecil Eckel, Air Cdre Jack Frost, Grp Capt Charles Green, Billy Grey, the Haabjorn family, Tommy Hall, Ian Handyside, Bill Harkness,Grp Capt Frank Jensen, Tony Jonsson, Mrs Kidner, Stan Kirtley, Popeye Lucas, Harry Markby, Ed McKay, Robin McNair, Murray Morgan, the Nelson family, George Nimmo, Denis Oram, George Pyle, John Rook, Ladislav Sitensky, Wg Cdr Jas Storrar, Bill Stowe, Peter Tickner, Rowland Williams, Norman Wilson. Finally we'd like to express our gratitude to the team at Chevron Publishing whose enthusiastic help, advice and professionalism has ensured this publication has matched the authors' vision of the finished work - no mean achievement!

:J

,...-+

-..

o

0C CJ

,...-+

0

:J (J)

'""D 1-..

o

S

ill

Air Chief Marshal Sir Harry Broadhurst GCB, KBE, DSO, DFC, AFC

1-..

o

LL

hen Christopher Shores asked me to write a foreword to his book on the 2nd Tactical Air Force I was somewhat surprised to realise how little had been written about the brilliant achievements of its squadrons in operations leading up to the landings in Normandy and thereafter to the German surrender. I suppose the reason is that 'Overlord' with its vast Allied sea, land and air forces was so gigantic, that the activities of the units in a particular Command tended to be submerged in the drama of the total operation. Although the 2nd Tactical Air Force was a new Command, many of its airmen were brought back from the Middle East to help in its formation and to feed in their experience of combined operations in the Western Desert, North Africa, and the invasions of Sicily and Italy. It was therefore well set up to support 'Overlord' and the subsequent campaign, and this is well brought out in the book. Nevertheless, the lessons learned in these campaigns were sometimes forgotten and the tragedy of Arnhem was a supreme example of what can happen if the basic principles of combined operations are neglected. As one of the Group Commanders in the 2nd Tactical Air Force I suppose my most vivid memory of it all was the unbounded courage and enthusiasm of the individual pilots. Despite very considerable casualties, they never let up in their determination to smash the Luftwaffe and at the same time back up the ground forces. Whether it was air-to-air fighting, close support of the Army, or ground-attack against targets deep into enemy territory, they took it all in their stride with unflagging enthusiasm to the very end of the campaign. I found this book of great interest and I am sure that some of the many chaps who served with the 2nd Tactical Air Force in those exciting and inspiring days will be delighted to have an opportunity of reading about their exploits.

W

Normandy, June 1944: Air Vice Marshal Harry Broadhurst (centre) seen whilst Commander of 83 Group, 2nd TAF, talking with Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham (at that time Commander of 2nd TAF) and Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander

This edited foreword was written originally for the first edition of '2nd TAP' (Osprey 1970)

-n a -...

Air Commodore C. D. North-Lewis DSO, DFC & Bar am delighted to introduce this history of the 2nd Tactical Air Force, which replaces the 1970. This new book is an incredibly comprehensive and detailed study and will, undoubtedly, become the authoritative work on the 2nd Tactical Air Force and on the decisive part it played in the successful Campaign of 21st Army Group from Normandy to the final defeat of the Germans. I am particularly pleased to have been asked to write this Foreword as I was present at what was the birth of 2nd TAF when the fighter reconnaissance Mustang Squadron, in which I was a Flight Commander, participated in Exercise 'Spartan' run by the newly formed Z Group, which was to develop into the 2nd TAP. A year later, in March 1944, I was to join the Typhoon fighter-bomber force in 83 Group, 2nd TAF, first as a Flight Commander in 182 Squadron then as Squadron Commander of 181 Squadron, and finally, in August 1944 as Wing Leader of 124 Wing, a post I held until the crossing of the Rhine in March 1945 during which I was shot down. Thus I was in 2nd TAF for most of its operational life. The part played by the Typhoon in providing close air-support to 21st Army Group was largely ignored by military historians until Christopher Thomas and Christopher Shores published The Typhoon and Tempest Story. This is acknowledged as the authoritative reference book on these aircraft, and it has shown that the Typhoon's contribution to the land battle was crucial, and at times, decisive. Similarly, the history of the 2nd TAF will show the major part that it played in the defeat of the German Army. Moreover, the lessons learnt by 2nd TAF have formed since then the basis of land/air operations. This work will stand as a memorial to both the British, Allied and Commonwealth aircrew, ground crew and supporting staff who served with great distinction in: 2nd TAF and of whom so many gave their lives. I am very proud to have been one of their number. I can only congratulate Christopher Thomas and Christopher Shores for unravelling the complexities of the operations, the work and the losses of the various forces in 2nd TAF in such a detailed and readable fashion. Any historian of this Campaign will find this work essential reading.

I original published in

CD

~ a -...

D..

Glossary

ill U

l.-

0

LL

A&AEE

l.-

«

ADGB AFDU CO .U ALG +-' APC U ARF ~ ELS -0 FAA C N FPU Geschwader HDT Jabo Jagdflieger Jagdwaffe MET MT Nickel ORB Popular PSP

Bombing operation with fighter escort designed primarily to destroy a specified target Ranger Fighter/fighter-bomber deep penetration sortie to attack targets of opportunity Short range low-level offensive operation by Rhubarb two or four fighters in cloudy weather to attack targets of opportunity fighter sweep Rodeo Royal Australian Air Force RAAF RCAF Royal Canadian Air Force RNZAF Royal New Zealand Air Force RNVR Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve RP Rocket Projectile SASO Senior Air Staff Officer SLAIS Specialised Low Attack Instructors' School SMT Square Mesh Track headquarters flight of Luftwaffe Geschwader Stab Staffel Luftwaffe unit roughly equivalent in strength between an RAF flight and a Squadron; usually three or four Staffeln in a Gruppe, and three or four Gruppen in a Geschwader StaffelkapiHin Commanding Officer of a Staffel (a position, not a rank)

Ramrod

Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment Air Defence of Great Britain Air Fighting Development Unit Advanced Landing Ground Armament Practice Camp Aircraft Reception Flight Emergency Landing Strip Fleet Air Arm Film Production Unit Basic Luftwaffe operational unit Horse-Drawn Transport fighter-bomber fighter pilot Luftwaffe fighter force Mechanised Enemy Transport Motor Transport Air-dropped propaganda leaflet Operations Record Book short range low-level photographic reconnaissance sortie Pierced Steel Planking

Abbreviations (used in the Loss and Claims tables) Symbols used in the tables mean the following: } after a name (A)

= shared kill;

{before Cause/Location

= 'ditto'

picked up by air-sea rescue

eto

crashed on take-off

hbd

hit by debris

rof

ran out of fuel

service or shipping

db

damaged by

hbf

hitbyflak

rpa

rocket attack

attacking I ... (shipping. MET,

d/b

dive bombing

hte

high tension cables

rtb

returned to base

tanks etc)

dla

damaged in landing accident

hyd/f

hydraulic failure

r/w

runway

Adj

Adjutant

dog

destroyed on the ground

(I)

injured

S/Ch

Sous Chef

a/f

airfield

Dol

died of injuries

(K)

killed

sdb

shot down by

Af

Airfield

dpd

destroyed, probably

lIe

lost contact

sdbea

shot down by enemy aircraft

Asp

Aspirant

destroyed, damaged

Ilk

last known

sdbf

shot down by flak

AIT

Allied territory

dtd

ditched

lIs

last seen

sdbsaf shot down by small arms fire

bel

believed

E

escapedlevaded and safe

2/Lt

2nd Lieutenant

Sgt

Sergeant

bfo

bomb fell off

e/a

enemy aircraft

m

nautical mile(s)

S/L

Squadron Leader

bhu

bomb hung up

elf

engine failure

MET

mechanised enemy transport

SILt

b/e

balloon cable

efta

engine failure on take-off

n/e

not confirmed

a/ ...

Sub Lieutenant or Sous Lieutenant

b/o

baled out

EIT

enemy territory

ndea

not due enemy action

Sr

b/u eatAe

blew up

e/tr

engine trouble

NFW

Naval Fighter Wing

stbea

strafed by enemy aircraft

category Ac repair

exp

exploded

nk

not known

tbl

tyre burst on landing

eatB

category B repair

f/l

force-landed

nr

near

tbto

tyre burst on take-off

eatnk

(damage) category not

F/L

Flight Lieutenant

obs

obstruction

t/o

take-off telephone wires

Sector

known

Fit Off

Flight Officer

OG

on the ground

tpw

edl

crashed during landing

FlO

Flying Officer

o/s

overshot

u/s

unserviceable

Chnl

Channel

F/S

Flight Sergeant

(P)

prisoner of war

visibility

ell

crash-landed

Fr

FrenchlFrance

pfto

parachute failed to open

vis (W)

c1d

collided

ftr

failed to return

PIO

Pilot Officer

W/C

Wing Commander

enk

cause not known

G/C

Group Captain

PR

photo reconnaissance

WIO

Warrant Officer

esd

crashed

g/lk

glycol leak

psdbea presumed shot down by

w/u

wheels-up landing

cst

coast

hbAf

hit by Allied anti-aircraft fire

enemy aircraft

wx

weather

wounded

..:::..:..::M~ar...:::.;ch~-N:.....:....::o:......:.....:ve::.=ffi==..b...:....=.er---=-1.:......-94.....:....-3

-n

o

::::a

s: !t o 2

ill U

l0.-

a

LL

« m u +-'

u

~ U

c:

N

B

y the spring of 1943 the Allies - the United Kingdom, the United States and Soviet Russia - had held the Axis armies on all fronts, and had themselves gone over to the offensive. With the fall of the German and Italian forces in North Africa, released Allied resources permitted serious plans to be laid for the invasion of occupied Western Europe, and for the Royal Air Force this meant the provision of a new expeditionary Air Force to support British troops when such a venture took place. In the United Kingdom, Fighter, Bomber and Coastal Commands were carrying out their own duties, virtually irrespective of the need of the Army, which was served only by Army Co-operation Command. The operational element of this latter force consisted of 16 squadrons equipped with low-altitude reconnaissance fighters, five with Austers for 'spotting', a photographic reconnaissance squadron and three units equipped to carry airborne troops into battle. However, the campaign in North Africa had provided abundant experience of tactical operations in direct support of ground forces, backed up by highly mobile supporting echelons. Following the end of the fighting in Tunisia, the highly-experienced Western Desert Air Force, which had supported the Eighth Army, and the North-West African Air Force, which had supported First Army, were welded together to form the Desert Air Force, or First Tactical Air Force, for further operations involving the invasion of southern Europe. At home, moves were set afoot to organise a second Tactical Air Force, similar in concept to the First, in preparation for the planned operations in Western Europe. Experience had shown that the most successful and adaptable instrument of close support was the fighter-bomber, so that many squadrons at that time operating in Fighter Command would have to be released for the new organisation. Although the most immediate way to provide a nucleus for the new force would have been to expand Army Co-operation Command, this would have entailed a massive re-organisation and a considerable disruption of the "non-stop offensive" in which the Fighter Command units were engaged. Consequently, the alternative was adopted, whereby the formation of what was initially known simply as 'The Tactical Air Force' took place within the framework of Fighter Command. This re-organisation commenced in the early summer of 1943, when on 1 June, 2 Group of Bomber Command was transferred to Fighter Command; this Group contained all remaining light and medium day bombers still oper~ting from the United Kingdom, and had for some time been considered by its parent Command as something of a cuckoo in the nest, all other groups being equipped with heavy bombers and operating at night against strategic targets. On this same date Army Co-operation Command ceased to exist, and all squadrons from this formation were also transferred to Fighter Command. Within the latter two new groups were to be set up, which with 2 Group were to provide the basis of The Tactical Air Force, each of these groups being intended to operate with one of the armies which would make up 21st Army Group, the British Commonwealth element of the main invasion force. Each group would comprise wings of fighters, fighter-bombers, and tactical reconnaissance aircraft (the old Army Co-operation units), and to this end allocation to them of squadrons of Spitfires, Typhoons and Hurricanes began forthwith. In practice one of these groups, No 83, was already in existence. In March 1943, Exercise 'Spartan' had taken place, a major exploration of some of the lessons being learned in North Africa at the time. The exercise had confirmed that the two vital factors in the organisation of air forces intended to co-operate with army units were mobility and close liaison at all levels for planning, training and the conduct of operations. As a result, the 'z' Group Headquarters and some of the Field Force units were kept in being after the exercise and had been moved to form 83 Group within Fighter Command on 1 April 1943. The nucleus of the Group comprised an advanced and rear headquarters at Gatton Park, Redhill, which had been expanded by 15 May to incorporate formations which came to be regarded as permanent elements of the Group. These included 121 Airfield Headquarters at Middle Wallop, 122 at Eastchurch, 123 at Stoney Cross and 124 at Lasham. Other ancillary units included an Air Stores Park, a Transport Company, a Supply and Transport Column, a Mobile Field Hospital, Mobile Operations Room Unit, a Mobile Air Reporting Unit, an Air Ministry Experimental Station and Mobile Signals Unit. All these mobile units had been gathered at Gatton Park on 5 April, and a PBX line put in. Early in May, meteorological personnel were allocated to the Group by Air Ministry. The Airfield Headquarters was a mobile organisation which could be moved from airfield to airfield. Each such HQ would normally control three squadrons, thus being equivalent to an RAF fighter wing. 121 and 122 Airfield HQs had actually been formed as early as February 1943 for 'Spartan' and had been followed at the start of April by 123 and 124. Shortly after the formation of The Tactical Air Force, 125 Airfield HQ would be formed at Gravesend on 24 June. The 4 July saw the formation of four more such Airfield HQs, followed by a fifth on the 10th. These were: Continued on Page 16

"1 wonder who it will look like?" Exercise 'Spartan'

n March 1943 a large-scale exercise code-named 'Spartan' took place in the south of England, with the purpose of refining the organisation for the intended invasion force which would be required the following year. The opposing sides were dubbed Eastland and Southland, with the former representing a German force which had occupied Allied territory and the latter an Allied force attempting to regain its losses. The Eastland forces occupied an area bounded by Cambridge, Coventry and Gloucester, while the Southland armies were arrayed south of a 'front line' which stretched from Swindon, through Hungerford, Newbury and Reading, to Maidenhead. Each side had roughly equivalent air forces in support. Eastland had 18 squadrons of fighter, army support (fighterbomber) and army co-operation aircraft and light bombers, plus a single night fighter unit; together these were known as 'X' Group. Southland had 20 similar squadrons, known as 'Z' Group. There was a major difference between the two air forces in that 'X' Group operated from static bases while 12 of the 'Z' Group units were nominated as 'mobile'. This was in order to facilitate the objective of the RAF participation in the exercise, namely to study and practise the handling of Mobile RAF Composite Groups. The Groups comprised light bomber, fighter, army support and reconnaissance units, plus ancillary units (Group Headquarters, Mobile Operations Room Unit, Airfield Headquarters, Air Stores Parks, Repair and Salvage Units, Servicing Commandos, ALG Signal Sections, Mobile Air Reporting Units, Ground Controlled Interception, Signals and RAF Regiment). The opportunity of trialling the use of ALGs was also taken, with two of the Southland Mustang squadrons operating from newly-constructed strips at Eastmanton Down and Red Barn (both between Swindon and Wantage). In order to distinguish aircraft of the opposing forces, Eastland aircraft were ordered to distemper the spinners and undersurfaces of the port wings of their aircraft black, and both sides of the fuselage white, 'as far back as the pilot's cabin'. The markings were not required on the light bombers as Eastland would operate Venturas and Mitchells, whereas Southland had Boston squadrons to fulfil this role. 'Z' Group mobile squadrons operated from 'Airfields', Nos 121 and 122, on a 'hotel and garage' basis, i.e. any squadrons might use an appropriate Airfield. These two Airfields had formed in mid-February at Wrexham and Zeals respectively, moving to Middle Wallop and Chilbolton at the end of the month. Of the nominated mobile squadrons, 19 (Spitfire VB), 182 and 247 (Typhoon) arrived at Middle Wallop to join 121 Airfield on 1 March, while 132 (Spitfire VB), 174 and 184 (Hurricane II) flew into Chilbolton on the same day. The exercise lasted until 12 March and during its course the two mobile Airfields moved to Membury and Grove. While operating from these Airfields the squadron personnel lived under canvas and were forbidden to use the facilities of the host permanent Airfields. Some pilots did sneak into the Mess for a decent shower - life under canvas in inhospitable March weather had proved somewhat tough - especially as the most criticised aspect of the Airfield organisation seemed to relate to failures in the supply of adequate food. The two 'Z' Group Mustang squadrons, 26 and 239, are known to have operated from '123 Airfield' and the Bostons of 88 and 226 Squadrons were administered by '124 Airfield'; however, neither of these Airfields were formally constituted until April 1943. The exercise was deemed successful and although the working of Composite Groups had been hampered by the

I

inexperience within many of the newly-constituted units, the structure had been proved to be sound. The basic command structure which would later be employed was therefore settled upon, namely that squadrons of fighters (including fighterbombers), reconnaissance aircraft and light bombers would be formed into Wings (still to be called Airfields for another year) and a number of such Wings would be controlled by a Group. The forthcoming invasion was seen to have three phases: 1. Crossing the Channel and landings, when support would be from units based in England. 2. Establishment of a bridgehead when some squadrons would operate from the Continent. 3. Expansion and full support for the land campaign from the Continent. So well had the new units performed, it was decided to retain the ground units of 'Z' Group after the exercise. During the exercise the following units had been allocated to the two sides: Southland - 'Z' Group

MOBILE Fighters 19 Squadron 132 Squadron 247 Squadron 412 Squadron

Spitfire VB Spitfire VB Typhoon IB Spitfire VB

121 Airfield, Middle Wallop and Membury 122 Airfield, Chilbolton and Grove 121 Airfield, Middle Wallop and Membury Hurn, odiham and 124 Airfield, Lasham

A Spitfire VB of 412 Squadron makes a simulated low-level attack on one of the Eastland airfields during Exercise 'Spartan' (IWM H27934) Army Support 174 Squadron 175 Squadron

Hurricane liB Hurricane liB

182 Squadron 184 Squadron

Typhoon IB Hurricane 110

Light Bombers 88 Squadron 226 Squadron

Boston III & IliA Swanton Morley and Charmy Down Boston III & IliA Swanton Morley and Charmy Down

Army Co-operation 26 Squadron Mustang I 239 Squadron

Mustang I

122 Airfield, 123 Airfield, 124 Airfield, 121 Airfield, 122 Airfield,

Chilbolton and Grove Stoney Cross and Lasham Middle Wallop and Membury Chilbolton and Grove

123 Airfield, Stoney Cross, Eastmanton Down and Red Barn 123 Airfield, Stoney Cross, Eastmanton Down and 124 Airfield, Lasham Continued overleaf

Q)

U

l0.-

a

L.L

"1 wonder who it will look like?"

Continued

STATIC Fighters

CD U

129 Squadron 504 Squadron 616 Squadron

+-'

Night fighters

~

96 Squadron

U

-0

c:

N

Spitfire VI Spitfire VC Spitfire VI

Tangmere Ibsley Ibsley

Beaufighter VIF

Tangmere and Ford

Army Co-operation

16 Squadron 170 Squadron 400 Squadron 414 Squadron

Mustang Mustang Mustang Mustang

I I I I

Ford Ford Dunsfold Dunsfold ABOVE While a 26 Squadron Mustang is serviced, the strip is still being

prepared; in the foreground are rolls of Sommerfeld tracking with thei,' linking bars on the right. Sommerfeld would be abandoned in favour of SMT - square mesh track - before D-Day. (IWM FLM 3593)

ABOVE AND RIGHT Mustang I. AM21 0 'Y' for Yvonne, of 26 Squadron taxying out to take off from one of the temporary strips on the Wiltshire Downs. A member of the ground crew is positioned on the wing to guide the pilot past obstructions not visible from the cockpit - an essential technique on rough strips. (IWM FLM 3584 & FLM 3586)

Mustang I AM210 'V', 26 Squadron, during Exercise 'Spartan', 1-12 March 1943 BELOW AND BELOW RIGHT Mustangs AP262, ';:;' and AG535 '[ of 26 Squadron using the newly-made runway. (IWM FLM 3600

& FLM 3585 )

Eastland - 'X' Group

Fighters 124 Squadron 167 Squadron 303 Squadron 350 Squadron 411 Squadron 421 Squadron 453 Squadron

Spitfire IX Spitfire VC Spitfire VB Spitfire VC Spitfire VB Spitfire VB Spitfire VB

Croughton and Duxford Kidlington and Fowlmere Heston and Debden Heston and Debden Kidlington and Fowlmere Croughton, Gransden lodge and Fowlmere Westcott and Newmarket

Night fighters 151 Squadron

Mosquito II

Wittering

Army Support 181 Squadron 183 Squadron

Typhoon IB Typhoon IB

Cranfield and Snailwell Cranfield and Snailwell

light Bombers 21 Squadron 98 Squadron 464 Squadron 487 Squadron

Ventura I & II Mitchell II Ventura I & II Ventura II

Methwold Foulsham Methwold Feltwell

Army Co-operation 2 Squadron Mustang I Mustang I 4 Squadron 169 Squadron Mustang I 268 Squadron 613 Squadron

Mustang I Mustang I

Westcott, Newmarket, Cranfield and Duxford Barford St John, Cranfield and Duxford Barford St John, Gransden Lodge and Bottisham Bottisham and Snailwell Bottisham

During their stay at Middle Wallop, 247 Squadron pilots had developed an interest in a heavily pregnant goat which occupied a small hut adjacent to the perimeter. Each time they passed by they looked in, but on their last visit there was still no new arrival. As they walked out to their Typhoons, one of the Canadian pilots remarked: HI wonder who it will look like ?"They never did discover who ... but by the end of 'Spartan' they would at least have a clear

ABOVE: Squadron Leader Denis Crowley-Milling (fifth from the right) gives the Intelligence Officer the 'gen' after a 181 Squadron sortie from Cranfield during Spartan. The Typhoon, R8742 'EL-A', wears the markings of the Eastland forces. (IWM CH 18115 ) ABOVE: Part of Eastland's fighter defences were provided by 421 Squadron's Spitfire VBs, seen here at Croughton, displaying a slightly different interpretation of the white nose markings decreed for the exercise.

ABOVE: Dispersed around the perimeter of Cranfield, Eastland Typhoons taxy out for their next operation, showing to advantage their black-distempered port wing undersurfaces - whilst Typhoon identity stripes are retained under the starboard wing. These are aircraft of 183 Squadron, the rearmost being DN334 'HF-D'. (IWM CH 181191

ABOVE: Crowley-Milling briefs his 181 Squadron pilots (who, as members of the Eastland forces, he has adorned with wooden 'iron crosses'!). In the centre (behind C-M's hand) is Ted Haddock, who would become the first Typhoon pilot lost in the forthcoming Tactical Air Force, surviving as a Pow. On his right is Tony Zweigbergk, shortly to command 1 Squadron in Fighter Command, but later 245 Squadron in 2nd TAE Behind Haddock, on the other side is Jimmy Bryant, who would also have a long career on Typhoons, eventually commanding 247 Squadron. (IWM CH 18866)

Typhoon 18 DN334 'HF-D', 183 Squadron, during Exercise 'Spartan', 1-12 March 1943

I

OJ

U

I.-

o

LL

126 Airfield 127 Airfield 128 Airfield 129 Airfield 130 Airfield

HQ HQ HQ HQ HQ -

Redhill Kenley Dunsfold Gatwick Gravesend

At the same time two new Fighter Wings were formed, each of which would control two of the Airfields and their squadrons. 17(RCAF) Wing was formed on 4 July and 16(Mobile) Wing next day. This nomenclature was rather odd, since these particular units had each been set up to provide administrative control for what were actually pairs of 'de facto' wings. This was because the Airfield HQs were considered likely to be too mobile in due course to be administered from a single central base unit. Before the Invasion, as will be described later, a wholesale re-naming took place of both these Wings and the Airfield HQs to provide a rather more logical provision of identities. While 16 Wing was initially commanded by a Wing Commander - Denys Gillam - the command structure soon evolved to the appointment of a Group Captain to command each Wing; each Airfield HQ was commanded by a Wing Commander, and usually also had the services of a Wing Commander Flying, usually known as the Wing Leader, who organised and led the operational activities of the squadrons. The formation of more Airfield HQs and Wings would follow, although the majority of these would be created at the time the Tactical Air Force became an independent command. Prior to that, 15 Wing was formed on 15 August and 131 Airfield HQ at Northolt on 4 October. The Airfields for which the various Wings were responsible were: 15 Wing - 122 and 125 Airfields 16 Wing - 121 and 124 Airfields 17(RCAF) Wing - 126 and 127 Airfields Additionally, two former Army Co-operation Command Wings were incorporated into the Tactical Air Force at this time, these being 35 and 39 Reconnaissance Wings. In the first instance, 39 Wing became responsible for 128 and 129 Airfield HQs, and was allocated to 83 Group. It was intended that when the ·Invasion took place, 83 Group would operate in support of the Second British Army, while the second Group, No 84, would operate in support of First Canadian Army. This second Group was formed as a nucleus on 15 June and was fully formed one month later on 15 July 1943, with Headquarters at Cowley Barracks, Oxford. It was initially allocated 35(Reconnaissance) Wing, and 125, 126 and 127 Airfield HQs, together with ancillary units similar to those serving with its sister Group. 2 Group, as an operational command already fully involved in operations, was similarly staffed and supplied. From its formation the Tactical Air Force was to remain a part of Fighter Command until the appointment of a Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Expeditionary Air Force had been made. The individual appointed would command and control the entirety of the Allied air forces committed to the Invasion. Initially therefore, with the exception of 2 Group, the units allocated to this new organisation would continue to operate as a part of Fighter Command. During the initial months of this new command organisation there was a very considerable amount of movement of squadrons between the various Airfield HQs, (see Volume Two). Training and planning commenced at once for the task in hand. In order to provide the degree of mobility necessary for accompanying an army on the move, the normal RAF ground staff and base organisations had to be radically altered, and not all the changes instituted were welcomed in the first instance by the personnel affected. The Airfield HQs, which were fully mobile, included the basic headquarters staff, and were to be capable of operating efficiently for indefinite periods from forward landing strips, so that it was essential that all personnel be familiar with life under canvas, and be able, if called upon to do so, to defend their base from attack. The re-organisation which caused the greatest upset, however, occurred when the ground crews and other servicing personnel were removed from their squadrons and formed into independent Servicing Echelons, which were to be attached to particular Airfields to service any squadrons which landed there. These men had, of course, considerable esprit de corps and pride in the units in which they had been serving, and to be parted from them with no particular new squadron with which to identify themselves not unnaturally upset them quite considerably; for a while, morale was low. In the event, after the initial shuffling of units had ~ied down, particular squadrons tended to become identified with specific Airfields and Wings, and to move around with them, and in this way the servicing unit looking after a particular squadron soon came to regard it with the proprietary affection so essential to good morale. During the summer squadrons steadily joined the new Airfields and were re-organised, keeping only their aircraft and aircrew, and both pilots and ground crews in the new formations

began familiarising themselves with the hazards of tented living. The first Airfield HQs which had been set up were those already mentioned, 121-127, some being at satellite airfields, others at main sector stations, and more were added as the year progressed. A further development which was to be of great significance to the new Tactical Air Force was the first operational introduction in June 1943 of the rocket projectile (RP),a remarkably effective weapon (which however suffered from a high degree of inaccuracy) which was soon to become a most important element in its armoury. Within 11 Group squadrons of Hurricanes, to be followed by Typhoons, including units from within the Tactical Air Force, soon commenced fitting with launching rails and undertaking courses to learn the method of utilising this new weapon. It is now pertinent to consider the identity and equipment of the initial units to be allocated to the new air force prior to its gaining independence.

2 Group 2 Group, commanded in June 1943 by Air Vice Marshal Basil Embrey, comprised ten squadrons of twin-engined light or medium bombers. All were already fully operational, although three were beset by problems as a consequence of the aircraft which they were flying. Probably the most effective of the bombers in use was the North American Mitchell II, which may be considered a medium bomber. These relatively heavilyarmed and very reliable aircraft were operated by 98 and 180 Squadrons at Foulsham, and by 320 (Dutch) Squadron at Attlebridge. 226 Squadron at Swanton Morley was in the process of re-equipping with these aircraft, having previously flown Boston IlIAs. The Mitchell could carry up to 6,000 lbs of bombs. The Douglas Boston IlIA was a somewhat faster aircraft, but as a light bomber carried a decidedly less useful bomb load (maximum 2,000 Ibs, but usually half that), and was not so well-armed as the Mitchell. 88, 107 and 342 (Free French) Squadrons based respectively at Swanton Morley, Great Massingham 2 Group brought three squadrons of Mitchells to the TAF, with a fourth unit and Sculthorpe, operated these aircraft. (226 Squadron) re-equipping from Bostons. 180 Squadron had, however, 21, 464(RAAF) and 487(RNZAF) Squadrons were all been equipped with the former aircraft for nearly a year when it flew FL218 equipped with the ill-conceived Lockheed Ventura 'EV-W' for the benefit of the Press in August 1941 (IWM PL 101850) medium bomber. This development of the very successful and much-loved Hudson, was not a success. On paper, the performance of the Ventura looked no worse than that of the Mitchell or Boston, and it carried a slightly better bomb load than the latter. However, in service it proved in the words of AVM Embrey to be "... thoroughly bad, being slow, heavy, unmanoeuvrable and lacking in good defensive armament." Known by its crews as the 'Flying Pig', it had been the subject of some disastrous losses when engaged on daylight operations, culminating on 3 May 1943 when 487 Squadron had formed part of a force raiding the Amsterdam power station and Royal Dutch Steel Works at Ijmuiden. With the exception of one Ventura which arrived back in the UK in a damaged condition, the whole formation of ten aircraft was lost; the formation leader, Sqn Ldr Leonard Trent, was subsequently awarded the Victoria Cross - a sure sign of a gallantly led but disastrous raid! 21 Squadron was based at Oulton, while 464 and 487 were both at Methwold. Early reequipment of these units was planned, and indeed the two latter squadrons would move to Sculthorpe during the second half of July where they would commence receiving De Lockheed Venturas. which had proved unsuitable for daylight operation Havilland Mosquito VI fighter-bombers, thereby ending a over Europe, still equipped two squadrons in 2 Group for some months period during which 2 Group had been an all-American force after the formation of the TAF. AE273 'YH-V' of 21 Squadron provides insofar as equipment was concerned. some idea of the origin of the nickname 'Flying Pig'. A month later 21 Squadron, joined by 107 Squadron, which was to give up its Bostons, moved to Hartford Bridge, where during September these units also re-equipped with the Mosquito. At the same time 88 and 342 Squadrons also moved to Hartford Bridge, while 98 and 180 Squadrons went to Dunsfold. These moves were associated with Operation 'Starkey', but their new homes would become long-term bases. September also saw the arrival within the Group of a new unit, 305(Polish) Squadron. Having been flying Vickers Wellingtons on night operations, this unit moved from Ingham to Swanton Morley on 5 September, where it converted to Mitchell lIs.

I

Ex-Army Co-operation Command The units transferred to Fighter Command with the demise of this organisation, which included 70 (Training) Group and 72 (Operational) Group. The operational element of this latter force incorporated no less than 16 squadrons of low-level tactical reconnaissance aircraft - all being equipped with the Allison-engined version of the North American Mustang. At this stage the Merlin-engined versions, which were to become famous as the predominant longrange escort fighter of the war, had yet to enter service and become operational. Also included was a single squadron of photographic reconnaissance Spitfire IVs, this being 140 Squadron at Hartford Bridge, which at this stage was also equipped with a few Venturas for night operations. The Mustang-equipped units were parcelled out to Fighter Command's various Groups around the country, and by no means all were to be allocated to the Tactical Air Force. Indeed, several would soon be disbanded or re-equipped for alternative duties, while during September 16 Squadron, which had joined 140 Squadron at Hartford Bridge at the end of June, converted to Many of the Mustang equipped Army Cooperation squadrons which transferred to Spitfire PR XIs to provide the Tactical Air Force's Fighter Command were soon allocated to the new Tactical Air Force. The example Headquarters with a second photo seen here, AP247 'A, had flown with 4 Squadron for some time and was the reconnaissance unit in due course. At the same Commanding Officer's aircraft - a Wing Commander's pennant can be seen between time, 140 Squadron also received the improved the exhausts and the wing root. Wing Commanders were soon replaced as commanding officers by Squadron Leaders in the TAF. (IWM CH930Bj Mark XI, which it was to begin supplementing during October with Mosquito PR IXs. For the tactical reconnaissance role the Tactical Air Force was initially allocated a trio of RCAF Mustang units, 400, 414' and 430 Squadrons at Dunsfold, together with two RAP squadrons, 168 and 268 at Odiham. The Dunsfold squadrons would be joined by 231 Squadron on 6 July, whilst 20 days later those at Odiham were joined by 170 Squadron. During August these units would be reinforced by 2 and 4 Squadrons which arrived at Odiham on the 7th of that month from Sawbridgeworth and Gravesend respectively. Meanwhile during July, 268 Squadron had exchanged its machine gun-armed Mustang Is for cannon-armed Mark lAs, 168 and 170 Squadrons making a similar exchange during August. In July 414 and 430 Squadrons moved from Dunsfold to Gatwick, while 231 and 400 Squadrons went to Woodchurch. At the end of the month 414 moved again, this time to Weston Zoyland where an Armament Practice Camp (APC) was at that time located; it joined the other two units at Gatwick on 10 August. Three days later however, both 414 and 430 Squadrons were on the move again, this time to Ashford; on 15 October 231 Squadron moved to Redhill.

Fig Off D.w.Samson of 16 Squadron adjusts his Mae West before a sortie from Middle Wallop in early June 1943. By the end of the month the unit (including Mustang I AG431 '0' seen here) would move to Hartford Bridge (now Blackbushe) to become part of 34 (Reconnaisance) Wing (IWM CH 10222)

September saw the other tactical reconnaissance units also on the move, 2, 168 and 170 Squadrons going to Hutton Cranswick, where 16 APC was located, while 4 and 268 Squadrons moved to Funtington on the Hampshire coast. Further rearrangement soon followed. On 6 October, 2 and 4 Squadrons shifted base to Odiham, where they were joined three days later by 268 Squadron. In mid-October, 168 and 170 Squadrons left the APC and moved to nearby Huggate on the East Yorkshire Wold for Exercise 'Toby', designed to give experience in the construction, occupation and operation of a rapidly-laid temporary airstrip. At the end of the exercise, both squadrons moved again to Thruxton on 15 October. Here they were joined by 268 Squadron from Odiham, though on 8 November this unit would depart for a period in Scotland in an exchange with 63 Squadron. Four days later 63,168 and 170 Squadrons moved to Sawbridgeworth in north Hertfordshire, although detachments from 63 and 170 Squadrons operated from Benson on a special task - photographing V-I launching sites under construction in Northern France. 400 and 414 Squadrons arrived at Redhill on 15 October, while 430 Squadron went to Gatwick; there on 3 November it would be joined by 414. Fighter Command also inherited 38 Airborne Wing from Army Co-operation Command, this unit comprising the squadrons of transport aircraft associated with air landing operations. However,' this formation was not to form a part of the independent Tactical Air Force when it became operational, at which time it was expanded into an independent 38 Group.

Ex-Fighter Command Units From the start, the new Tactical Air Force was allocated a number of squadrons of Typhoons and Spitfire Vs, which while operating as a part of 11 Group of Fighter Command, may nonetheless be considered to be Tactical Air Force units. Initially these included 175, 181 and 182 Squadrons, which moved to Appledram on 2 June, 174 Squadron, which arrived at Merston from Gravesend on 12th, and 245 Squadron which reached Selsey on the 2nd, all these units being equipped with Typhoons. Both types had their problems. The Spitfire VB, although a well-proven and relatively successful aircraft, had been struggling against Luftwaffe opposition since the introduction of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 some two years earlier. The balance had been redressed by the introduction of the Spitfire IX, but despite having been in service for a year, sufficient numbers were not yet available to equip all Fighter Command's squadrons. The Typhoon had entered service 18 months previously, but had suffered from a number of technical problems (now mostly overcome) and had only recently been recognised as suitable for the role in which it would excel with the Tactical Air Force - ground attack. The Typhoon units allocated to the Tactical Air Force had only been formed or re-equipped from Hurricanes in recent months. 19 Squadron, one of the original 'z' Group units, was operating from Gravesend and Matlask at the start of June, equipped with Spitfire VCs, but moved to Bognor on the 6th, where it joined 122 and 602 Squadrons, which had flown in on the 1st. 65 Squadron was at Selsey, while on the 20th, 132 Squadron moved to Gravesend from Perranporth. At Redhill were 401 and 411(RCAF) Squadrons, which would be joined at this airfield on 14 July by 412 Squadron from Friston. All these latter seven squadrons were equipped with the Mark VB version of the Spitfire. These units were soon on the move; on 1 July 65, 122 and 602 Squadrons all moved to Kingsnorth, while 19 and 132 Squadrons went to Newchurch. Here they were joined on 18 August by 184 Squadron to bring 125 Airfield up to three squadrons. However, unlike its companion units, 184 was equipped with rocket-firing Hurricane IVs. Amongst the Typhoon units, 174, 175 and 245 The sole Hurricane unit in the TAF was 184 Squadron which had recently Squadrons moved to Lydd, while 181 and 182 Squadrons converted from Hurricane liDs, armed with 40 mm cannon as shown here, moved to New Romney, where on 10 July, they were joined to Hurricane IVs with rockets. Standing by the cockpit is Squadron Leader by 247 Squadron which came from Bradwell Bay in Essex to Jack Rose who would later lead the Squadron in Normandy - with bolster the Tactical Air Force to two full wings of Typhoons. Typhoons. A second Hurricane unit, 164 Squadron, would join 2nd TAF in At this stage therefore, the various Airfield HQs were November, but would quickly convert to Typhoons. located at: 121 Airfield 122 Airfield 123 Airfield 124 Airfield 125 Airfield -

Lydd Kingsnorth Odiham New Romney Newchurch

126 Airfield 127 Airfield 128 Airfield 129 Airfield 130 Airfield -

Redhill Kenley Dunsfold Gatwick Gravesend

I

Q)

u

~

o

l..J....

ABOVE: The 126 Airfield RCAF squadrons were still flying Spitfire Vs on joining the TAF ('YO-A of 401 Squadron illustrated) and would have to wait until October to receive the more potent Mk.IX.

ABOVE: Viewed from the cockpit of a Mitchell, Typhoons of 245

Squadron enter the runway, 'MR-?' in the lead. This was probably Squadron Leader Horden's JP432 - the '7' marking for the CO's aircraft being an established 245 Squadron practice. Unfortunately the location is not known and the two types never shared an airfield in the UK - although Typhoons often escorted Mitchells on Ramrods. (lWM CH 18391)

ABOVE: Unlike the squadrons of their sister Airfield (126), the 127 Airfield units were already equipped with Spitfire IXs. This 403 Squadron example, LZ997 'KH-A, was usually flown by Fit Lt Wally Conrad and he was flying it on 17 August when he collided with Fit Sgt Shoudice during a dogfight. He survived, evaded, and returned to lead 421 Squadron, but Shouldice was less fortunate, crashing into the Channel.

August saw the arrival of the Tactical Air Force's first Spitfire IXs, when two more Canadian units, 403 and 421, arrived at Lashenden, Kent, from Kenley, where they had prepared to become Tactical Air Force units during July. 19, 65 and 122 Squadrons now also received aircraft of this type, while on 13th, 602 Squadron moved from Kingsnorth to join 19 and 132 Squadrons at Newchurch; 132 Squadron would exchange its Spitfire Vs for Mark IXs during September. While the new RCAF units had been establishing themselves at Lashenden, the Tactical Air Force's resident Canadians, 401, 411 and 412 Squadrons, all moved to Staplehurst during 7 and 8 August. More Spitfire VBs were allocated to the command during October when Northolt became nominated as 131 Airfield HQ, the two resident Polish squadrons, 302 and 315, becoming a part of the Tactical Air Force. During October, as the Tactical Air Force departed from within Fighter Command to become an independent entity, a general re-organisation of units in 83 and 84 Groups occurred. Amongst the Typhoon units, 121 Airfield moved to Westhampnett during the second week of the month, following which 124 Airfield moved to Merston. On 12 October 125 Airfield moved to Detling, 602 Squadron now also becoming Spitfire IX-equipped, while two days later 126 Airfield moved to Biggin Hill. Here 401 and 411 Squadrons both received Spitfire IXs during the month. On the 14th, 127 Airfield's units flew back to Kenley, while later in the month, after some brief attachments elsewhere, 125 Airfield's units settled at Gravesend.

Training Training within Fighter Command at its Operational Training Units had, of necessity, been mainly directed towards straightforward fighter operations, few of the Command's units operating in the fighter-bomber role at the time of the formation of the Tactical Air Force. It was immediately obvious that for the new role facing the units of the Tactical Air Force, specialist training in air-to-ground firing, bomb-dropping and rocket-firing would be an essential requirement. Probably the OTU nearest to these functions was No 59, based at Milfield in Northumberland, which had been preparing pilots for service with Typhoon squadrons. In December 1942 the Specialised Low Attack Instructors School (SLAIS) was formed here as part of the OTU, an important part in its formation being played by Wg Cdr Denys Gillam, DSO, DFC, at that time

probably the RAP's foremost ground-attack exponent in the UK. Its role would be to train those who would instruct in the skills of the ground support pilot. Milfield was particularly suitable as a location, for it enjoyed the nearby facility of a range at Goswick, strewn with old vehicles on which attacks could be practised. Amongst the senior instructors was Sqn Ldr W.Pitt-Brown, DFC & Bar, who had led a Wing of Curtiss Mohawks in Burma. Returning to the UK, he had dropped his Acting rank ofWg Cdr on taking up this post. Training for Wing Leaders, squadron commanders and promising flight commanders was at this time provided by the Fighter Leaders School, which had been set up in January 1943 as part of 52 OTU at Chedworth, and then at Charmy Down. In August, the unit had moved again to Aston Down, where it became 52 OTU (Fighter Leaders School), while in October 1943, it had changed its name to 52 OTU (Fighter Command School of Tactics). This unit would subsequently be combined with SLAIS, and would form the main training centre for those responsible for the implementation of unit-level training, as will be detailed later.

Operations - The First Five Months From the start ofJune 1943 until mid-November, activities by the units allocated to the Tactical Air Force continued much as before within 11 Group of Fighter Command, and while details of the claims and losses sustained during this phase are provided, the operations undertaken during this period were essentially as a part of that Group. As such they were not in any way separate from or independent of those activities. Similarly, 2 Group continued to operate very much as it had before its removal from Bomber Command. Nevertheless, the 487 Squadron diarist found cause to write, perhaps tongue in cheek: "Airmen are already walking around with their top button undone!" - and that on a Ventura squadron - about as far removed as possible from fighter operations. The opposition which the various units would face on the other side of the Channel remained, as it had done for many months, mainly represented by the fighters of Jagdgeschwader 2 and 26. However, the growing number of incursions deep into German airspace which were being made by the heavy B-17s and B-24s of the US Eighth Air Force, was leading to the strengthening of the defences by formation of new units within JG 1 and JG 11, and by the posting to Western Europe from the East and from Italy of units of JG 3, JG 27 and JG 54. Whilst most of the latter units would operate mainly against the US bombers, and subsequently their growing numbers of escort fighters, they would on occasion be met by aircraft of the Tactical Air Force, particularly on those occasions when the activities of the latter took them over Belgium, Holland, and even to the German borders. 2 Group despatched several formations to Belgium to attack various power stations. Six Mitchells ---_-.-::._--10 June 1943 of 98 Squadron made for Langerbrugge, 12 Venturas of 21 Squadron for Zeebrugge, and 12 Bostons of 107 Squadron for Gosnay. Escort was provided by a number of 11 Group Spitfire squadrons. Over Ghent, 98 Squadron and its escorts came under attack by Fw 190s of I. and II./JG 1, Fit Sgt Grindley's Mitchell being shot down west of Maldeghem by Fw Kurt Niedereichholz of II. Gruppe at 1846 as his 12th victory. A second Mitchell was damaged, although the gunners were able to claim damage to one of their interceptors. The escorting fighters claimed six Focke-Wulfs shot down, plus one probable and several damaged; I./JG 1 lost three of its aircraft to the Spitfires, one pilot being killed and one wounded, while ObIt Harry Koch crash-landed. Two Spitfires were shot down. TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

1840

98

Mitehelill

FL204

C

PILOT/CREW

1945

98

Mitehelill

FL167

F

F/S J.Grindley (K) Sgt H.JWebb (K) Sgt S.G.Coleman IK) Sgt E.G.Sayer (K) F/O WB.Fee F/O L.A.T.Moss F/S R.H.Budden F/S K.L.Cudlipp

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION 1/s Lorendegem

Fw 190

--1

hbt and eta IGhent) e/I Manston

Venturas of 2 Group raided a power station at Rouen, France. One aircraft of 487 Squadron was - - - _ . .12 June 1943 :....-_-shot down near Caen airfield by Flak and a second was damaged. e1930

487

Ventura I

AE797 P

e1930

487

Ventura I

AE833 Q

F/O GW.Brewer (K) F/S J.F.Smith (K) W/O RWSeeord (K) F/S R.F,Edmonds (K) F/S A,G.Baker Sgt L Kirstine (K) Sgt J.H.Smith Sgt A.R.Moorby

sdb Fw 190 nr Caen

hbt? ICaen!, landed Tangmere eatAe

a/t

I

ill 13 June 1943 U

~

o

During a raid on St Brieuc airfield ('Ramrod 68') by 12 Venturas of 464 Squadron, one was shot down by an Fw 190 oOG 2, and two more were damaged, both crash-landing at Exeter on return. Two of these bombers were claimed by Ofw Fritz May and Fw Alois Shnoell.

L.L TIME

SUN

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

e0820

464

Ventura I

AE937 T

0920

464

Ventura I

AE908 S

e0920

180

Mitchell II

FL677

0950

464

Ventura I

AE688 Q

1045

65

Spitfire VB

AB274

WID NA Kane-McGuire IK) F/S J.Lawson (K) F/S EWGoodheart (K) F/S A.J.Galley IK) FlO W.O. Parsons F/S E.Ramsey F/S EWatkin (W) Sgt B.McConnell (WI S/L O.G.Ogilvie IK) PIO P.C.Jackson (K) Sgt D.J.F.Jenkins (K) Sgt V.J.Browne (K) F/S G.R.Langridge Sgt D.A.S.Crowfoot Sgt D.Hughes Sgt C.J.Evans PIO D.I.Smith (P)

g/lk III Fr IBethune)

19 June 1943

1200

175

Typhoon IB

EK184

PIO G.D.Cockbone (K)

ftr Rhubarb csd 3m EYvetot cnk

21 June 1943

e1040

182

Typhoon IB

EK195

WID J.A.Allen

hbl Les Hayons; nrep

e0230 e0830 e1620

400 98 21

Mustang I Mitchell II Ventura I

AG641 B FL682 AE910 Y

«

B

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION sdb Fw 190 nr Guernsey

db Fw 190; c/l Exeter

sdbl Flushing

db Fw 190; tbl Exeter catAc

22 June 1943

FlO J.HWatlington (PI SgtL.B.Anthony (Air Gnr) W/C R.H.S.j
e/a

1--

b/o 16m N Dieppe (Intruder) Rotterdam sdbl 3m N Abbeville

23 June 1943

Sgt C.E.Turi Sgt P.JWhelton Sgt J.J.Butler

hbf c/l Rougham

24 June 1943

FlO J.P.Toeg IK) F/S E.L.Reed (K) F/S TEllis (KI Sgt J.Glover (K)

sdbf Brest-Guipavas

29 June 1943

65

Spitlire VB

nk

S/L J.E.Storrar

e0845 1100 e1245

430 400 182

Mustang I Mustang I Typhoon IB

AM196 AG615 Q JP381 C

FlO R.G.McKessock (K) FlO I.G.McLeod (I) WID J.A.Allen (W)

hit sea evading Fw 190 off Trouville e/lw/u Ford hbl S Veulettes cat Ac

e1650

175

Typhoon IB

DN408

F/S O.R.Kelsick IA)

hbl Poix b/o SE Beachy Head

e1100

342

Boston lilA

BZ366 D

PIO C.H.Pineau IK) PIO R.Petain (K) S/Ch M.Barat (K)

ftr (Langerbrugge)

Fw 190

- 1-

5m off Le Havre

30 June 1943

_1...:.J_ul_y-'--I_9_4_3 3 July 1943

_4...=.J_ul_y'---I_9_4_3

During 'Ramrod 124' to Amiens, four Spitfires were lost by the Hornchurch Wing, including two from 122 Squadron, while escorting twelve 2 Group Mitchells. Five claims were made by German

...,..,

The Douglas Boston IliA saw long service with two of the 2nd TAF squadrons that flew it 88 Squadron shown here - and 342 (Free French) Squadron. It was supplemented but never entirely replaced by the less-liked Mk IV from mid-1944 onwards. (IWM CH 13125)

a --;

:3

ill

r-+

a

:::::l

fighter pilots, including one each by Hptm Kurt Buhligen, Kommandeur of II./JG 2, and by Ofw Kurt Goltzsch and Uffz Max Umlauft of this unit; further claims were made by Maj Wilhelm-Ferdinand Galland, Kommandeur of II./JG 26, and by Oblt Rudolf Leuschel of 10./JG 26. The German units however, lost at least four Bf 109s or Fw 190s.

Hptm Kurt BUhligen, Gruppenkommandeur of II/JG 2, was a regular opponent of the RAF over France duri ng 1943-45

TIME

SON

TYPE

IOENT

PILOT/CREW

CLAIM

d Pd

CAUSE/LOCATION

e1730

122

Spitfire VB

BL342 AD416 BM634

Cpt TJohnsen Sgt W.MWhittaker (PI F/S R.SWilliams (W/P)

E/A

--1

nk psdbea nr French coast (Amiens) sdb Bf 109 nr Amiens

Two Mustangs of 400 Squadron became 'hunters' rather than the more usual 'hunted', when they 8 July 1943 -------=-------'---surprised a Fiesler Fi 156 near Combourg in northern Brittany. The German pilot landed the Storch at the first opportunity, and it was destroyed on the ground by the two RCAF pilots. This would be the first of a run of several successes for the Squadron. e1500

400

Mustang I

nk nk

FlO F.EW.Hanton) F/D J.M.Robb}

Fi 156

1- -

forced down & dog 5 ml ECom bourg

19 Squadron lost two Spitfires while returning from escorting Mitchells over St Orner during 9 July 1943 'Ramrod 127'. -------=-~'----nk

19

Spitfire VB

BM539 BM323

cld BM323 b/o Gravesend cld BM539csd Gravesend

S/L V.H.Ekins F/L P.H.Bell (K)

12 July 1943 Another Boston was lost in another attack on the power station at Langerbrugge, this time from ------"--'--88 Squadron. On a reconnaissance sortie Flt Lt D.M.Grant of 400 Squadron managed to shoot down a Do 217 12 miles north-east of Chartres. ellOO

88

Boston lilA

BZ267

1710

400

Mustang I

nk

F/S R.I.Davies (PI F/S KW.Morrison (KI F/S RWilkinson (P) Sgt J.F.Primmett (P) F/L D.M.Grant

I/s NW Knocke Dol 21Jul43

Do 217

1--

12m NE Chartres

During an afternoon 'Ramrod' (142) to Poix by 12 107 Squadron Bostons, 602 Squadron suffered 15 July 1943 ------"--'--heavily, four aircraft and their pilots being lost, three of the latter becoming prisoners. One of the attacking Fw 190s was claimed destroyed by FIg Off A.P.Robson and a Bf 109 by Flt Lt WWJ.Loud. Five Spitfires were claimed by pilots oOG 26, which lost one Fw 190, the pilot being wounded, and a sixth Spitfire was claimed by Ofw Ludwig Jacobs of 5./JG 2, while Ofw Rainer Poettgen of 3./JG 27 claimed a seventh. Maj 'Wutz' Galland of ILlJG 26 also claimed a Boston, and one 107 Squadron aircraft taking part was indeed damaged by fire from an Fw 190, landing wheels-up at Eastchurch on return. Crews of other Bostons claimed damage to two Focke-Wulfs. 1. and ILlJG 2 each lost a fighter.

I

A separate 'Ramrod 140' was also flown to Poix at much the same time by bomb-carrying Typhoons; one such aircraft of 181 Squadron was lost, Plt Off E.A.Haddock was shot down by a Bf 109, becoming a POW after a lengthy evasion. A second Typhoon from 182 Squadron, which was escorting 181 Squadron, was hit in the wing by a single shell, splinters from which entered the cockpit and wounded the pilot. Two Typhoons were claimed shot down by Hptm Biihligen and Lt Maximillian Buscherz of II./JG 2.

Q)

u

~

o

U-


+-'

u

~ ""0 C

N

CLAIM

dpd

TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

e1635 e1640 e1640 1645

182 181 411 107 602

Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Spitfire VB Boston lilA Spitfire VB

e1730

107

Boston IliA

JP370 Q R8866 BL780 nk AD290 EP380 EN840 AR428 BL971 AD290 BZ202

F/O R.Payne (W) P/O E.A.Haddock (PI S/L G.C.Semple nk F/O A.P.Robson F/L WWJ.Loud F/L A.S.R.Strudwick(P) F/S H.Hannah (W,P) F/S R.K.G.J McKenzie (K) Sgt A.T.Tysowski (PI F/S B.WLawrence SgtJ.O.Mountford Sgt WD.George

e1320

400

Mustang I

AM187

F/L S.M.Knight (I)

hbf b/o Friston

1730e

268

Mustang I

AP256 U

F/O G.E.C.Pease(A)

elf b/o 15m SloW

1650

401

Spitfire VB

1653

412

Spitfire VB

1740

168

Mustang I

AR528 BM316 BM362 BM627 AB215 AD262 AB972 AM216

Sgt K.BWoodhouse } Sgt D.MWilson} F/O R.K.Hayward } F/L I.C.Ormston } F/S H.WBowker P/O J.L.Lush F/O J.K.Dudley (PI F/O WA.Brenard (AI

1430 e1610

132 122

Spitfire VB Spitfire VB

1740

168

Mustang I

BL929 BM645 BM430 AD262 AB972 AM216

F/S R.Munsen (AI S/L P.RWWickham P/O WWPeet P/O J.L.Lush F/O J.K.Dudley (PI F/O WA.Brenard (A)

Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Bf 109

-- 1 -- 2 1-1--

CAUSE/LOCATION hit by shell splinters IPoixl sdb Bf 109 nr Poix (Poix) (Poix) Cayeux/St Valery Le Crotoy/Berck {ftr Berck/Cayeux { {sdbea Berck/Cayeux { db Fw 190 w/u Eastchurch catAc

16 July 1943

18 July 1943

19 July 1943

Fw 190

-1-

5m S Dunkirk

Bf 109 Fw 190

-1--1

{10m SE Bourbougville { sdb Fw 190 nr Ostende sdb Fw 190 12m NW Le Havre

Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190

-11 -1--1

25 July 1943

26 July 1943

hbf b/o 10m NNW Ostende (lGhent) { { sdb Fw 190 nr Ostende sdb Fw 190 12m NW Le Havre

A magnificent sightand no doubt sound - as 182 Squadron's Typhoons assemble on New Romney's runway prior to departing on a sweep in July 1943 Nearest the camera is Squadron Leader IPPugh's EK395, 'XM-V', which has a squadron leader's pennant and chequered inner surfaces of the undercarriage doors to aid identification on the ground. Pugh was shot down by Flak while attacking a destroyer in Dunkirk harbour. on 2 August 1943.

borrow two aircraft from 245 Squadron to make up the eight required for the operation, and then one of these had returned early with its engine cutting out. One of 247's own Typhoons had suffered an engine failure on take-off and had crash-landed a mile from the airfield; the pilot was helped from the widely scattered wreckage with bruising and lacerations. Returning from Merville at low-level, three of the squadron's aircraft were then unfortunate enough to cross the French coast directly over a Flak position, and all were hit, although only one was seriously damaged. Flak had sliced through a coolant pipe, and eventually Pit Off'Woggy' Waugh was forced to make a wheels-up landing at Lympne. Flight Sergeant Cecil Eckel (right), from Jamaica, looks alittle uncertain about cooking arrangements for 247 Squadron at New Romney. Outdoor living skills acquired in the summer of 1943 and spring of 1944 would stand the 2nd TAF in good stead in Normandy; by then however, Eckel would be an evader in Paris. On 15 February 1944 he had baled out of his stricken Typhoon and was hidden by the Resistance until liberated the following August.

TIME

SON

TYPE

IOENT

PILOT/CREW

el115

88

Boston lilA

BZ399

el120 1120 1230 e1800

88 247 247 170

Boston IliA Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Mustang I

BZ232 DN338 S DN542 Z AL981

FlO J.BWilson (P) PIO W.T.MacDonald (P) FIL FJ.G.Partridge (PI Sgt T.Hunt (PI Sgt G.G.K.Gray + 3 crew FlO R.F.Murray (I) FlO GWWaugh F/L J.D. Dunne (K)

e1730 e1900

412 65

Spitfire VB Spitfire VB

EN784 BM373

S/L G.C.Keefer (A) F/S I.R.Pittock (AI

elf blo Channel rof blo 10m S Friston

27 July 1943

e1110 1155

182 245

Typhoon IB Typhoon IB

EK395 DN591 K

S/L lP.Pugh

hbf crossing Fr cst (Merville)catB/Ac elf f/llm SW Eyethorne

28 July 1943

0936

88

Boston lilA

BZ232 K

Sgt M.C.Thompson (K) Sgt G.H.Gibbs (KI Sgt S.R.Kenny (KI Sgt J.Riddell(K)

hit sea 53'57N 04'39E

29 July 1943

F/S T.H.Gray

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION I/s St Amand

Fw 190

--1

return from Courtrai efto csd 1m SW New Romney hbf fll wlu Lympne ftr (Les Sept lies)

ABOVE LEFT, ABOVE AND

LEFT: Introduced to the Press in the summer of 1943 were 181 Squadron's 'Sombphoons', flown over in June to Tangmere from their Appledram base. DN421 'EL-C' was flown with two 500lb bombs for the benefit of photographers. It was usually pi loted by Fig Off 'Paddy' King and carried a shamrock and the name 'Doreen' on the starboard side.

ill

30 July 1943

U

~

o

LL

«

TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

el0l0

107

Boston IliA

BZ293 V

e1130 el130 1200 1515

174 174 168 320

Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Mustang I Mitchell

EK134 DN580 AMl77 FR144 B

e1550 1625 e1650 1735

181 181 268 226

Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Mustang I Mitchell II

R8833 D JP493 A AP232 FV932 X

88

Boston IliA

nk

Lt WM. McGuire (KI Lt L.D.Jacobs (KI Sgt A.R.Breyer (K) Sgt C.B.Roberts (KI FlO V.J.Markey (K) FlO A.C.Dunning (PI FlO J.K.Hazeldene F/L WJ.Ritte (K) F/L E. van't Eind (K) F/L A.Roessingh IK) Cpl N.J.Blok (K) AC1 C.P.J.M. van der Does IK) FlO N.R.MaxweIiIKI FlO WO.Peacock FlO WJ.lrwin (K) FlO R.M.Christie (KI PIO A.P.Ayton-Jones (A) Sgt DWBishop (A) Sgt E.R.Norburn (K) Sgt J.F.Lecomber (A) nk

nk

31 July 1943

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION spun in N Sea 34m E Great Yarmouth

cld DN580 csd Avekapelle cld EK134 csd Furnes hbf hit sea, cat B/Ac hit sea 53'50N 04'55E (ASR patrol)

sdb Bf 109 in Channel (Poix) db Bf 109 c/l Merston ftr IGranville} sdb Me210 in N Sea (ASR search)

Me210

--1

nk

247 Squadron, again escorting 181 Squadron's 'Bombphoons', this time to attack targets in Lille, lost another Typhoon to coastal Flak; the 19 year old pilot had little chance when his aircraft ploughed into the sea some 200 yards from the coast. el120 e1200 e1630

65 247 132

Spitfire VB Typhoon IB Spitfire VB

P8561 P JP545 V BL925 W3765

FlO P.J.Hearne F/S C.D.Mclntosh (K)

Fw 190

--1

F/L D.Fopp } PIO J.J.Caulton }

Fw 190

- -2

e1520

182

Typhoon IB

EK395

S/L T.P.Pugh (K)

sdbf Dunkirk

PIO G.E.Hadley

dla New Romney cat B/Ac

FlO W.B.Reynolds (K)

psdbf NE Pont-Audemer IEvreux)

Triqueville hbf csd 200 yards off Gravelines N Lisieux

2 August 1943

e1600

_8_A_u---"'gu'----s_t_l_9_4_3

170

Mustang I

AG417

2 Group units undertook a fairly heavy raid on naval stores at Rennes, 40 Bostons from 88, 107 and 342 Squadrons being involved. The attack proved very successful, but 88 and 107 each lost one aircraft to Flak as they left the target, a third bomber crash-landed at Sopley and a fourth whilst attempting to land at Hum. e1600

107

Boston IliA

BZ335 U

e1620

88

Boston IliA

BZ296

WID J.Roberts (KI PIO M.L.Glynn (KI F/S WCoates (K) Sgt H.S.Airey (K) PIO WP.Angus IKI PIO L.C.Brown IE) PIO S.Oliver IK)

hbf csd nr Rennes

hbl? csd 8m N Rennes

TIME

SaN

TYPE

IDENT

1840

342

Boston IliA

BZ341

e1700

107

Boston lilA

BZ254 N

0950 el720

400 421

Mustang I Spitfire IX

nk BS290

1005 1025

421 127Af 403 421

Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire

MA477 F/L RD.Philip EN398 JEJ W/C J.E.Johnson } MA573 F/L WA.G.Conrad } MA477 F/L RD. Philip

1040

IX IX IX IX

PILOT/CREW P

CLAIM

dpd

F/O DeBrettes (K) P/O Hetigin (K) F/S Bodin Sgt Tharnou S/L I.J.Spencer F/O WK. Branch (W) F/O C.B.M.Shevlin P/O J.G.E.Ploughman F/L D.M.Grant P/O RIHeeney (K)

CAUSE/LOCATION c/I nr Sop ley (Rennes)

hbfc/I Hurn catB

Ju 88

-1-

Rambouillet elf b/o NW Calais (St Omer)

Bf 109 Bf 109

--1 1-1

N.Ghent Axel area

Bf 109

--1

W Flushing

247 Squadron lost two more pilots when four of its Typhoons were returning from an operation. As they swept across the airfield, two collided. One pilot was killed immediately when his aircraft hit the ground, whilst the other suffered a similar fate a few minutes later as he tried to bring his damaged aircraft in for a down-wind landing. 0510 0524 1104 1535

400 400 421 247

Mustang I Mustang I Spitfire IX Typhoon IB

2245

400

Mustang I

nk nk BS126 JP487 Y JP505 R nk

F/O F.E.WHanton F/O F.EWHanton P/O P.G.Johnson F/L A.WRobertson IK) Sgt E.S.McCuaig IK) F/O JAMorton

Ju 88 Bf 110 Fw 190

--1 1---1

Bf 110

1--

9 August 1943 12 August 1943

15 August 1943

{Rennes a/f {

Flushing area {cld csd New Romney {J P505 cs d 1540 St Andre

2 Group's Bostons were out again for another very low-level attack, this time on some 16 August 1943 --------"'----armament and steel works at Denain, France. 37 aircraft, again from 88, 107 and 342 Squadrons, escorted by Typhoons, swept in low and once more bombed the target successfully, their attack being recorded by a following Mosquito from the Film Production Unit. As they headed for home, flying directly into the sun at very low-level, the formation spread out, but then encountered a number of high tension electricity cables, with one of which one Boston was seen to collide. Fighters of JG 2 and JG 26 also appeared and gave chase. Although one 88 Squadron aircraft was then seen to hit a tree, a total of six failed to return, four from 88 Squadron all flown by very experienced pilots, including two flight commanders, Sqn Ldrs R.S.Gunning and G.E.'Ace' Hawkins. Although Flak was thought to have been the main cause of the other losses, JG 2 claimed at least four Bostons shot down during this raid, while Lts Karl Heinz Kempf and Gottfried Schmidt of Il./JG 26 also claimed one each near Auxile Chateau at 1857 and 1859 whilst flying at only a height of 10 metres (about 30 feet). During a fighter-bomber attack on Amiens/Glisy airfield by Typhoons of 174 Squadron, one of these aircraft was seen to be shot down by Flak, and although a parachute was seen, the pilot did not survive. 175 Squadron, operating from the same Airfield, also lost one aircraft while escorting Bostons. Sgt Merlin lived up to his name and simply disappeared from the formation. It would be more than a year before the mystery was solved, as recounted in Volume Two. e1110 1717 e1730

174 140 107

Typhoon IB Spit PR.IV Boston lilA

JP444 BR648 BZ317

1735 1741

175 107

Typhoon IB Boston IliA

JP577 T BZ266 M

1745

88

Boston IliA

BZ359

e1745

88

Boston IliA

BZ351

e1750

88

Boston IliA

BZ242

F/L J.R.Sterne (K) F/S C.E.Sharp F/S C.E.TurIIK) Sgt P.J'whalton IKI Sgt J.J.Butler IKI Sgt H.E.R.Merlin (EI F/O E.H.McCormack (KI P/O WF.Shaw (PI P/O G.J.Kerr (KI F/L A.H.Risely (EI F/O A.C.Langdon (EI F/S IJ.Hedley IE) F/S A.T.Powell (EI S/L G.E.Hawkins IKI F/S C.E.Ashworth (PW) F/O E.Kinsella (EI Sgt C.L.Rice IP,WI S/L RS.Gunning IP,WI F/L W.G.Brinn (EI F/DJ.Ledgard (K) P/O R.D.England IPwl

sdbf Amiens-Glisy elf b/o nr Yarcombe, Devon hit pylon b/o (Denainl

sdbf (Amiens/Glisyl psdbf nr Denain

sdbf (Denainl

sdbf Douai-Arras (Denainl

hbf lis nr Vitry en Artois (Denainl

I

ill U

TIME

SON

e1750

88

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

Boston IliA

BZ289

F/O F/S F/S F/S

ll.-

o

LL

«

CLAIM

d Pd CAUSE/LOCATION hit tree W Arras (Oenain)

A.B.Smith (K) N.Smyth (K) E.Cogman (K) H.L.Bradden (K)

ll.-

17 August 1943

CD U

+oJ

U

~ -0 C

N

The 17th proved to be another very busy day for Fighter Command and for the US Eighth Air Force, as a large force of B-17s flew far into southern Germany to raid the ball bearing factories at Schweinfurt and the Messerschmitt aircraft plant at Regensburg. Far beyond fighter escort range at that time, 60 bombers were lost. RAF and USAAF fighter units flew escorts and diversionary sweeps as far as their range allowed, and some fierce engagements took place. A morning attack on Poix, Lille and Woensdrecht by bomb-carrying Typhoons brought the loss of one aircraft to 182 Squadron. Approaching the target, Flt Lt Bewg was attacked by two Fw 190s and was seen to spin and then recover, only to disappear; one claim was made for a Typhoon by Ofw Hans Heitemann of 8./JG 26. At 1500 hours, 127 Airfield's Canadians provided cover for B-26s and more Typhoons over the Poix area. North of Ghent at 1652 a lone Bf 110 - possibly a night fighter returning to base after taking part in a daylight interception of the Eighth Air Force bomber formations - was seen by Wg Cdr J.E.'Johnnie' Johnson and his pilots of 403 Squadron, and they dived to attack, Johnson and three others claiming the destruction of this aircraft. Near Dunkirk a lone Fw 190 was seen flying virtually in formation with the Spitfires. This was flown by the Staffelkapitan of 4./JG 26, Lt Helmut Hoppe, on his way back to base. As the Spitfires rushed to latch on his tail, still unseen by the German pilot, the propeller of Flt Sgt G.M.Shouldice's aircraft cut into the rear fuselage of that flown by Flt Lt Conrad and cut off its tail, causing Conrad to take to his parachute. Seeing this, Hoppe returned to claim the Spitfire as his 16th victory. Meanwhile Shouldice's aircraft, now without a propeller, crashed into the Channel and he was killed. Wally Conrad, a veteran of the Western Desert, managed to evade capture and return later. He and Shouldice were given joint credit for shooting down the Focke-Wulf, but Hoppe actually returned with his aircraft intact. e1120 1652

18 August 1943

182 Typhoon IB 127Af Spitfire IX 403 Spitfire IX

1705 1705

403 403

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

DN553 EN398 JEJ MA763 MA575 BS353 MA615 LZ997

F/L WH.Bewg (KI W/C J.E.Johnson ) F/L D.H.Dover} F/O L.Foster} F/O J.Preston) F/S G.M.Shouldice (K) F/L WA.G.Conrad (E)

Bf 110

1--

sdb Fw 190 (Ullel N Ghent

Fw 190

1--

cld LZ997 csd Chnl Bergues; cld MA615 b/o Dunkirk

0015 1030

400 65

Mustang I Spitfire IX

nk MH358 J

F/O F.E.WHanton S/L J.E.Storrar

Ju 88 Bf 109

--1 1--

Beauvais a/f Cassel

el120

182

Typhoon IB

1--

602 403 421 421 15Wg 122 65 403

Spitfire VB Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

F/L G.F.Ball (P) F/O M.I.Fraleigh (K) F/S R.L.H.Dench (E) S/L M.L.ff.Beytagh F/L A.C.Coles F/O A.E.Fleming P/O F.C.Joyce (P) G/C J.E.Rankin } F/S J.Crossland } F/L J.R.Heap F/L D.H.Dover} F/O IA.Brannagan }

Bf 109

1125 1330

JP400 U R8927 R* JP552 EN841 BS353 MA756 MA543 MA814 MH375 MA420 MA468 BS288

Fw 190 Bf 109 Bf 109

--1 1---1

Fw 190

--1

Fw 190 Bf 109 Bf 109

1-1 1-1--

not confirmed; sdbf (Amiens) psdbea (Amiensl*EL-R 181 Sqn sdb Fw 190 nr Amiens Amiens/Glisy {E Abbeville { ftr after d/f Abbeville {8m N Le Touquet { { {S Flushing {

19 August 1943

1720

1810

20 August 1943

The Dutch 320 Squadron attacked a Dornier aircraft factory at Flushing with its Mitchells during the afternoon, but one of the attackers was hit by Flak in its port engine. Forced to ditch in the North Sea, the Mitchell sank in eight minutes, but little more than an hour later the crew were spotted in their

------------------~~-~----------~-

dinghy by a pair of Mustang pilots. The latter were later relieved by Spitfires, and eventually a Walrus arrived, picking up the grateful Dutchmen just two and a half hours after they had come down.

11

TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

1550

320

Mitchell II

FR147

:3 Q)

PILOT/CREW C

CLAIM

d Pd

H.Nienhuish (A) J.P.Oele (AI F.A.J.Prinsen (AI O.H.J.Born (AI

o.......

CAUSE/LOCATION hbf dtd N Sea (Flushing)

r-+

o

::::J

Two Mustang pilots from 414 Squadron on a 'Rhubarb' intercepted a Ju 88 low over Enghien 21 August 1943 --------''''-----Airfield, shooting it down between them. Fig Off L.P.Theriault's aircraft then struck an obstruction of some nature and he crashed to his death. 1710

414

Mustang I

AM248 AM160

F/L C.H.Stover FlO L.PTheriault (K)

Ju 88

1- -

Enghien alf hit obs csd Enghien alf

1900

65

Spitfire IX

MA420

F/L J.R.Heap

Fw 190

--1

Frevent

22 August 1943

Wg Cdr J.E.Johnson, Wing Leader of 127 Airfield, claimed a Bf 109 shot down during 23 August 1943 'Ramrod 214', Fig Off Bob Middlemiss of 403 Squadron claiming a second damaged, both in the - - - - - " ' - - - - Gosnay area. It appears that they had actually shot down two Fw 190s of 10.lJG 26. 0825

127Af Spitfire IX 403 Spitfire IX

EN398 JEJ W/C J.E.Johnson MA585 FlO R.G.Middlemiss

Bf 109 Bf 109

1- --1

{Gosnay area {

During low-level reconnaissance sorties, two Mustangs were lost to German fighters on this date 25 August 1943 ------'''----and a third was damaged. At 1425 Fw Rudolf Alf and Fw Helmut Baudach of JG 2 each claimed a Mustang shot down - probably a pair of 2 Squadron aircraft flown by Fig Offs R.H.Andrews and L.W.Kirkby, both of whom were killed. Alf claimed another between 1435-45, and this may have been a 4 Squadron machine in which FIg Off I.S.Miller returned to base after it had suffered damage in an attack by an Fw 190. 0740 e1245 e1315 e1330 1940 1945 2010 1830 1840

414 4 2 4 174 421 245

Mustang I Mustang I Mustang I Mustang I Typhoon IB Spitfire IX Typhoon IB

127Af Spitfire IX 421 Spitfire IX

AP204 AM117 AM217 Y AG576 U EK369 BS398 JP481

FlO FlO FlO F/O FlO F/O F/S

MA573 MA477 MA582 MA713 MA579

W/C J.E.Johnson

L.F.May I.S.Miller R.H.Andrews IKI L.WKirby (KI SWBurney II) P.A.McLachlan K.J.A.Oickie

F/L R.D.Phillip} FlO A.R.MacKenzie} FlO J'w.E.Harten} P/O W.F.Cook}

ols Idg on wet r/w Ashford catB

Fw 190

1--

Fw 190 Bf 109

1-1--

db Fw 190 catAc sdb Bf 109 nr Cabourg csd in Channel after d/f stalled landing in bad wx Lydd S Caen hydraulic failure w/u Lydd SW Rouen sdb Fw 190 N.Caen

Six Bostons of 107 Squadron attacked Gosnay power station at low-level. During the attack one bomber was hit by Flak and collided with another over Liliers, both aircraft crashing. Fw 190s then attacked and a third bomber failed to return, last being seen 14 miles from the French coast.

1916

107

Boston IliA

BZ226 0

2025

403

Spitfire IX

MA575

FlO J.C.Allison (E) FIS R.J.H.Mcleod (EI FlO N.T.Fairfax IE) FlO GWKelly (P) FlO J.M.Rankin (K) FIS T.K.Jones IKI F/S A'w.D.Parsons (K) WID H.Anderson (K) FlO WWLocke (K) FlO J.E.T.Wilkinson (K) P/O WWPattinson (K) Sgt D.A.G.Edwards (KI FlO L.Foster

Mustang I

AP241 E

FlO J.B.Day (KI

Mustang I Mustang I

AM109 nk

Cpt C.F.Jean-Hansen (K) F/O J.M.Robb

1913

107

Boston IliA

BZ237 S

BZ235 K

el030 el000 1310

2 400

26 August 1943

27 August 1943

hbf? cld BZ235 csd 5m W Lilliers

FPU cameraman hbf? cld BZ237 (Lilliers)

I/s 14m from Fr cst (Lilliers)

Bf 109

1--

rof c/l Manston (St Omer) elf csd off Le Touquet

28 August 1943

ftr I/s St Andre 15m EMargny

29 August 1943

Q)

u

James Edgar Johnson,

~

o

LL

DSO & 2 Bars, DFC & Bar, US DFC

orn in Leicestershire in 1915,'Johnnie' Johnson was a qualified civil engineer who joined the RAFVR just before the war, and was called up on the outbreak, being posted to 19 Squadron in August 1940. He was not to see action until 1941 when he was serving with 616 Squadron during the early cross-Channel sweeps. He became a flight commander and received a DFC by September. Summer 1942 saw him command 610 Squadron and add a Bar to his DFC, while in March 1943 he was promoted to lead the Kenley Canadian Wing, beginning a long and close association with the RCAF. Between April and September 1943, he claimed 14 and five shared victories to bring his total to 21 and seven shared, receiving a DSO and Bar. Following a rest, he became Wing Leader of the new 144 (RCAF) Wing, claiming a further ten victories by July when he received a second Bar to his DSO. In August 1944, 144 Wing was disbanded and he moved over to lead 127 Wing, where he claimed his last three victories to give him a total of 34 and seven shared the highest score of any RAF pilot in Western Europe. In April 1945 he was promoted to Group Captain and commanded 125 Wing until well after the war. Remaining in the service until 1966, he rose to the rank of Air Vice-Marshal.

B

RIGHf Wg Cdr 'Johnnie' Johnson chats with members of his ground crew.

Spitfire IXB EN398 'JE-J', Wg Cdr J.E.Johnson, 127 Airfield, Kenley, Lashendon and Headcorn, July-September 1943

RIGHf Johnson with Spitfire IXB EN398 'JE-J', his personal aircraft for most of 1943. From Ma rch 1944 to March 1945 he flew MK392 on nearly 200 operational sorties.

Spitfire XIV MV257 'JEJ', Grp Capt J.E.Johnson, 125 Wing, Kastrup, May 1945

After the Rhine crossings Johnson was promoted to command of 125 Wing which was equipped with Spitfire XIVs and he flew at least two of these aircraft marked with his initials, MV268 and later, his last-known personal Spitfire, MV257, discretely marked as seen here in Copenhagen shortly after VE-day. It had previously been flown on operations in April by Wg Cdr George Keefer.

I

Q.)

30 August 1943

U

l.-

o

LL

Whilst engaged in an afternoon reconnaissance sortie a 16 Squadron Mustang I was 'bounced' by six Fw 190s and was shot down by Oblt Herbert Huppertz of 8./JG 2 at 1612 (German time), the aircraft coming down in the sea some 40 miles north of the Brittany coast. A search was initiated by the unit, which operated from Exeter, and eventually their efforts were rewarded, when the pilot, Flt Lt G. Holloway, was spotted. However bad weather delayed a rescue considerably, and it was not until three days later that a Walrus was able to set out to pick him up, backed up by a Warwick carrying an airborne lifeboat, the pair of rescue aircraft being escorted by Typhoons of 266 Squadron which was also based at Exeter. Holloway was successfully picked up by the crew of the Walrus. TIME

SON

e1510 1843

16 180

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

Mustang I Mitchell II

AP263 FU90

F/L G.Holioway (A) P/D C.O.Motheral (E) P/O W.J.Dumsday IE) F/S V.E.Scuse (KI Sgt E.Lewis (K)

CLAIM

d Pd

CAUSE/LOCATION sdb Fw 190 30m N Brest peninsula hbf csd Watten

One of 129 Squadron's newly acquired Spitfire IXs. MH384 'DV-R', at Hornchurch in the late summer of 1943. It was inherited by 504 Squadron in January 1944 when this unit moved in to Hornchurch and 129 departed for a spell at Peterhead, but was destroyed when 504's dispersal was bombed during the night of 22/23 February.

31 August 1943

When operations on this date concluded, 83 Group reported that units allocated to it had by now flown 5,445 sorties, dropped 199 tons of bombs and claimed 24 enemy aircraft destroyed, three probables and 23 damaged for the loss of 35 pilots. 0750 0835 e1245 1750

65 247 414 414 421

Spitfire IX Typhoon IB Mustang I Mustang I Spitfire IX

MA420 EJ974 E AM248 AM211 MA831 MA477

S/L J.E.Storrar F/S P.SWDaniels F/L R.T.Hutchinson } F/L R.J.Richards} S/L RW.McNair F/L R.D.Phillip

2 September 1943

e1900

342

Boston lilA

BZ333 U

F/O A.Gins (P) F/L L.Schaffer (PI Sgt J.D.Hainaut (P) Sgt P.Pecqueux (PI

3 September 1943

In one of the last operations to be flown by the ill-fated Venturas, now flying only with 21 Squadron, FIt Sgt Elam's aircraft was last seen over Gravelines during 'Ramrod S.27', and was shot down by Uffz Gerd Wiegand of 8./JG 26 at 1430. 1008 e1350 1430

4 September 1943

421 19 21

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Ventura

MA831 MH334 MA833 AE776

S/L RWMcNair F/O M.C.Love (P) Sgt J.M.L.Ritchie (P) F/S K.E.Elam (PI Sgt A.Bell (KI W/D H.K.Kells (K) Sgt WR.Rodgerson (KI

Fw 190

--1

He 111 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109

1---2 1-1--

5m SW Dunkirk hbf f/I Manston OG; nr Cassel OG; nr Douai {S Ghent {

hbf? lis EVeules les Roses

Bf 109 Bf 109

1-1--

{N Evreux hbd? I/s Argentan {

rof blo 6m N Gravelines Easr last seen Gravelines

The day proved to be another very busy one for Fighter Command, Spitfire squadrons making a total of 20 claims by the time darkness fell, for the loss of only three aircraft. Tactical Air Force units were involved in two early evening 'Ramrods'. While escorting B-26s to Lille on 'Ramrod S.31', 127

(

Airfield's pilots spotted a group of Fw 190s approaching the bombers, and dived to attack at about 1755. It appears that Wg Cdr Johnson shot down Ofw Walter Grunlinger of the Geschwaderstab of JG 26, while Sqn Ldr EGrant, commanding officer of 403 Squadron, shot down Uffz Horst-Guenther Schoehl of 8.1JG 26, who baled out in a seriously wounded condition. Grant was then also shot down, his Spitfire crashing near Roubaix, although no claim appears to have been made by the Luftwaffe. Half an hour later 122 and 602 Squadrons were involved in escorting Mitchells to Boulogne harbour as 'Ramrod S.32', and here Wt Off Sorge of the latter unit claimed an Fw 190 shot down in the Nieuport/Dunkirk area at 1830, while Fig Off Innes of 122 Squadron claimed a second damaged 20 minutes later over the Authie Estuary. Eight Spitfires were claimed shot down by JG 26 pilots during the day, a ninth being claimed by III.lJG 1, although the latter unit lost at least five Bf 109s. TIME

SON

TYPE

1755 1758 1830 1850

403 127Af 602 122

Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire

IDENT

0834

127Af Spitfire IX 421 Spitfire IX

IX IX VB IX

PILOT/CREW SIL F.E.Grant (KI W/C J.E.Joh nson WID FS.Sorge FlO J.L.lnnes

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION

Fw Fw Fw Fw

190 190 190 190

1-1-1---1

N Roubaix; sdbea nr Roubaix NE Roubaix Nieuport/Dunkirk Authie Estuary

EN398 JEJ W/C J.E.Johnson MA831 SIL RW McNair

Bf 109 Bf 109

--1 --1

Deuze area Deuze area

MA838 MA573 W3606 MH368

5 September 1943

On a midday 'Ramrod' designed to escort an Eighth Air Force bomber formation home, 6 September 1943 Sqn Ldr R.W.McNair, commander of 421 Squadron, claimed an Fw 190 south-east of BeaumontIe-Roger. In the evening B-26s raided Rouen marshalling yards, while 17 Mitchells of 98 and 180 Squadrons and 18 Venturas of 21 Squadron attacked Boulogne. The Canadians of 127 Airfield were present as part of the escort on this occasion, pilots of 403 Squadron claiming two Fw 190s over Amiens. JG 2 lost a Focke-Wulf, the pilot baling out, and IIl./JG 26 lost two more; 11.1JG 2 also lost a Bf 109 during the day. Other Spitfire pilots of 11 Group claimed seven more Focke-Wulfs and a Bf 109, while a pilot of the Eighth Air Force's 4th Fighter Group added another Fw 190; three Spitfires were lost, claimed by Uffz Klaus Diekert, Fw Siegfried Lemke and Fw Ernst Hemming between 1900-1915. A Mitchell of 98 Squadron and a Ventura were hit by Flak, both crash-landing on return to England. 0830

98

Mitchell II

FV921

el000

168

Mustang I Mustang I Ventura I Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

FD488 FD545 AE918 MA831 MA477 MA817 MA578

nk 1215 1815

21 421 421 403

PIO J.R.MacDonald (I) FlO FE.G.Carmichael (I) F/S W.P.Bush (I) Sgt W.Cross (I) F/L R.Cook FlO J.D.Stubbs nk SIL R.W.McNair F/L R.D.Phillip FlO H.J.Dowding F/L H.J.Southwood

hbf (Boulogne) c/l Brenzett

Bf 109 Bf 109

--1 --1

Fw Fw Fw Fw

1---1 1-1-1

190 190 190 190

{Arras area {

hbf c/l Rye SE Beaumont-Ie-Roger Amiens area {Amiens {

A 168 Squadron Mustang on a reconnaissance sortie was shot down over Essertaux by Lt Dietrich Kehl of 4.1JG 26 at 1627, while another from 170 Squadron fell to Flak near Moliers. The pilot of the former, Fig Off R.M.Mackenzie, evaded capture, but Fit Lt A.R.Wall was killed. 1520 e1845

168 170

Mustang I Mustang IA

FD489 FD496

FlO R.M.Mackenzie IE) F/L A.RWall (K)

sdb Fw 190 Essertaux sdbf nr Moliers

Another reconnaissance Mustang was lost, this one from 414 Squadron, which was brought down in the Mardyck area by Uffz Gerd Wiegand of 8.1JG 26. 1020 e1320 nk

403 Spitfire IX 414 Mustang I 15Wg Spitfire

MA642 AP197 nk

FlO H.J.Dowding FlO R.E.Baker (K) G/C J.E.Rankin

7 September 1943

Fw 190

--1

Fw 190

--1

8 September 1943

SE Douai sdb Fw 190 Mardyck EMerville

After two weeks of associated aerial bombardment, Operation 'Starkey' took place on this date. The expected large-scale opposition from the Luftwaffe failed to materialise, but Spitfires from 122 Airfield did manage to find some action. Capt T.Johnsen, a Norwegian flight commander with 122 Squadron, was able to claim two Bf 109s probably shot down north of the Somme Estuary during 'Ramrod S.43' (killing a pilot of 5.1JG 2 and wounding another from this unit's 4 Staffel in the process). However the Squadron lost one of its new Spitfire IXs, either to Hptm Kurt Buhligen of II./JG 2 at 1557, or to 8.1JG 26's Uffz Wiegand who claimed one in the St Pol area three minutes later.

9 September 1943

I

ill U

"Where was the Luftwaffe?"

~

o

L.L


Operation 'Starkey' - 9 September 1943 t the Casablanca Conference in January 1943 it had been determined that the threat of large-scale cross-Channel operations must be maintained against the Germans in order to give relief to Allied operations in Italy and to the Russian Front, by keeping as large a German force in France and the Low Countries as possible. In the spring of 1943 Lt Gen Frederick Morgan, newlyappointed Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander, and his team planned a three-phase deception programme. Two of these planned deceptions were aimed at Norway and Brittany; the third was a threatened amphibious landing in the Pas de Calais, to be known as Operation 'Starkey'. Although essentially a ruse, the 'Starkey' plan was initially constructed so that it could become a real landing should conditions become favourable. The landing areas chosen were the beaches flanking Boulogne, endowing the possibility of a breakout to take the ports of Calais and Antwerp. However, a Joint Planning Staff meeting in July made it clear that 'Starkey' would be limited to deceptive measures, with no plans for invading the Continent. The aims of the Operation were to act as a rehearsal for the real invasion (already planned for May 1944), to deceive the enemy into thinking that invasion was imminent, and to inflict the greatest possible damage on the Luftwaffe. As the major offensive operations would be carried out by the Allied Air Forces, command of 'Starkey' was given to the AOC, Fighter Command, Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory (who would subsequently also be appointed C-in-C, AEAF). The date chosen for this amphibious feint was 8 September 1943, but before that a large-scale movement of land forces into the embarkation areas along the South Coast took place, and landing craft and merchant ships congregated in the ports between Southampton and Dover. The Air Plan consisted of three main phases:

A

1. The reinforcement of 11 Group and intensification of the air offensive in the Pas de Calais (16-24 August). 2. The intensive reconnaissance and bombing of enemy airfields, military and industrial targets in the Pas de Calais (25 August-7 September). 3. a) The night bombing of the long-range coastal guns to the north and south of Boulogne on 6n and 7/8 September, followed by daylight bombing of the same targets early on 8 September. b) Attacks on enemy airfields and communications on 8 September by heavy, medium and fighterbombers. c) Air umbrella over the Naval Assault Force and escorts to the bombers. It was expected that all this activity would draw the Luftwaffe into battle, much as it had at Dieppe the previous year. The air objectives were therefore the destruction of the maximum number of enemy aircraft in the air and on the ground, and the establishment of air superiority to facilitate subsequent operations against the occupied coast. Phases 1 and 2 went much according to plan. 11 Group was reinforced by squadrons from 10, 12 and 13 Groups; the TAF transferred 83 and 84 Groups to 11 Group control, together with the five squadrons of 2 Group medium bombers which moved their bases in Norfolk to Dunsfold and Hartford Bridge. Three squadrons of anti-shipping Beaufighters also moved south, bringing total squadrons available to no fewer than 86. Bomber Command allocated Wellingtons and Stirlings from the main force, plus OTU Wellingtons, to the night bombing

ABOVE: A Whirlwind, a twin-engined type involved in Operation 'Starkey' albeit

belonging to a non-TAF unit, 263 Squadron, illustrating its white nose and stripes. This squadron was based at Warmwell in 10 Group, but operated from Manston during 'Starkey'; it would re-equip with Typhoons the following December.

ABOVE: Markings on single-engined aircraft were confined to the wings, as

shown on this 64 Squadron Spitfire. Unfortunately no illustrations of the markings carried on Typhoons have come to light as their underwing surfaces already carried black and white identity stripes, so implementation of the order may have been difficult. One Typhoon squadron Operations Record Book, however, does say that the markings were applied to the upper wing surfaces, implying they were omitted from the lower surfaces. campaign, while daylight raids were carried out by US Eighth Air Force B-17s and B-24s, and by the B-26 medium bombers of the 3rd Bomb Wing. Weather conditions delayed Phase 3 by one day - 'D-Day' would now be 9 September, and at 0700 hours on that day 355 ships gathered off Dungeness and set course for Boulogne. Shortly before the French coast was reached, the whole convoy made a U-turn and headed back for England under the protection of smoke - partly generated by 88 Squadron's Bostons. Not a shot was fired nor an enemy sortie flown against them. Other TAF units played their part, bombing the guns and airfields, and providing escorts. At the end of the operation little success had been gained against the Luftwaffe, despite the huge effort - 11 Group squadrons flew more than 2,000 sorties on 9 September alone. Only a dozen German aircraft were claimed destroyed. The TAF

ABOVE, LEFT ANO BELOW The 2 Group

_.II _. n

units involved claimed two probables and a damaged for the loss of one Spitfire and its pilot, and one Typhoon was damaged. So where was the Luftwaffe? During all the air activity it had remained virtually dormant, the only raids which it intercepted being Eighth Air Force attacks in the Beauvais and Paris areas. German fighters had been airborne during raids on Lille and St Omer, but had declined to intercept. The only other apparent reaction had been a precautionary movement of fighters from Holland and Belgium, where they were in a position to intervene if required. It seemed that the Germans had not considered the operation a serious threat (for whatever reason); neither did they wish to engage a force vastly superior in numbers, preferring to conserve their hard-pressed fighter force for defence against daylight raids on their homeland. Valuable practice for the real invasion, just nine months away, had been undertaken and useful lessons learned. Telephone and radio communications would have to be

'mediums' were heavily involved in 'Starkey', particularly the Dunsfoldbased Mitchells, and an official photographer was there to record their preparations. 180 Squadron aircraft are shown refuelling and 'bombing-up' (FV916 'EV-N'), marshalling for departure (FL707 'EV-Z' nearest the camera) and a 98 Squadron Mitchell, (FL704 'VO-S'l. departing. (IWM CH 11038, CH 11040 & CH 11037)

improved and changes in strategic and tactical reconnaissance procedures were recommended. Bombing of airfields, marshalling yards and guns by the 'heavies' was thought to have been effective; in fact the latter targets were little damaged and the attacks had cost the lives of nearly 500 French civilians. Aircraft which were undertaking low-level sorties on 9 September were required to carry special black and white markings on the wings (see diagrams overleaf). These proved very successful and were reported as 'excellent' by the Naval Force commander. With some modification and extension to the aircrafts' fuselages, they would be seen again in nine months on a considerably greater scale. Continued overleaf

I

Q)

~

"Where was the Luftwaffe?" Continued

L.L

«

Boston iliA BZ389 'RH-E', 88 Squadron, Hartford Bridge, during Operation 'Starkey', 9 September 1943

ABOVE AND RIGHf A misty morning at Hartford Bridge as 'Starkey'-striped smoke-

laying Bostons prepare for their part in the operation. These markings have usually been captioned as 'Invasion stripes', but they were, in fact, peculiar to Operation 'Starkey' and were carried by all aircraft operating at low-level, although the white nose marking was applicable only to twin-engined aircraft. [see diagram (BELOW RlGHn and profile drawing]. (IWM CH 18410 & CH 18408)

::5tIJ(('- E /;,Iel>-. uppeR

Euc; rN ED

/7A/D

/7IRc.E>AFT.

VIJD£,e SV.eFRcE· t9S SHOWIJ 8ELoW

..

OF ni?l;.jpJ.flJ/E. ' .. ":l'..,..

,. i... j

,:",

'"!:. '" ...5 : til~

f

% ~

-i-

~

._----

NiflfT{43n/.n:t)

0/$7£",,'1:1<:.

OW1So'iRD OF D~TVM J..INE "IIClfJ~

1'1£/CoF01L

~t.·IlSUIl.I.:S

CHORD

li..-/.{ f'l;-i:T

AU Ij~C'('

INtltHIX,D OF ..lMTUI'J t.1"'~ IHrl;J!.IVIITFL't ·fi<~ WHl,e ANI:> "'Th'o 6J.IlCK .:)7NII'ES Ell ('.H OIYJ. "'001" SlY '~CIyE:S yYfD,If'

''is

""oWN'

l

>C•

~

I1N7ERrn..s

OIST£HP~.e tV..~ 33sftl' OhTEMP-:!!:~..J'3~3j< Ot'tSION'~'i of /"1I!1TE~RJ.S ,{fERlJqqnl:TEIt.S nC;AJ.T£R

LbM""'"~O

~\

-

j

TIME

SON

e1210 1440

182 122

1323

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

Typhoon IB Spitfire IX

FlO R.TWise Cpt lJohnsen F/S R.Furness (PI FlO P.J.Hearne

Fw 190

--1

hbl Ramrod (St Omer) cat B/Ac N Somme Estuary psdbea N Somme Estuary Lille/Bethune all

FlO A.T.Carlson

Ju 52

1--

SE St Germain sur Morin

65

Spitfire IX

JP605 W MA846 MA839 MH331 P

400

Mustang I

AM225 H

CLAIM BI109

dpd - 2-

CAUSE/LOCATION

11

a

~

:3

m

10 September 1943

r-+

a :::J

Grp Capt H.C.A.'Paddy' Woodhouse, commander of 16 Wing which comprised two Typhoon 11 September 1943 Airfields, and Wg Cdr Alec Ingle, Wing Leader of 124 Airfield, led Typhoons from both Airfields over France during the evening to attack Beauvais/Tille airfield, where around 20 Fw 190s were encountered. Damage was claimed to three of these, including one by Woodhouse himself, but Ingle was shot down, becoming a POW,("Irvin beat Newton by two seconds... " he later wrote, his parachute having opened just in time); 175 Squadron's Flt Sgt R.O'Hara-Murray was killed however. Pilots of II./JG 26 were responsible, Hptm Naumann, Lt Hoppe and Fw Peter Crump each claiming a Typhoon shot down, although Naumann's claim was subsequently rejected. e1735

1810

124Af 16Wg 175 182 175 403

Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Spitfire IX

JP436 AI JP671 PW JP654 JP370 Q JP376 MA832

W/C Alngle (W,PI G/C H.C.AWoodhouse FlO N.C.R.Howe FlO A.Leighton-Porter F/S R.O'Hara-Murray (K) FlO H.J.Dowding

1900

421

Spitfire IX

MA756

P/O lParks

ell III New Romney catB

13 September 1943

e0030

414

Mustang I

AP224

FlO D.H.Lewis (K)

csd in Channel Intruder (Chievres)

16 September 1943

1000

65

Spitfire IX

MH358 J MA845 BM199

SIL J.E.Storrar F/L R.C.Kitchen FlO JWFiander (A)

{12m N Rouen

18 September 1943

1005

401

Spitfire VB

Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190

--1 --1 --1

Bll09

1--

Fw 190 Fw 190

1---1

sdb Fw 190 SW Poix (Beauvais) (Beauvais) 10m SSW Poix sdb Fw 190 Quincampoix Barentin area

{

d/l (Dieppe) g/lk b/o Channel

ABOVE: In the autumn of 1943 65 Squadron's Commanding Officer was Squadron Leader James Storrar (known as 'Jas'l who had his Spitfire IX, MH358 'YT-J', suitably marked. He claimed his last victories (two destroyed and a damaged) while flying this aircraft, during a career which spanned the Battles of France, Britain and the Western Desert.

Spitfire IXB MH358 'YT-J', Sqn Ldr J.E.Storrar, 65 Squadron, Kingsnorth, August-September 1943

I

OJ

19 September 1943 TAF Spitfires were over France as part of 'Ramrod 232' during the morning, FIg OffV.A.Haw of 411 Squadron being shot down to become a POW, either by Hptm Klaus Mietusch of III.IJG 26, or by Uffz Wiegand of 8.1JG 26, who claimed at the same time. Lt Ernst Todt of III.IJG 26 was shot down and killed in his Bf 109, but the only claim against such an aircraft was for one damaged by Fig Off A.F. Pavey of 122 Squadron; he may therefore have been Todt's victor.

U

l.-

o

LL

«

TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

1130 el130 1730

122 411 421

Spitfire IX Spitfire VB Spitfire IX

BS272 BL422 MA226 MA794

PILOT/CREW FlO A.F.Pavey FlO V.A.Haw (PI

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION

Bf 109

--1

F/L R.A.Buekham FlO H.P.M.lary

Bl109 Bl109

1---1

Merville sdb Fw 190 nr Courtrai {Bruayarea {

21 September 1943 In an attack on a synthetics plant at Lens, two of 98 Squadron's six Mitchells were attacked by Fw 190s, one being shot down at once and one ditching ten miles off Berck-sur-Mer due to damage. Obstlt Josef 'Pips' Priller, Kommodore of JG 26, and Hptm Naumann of ILlJG 26, each claimed one of these bombers shot down; Priller's 94th victim would seem to have been the Mitchell flown by FIg Off Atkins, as he reported that it went down near St Pol, not over the sea. 1000 e1010

19 98

Spitfire IX Mitchell II

MH316 FL683

F/L PWigley FlO A.G.G.Atkins (K) P/O S.A.R.Tanner IKI F/S A.R.Breakspear IKI Sgt S.H.Lawson (K) F/S R.C.Oavis (A) Sgt A.D.Burridge (A) Sgt H.Hughes (AI Sgt A.C.lnnes IA)

Fw 190

--1

N Amiens sdb Fw 190 Hesdin

e1030

98

Mitchell II

FV944

22 September 1943

1700 1705

403 65

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

MA241 MA816

F/L D.Goldberg FlO M.JWright (I)

III w/u Woodchurch catB/Ac eld MH373 ell Kingsnorth

23 September 1943

1015

19

Spitfire IX

MA628

P/O N.E.S.Mutler

ell undershot Kingsnorth eatB

db Fw 190 dtd 10m off Berek

24 September 1943 127 Airfield Spitfire IX pilots, led by their Wing Leader, Wg Cdr Hugh C.Godefroy, claimed three Fw 190s shot down in the Poix area during the afternoon, on a day in which Spitfire pilots claimed 20 victories in the course of three 11 Group 'Ramrods'. Victims included four Bf 110s of II.IZG 1, plus several damaged, and four Fw 190s. e1025 1110 e1200 1610

25 September 1943

247 182 19 127Af 421 403

e1030

Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

JP653 E JP391 G MH316 AU-M MA831 MA585

F/L C.E.Brayshaw (I) FlO D.H.Castle (I) F/L PWigley W/C H.C.Godefroy F/L R.A.Buckham FlO G.F.Beurling

Mustang I

AG426

FlO R.H.M.Bailey (K)

Fw Fw Fw Fw

190 190 190 190

--1 1-1-1 1--

ell dtd off Dymchureh ndea dla New Romney ndea nk {Poix area { { lis entering cloud nr Dreux (Ranger!

26 September 1943 The 26th proved to be another bad day for the reconnaissance Mustangs. A pair of 268 Squadron's aircraft on a 'Ranger' to Lisieux were intercepted by l.IJG 2 Fw 190s, and both were shot down at 1248-50 (German time) by Fw Siegfried Lemke and Uffz Diekert. Fig Off G.E.C.Pease survived to become a prisoner, but Fit Sgt W.Mell was killed.

28 September 1943

e0930 e1140 e1200

401 4 268 268

Spitfire VB Mustang I Mustang I Mustang I

BM627 AP165 FD551 FD533

S/L I.C.Ormston IA) F/L C.T.P.Stephenson FlO G.E.C.Pease (P) F/S W.MeIiIKI

ell b/o 10m off Le Crotoy hbf W Laigle, catB {psdbea on Ranger (Lisieux) {

e1210

400

Mustang I

AG577

F/L D.M.Grant IKI

sdbl 8m SE Ault

29 September 1943 83 Group's units had completed 4,777 sorties during September alone, and had claimed 14 destroyed, two probables and 15 damaged enemy aircraft during the month. e1515

1 October 1943 1055 ---------1235

4 414

Mustang I

AM186

FlO H.W.Tuck (I)

hbf W Le Havre, eatB

Mustang I Mustang I

AM223 Y AL980

FlO A.R.Brodrick FlO J.C.Davidson

ell III Merston catB hbl Mezidon and hit tree w/u catB

B-26s were escorted to Woensdrecht and Schipol during the morning, 126 Airfield squadrons 3 October 1943 -------forming part of the escort. Over Schipol W g Cdr Chadburn and pilots of 401 Squadron claimed two Bf 109s shot down and three damaged; II./JG 3 which rose to give combat did indeed suffer two losses here, and Stab/JG 3 another, although all the pilots survived unhurt. Hptm Joachim Kirschner and FhjFw Hans Frese each claimed Spitfires shot down, although none was lost during this action. An Fw 190 was also claimed shot down over Woensdrecht by Sqn Ldr 'Buck' McNair of 421 Squadron. At 1300,2 Group provided a strong force of its new Mosquitoes for a raid on Guerledon and Pont Chateau power stations. Led by Grp Capt Charles Pickard, the Sculthorpe airfield commander, 12 aircraft each from 464 and 487 Squadrons took part, AVM Basil Embry with his SASO, Grp Capt David Atcherley as his navigator, flying 'tail-end Charlie' in the formation. They were escorted by Typhoons from 10 Group. Next off was 'Ramrod 258', comprising 12 Bostons of 107 Squadron targeted with Orleans power station, 11 of 342 Squadron going to that at Chevilly-Ia-Rue, and 14 of 88 Squadron raiding Distre. Flak proved devastating again, two 342 Squadron aircraft being shot down, while two of 88 Squadron ditched in the Channel after taking hits. Amongst the escorting fighters, Fit Sgt H.W.Bowker of 412 Squadron claimed two Fw 190s shot down over Abbeville, and a third was claimed damaged. Soon after 1700 'Ramrod 259' sent B-26s to Tille and 320 Squadron Mitchells to Rouen's Grand Quevilly power station. Here 127 Airfield's Canadians claimed considerable success over Amiens whilst escorting the Mitchells, 403 Squadron claiming four Fw 190s and 421 Squadron two more. However, each unit lost one aircraft, Sgt S.Barnes of 403 Squadron coming down near Roye where he was captured, while FIg OffW.F.Cook of 421 Squadron was shot down in the same area, but evaded capture and returned six weeks later. Two more 11 Group Spitfires were lost during this particular 'Ramrod', during which none of the main Luftwaffe Jagdgeschwader appear to have suffered any losses. Claims at this time against Spitfires were made by Hptm Klaus Mietusch, Kommandeur of III./JG 26, Hptm Hermann Staiger, Staffelkapitan of lO./JG 26, and Fw Peter Crump of 6. Staffel, while JG 2's Hptm Herbert Huppertz and Ofw Lorenz Dessoy claimed two more. TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION

1125 e1410

421 342

Spitfire IX Boston IliA

MA831 BZ319 H

Fw 190

1--

St Nicholas area sdbf Chevilly La Rue nr Paris

e1420

342

Boston IliA

BZ388 J

1457 1459

412 412

Spitfire VB Spitfire VB

1512

88

Boston IliA

'AB215' BL425 AR395 BZ322 K

e1515

88

Boston IliA

BZ316

1725

403 421

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

1730

421 403

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

MA578 MA579 MA592 MA713 BS532 MA648

S/L RW.McNair F/O T.F.S.Lamy (K) W/O J.Balcaen (K) Sgt R.Roussarie (K) Sgt J.Jouniaux (K) P/O V.Lucchesi (E) P/O J.Barlier IPI Sgt J.Marulli (E) Sgt J.Godin (PI F/L M.O.Boyd F/S HWBowker F/O O.J.Oewan F/S W.O.D.Davies IAI Sgt J.Batson IA) F/O R.Christie IKI Sgt G.G.K.Gray (AI Sgt J.Addison IA) Sgt J.R.BickeIIKI F/L A.C.Coles P/O J.S.Hicks P/O H.F.Packard P/O K.R.Linton } F/O W.F.Cook (EI) Sgt S.Barnes (PI

psdbf I/s 5m SW Chevilly La Rue

Fw 190 Fw 190

--1 2 --

{4m NAult { bd Fw 190 cat B recatAc dtd Channel 5003N 0106W

dtd Channel (Distrel

Fw Fw Fw Fw

190 190 190 190

2 -1-1-1--

Roye/Amy a/f SE Roye/Amy a/f ERoye/Amy a/f WSW Roye/Amy a/f sdb Fw 190 b/o nr Roye sdb Fw 190 nr Roye

A pair of Typhoons of 245 Squadron were lost on this date, both believed to have fallen to 4 October 1943 --------enemy fighters as the 'Y' Service (the British radio listening service) had picked up a German interception taking place in the area of operation. FIg Off O.B.James, MM, DFM, was brought down north-east of Evreux by Fw Siegfried Lemke of l.IJG 2, while Fit Sgt J.D.Flynn fell at Hautot-sur-Mer, claimant unidentified (possibly an instructor at a training unit). The loss of the much-admired FIg Off James was particularly hard-felt by 245 Squadron. He had flown many operations as a Sgt Pilot of Bomber Command Handley Page Hampdens before being shot down over Brest. Wounded and captured, his hand had been amputated (unnecessarily, he thought) by hard-pressed German doctors, yet despite this disability, he later managed to escape and return to England. Unable to handle heavier aircraft, and inspired by the exploits of 'Onearmed Mac' (Sqn Ldr J.A.F.MacLachlan, a notable fighter pilot), he had successfully retrained as a fighter pilot. 1635

245

Typhoon IB

JP434 JP668

F/O O.B.James IKI F/S J.D.Flyn (K)

sdb Fw 190 Evreux psdbea Hautot simer

I

Q)

5 October 1943

Co.) !o.-

a

U-

l./JG 2's Fw Lemke was successful again on the 5th, shooting down a 400 Squadron Mustang flown by FIg Off EJ.Parsons north of Bolbec at 1421. Typhoons of 247 Squadron set out on a 'Rhubarb'to the Paris area and encountered a pair of Fi 156 Storch liaison aircraft over Boissets, and both of these were claimed shot down. Flt Lt C.E.Brayshaw also damaged a Ju 88, and both pilots then attacked a locomotive. Near Ablis, three Bf 109s were spotted approaching head-on, and the other successful pilot, FIg Off P.A.Chappell, was seen to fly into the ground near Cortrai and was killed. It is not known whether this was as a result of enemy action, evasive action by the pilot, or mechanical failure. TIME

SaN

el150

247

e1225 e1420

9 October 1943

174 400

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION

Typhoon IB

JP910 H

F/L C.E.Brayshaw

JP581

V

FlO P.A.Chappell (K)

Fi 156 Ju 88 Fi 156

1---1 1--

JP547 AP173 K

F/S E.G. Boucher IE) FlO F.J.Parsons (K)

Boissets Nangis Boissets; sdb Bf 109 nr Ablis (e1200) hbf g/lk f/l Montreuil psdbf (Brionne)

Typhoon IB Mustang I

The second 2 Group Mosquito raid was launched as 'Ramrod 265', an attack on a engine works at Woippy by 14 aircraft of 464 Squadron and 12 of 487 Squadron. En route a formation of Royal Navy vessels were seen, and in changing course to avoid overflying these, the Mosquitoes crossed the coast slightly off course, and in an area where Flak was concentrated. Four aircraft were shot down, two from each unit, all falling near Metz, and a fifth was damaged, Wg Cdr A.G.Wilson, Commanding Officer of 487 Squadron, landing at Manston with his navigator, Flg Off D.Bridgman, dead. The whole effort had proved of no use, however, for on arrival the target was found to be covered by cloud, and bombs had to be brought back.

- - - - - - - - - Messerschmitt

e1225

e1250

487

Mosquito VI HX938 V

487

Mosquito VI HX937 Y

487

Mosquito VI HX965 C

464

Mosquito VI HX912

464

Mosquito VI HP850

400

Mustang I

Q

S/L W.FWallington (E) F/S J.H.Fawdry IP) F/L EWCourt (K) F/L J.B.Sands IKI W/C A.GWilson (WI F/O·O.Bridgman (K) F/L P.C.C.Kerr IKI FlO B.J.E.Hannah (K) F/L RWinstone-Smith (KI FlO C.G.MacDonald IKI

sdbf Metz (Woippy)

FlO H.EWalters

u/s compass and r/t rof c/l N Truro

elf jettisoned bombs b/u Metz (Woippyl hbf Woippy, landed Manston catB sdbf Metz (Woippy) sdbf Metz IWoippyl

17 October 1943

2040

18 October 1943

As 'Ramrod 273' B-17s set out to attack Duren, but were recalled due to bad weather. The escorting fighters then flew a sweep instead, the Biggin Hill and Detling Spitfires being engaged in combats during the afternoon. Over the Bethune-Ayre area, 132 and 602 Squadrons were flying their new Spitfire IXs, when the pilots of 132 encountered 20 Bf 109s of II./JG 3 and III./JG 26, claiming two shot down. Fw 190s of JG 26 then 'bounced' the two squadrons, Flt Lt Sutherland of 602 and Sqn Ldr Colleredo-Mansfield of 132 each claiming one of these probably destroyed. However, FIg Off E.B.Overton of 132 and Plt Off A.M.Finnie of 602 were both shot down, Finnie losing his life when he ditched north-west of Cap Gris Nez, while Overton became a POW. Fhr Burghardt Woelke of ll./JG 26 was shot down over Bethune in his Bf 109. Ofw Robert Roller of 6.1JG 3 claimed a Spitfire (his 10th victory), and it seems likely that a second (identified as a 'P-47') was claimed by Uffz Kurt Laub of III./JG 26. 421 Squadron was also engaged with Fw 190s near Lille a few minutes later, one of these aircraft being claimed shot down, although Plt Off W.M.Barnett's Spitfire was shot up and he crash-landed near Deal on return; a second Spitfire was slightly damaged, while Fw Wilhelm Hofmann of 8.1JG 26 claimed a Spitfire shot down at 1420.

19 October 1943

1420

132

Spitfire IX

e1430 1450 1520 1615 1805

602 602 421 421 401 19

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire VB Spitfire IX

ell05

247

Typhoon IB

AG587

MH738 MH497 MH978 MH481 MH709 MH730 MA591 MA230 EP169 BS284

F/S C.A.Joseph Sgt J.HWilliams S/L FJ.Colleredo-Mansfield FlO E.B.Overton (P) F/L RASutherland P/O A.M.Finnie IKI P/O K.R.Linton P/O W.M.Barnett FlO E.W.Saunders F/L T.H.D.Drinkwater

Bf 109 Bf 109 Fw 190

1-1--1-

Fw 190

-1-

Fw 190

1--

JP854 V JP910 H

FlO J.S.Slaney} FlO A.S.Aitchison}

Fw 190

--1

{Bethune/Ayre area { { {;sdbea { db Bf 109 bel dtd 6m NW Gris Nez WLilie dbea f/l nr Deal catB cto Biggin Hill catB u/c failure c/l Gatwick cat B/Ac off Le Havre

ABOVE AND RIGHT: Although fully-equipped with

Mitchells on joining the Tactical Air Force, 320 (Dutch) Squadron was still 'working up' on the type and did not begin full-scale operations until August. These photographs were taken at Lasham on 20 October 1943, depicting FR157 'NO-D' and FR185 'NO-S', the latter showing its orange and black Dutch national marking on the nose.(IWM PL2595 & HU 91070)

'Ramrod 290' took 72 B-26s to Evreux, while several fighter sweeps were flown, 11 Group pilots claiming seven destroyed, one probable and five damaged for just one loss, Two of the former claims and the single loss involved 421 Squadron, the pilots of which claimed two Fw 190s over Beauvais during the morning, but lost Flt Sgt LR.Foster, who was shot down and killed, apparently by Fw Karl Ehret of 7.1JG 26 at 1033. During the afternoon 2 Group again suffered heavy casualties when 37 Bostons from 88, 107 and 342 Squadrons set off around 1400 to attack an aircraft factory at Courcelles, Belgium. For some reason Wg Cdr R.G.'Dickie' England, DSO, DFC, the 107 Squadron Commanding Officer who was leading the formation, veered off course, reaching the coast south-west of Domburg, several miles from the intended landfall, pressing on over Walcheren. By now the formation had become somewhat strung out, and presented easy targets for the coastal Flak gunners. England's Boston was shot down almost at once, and crashed in flames. Three more of the squadron's aircraft went down in moments, one crashing into the sea in a huge ball of fire. One of 342 Squadron's aircraft was also hit in one engine and collided with a hedge whilst trying to crash-land in a field. As the rest of the bombers pressed on, it was discovered that one of the 88 Squadron aircraft was also missing. Flt Lt John Reeve took over the lead, climbing to 1,000 feet as the target approached. This turned out to be a spread-out area, difficult for accurate bombing, and several crews missed it altogether. As they set course for home, another 107 Squadron aircraft had one engine shot out, while the navigator in another was hit and wounded. TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

1040

421

Spitfire IX

1400

226

Mitchell

MA579 MA226 'BS532' BR978 FV936 A

e1520

107

Boston lilA

BZ230 A

BZ234 K

PILOT/CREW FlO A.R.Mackenzie PIO K.R.Linton FlO P.G.Johnson F/S I.R.Forster (KI Lt J.E.Hendry FlO R.B.Wright Sgt J.Slack Sgt R.L.Wa ite W/C R.G.England (K) FlO P.Anderson (KI PIO A.E.Kindell (KI F/L E.E.McCullough (PI FlO O.R.R.Brown IKI Sgt J.Shaw (W/PI

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION

Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190

1--) 1---1

{Beauvais area { { sdbea Beauvais cto Swanton Morely (Grand Quevillyl

sdbf nr Veere

sdbf nr Veere

22 October 1943

I

ill U

TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

e1520

107

Boston lilA

BZ203 G

~

o

LL

BZ223 0

«

e1530

88

Boston lilA

BZ307 J

e1530

342

Boston lilA

BZ393 R

co u u

+-'

~

1715

400

Mustang I

AM237 E

PILOT/CREW PIO lHoeg (K) P/O H.Gardner IKI Sgt C.Rodhan IK) F/O J.R.Brice IK) P/O V.G.Muddell IK) F/S RGibson IK) F/S RA.J.Chappell (W/P) F/S M.C.Baynes (K) F/S FMatthews (P) F/O S.Stoloff IPI F/O C.Lang (K) Sgt J.Allain (P) Sgt G.Schteinberg IK) F/L H.L.Morham

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION sdbf nr Veere

sdbf nr Veere

hbf I/s nr Veere

hblf nr Westkapelle ICourcelles) ftr died as PoW

00 217

1--

nr Charleroi

-0 C

N

24 October 1943

The 24th turned out to be a much better day for the Tactical Air Force's units. During a morning 'Rhubarb' Flg Off L.W.Seath of 400 Squadron encountered Luftwaffe aircraft to the east of Chartres and shot down an Hs 126. Seath and his wingman flew on to Rennes, where he was able to claim damage to an He 11l. Soon after midday 403 and 421 Squadrons from Kenley, engaged with other units in escorting 72 B-26s over France, encountering 20 Bf 109s ofLlJG 3 near Doullens. Flg Off Danny Browne of 403 Squadron claimed one shot down and one damaged at 1215, but Flt Lt H.J.Southwood was shot down by Fw Fritz Kriippke of 9.1JG 2 north-east of Abbeville at 1219. As the Canadians reformed, 20 more fighters were seen, which this time were Fw 190s, and two of these were claimed damaged by pilots of 421 Squadron. JG 3 lost five Bf 109s, one of these flown by the Kommandeur, Maj Klaus Quaet-Faslem, who crash-landed. During the mid-afternoon, four more 400 Squadron Mustangs set off on a further 'Rhubarb' to Hesdin, spotting four Fw 190s of 4.1JG 26 in the process of taking off from Liegescourt, and these were 'bounced', Flg Off A.T.Carlson shooting down the aircraft flown by 28 victory 'Experte' Hptm Kurt Ebersberger, who was killed. A second Focke-Wulf was claimed damaged by two of Carlson's companions. Somewhat later 12 Mitchells of 226 Squadron set off to attack Schipol airfield at Amsterdam as 'Ramrod 284', while 24 more from 98 and 320 Squadrons undertook 'Ramrod 285' to bomb a blockade-running merchant ship, Miinsterland, in Cherbourg· harbour. Escorting the former of these raids, 602 Squadron claimed two Bf 109s over the Dutch coast, one by PIt Off ES.Sorge and the other by the Squadron in a joint effort. It would seem that they had shot down aircraft of ILlJG 3, Hptm Werner Lucas and Uffz Gunther Weck of this unit both being brought down. Lucas, Knights Cross recipient, who had claimed 106 victories over Russia, was killed, as was Weck. However, one of the 226 Squadron Mitchells was shot down by Flak during this raid. 1130

400

Mustang I

AM240 X

F/O L.W.Seath

1200 1215 1220

306 403 421 421 403 400

Spitfire VB Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Mustang I

V

P

F/O W Potocki F/O J.O.Browne S/L C.M.Magwood FlO RG.Oriver F/L H.J.Southwood (K) FlO A.T.Carlson FlO J.P.Roberts} F/O I.G.MacLeod } FlO E.Garry} P/O F.S.Sorge Sqn F/D A.GWitt IK) F/O J.H.L.German IK) Sgt J.Evans IKI Sgt J.Maxton IKI

1640

602

Spitfire IX

AB212 MA578 MH903 MA831 MH665 AM225 AM237 AP202 AG558 MH722

e1650

226

Mitchell

FL164

1235 1500e

25 October 1943

H E N 0

Hs 126 He 111 Fw 190 Bf 109 Fw 190 Fw 190

1---1 --1 1-1 --1 --1

Fw 190 Fw 190

1---1

Bf 109 Bf 109

1-1--

{E Chartres { 8m SE Montdidier nr Ooullens Breillyarea 10m SW Abbeville sdbea nr Ooullens {Hesdin-Frevent area {

Noordwigerhout area stalled off Dutch cst hbf csd N Sea (Amsterdam)

24 Mitchells of98 and 320 Squadrons raided Brest/Lanveoc Poulmic airfield during the day, the Dutch squadron leading the attack. Despite heavy Flak, this unit went in straight and level, when suddenly Sgt C.J.Banks' aircraft exploded violently from a direct hit. S/L Bakker's Mitchell then also blew up, similarly hit. Two more bombers were badly hit, one crash-landing at Portreath on return with the pilot wounded, while the second was blown onto its back by the explosion of the first two; this Mitchell, the lead aircraft, was then hit in the fuselage between the radio operator's position and the dorsal turret, the gunner being severely wounded. The pilot, J.H.Maas, managed to pull out of a steep dive and limp back to Exeter, where a good landing was made. The day was also marked by the first operational use of the rocket projectile by the Typhoon, albeit with disastrous initial results.

Frank Jensen was flying JP513, repaired after over-shooting the runway at New Romney on 4 August 1943, as seen here.

TIME e1310

e1420

SON TYPE 181

320

!DENT

Typhoon IB

Mitchell II

JP513 JP435 JP590 FR178

PILOTICREW F

V C W

FR166 R

1538

320

Mitchell II

FR162

P

CLAIM

dpd

S/L FWM.Jensen (P) FlO E.H.Coliins (P) F/O W.R.King (K) S/L E.Bakker IKI F/O RWH.L.van Pelt (Kl Sgt M.Bolk (K) F/L H.G.L.van Haaften IK) Sgt C.J.Banks (Kl Sgt J.van Oijken (P) Cpl C.Schet (PI AC1 H.A.Kaulman (P) G.G.Roosenburg J.M.P.H.Bengaerts (W) A.Hamelink W.Kauwenberg (WI

CAUSE/LOCATION hbll/I nr Caen hbl 1/1 nr Caen sdbl nr Caen sdbl Brest ILanveoc a/f)

sdbl Brest (Lanveoc a/f)

hbd (Lanveoc a/fl w/u Perranporth

'Black Monday' The first Typhoon rocket attack - 25 October 1943

n the same month that the TAF was formed, the first Typhoon was fitted with the 3-inch RP (Rocket Projectiles) which had been introduced the previous year on Fairey Swordfish biplane torpedo-bombers of the Fleet Air Arm. Hurricanes so-equipped were just entering service, but it was thought that the Typhoon could be an ideal launching platform for the weapon. In fact the partnership would prove legendary. Successful trials at A&AEE and AFOU led to the issue of the first four RP-equipped Typhoons from the ARF at Oetling to 181 Squadron at New Romney early in September 1943. This unit had been the first Typhoon bomber squadron and would now pioneer the rocket-armed variant in service use. On 21 September pilots from the Squadron watched an RP demonstration by 184 Squadron Hurricanes at Leysdown range; the next day it was their turn. The Squadron ORB records that the pilots enthused about this new addition to the Typhoon's firepower and thought the combination had a 'big future'. It would be some months before the right tactics and targets would be found for the weapon, and that would be after a disastrous start. Over the next few days, many sorties were flown on the range and against a target ship off the coast at Eastbourne. On 21 October, the unit was ready for the first operation and in the afternoon, Sqn Ldr F.W.M.Jensen led three of his pilots, escorted by 247 Squadron, with 182 Squadron as top cover, round the Channel Islands in search of shipping. No targets were sighted and the Squadron tried once more early on the morning of 23 October, but again no enemy shipping was to be seen. Frustrated by the lack of opportunity to test the new weapon, a set piece attack was planned, involving all the 16 Wing squadrons. The target chosen was a power station at Caen, and it would be attacked by six RP-armed Typhoons, with a close escort provided by 247 Squadron and top cover by 182 Squadron. From 121 Airfield, 174 Squadron would carry out a diversionary bombing attack on marshalling yards nearby, escorted by 245 Squadron, while 175 Squadron would provide top cover and would join 182 Squadron in carrying out sweeps calculated to draw Flak. The six 181 Squadron aircraft would take advantage of the chaos, crossing the marshalling yards after the attack to pick up a railway line - which was thought to be necessary to provide navigational assistance at low-level leading up to their target. Sqn Ldr Jensen was again leading the rocketTyphoons, and felt some misgivings (subsequently justified) regarding the chosen approach to the target. This might provide vital clues to the Typhoons' intended target, allowing the defences to be alerted by signalmen along the route. The Typhoons departed from their home airfields between 1220 and 1240 on 25 October, and headed across the Channel. Visibility was poor however, and 174 Squadron's pilots were unable to identify the marshalling yards through cloud, forcing

I

them to bomb alternative targets on the coast, while the other units carried out their diversionary roles. The 181 Squadron Typhoons, 'right on the deck' in two 'vics' of three, thundered down the railway line towards the power station. Jensen later recalled: "Just before the target was a line of poplars which marked the point where it was necessary to pull up into the rocket-launching position. At that moment all hell let loose as the Flak batteries opened up; FIg Off Hugh Collins and mvself were hit immediately, and FIg Off King a few seconds later. I prepared for a forcedlanding, jettisoning mv rockets and cockpit side panels; with forward vision obscured bV oil on the windscreen, I had to stick mv head out of the side of the cockpit, but fortunatelv spotted a ploughed field in which to put the Tvphoon down. I remember trying to keep the Tiffie straight with the rudder, as normal, and the rudder bar nearlv broke mv ankles!" Two of the Typhoons discharged their rockets at tempting rail targets en route and three salvoes of rockets hit the power station. Both Jensen and Collins achieved successful forcedlandings and were subsequently captured, but Fig Off 'Paddy' King died in his Typhoon. Of the three survivors, Fit Lt Peacock and Fig Off Jones were both killed in subsequent operations with 181 Squadron, but Pit Off Brandreth completed his tour with the Squadron, and later with 137 Squadron, afterwards commanding 181 Squadron shortly before it was disbanded nearly two years after this memorable day (which would be recorded in 181 Squadron's ORB as 'Black Monday'). Continued overleaf

ABOVE: Squadron Leader Frank Jensen is debriefed by an Intelligence Officer afew

days before the attack described here, while 181 Squadron pilots await their turn. Facing the camera is Flying Officer 'Paddy' King who lost his life during the attack.

I

Q)

2

o

'Black Monday' Continued

LL

« CD

u u

+-'

~ '""0

c:

N

ABOVE: 'Flying Officer 'Paddy King was flying this Typhoon, his usual aircraft, on the 25 October attack, although it is shown here with bomb carriers rather than RP rails. For some months after the introduction of rockets, the squadrons equipped alternated between rockets and bombs, depending on the target. However, the changes involved a considerable number of man-hours and the delivery techniques differed, each needing constant practice, so the decision was made to specialise squadrons as bomber or RP units.

Typhoon 18 JP590 'EL-C', Fig Off W.R.King, 181 Squadron, Merston, 25 October 1943

26 October 1943 28 October 1943

RIGHT: With starboard engine streaming smoke and flames, a 320 Squadron Mitchell falls away from its formation after having been hit by Flak whilst bombing shipping at Cherbourg on 28 October 1943; FR174 'NO-K' was lost with all her crew. (IWM C5822)

TIME

SaN

1530

175

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

Typhoon IB

JP740

F/S GAShanks (K)

CLAIM

d Pd

CAUSE/LOCATION elf? csd Channel

The Dutch Mitchell Squadron suffered more casualties to Flak when bombing shipping at Cherbourg. Two Mitchells were hit and one went down over the target. The other (FRlSl 'C') was forced to jettison its bomb load, but continued with the rest of the formation as bombs were released. The crippled aircraft was then flown back to England by the shortest possible route and landed at Tarrant Rushton. e1445

320

Mitchell II

FR174

K

FR151

C

F/L A.J. van Oieren Bijvoet (K) F/L C.van der Knaap (K) Sgt P.F. van Woesik (K) Cpl A.G.van Apeldoorn (K) E.C.Loeff C.J. den Tex Bendt F/O Pulham H.R. de Reey A.Benkhof

sdbf nr Cherbourg

hbf Cherbourg catB

The month ended well, when a trio of Mustangs from 414 Squadron encountered more diverse Luftwaffe aircraft over France during a 'Rhubarb'. FIg Offs R.C.T.Brown and L.EMay first encountered a Yale trainer (the Luftwaffe having taken over a number supplied to the French in 1940) which was duly dispatched, followed by a Tu 88 a few minutes later. May then shot up another Tu 88 on the ground at Bretigny. TIME

SON

TYPE

1550 1600 e1605 1615

414 414 414 168

Mustang Mustang Mustang Mustang

I I I IA

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION

AM104 AL958 AL958 F0554

F/O R.C.J.Brown } F/O L.EMay} F/O L.EMay Lt J.GVan Tangen IK)

Yale Ju 88 Ju 88

1-1--l-

Montheryarea Gournay OG; Bretigny csd 6m SW 001 cnk

A pair of Mustang pilots of 414 Squadron flew a 'Rhubarb' to the Brussels area soon after midday. Fw Peter Crump and Uffz Robert Ney of 6.1TG 26 were scrambled to intercept, but in the fight which followed, Ney was shot down by FIg Offs Gordon Wonnacott and R.D.Brown jointly, crashing to his death from 6,500 feet near Albert. The Canadian fighter-reconnaissance pilots returned, also claiming to have shot up four trains and a barge. 1300

414

Mustang I

AM248 AP261

F/O GWonnacotl} F/O R.O.Brown}

Fw 190

1- -

421

Spitfire IX

BS398

F/L EJ.Sherlock

1130 1620

421 132

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

EN398 MH903 MH754 MH497

F/L A.EJleming S/L C.M.Magwood F/O Burgess} F/S R.B.Pullin}

Fw 190 Bf 109 Bf 109 Fw 190 Bf 109·

1--1--1 1---1

e1210 1215

414 414 414 168

Mustang Mustang Mustang Mustang

I I I I

e1410 e1610

430 247

Mustang I Typhoon IB

AL984 AM104 AM111 F0477

F/L C.H.Stover} F/L K.A.Brown } S/L H.P.Peters IK) F/O J.D.Stubbs

AM163 JP488 M

F/O J.RWardrope IK) F/O P.J.McGuire

3 November 1943

{St Andre area { { N Fauville Ijmuiden area

The day was marked by the opening of the campaign against the V-weapons sites which would account for a substantial percentage of the TAP's operational commitment during the next six months. Although the nature of the sites would not be known to the aircrew involved (they were referred to as 'construction works' until the code-name 'Noball' came into use) the first site to receive attention was a huge bunker to house the HDP or Hochdruckpumpe (high pressure pump - the German code-name for the device) at Mimoyecques to the south-west of Calais. The site comprised a group of batteries totalling 25 long-range guns aligned on London, which had a range approaching 100 miles; this was deemed to be a priority target. Accordingly, 24 Bostons and 48 Mitchells of 2 Group, joined by US Ninth Air Force B-26 Marauders, set off for Mimoyecques, but bad weather forced the entire formation to turn back apart from 24 Mitchells equipped with 'Gee' navigational equipment. Although the site was successfully bombed despite fierce Flak, the nature of its massive concrete construction meant that many further visits would be required. 414 Squadron's aggressive Mustang pilots were active again, but during one reconnaissance sortie the Commanding Officer, Sqn Ldr H.P.Peters, was shot down by Flak whilst attacking a small ship south of Tholen Island; he baled out at very low-level, but was killed. Flt Lt Stover spotted a Tu 52/3m transport on the ground at Tille and claimed to have destroyed this, while two 168 Squadron Mustang pilots claimed another of these aircraft damaged at Crepy-enValois airfield. e0920

2 November 1943

Brussels

'Ramrod 289' was off at 1030, B-26s being escorted to StAndre and Triqueville. Over the StAndre area, pilots of 421 Squadron encountered a reported 40 fighters, claiming two Fw 190s shot down plus a Bf 109 probable and a second damaged. B-26s were then dispatched to bomb Schipol in the afternoon. Here II./JG 3 was caught trying to scramble, and was savagely dealt with by Canadian pilots of 11 Group, who claimed nine German fighters shot down, with a tenth claimed by an RAF unit. 132 Squadron was also present, but was able to submit only a claim for a single Messerschmitt damaged; the Luftwaffe unit lost five pilots killed, including the 'Experte' Maj Kurt Brandle (180 victories; Knights Cross with Oakleaves), while a sixth Bf 109 was destroyed and two more damaged. A pilot of 9JTG 26 who was operating on attachment to the unit was also shot down and killed. 1105

31 October 1943

Ju 52

1--

OG; Beauvais TIll"

Ju 52

--1

hbf a/ship b/o S Tholen 25m N Paris lost in fog Ilk nr Formerie IAmiensl hit obs IRennes-Laval) catB/Ac

Mustangs were out again on 7th, this time a pair of 2 Squadron aircraft undertaking an early afternoon 'Rhubarb' over France where at 1418 Flt Lt C.E.Maitland and FIg Off R.C.Cooper claimed a Bf 109 shot down ten miles south-west of Douai.

5 November 1943

6 November 1943 7 November 1943

I

TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

e1010 1025

19 132

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

LL

1035

175

Typhoon IB

MJ215 MH502 MH856 JR376

F/S FG.D.Prebble IKI F/L H.I.Smith F/D A.D'BWeekes F/O O.Diggins

«

1418

AM182 AG421 EJ980 M

FIL C.E.Maitland } FlO R.C.Cooper} P/O G.R.Simpson (P)

Q)

U

l.-

o

2150

Mustang I 195

Typhoon IB

CLAIM

Bf 109

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION

1--

elf dtd Channel!Montdidier) cld MH856 landing Detling catB cld MH502 landing Detling db Spit (France) w/u Tangmere catB 10m SW Douai rof Intruder dtd 6m N Mardyck

CD

u

8 November 1943

+-'

U

~ 'D C

C'J

9 November 1943

A second visit to Mimoyecques by 2 Group Bostons and Mitchells discovered that the defences had been reinforced in the meantime, Flak was encountered all the way in from the coast, and two Mitchells were hit. One went down over the target, but Wg Cdr Tait nursed his damaged bomber back across the Channel, just failing to reach Manston, and crash-landing in a field nearby. 0905 0930

231 226

Mustang I Mitchell II

AP225 FV927 R

el000

226

Mitchell II

FV939

B

FIL D.R.Turley-George (WI F/S K.M.Smith (K) F/S C.M.Berg IKI F/S J.H.Cowieson IKI F/S J.A.Grenier (K) W/C C.E.R.Tait FO C.H.P.Bell FlO VWal1 FlO Dubois Sgt L.C.Hayden (II

hbf nr La Haye cat B/E sdbf Mimoyecques

hbf Mimoyecques c/l nr Manston

During a morning sortie, a 168 Squadron Mustang was shot down by Flak near Mont St Michel, off St Malo, FIg Off G.D.L.Machin being killed. Another pair of Mustangs was out early in the afternoon, but was hit by Flak. 2 Squadron's FIg Off M.P.Dunkerley crashed in flames near Perrey-en-Auge, and was killed, but the other pilot, Wg Cdr A.F. Anderson, the 35 Wing Leader, returned with his aircraft in a damaged condition. e1130 e1425

168 2

1720

306 308

Mustang IA Mustang I Mustang I Spitfire VB Spitfire VC

FD545 AP169 AL979 R7292 R AB254

FlO G.D.L.Machin (K) FlO M.P.Dunkerley (KI W/C A.F.Anderson FlO G.Sologub P/O A.Petrasiak

last seen nr Antrain sdbf Perrey-en-Auge hbf S Mezidon, cat B/Ac collided AB254 Hawkinge elf on r/w hit by R7292 Hawkinge

10 November 1943 The Typhoons of 247 Squadron had begun practising with recently-fitted bomb racks the previous day. It now joined the other two squadrons of 124 Airfield in the bombing campaign against the 'Noball' sites. FIg Off Van Zuilecom was late taking off due to a refuelling delay, and shortly after take-off one of his 500 Ib bombs fell from the aircraft and exploded, taking the Typhoon down near Ford, and killing the Australian pilot. el445

247

Typhoon IB

JP544

0

FlO H.L.Van Zuilecom (K)

bfo after tlo exp csd Lyminster nr Ford

11 November 1943 The day started badly when on an early morning 'Rhubarb', FIg Off O.S.Peck of 414 Squadron and FIg OffK.J.Trask of 231 Squadron were both shot down and killed, while at much the same time, a 430 Squadron Mustang was damaged by Flak. About four hours later 'Ramrod 312' was flown to St Pol, where Capt Thorvold Johnsen of 122 Squadron shot down Fw Peter Ahrens of 3./JG 26, and FIt Lt T.H.Drinkwater of 19 Squadron brought down Uffz Arthur Spiegel of the same unit; Spiegel was killed and Ahrens wounded.

Fig Off Denis Clarke was one of a number of 170 Squadron pilots detached to the PRU at Benson to take low-level photographs of the 'Noball' sites. On 10 November 1943, he was briefed to photograph a site adjoining St Omer airfield, receiving assurances that there was no light Flak and advice to break away immediately after his run to keep clear of the enemy airfield. However on making landfall in Mustang IA FD548, he flew right over a German Flak position: "I weaved like Hell but sure enough there was a loud bang, a nasty smell of cordite, and the earth and sky seemed to smartly change places." Despite his NO.2's concern over the state of his Mustang, he continued to the target and took the required photographs - but forgot to make the break-away from St Omer - and received a second barrage of Flak. The Mustang emerged unscathed this time and also a few minutes later as the Boulogne defences opened up as the pair climbed for cloud cover to cross the Channel. Safe landings were made at Benson where FD548 was deemed 'category Ac' damaged.

Further Mustang 'Rhubarbs' were then flown, two 231 Squadron pilots claiming a Do 217 shot down south of Flers during the early afternoon. They were closely followed by two more aircraft from 400 Squadron; as these flew over the Albert-Arras area at 1530, three aircraft identified as Me 210s were seen, Flt Lt H.L.Morham and FIg Off J.M.Robb jointly claiming one shot down and one probably so, Morham then claiming damage to the third. They had actually attacked three Ju 188s of the Erganzungsstaffel/KG 6, all of which were shot down. 247 Squadron lost a second Typhoon and Australian pilot to the unit's new weapon - this time owing to a 'hang-up'. Returning from an attack on 'construction works' at Martinvast on the Cherbourg peninsula, the bomb fell off as the aircraft touched down at Merston and Plt Off Waugh perished in the ensuing explosion and fire. TIME

SON TYPE

IDENT

414 231 122 19

Mustang I Mustang I Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

AP261 AG547 MA846 MH355

PILOT/CREW FlO O.S.Peck (K) FlO K.J.Trask (K)

CLAIM

e0900 e1030 1300

Cpt T.Johnsen FIL T.H.Orinkwater

Fw 190 Fw 190

1355 1525

247 231

Typhoon IB Mustang I

JP675 R AG600

FlO GWWaugh (K) FIIO P.Harrison

1530

400

Mustang I

e1535

231

Mustang I Mustang I

AP176 A AM102 F AP176 A AL978 AG649

F/L H.L.Morham } FlO J.M.Robb } F/L H.L.Morham F/L A.E.Lee } FlO F.GWelsh }

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION

1-1--

missing in fog nr Alencon ftr I/s Vire {St Pol all { bfo on landing exp Merston hblf lost hydraulics ols r/w cat B

Me 210

11-

Me 210 00217

--1 1--

{Albert/Arras area { { S Flers

It was the turn of two Spitfire pilots from 126 Airfield to undertake a 'Rhubarb' on 12th, the 412 Squadron pair going off at 1232. Bf 109s were seen parked at readiness on LillelVendeville airfield and Plt Off H.W.Bowker at once strafed these, claiming one destroyed and one damaged; one did indeed burst into flames and Obgefr Emil Enenkel of 2.1JG 3 was wounded. Flak opened up, hitting Bowker's aircraft, and he was wounded, but able to return to Biggin Hill. e1245 e1320

181 412

Typhoon IB Spitfire VB

JP930 BL425

FlO O.W.Steeper (K) P/O HWBowker (W)

SI109

1- 1

hbl? csd 5m E Formerie OG Lille

Four Typhoons of 181 Squadron undertook a 'Rhubarb' to the south of Paris during the early afternoon. Flak was encountered soon after crossing the French coast, and two of these aircraft were shot down at once with the loss of both their pilots. Flt Lt W.O.Peacock, the section leader, made it back to the area south of Shoreham, where his Typhoon then crashed into the sea and he too was lost; it was believed that his aircraft had also been hit and was suffering from damage which had caused its demise. Fig Off A.E.Vincent, who would later command the squadron, was the only survivor. e1410 e1410 e1500 1630

181 181 181 403

Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IS Spitfire IX

JP965 S JP737 JP597 MA573

FlO P.L.Green (K) Sgt I.S.Paterson (KI F/L w.O.Peacock (K) P/O L.C.Rowe (K)

12 November 1943

13 November 1943

ftr (Paris) sdbl (Paris) hbf? csd in sea S Shoreham sdbl nr Cambrai

The Mustang IA was armed with four 20mm cannon, but with just 92 delivered to the RAF, only three squadrons in the TAF, 168, 170 and 268, were so-equipped. This example, FD483 'H' of 170 Squadron, photographed in September 1943, was lost in a non-operational accident on 24 November.

•2 Q

en 2

~ >< LLI

N_o_ve_ill:.:..:......be=-=-f-=-=19:.. . . =4=--3-.!....:::.J u~ne=--.::1~94~4

I

t was on 13 November 1943 that the appointment was made of Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory as Commander-in-Chief of the newly formed Allied Expeditionary Air Force. Leigh-Mallory's command would comprise three major components, while he would also have a call upon the resources of two further components. The three main bodies were to be, firstly, the US Ninth Air Force, a tactical arm similar in composition and purpose to the Tactical Air Force within Fighter Command; the second was the Tactical Air Force, which formally became Second Tactical Air Force (2nd TAF) two days later on 15 November, when Fighter Command was dissolved, with its illustrious name remaining dormant for some time; the third was the residue of the units which had formed Fighter Command, and which now became controlled by a new organisation which received an old title from the 1920s-1930s Air Defence of Great Britain (ADGB). 2nd Tactical Air Force was to be commanded by Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham, who had commanded the Western Desert Air Force during 1942. Of its three Groups, 83 Group was commanded by AVM Harry Broadhurst, 84 Group by AVM L.O. Brown, and 2 Group by AVM Basil Embry, who had by now been awarded no fewer than four DSOs, and who was to complete a total of 19 operational sorties as an AVM. The other two Group commanders had served in North Africa and the Middle East, where Broadhurst had commanded WDAF, having taken over from Coningham at the end of 1942 following the latter's promotion. The other two elements upon which Leigh-Mallory could call when necessary, were RAF Bomber Command and the US Eighth Air Force.

2nd TAF structure As 2nd TAF came fully into being, its size began to increase rapidly with the formation of several new Airfields and Wings, to which many existing squadrons of the old Fighter Command were to be posted. At the same time, the airfields of 2 Group also received Airfield HQ numbers before, or immediately following 15 November. Hence, at the date in question the revised Order of Battle became - or was about to become - as follows:

2 Group (HQ, Bylaugh Hall, East Dereham, Norfolk) 137 Airfield, Hartford Bridge (w.e.f 14 November) 88, 107,342 Squadrons Boston IIIA

Swanton Morley ><226, 305 Squadrons

Mitchell II

* Swanton Morley was not to receive an 138 Airfield, Lasham (w.e.f 10 November) 320 Squadron 613 Squadron

Mitchell II Mosquito VI

139 Airfield, Dunsfold (w.e.f 17 November) 98, 180 Squadrons

Mitchell II

140 Airfield, Sculthorpe (w.e.! 1 December) 21,464,487 Squadrons

Mosquito VI

Airfield HQ number, for a few days later 305 Squadron moved its Mitchells to Lasham where conversion to Mosquito VIs began. 226 Squadron remained alone at Swanton Morley until February 1944, when it joined 137 Airfield, Hartford Bridge. At the same time that Airfield's 107 Squadron also moved to Lasham on conversion to Mosquitoes. This left 320 Squadron as the sole Mitchell-equipped unit at Lasham; on 18 May 1944 it would move to join 98 and 180 Squadrons at Dunsfold.

Starting up a Mosquito VI of 464 Sqdn RAAF; the angle reveals not only the four Browning machine guns in the nose, but the troughs for the four 20 mm cannon beneath the forward fuselage.

I

ill

83 Group (HQ, Gatton Park, Reigate, Surrey)

U

~

u...

121 Airfield, Westhampnett 174, 175,245 Squadrons Typhoon IE

«

122 Airfield, Gravesend 19,65, 122 Squadrons

o

124 Airfield, Merston 181, 182,247 Squadrons 125 Airfield, Detling 132,602 Squadrons 184 Squadron

Spitfire IX

Typhoon IE

Spitfire IX Hurricane IV

126 Airfield, Biggin Hill 401,412 Squadrons 411 Squadron

Spitfire IX Spitfire VB

127 Airfield, Kenley 403,421 Squadrons

Spitfire IX

128 Airfield, Redhill 231,400 Squadrons

Mustang I

129 Airfield, Gatwick 414,430 Squadrons

Mustang I

AOP Squadrons 653 658 659 662

Squadron Squadron Squadron Squadron

Auster III Auster III Auster III Auster III

84 Group (HQ, Cowley Barracks, Oxford) 123 Airfield, Thruxton ** 63, 168, 170 Squadrons 130 Airfield, Odiham 2 Squadron 4 Squadron

Mustang IA

**

131 Airfield, Northolt (w.e.! 4 October) 302, 308, 317 Squadrons (Polish) 132 Airfield, North Weald (w.e.f 1 November) 331,332 Squadrons (Norwegian)

Mustang IA Mustang I

134 Airfield, Ibsley (w.e.f 8 November) 310,312,313 Squadrons (Czech)

Spitfire IX

135 Airfield, Hornchurch (w.e.f 15 November) 66, 129 Squadrons, 350 Squadron (Belgian)

Spitfire IX

136 Airfield, Fairlop (w.e.! 22 November) 164 Squadron 195 Squadron

Spitfire VB

Spitfire IX

Hurricane IV Typhoon IE

AOP Squadrons 133 Airfield, Heston (w.e.f 1 November) 306,315 Squadrons (Polish)

Spitfire VB

652 Squadron 660 Squadron 661 Squadron

Auster III Auster III Auster III

** 123 and 130 Airfield HQs were in the process ofmoving at this time, 123 going to Sawbridgeworth and 130 to North Weald, where it would sit alongside 132 Airfield. At the end of the month 63 and 168 Squadrons changed places with 2 and 4 Squadrons.

2nd Tactical Air Force Headquarters 34 Wing, Hartford Bridge 16, 140 Squadrons

Spitfire IV & XI

At this stage the various Airfields and their Wing Leaders in 83 and 84 Groups were adminstered by Wings as follows Commanding Officer Wing Leader 15 Wing 122 Airfield (Wg Cdr H.A.C.Bird-Wilson) (Grp Capt I.Rankin) 125 Airfield (Wg Cdr R.D.Yule) 16 Wing

(Wg Cdr D.Gillam)

121 Airfield 124 Airfield

(Wg Cdr D.Crowley-Milling) (Wg Cdr D.R.Walker)

17 Wing

(Grp Capt W.R.MacBrien) 126 Airfield 127 Airfield

(Wg Cdr R.W.McNair) (Wg Cdr H.C.Godefroy)

18 Wing

(Grp Capt A. Gabszewicz)

(Wg Cdr S.ESkalski) (Wg Cdr W.Zak)

131 Airfield 133 Airfield

rn >< -0 ill :::l C/)

o

During December 19 and 20 Wings would also form, the former to adminster 132 (Lt Col K.Birksted) and 134 (Wg Cdr EDolezal) Airfields, and the latter (Grp Capt C.E.Beamish) to administer 135 (Wg Cdr P.J,Simpson) and 136 (Wg Cdr B.Drake) Airfields. A further batch of numbered Airfield HQs and associated Wings would be created early in 1944, which will be covered elsewhere in the text.

:::l

Air Observation Post Squadrons and other units It will have been noted that 83 and 84 Groups had been allocated a number of AOP squadrons at this time, all of which were equipped with Taylorcraft Auster III aircraft. Most of these units had been inherited with the transfer of Army Co-operation Command, but some had been formed since then. The squadrons were at the time spread around the country at a variety of small local airstrips, where they could exercise with the Army units which they would subsequently serve. All these units were predominantly staffed by Army personnel, including officers trained as pilots. From February 1944 onwards, they would steadily be supplemented with Auster IVs, which would cause the Mark Ills to be phased out of front line service during the summer. On the day of the formation of 2nd TAF however, 38 Group, which had formed a part of the Tactical Air Force throughout the summer (though never participating in any operations), was transferred in its entirety to the direct control of AEAF HQ. It should also be remembered that from their formation, most Groups, Wings and Airfield HQs came to operate a Communications Flight - or even Squadron - which were to fly a variety of training types such as the DH Tiger Moth, Miles Master or Martinet, Avro Anson and Airspeed Oxford, or appropriate 'war-weary' operational aircraft including Spitfires, Mustangs and Typhoons; all these aircraft were therefore also on the 2nd TAF inventory. The operational squadrons also had old Spitfire Vs or Hurricanes for second-line duties, such as communications and training. The winter of 1943/44 saw many changes in the 2nd TAF Spitfire units. Newcomers included the Polish Northolt Wing and the Norwegian squadrons at North Weald, which joined 131 and 132 Airfields respectively. Undergoing maintenance is a Spitfire IX, JH-V, of 317 (Polish) Squadron. BELOW

LEFT: The two Norwegian Spitfire squadrons, 331 and 332, long-term residents at North Weald, joined 132 Airfield when it was formed there at the end of 1943. They were joined by 66 Squadron and would stay together until April 1945. Spitfire IXB 'AH-N' of 332 Squadron, possibly LZ919, is seen here early in 1944. (IWM HU 3379)

BELOW All remaining Spitfire Vs were exchanged for Spitfire IXs - the two types are see together here at Kenley early in 1944 - a visiting Mk.V 'AF-F' from the AFDU makes an interesting comparison with Mk.IX MJ939 KH-Z' of the resident 403 Squadron.

I

CD

u

~

o

LL

«

Initially, operations for 83 and 84 Group units continued as before, under the control of 11 Group, now a part of ADGB. Rail centres and marshalling yards in France continued to be the main targets, together with Luftwaffe airfields. At this time a new type of target was just beginning to attract attention, this being a series of construction sites situated in clearings in woods all along the Channel coast. Intelligence had surmised that these were the launching sites for the first of the V-weapons, the V-I flying bomb, and naturally they were considered to be of particular importance. Around the turn of the year they were given a code name, the sites being christened 'Noballs', and during January 1944 the greater part of the weight of attacks would be directed against these sites. Attacks continued at high intensity throughout the first four months of the year, medium bombers and fighters armed with both bombs and rockets concentrated on these targets to the exclusion of most others. During this period the new Mosquito squadrons of 2 Group would make the first of a series of low-level daylight pinpoint attacks on individual buildings housing Gestapo headquarters and other strategically important organisations in occupied cities. 2nd TAF came to enjoy a very high number of experienced pilots among its formation leaders down to squadron commander, and in many cases, flight commander level. Many of these men had served in the Middle East, a high proportion of them having flown in the epic defence of Malta, while others had gained experience during the long months of offensive sweeps across the Channel. Wing Leaders, Airfield Commanders and Wing Commanders were men who knew their jobs thoroughly, and would not call on the aircrew under their command to do anything they had not done themselves many times. Amongst the fighter and fighter-bomber units there was scarcely a squadron commander who had not been decorated, and within 2nd TAF the purple and white striped ribbon of the Distinguished Flying Cross seemed as much the badge of leadership as did the bands of rank on shoulder or cuff. During the spring of 1944 a fourth Group would begin forming, which unlike the other three would be of a purely defensive nature; 85 (Base) Group was to provide the air defence of the Invasion build-up area in Southern England, the night defence of 2nd TAF bases and of the Army units at the front when the Invasion got underway. For this reason the first units to arrive would be equipped with Mosquito and Beaufighter night fighters, and these were later followed by two squadrons of new Griffon-engined Spitfire XIVs and one of special high-altitude Spitfire VIIs with extended, pointed wingtips. These squadrons had a special responsibility for intercepting enemy reconnaissance aircraft trying to photograph the Invasion ports, and later for defending these ports against any daylight bombing raids after the Invasion had commenced. In the meantime squadrons from the other Groups were being systematically withdrawn from operations to attend Armament Practice Camps; the Spitfire units to receive further instruction and practice in air-to-air and air-to-ground gunnery, and to become proficient in the art of divebombing; the Typhoon units to learn the use of rocket projectiles and to brush-up their divebombing; and the medium bombers to bring their bombing to a high degree of accuracy. At the same time selected squadrons of tactical reconnaissance Mustangs received special courses in the art of spotting for naval guns firing at targets ashore. One squadron in each reconnaissance wing would also now convert to the photographic reconnaissance role, and these units would also receive further instruction. Apart from the operations against the 'Noball' sites, a great deal of training was to take place during the first three months of 1944, and several squadrons took part in exercises with the Army. There would also be considerable re-equipment as remaining Spitfire Vs were replaced by Mark IXs and Hurricanes were exchanged for Typhoons. The Armament Practice Camps to which units would be despatched provided training for a variety of skills. Consequently some units would attend courses at more than one, whilst others would attend on more than one occasion where necessary to 'brush-up' on skills. Those which 83 and 84 Group squadrons would generally attend were: 11 APC, Fairwood Common (aerial gunnery and rocket firing) 12 APC, Llanbedr (rocket firing and bombing) 13 APC, Llanbedr (rocket firing and bombing) Note this unit moved from Weston Zoyland to Llanbedr on 20 November 1943. 15 APC, Peterhead (tactical reconnaissance) 16 APC, Hutton Cranswick (aerial gunnery) 17 APC, Southend (bombing) 18 APC, Eastchurch (bombing) To avoid repetition during the narrative covering the period 15 November 1943-5 June 1944, the units which attended each of the above APCs during this time for courses usually of 5-21 days, were as follows:

11 APC, Fairwood Common 302 Squadron 2.12.43-19.12.43 132 Squadron 13.3.44-19.3.44 412 Squadron 30.3.44-7.4.44 401 Squadron 8.4.44-18.4.44 411 Squadron 17.4.44-22.4.44 12 and 13 APCs, Llanbedr 310 Squadron 2.12.43-15.12.43 312 Squadron 2.12.43-18.12.43 306 Squadron 19.12.43-1.1.44 315 Squadron 19.12.43-1.1.44 332 Squadron 5.1.44-21.1.44 168 Squadron 21.1.44-4.2.44 268 Squadron 7.2.44-20.2.44 350 Squadron 8.2.44-19.2.44 66 Squadron 22.2.44-1.3.44 308 Squadron 8.3.44-15.3.44 602 Squadron 13.3.44-20.3.44 306 Squadron 15.3.44-20.3.44 485 Squadron 21.3.44-7.4.44 315 Squadron 24.3.44-28.3.44 129 Squadron 30.3.44-3.4.44 198 Squadron 30.3.44-6.4.44 193 Squadron 6.4.44-11.4.44 349 Squadron 6.4.44-11.4.44 183 Squadron 11.4.44-22.4.44 198 Squadron 22.4.44-30.4.44 341 Squadron 11.5.44-16.5.44 340 Squadron 15.5.44-19.5.44 329 Squadron 19.5.44-23.5.44 15 APC, Peterhead 430 Squadron 4.1.44-31.1.44 414 Squadron 5.2.44-20.2.44 411 Squadron 24.2.44-29.2.44

16 APC, Hutton Cranswick 308 Squadron 13.9.43-21.9.43 168 Squadron 20.9.43-10.10.43 2 Squadron 22.9.43-6.10.43 308 Squadron 2.12.43-18.12.43 453 Squadron 21.1.44-4.2.44 310 Squadron 21.2.44-25.2.44 403 Squadron 24.2.44-29.2.44 421 Squadron 2.3.44-8.3.44 443 Squadron 27.3.44-8.4.44 441 Squadron 12.4.44-23.4.44 442 Squadron 25.4.44-1.5.44 439 Squadron 11.5.44-20.5.44

rn

><

-0 OJ

:::::J C/)

o

:::::J

17 APC, Southend 66 Squadron 16.11.43-1.12.43 317 Squadron 2.12.43-18.12.43 222 Squadron 20.12.43-27.12.43 312 Squadron 23.2.44-3.3.44 331 Squadron 5.3.44-13.3.44 313 Squadron 14.3.44-20.3.44 332 Squadron 21.3.44-27.3.44 310 Squadron 28.3.44-3.4.44 222 Squadron 4.4.44-9.4.44 66 Squadron 22.4.44-25.4.44 19 Squadron 12.5.44-20.5.44 122 Squadron 21.5.44-28.5.44 65 Squadron 28.5.44-4.6.44 18 APC, Eastchurch 182 Squadron 5.1.44-23.1.44 174 Squadron 21.5.44-4.2.44 181 Squadron 6.2.44-21.2.44 175 Squadron 24.2.44-8.3.44 184 Squadron 11.3.44-3.4.44 247 Squadron 1.4.44-24.4.44 245 Squadron 25.4.44-22.5.44 245 Squadron 12.5.44-22.5.44 266 Squadron 29.6.44-13.7.44* (After D-Day)

Operations, 15 November-31 December 1943 Following the formation of the new Tactical Air Force, 464 Squadron at Sculthorpe provided the first indication of the new role to which the Mosquito VI units of 2 Group were soon to move, when 'A:. Flight was detached to Bradwell Bay and 'B' Flight to Ford to undertake a series of trial night intruder sorties. The flights would return to the unit's base airfield on 1 December. A change of unit command also occurred at this time, Sqn Ldr R.J.c.Grant, DFC & Bar, DFM, taking over 65 Squadron at 122 Airfield on 19 November. On 23 November 401 and 412 Squadrons flew their first sorties with their new Spitfire IXs. CLAIM

d Pd

CAUSE/LOCATION

TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

1640

403

Spitfire IX

MH361

F/L SWMatthews IK)

hbf St Orner (dtd 12m EDungeness?1

18 November 1943

e1450 e1500

174 308

Typhoon IB Spitfire IX

EJ993 BS411 I

FlO RWWheeler (K) FlO Z.Frackiewicz IP)

dtd 20m NW Le Havre cnk elf I/s ELisieux

19 November 1943

e1230 e1045

411 170

Spitfire IX Mustang I

MA312 FD504

F/S S.M.Kent (KI FlO F.C.Yearwood

elf dtd Channel ndea hit tree nr Doullens, landed Ford cat BI Ac

23 November 1943

e1230

170

Mustang I

FD509

F/L R.F.C.Garvey

nr Doullens

24 November 1943

Fw 190

--1

This proved to be a very busy day for the 2 Group squadrons, which undertook two major attacks on Audinghen. Intelligence sources had identified this unfortunate village, located near Cap Gris Nez, as the site of the HQ of the Todt Organisation - the builders of the many 'construction sites' mushrooming along the coast. Attacks earlier in the month had not proved to be very accurate

25 November 1943

I

Q)

U

l.-

o

L..L

due to adverse weather conditions, and to Flak. Now however, Typhoons preceded the bombers to 'soften-up' the defences, allowing the Mitchells and Bostons to press home their attacks. By the end of the second raid not many buildings remained standing, and despite the intense Flak, which hit almost every bomber, only one crew was lost when their 226 Squadron Mitchell crashed near Dover. A Boston just failed to make its base, although the crew escaped with only slight injuries. TIME

SON

0936 e1015

88 226

TYPE

!DENT

Boston IliA Mitchell II

BZ217 0 FL196 J

1020

88

Boston lilA

BZ278 G

1040

602

Spitfire IX

1240

487

MJ153 MH488 Mosquito VI HX915 G

e1530 1600 e1610

430 122 122

Mustang I Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

AM124 BS192 MA764

PILOT/CREW P/O O.J.N.Gibson (W) F/S WM.Thomas IKI F/S H.S.Bovindon (K) Sgt J.R.J.Blamev (KI Sgt AW.Brown (K) Sgt G.WLock (I) F/S J.Mackenzie (II Sgt HWebster (I) Sgt R.G.Rolfe II) P/O ES.Sorge P/D RJ.Gourlav F/L A.C.Henderson F/O WA.Moore FlO B.Emmerson (K) P/O J.L.Gilbert F/S D.Bostock (E)

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION hbf Audinghen landed Hawkinge hbf Audinghen csd nr Dover

hbf Audinghen csd 2m S Hartford Bridge

Bf 109

--1

clld MH488 on r/w Detling clld MJ153 on r/w Detling catB hit tree in EfT (Laigle) b/o nr Mucklebury, Somerset elf dtd off Dutch coast N Bethune dbea g/lk csd 10m S St Omer

26 November 1943 Spitfires of 126 Airfield provided escort to B-26s attacking targets in the Cambrai area, where Fit it J.Sheppard of 401 Squadron made the first claim for the unit since it received its Spitfire IXs, shooting down Uffz Johannes Hoehme of 5./JG 26 over Achiet airfield, near Albert, at 1215. Operation 'Crossbow' as the attacks on the 'construction sites' was now known, continued as Mitchells of 98, 180 and 320 Squadrons bombed a site at Martinvast. This had been one of the first launching sites to be spotted (it was in fact designated as a store and launching site for A-4 rockets - eventually to emerge as the 'V-2'), and the bomber crews found their target to be strongly defended by extremely accurate Flak, which shot down three aircraft of 180 Squadron and one of 320 Squadron, with the loss of all their crews. 1215 1235 1310 e1400

401 306 401 21

Spitfire IX Spitfire V Spitfire IX Mosquito VI

MJ146 AB374 MH886 HX906

e1440

320

Mitchell II

FR146 0

1500

180

Mitchell II

FV912

FL205

FL707

1530

21

Mosquito VI HX957

F/L J.E.Sheppard F/S J.Pomietlarz F/L TKoch FlO TJ.B.Shearer IKI FlO R.J.T.Stirling IKI Sgt J.A.Kok (K) Sgt ROverwijn (EI Sgt J.H.H.de la Have (K) Cpl D.J.Koning (PI F/S R.RHowlett (K) F/S C.S.Graves (K) F/S G.J.Saunders (K) WID EB.Dixon (K) F/S J.C.Kempsell (K) F/S W.C.Cheetham (K) Sgt RD.Roots IK) Sgt TNWhelan (K) Fit Off WASolheim (KI F/S C.G.Underwood (K) F/S A.J.Painting (K) F/S S.R.Troman (K) S/L K.C.Ritchie P/O SWMoulds

Fw 190

1--

Achiet a/f - Albert hit 3 USAAF a/c on tlo Heston hbf f/I Hawkinge (Cambrai) ftr (Lingenl hbf Martinvast csd Bivelle

sdbf Martinvast

sdbf Martinvast

sdbf Martinvast

hit sea b/o 10m from Sculthorpe

29 November 1943 126 Airfield's three Canadian squadrons escorted 72 B-26s to Chievres airfield in Belgium during the morning, close cover being given by 306 and 315 Squadrons from 133 Airfield at Heston. 412 Squadron was providing top cover to the formation, but was 'bounced' by ten Fw 190s, one section of Spitfires becoming separated from the rest. Fit it A.C.Coles attacked one, which he saw go down smoking, but the section then became broken up and Coles failed to return, becoming a prisoner; one other Spitfire was also damaged. The other two RCAF squadrons attacked the Focke-Wulfs, two of which were claimed shot down and one damaged. Closer to the bombers meanwhile, the Polish pilots spotted four Fw 190s attempting to attack the Marauders from behind and below, attacking these at once and driving them off, claiming one shot down. During this engagement JG 26 lost five aircraft to Spitfires, two of them falling to an ADGB unit, 129 Squadron, the rest being the victims of the 2nd TAF units. Two Spitfires were claimed shot down in return, one each by Fw Peter Crump of 6./JG 26, and Fw Gerhard Vogt of 7./JG 26, both at 1005 - probably in combat with Fit it Coles' section.

BELOW Obfw Adolf Glunz of 11./JG 26, still an NCO in December 1943, was one of the most successful of the Luftwaffe's 'Experten' in the West. His victories over two Spitfires of 411 Squadron on 1 December would bring his personal total to 49. He would survive the war with 77.

TIME

SON TYPE

IOENT

0950 1000 1000

306 411 401

Spitfire V Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

412

Spitfire IX

e1040

308

Spitfire IX

nk H FlO WSzajda MH850 F/L O.R.Matheson MH845 FlO L.M.Cameron MJ127 FlO L.WR.Tew MJ169 F/L A.C.Coles IPI MJ331 FlO J.A.Robertson IK) MJ312 F/L O.SWurtele MA594 PIO A.Pietrasiak (K)

el120

487

Mosquito VI nk

e1120

487

Mosquito VI nk

0006

464

Mosquito VI LR258

FlO AWF.Barry (KI FIS O.TWalsh IKI

csd off Bognar Regis

e1325 e1410

401 401

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

F/L A.E.Studholme (PI F/L H.O.Macdonald IKI

ftr e/tr IWoensdrecht) e/tr csd 30m off Bradwell Bay IWoensdrecht)

PILOT/CREW

T

MH911 MJl15

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/lOCATION

Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190

1-1-1---1 --1

Ath SE Ostend {Chievres alt

S/L A.S.Cussens FlO H.M.McKay PIO A.G.Baker FlO J.Baker

><

""0 Q)

:::J

_.

{

C/)

{sdbea nr Dunkirk sdbea nr Ypres dbea Chievres catB cld wingman in d/l csd off Dunkirk hbt Leer catB

0 :::J

hbl Leer, catB

30 November 1943

December 1943 The weather in December would cause a decline in operations, and at this time the Mustang Reconnaissance Wings began undertaking a greater number of photographic sorties, also receiving considerable training for this role, It was decided that each of the Wings to be attached to the main operational Groups should have one photo reconnaissance unit, rather than all squadrons operating tactical fighter-reconnaissance types, Consequently, during December, 4 Squadron began converting one flight to the latest Mosquito XVIs, and 140 Squadron in the Headquarters Wing also received some of these aircraft to supplement the Mark IXs. The 126 Airfield Spitfires provided escort to 72 B-26s during the morning of the 1st, Fw 190s of JG 26 engaging the raid, attacking 411 Squadron. Fh Lt D.R.Matheson and FIg Off S.A.Mills each shot one down, Hptm Helmut Hoppe and Fw Rudi Weyrich of 5.1JG 26 both being killed, but Matheson and his wingman, Ph Off J.A.St.Denis, were then shot down by Obfw Adolf Glunz, Matheson surviving as a prisoner, but St.Denis was killed; they were Glunz's 48th and 49th victories. 0950

411

Spitfire IX

e1300

487

MJ236 MH850 MJ288 Mosquito VI HX962 X

1330 1405

412 401

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

MJ198 MJ122

e1100 1535

181 63

Typhoon IB Mustang I

JP923 F0508

N

F/L O.R.Matheson (P) FlO SAMilis PIO JASt Denis IKI S/L A.S.Cussens IKI FlO H.M.MacKay (K) S/L G.C.Keeler PIO R.WLawson

Fw 190 Fw 190

Fw 190

-1-

FIS K.C.Hanna FlO J.SWright (I)

00217

--1

1-1--

1 December 1943

{ftr (Croisilles) {

sdbea N Cambrai csd in sea a/s off lie de Groix S Knocke rol III 1mS Kingsdon nr Brighton

2 December 1943

ell III Somerton loW

On the 3rd Wg Cdr Harold Bird-Wilson, the 122 Airfield Wing Leader, completed his tour of operations, handing over to P.R.Wickham who had been commanding 122 Squadron. The latter's place in this unit was taken by Sqn Ldr A.C.Stewart, until then a Flight Commander with 65 Squadron.

RIGHr. In his latter days as Wg Cdr Flying 122 Airfield, Wg Cdr Harold Bird-Wilson flew Spitfire IX, MJ845, prior to handing over to Wg Cdr P.RW.Wickham and departing on his posting to staff college in the USA. In addition to his initials and a Wg Cdr's pennant MJ845 also has a gauntlet painted on the rudder - a marking adopted from 17 Squadron's badge - Bird-Wilson having flown with this unit in the Battle of Britain.

m

3 December 1943

I

4 December 1943

TIME

SON

TYPE

e1330

487

Mosquito VI HX864 E

1420 1525

401 306

Spitfire IX Spitfire V

MH885 AA730 F

PILOT/CREW PIO K.J.Coates (KI F/S C.B.Muir (K) FlO D.P.Kelly F/S E.Rembowski

5 December 1943

e1210

170 170

Mustang I Mustang I

FD536 FD562

F/L G. Marr FlO D.M.Leith Hay Clark

10 December 1943

~

The Mosquitoes of 2 Group were now becoming more actively involved in attacks on the growing number of ,Noball' sites. 487 Squadron had, however, been undertaking a series of attacks on rail and other transport targets, which were to cost the unit four of its aircraft and crews during the month. Two of these fell on this date while attacking canal barges between Rutenbruch and Nordhorn.

""0 C

e1400

ill U

IDENT

~

o

LL

«

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION lis in dive off Borkum efta w/u Biggin Hill catAc/E dila Heston catAc/B { hbf Stella Plage catB/Ac {

ro

u

+-' U

C'J

2330

184

Hurricane IV KZ186

FlO M.L.B.Frankson IK) PIO D.E.Cake (K) F/S T.Mair IK) WIO K.L.D.Blow IKI F/S R.S.Downing

e1110

168

Mustang IA

FD534

PIO K.S.Ewins IKI

FD565

FlO J.K.Haselden F/L J.D.Maclarlane } FlO R.F.MWalker } PIO C.M.Steele } PIO T.RWheler} FlO RWal (P)

487

Mosquito VI HX966 D HX975 0

12 December 1943

13 December 1943

{ftr (Rutenbruch- Nordhorn) { { {

dila Manston catB cld FD565 nr N Weald csd Gt Dunmow cld FD534 nr N Weald catB

1445

411

Spitfire IX

1545

315

Spitfire VB

MJ239 MH734 JK795 MH381 AA968 G

14 December 1943

1340 nk

63 174

Mustang I Typhoon IB

FD549 Y JP900

FlO R.FGWakeling IKI F/L A.R.Black

hbl Cassels elf III NE Allriston

15 December 1943

1255

182

Typhoon IB

JP912

FlO C.G Richards (K)

lis Fr cst (Londinieres)

Fw 190

--2

Schipol area

sdbl III Neth

FAR LEFT AND LEFT: Sir Hugh Garrett inspecting 132 Squadron with its newly-received Spitfire IXs at Detling on 15 December 1943; he later added his signature to presentation Spitfire lthel Marsden'. Squadron Leader F.F.Colloredo-Mansfield, watching from the cockpit, would be lost on operations the following month. The Spitfires carry a stylised version of the squadron badge and 'Bombay' - reflecting the unit's name of 'City of Bombay'. (IWM CH 11844 &CH 11846)

Spitfire IXB MH737 'FF-Y', Fit Lt V.J.Sumpter, 132 Squadron, Detling, November-December 1943

A week prior to the 20th, Sqn Ldr C.M.Magwood, Commanding Officer of 421 Squadron, had 20 December 1943 rn completed his tour and handed over the unit to Sqn Ldr J.F.Lambert, who arrived from 403 X Squadron. 421 also gained a new flight commander, Fit Lt E.L.Gimbel, DFC, an American who -0 CD had been shot down over France and who had made his way back to the UK, aided by the escape :::i organisations on the Continent. en The 20th proved to be a day of major action as US Eighth Air Force bombers raided Bremen o with substantial fighter escort. 11 Group and Ninth Air Force sent out diversions including 211 :::i B-26s, 60 Mitchells, 37 Bostons, 415 Spitfires, 155 Typhoons and 20 Hurricanes. On their second operation of the day 127 Airfield units encountered 38 enemy fighters over the Merville-Douai area at 1100. The Spitfire pilots attacked Bf 109s of LlJG 3, two of which were shot down by Sqn Ldr Lambert and Fit Lt K.R.Linton of 421 Squadron, but two Fw 190s of 4.1JG 26 then 'bounced' the Squadron, Fw Wiegand shooting down Lambert, who was killed. The Squadron's other pilots claimed four Fw 190s, two by Fig Off Andy Mackenzie and one of them by Fit Lt Gimbel, but 4. Staffel on this occasion lost only Lt Bernhard Toerpisch, who was killed. 126 Airfield units were also out at approximately the same time, flying a sweep. Over the Rijen-Brussels area a Do 217 was shot down by a pair of 411 Squadron aircraft, while five minutes later Fit Lt L.M.Cameron of 401 Squadron shot down a Ju 88 of LlKG 6 near Lille, although Fig Off R.J.Buckles was shot down by return fire from this opponent. Two more pilots of the Canadian unit then collided and had to bale out, all three taken prisoner. Two days later Cameron would be promoted to command this unit. Over France meanwhile, about a quarter of an hour behind the Andy Mackenzie claimed three Luftwaffe fighters shot 127 Airfield formation, came 132 Airfield's Norwegian squadrons, led down on 20 December 1943, whilst serving with by Lt Col Kaj Birksted. Three more Fw 190s were claimed, one of them 421 Squadron, for which he received the award of an by the Wing Leader himself. Two more JG 26 pilots were shot down, immediate DFC. He would commence a second tour in Uffz Hermann Butzmann of 5. Staffel being killed and Uffz Gerhard Spring 1944 as a Flight Commander in 403 Squadron, gaining further successes during June and July. Lissack of 7. Staffel wounded. TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION

1100

421

Spitfire IX

MA831

FlO A.R.Mackenzie

EN398 MH939 MH903 MA713 MA832 MJ295 MJ283 'MH845' EN629 nk nk MA755 W MH845 MJ172 MA24l JP605 W

F/L E.L.Gimbel PIO T.J.DeCourcey SIL J.F.Lambert IKI F/L K.R.Linton FlO R.T.Pentland FlO D.J.Givens} PIO L.A.Dunn } F/L L.M.Cameron FlO R.J.Buckles IP) LlC K.Birksted Sgt O.Tidemand Lt F.S.Fearnley FlO NWMaybee IPI Sgt J.J.Morrissey IPI FlO R.T.Pentland III F/S RWilkinson IPI

Fw 190 Bll09 Fw 19'0 Fw 190 Bll09 Bll09 Fw 190 Do 217

2 --11-1-1-1- 2 --1 1--

{Merville-Douai area { {

Ju 88

1--

Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190

1-1-1--

nr Lille sdb Ju 88 nr Lille {Cambrai

1105 1110 e1110 1113

403 411

1130

401 401 132AI 332 331 401

1440 1508

403 182

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire

IX IX IX IX IX IX

Spitfire IX Typhoon IB

{

{;psdbea { {

5m E Brussels

{

{ {clld b/o nr Gravelines { ell III Kenley cld JP725 csd Berck

During the late morning period 132 and 602 Squadrons undertook a sweep over Cambrai, where they encountered a force of 40 from ILlJG 26 Fw 190s. Three were claimed shot down, plus one probable and two damaged, and the German unit did indeed lose three Focke-Wulfs to the Spitfires, claiming three of their opponents shot down in return, Obfw Glunz, Hptm Naumann and Obit Walter Matoni making the claims. Three Spitfires failed to return, Pit Off A.E.Clarke of 132 Squadron and Fig Off G.S.Jones of 602 Squadron being killed, while the latter unit's Sgt A.H.Morgan became a POW. 127 Airfield Spitfires were also over France at this time, two pilots of 403 Squadron catching a Ju 87 of LlSKG 10 over Peronne, which they shot down at just about the same time as the other combats were taking place. 0910 el030 1155

411 184 403

1145

132

132 602

Spitfire IX MJ287 Hurricane IV KZ377 Spitfire IX MA842 BS129 Spitfire IX MH758 MH719 J MH431 Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

SIL I.C.Ormston (II F/S H.L.Baetz (K) FlO J.D.Hodgson) P/O W.J.Myers} F/L A.E.Tomblin F/L H.EWalmsley PIO J.HWilliams Squadron} Squadron}

Ju87

1--

Fw Fw Fw Fw

1---1 --1 1--

190 190 190 190

ell III E Biggin Hill ftr Ie Plouy Ferme Peronne all {nr Cambrai { {

nr Cambrai

21 December 1943

I

ill U

TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/lOCATION

1145

602

Spitfire IX

S/L R.A.Sutherland

Fw 190 Fw 190

1--1-

{nr Cambrai

e1200 e1400 1403 e1500

132 602 602 132 63 400

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Mustang I Mustang I

MH709 MH716 MH738 MH492 MH721 MH475 F0553 AP202 N

l.-

o

LL

«

Cpt P.G.J.Aubertin P/O A.E.Clarke (K) Sgt A.H.Morgan (P) FlO G.S.Jones (Kl 10 O.J.Eskil II) FlO F.S.Ray (PI F/L A.S.Collins

{

ftr d/l Cambrai sdb Fw 190 NE Cambrai db Fw 190 bel dtd off Le Touquet birdstrike ell Rye b/o nr Yvreneh hbl St Valery eatB/Ae

CD

U

22 December 1943

of-'

U

~ -0 C N

The day saw the greatest 2 Group raid on 'Noball' sites to be undertaken so far. 12 Bostons each from 88, 107 and 342 Squadrons attacked a site at Mesnil Allard, 12 Mitchells each from 98 and 180 Squadrons struck one at St Pierre des Jonquieres, while 11 21 Squadron Mosquitoes attacked sites code named X/lA/46. Later in the day a further raid was made on a site at St Agathe by 26 Mosquitoes from 21, 464 and 487 Squadrons. This day was also marked by the arrival at 122 Airfield, Gravesend, of the first examples of the orth American P-51B Mustang to be supplied to 2nd TAF, to be known as the Mustang III. 65 Squadron was to be the initial unit to receive these aircraft, but early practice flights showed clearly that the side-hinged, framed cockpit canopy was not as good as the clear 'blister' hood of the Spitfire IX. A similar design which became known as the Malcolm hood (named after its designer) was quickly produced and supplied. The first of these would become available by the end of January, at which time the other squadrons at the Airfield, 19 and 122, also began receiving these potent fighters.

23 December 1943 Another series of raids was launched by 2 Group; 36 Bostons from 88, 107 and 342 Squadrons returned to Mesnil Alard, while 26 Mitchells from 226 and 320 Squadrons raided Puchervin, 30 more from 98 and 180 Squadrons again bombed St Pierre des Jonquieres, and ten 21 and 464 Squadron Mosquitoes attacked Pommereval. Over Mesnil Alard one of the Bostons of the French Squadron was shot down by Flak, while over Pommereval, two of 21 Squadron's Mosquitoes were hit and damaged. Wg Cdr R.M.North, the unit's commanding officer, crashlanded at West Malling on return, while FIt Lt C.Hawkins, who had been wounded, crashlanded at Friston.

30 December 1943

e0920

342

Boston IliA

BZ392 E

1045

342

Boston lilA

BZ269 S

1100

21

Mosquito VI HX954

1100

21

Mosquito VI HX959

e1200 1500

401 245

Spitfire IX Typhoon IB

MJ218 JP801

FlO L.J.Pettit (PI F/L C.Ghigliotti (K) Sgt R.Maeheeourt (PI Sgt L.Marin (K) WID F.Melville-Lyneh IW) F/L G.Goyehman (WI WID L.Prandi (KI Sgt G.Genestal (K) W/C R.M.North FlO L.CWiliiams F/L C.Hawkins (WI FlO WARoe F/L W.R.MeRae FlO W.F.Freshwater

hbl ell S Belleville (Pommereval)

esd near Dunslold (Pommerevall

hbl ell W.Malling hbl ell Friston hbl Nieuport eatB/Ae hbl III nr Hawkinge

412 Squadron undertook an escort for B-17s to the Compeigne area, engaging some Fw 190s, one of which was claimed by Flt Lt G.F.Beurling, DSO, DFC, DFM & Bar, at 1335, the pilot seen to bale out. This was to be the last victory of 'Screwball' or 'Buzz' Beurling, the great Malta 'ace', bringing his total to 31 1/3. He would end his tour and return to Canada in April 1944. It would appear that his victim was Uffz Heinz Wyrich of 5.1JG 26, who was wounded in combat with Spitfires on this date, coming down south of Romaine. 403 Squadron from the other RCAF Airfield was also in action at this time, two Bf 109s being claimed in the Albert area at 1340, one of them by another Malta veteran, Plt Off Claude Weaver, a US citizen. Their victims may have been aircraft of I.!JG 3, which lost three Messerschmitts in combat over the Charleroi area during the day, all the pilots being killed. However, it should be stressed that US Eighth Air Force fighter pilots also claimed a number of Bf 109s shot down in the Charleville-Reims and Soissons area between 1130-1345. During a sweep French pilots of 341 Squadron encountered four Fw 190s, claiming a probable and two damaged. 222 Squadron departed Hornchurch and 135 Airfield HQ, flying up to Woodvale, an ADGB base. The unit's place was at once taken by 350 (Belgian) Squadron from Hawkinge. 1332

342

Boston lilA

BZ364 J

F/L H.de Montal (K) WID A.Caniek (KI F/S A.Carton (Kl Sgt R.Urbe IKI

eld BZ299 on tlo

TIME

1335

SON

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

342

Boston IliA

BZ299 P

Plo Challier III Plo Hussar(K) Sgt Latrille (KI Sgt Venillet F/L G.F.Beurling FlO W.H.Bliss FlO o.C.Laubman Plo CWeaver FlO H.R.Finlay WID R.PAMcKillop IKI

412

Spitfire IX

1340

403

Spitfire IX

e1515

245

Typhoon IB

MH883 LZ816 MJ304 MH840 BS284 JP593

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION

rn ><

cld BZ364 on tlo died 31 Dec

LJ

ill

Fw 190 Fw 190 Bf 109 Bll09 Bll09

1---1 --1 1-1--

::J

{7m W Compeigne { Compeigne area SE Albert WAlbert ell blo 15m W Le Touquet

C/)

_.

a

::J

ABOVE LEFT AND RIGHT: George Beurling - known as 'Buzz' or 'Screwball' - had returned from service on Malta

during 1942, wounded, but with a personal total of 29 aircraft claimed shot down and one more shared - all but two of which had been claimed in defence of the island. In September 1943 he joined 403 Squadron, moving shortly afterwards to 412 Squadron as a Flight Commander; he claimed two further victories, one with each of these units, but returned to Canada in Apri I 1944.

181 Squadron moved to Odiham to undertake a series of intensive operations against 'Noballs', providing escort for rocket-firing Hurricanes of 164 and 184 Squadrons. In 2 Group 140 Airfield now moved from Sculthorpe to Hunsdon, while from Lasham, 613 Squadron undertook its first operational sorties with its new Mosquito VIs. 1205

184

Hurricane IV KX584 W

FlO A.C.Fairhead

31 December 1943

rol III in bad wx Little Hawkswell, Kent catB

January 1944

Wally Conrad, who had served with distinction in North Africa, baled out on 17 August 1943 after colliding with another Spitfire over France. He evaded capture and returned to take command of 421 Squadron at the end of December 1943.

As previously mentioned, a further number of new numbered Airfield Headquarters and Wings were formed during January. On 2 December 1943 the nucleus of 85 Group had been created in the Sports Pavilion at RAF Uxbridge, and on 16 January this unit moved to nearby Hillingdon, where on 14 February it would become 85 (Base) Group, organised essentially for defensive, rather than offensive operations. Although destined for 2nd TAF, 85 Group would remain a part of ADGB until August. For this reason, whilst details of the operations undertaken by units allocated to this Group are included in the text, claims and losses are not listed in the daily summaries until that time. On 1 January 1944 21 Base Defence Wing was set up at Church Fenton, while 142 Airfield HQ formed at Scorton. 141 was initially provided with 234 (Spitfire) and 264 (Mosquito NF XIII) Squadrons; 234's stay was brief, for it moved out four weeks later, returning to ADGB. 142 Airfield HQ had 130 Squadron (Spitfire VB) and 604 Squadron (Beaufighter VIF), and would add 56 Squadron (Typhoon IE) in mid-February. Both these Airfields and their parent Wing became a part of 85 Group on 10 March 1944. During November the first of three RCAF ex-home defence squadrons, which had been flying Curtiss Kittyhawk fighters in Canada, had arrived at Digby to form the nucleus of an all-Canadian rocket-Typhoon wing. On Spit IXs at last! 118 Squadron pilots, Paddy Harbison in arrival the units lost their RCAF numbers, and were renumbered in the 400 the cockpit and Stan Kirtley on the ground, examining series as they became 'Article XV' squadrons, equipped and funded by the their new mounts at Detling having inherited them from British Government. The other two squadrons to form what became 143 132 Squadron, whose codes and badge this example Airfield (commanded byWg Cdr EW.Hillock), arrived at the start of the still wears. It would be a short love affair as new year, and these units were renumbered, 118, 123 and 111 RCAF 118 Squadron left 2nd TAF for Scotland the following month leaving its Mk IXs and gaining Mk Vs and VIis. Squadrons becoming 438, 439 and 440 Squadrons respectively.

I

Q)

u

~

o

LL

Initially these units all received Hurricane IVs on which to work up, taking delivery of their Typhoons during January-March, then moving to Hurn on the 18th of the latter month. Meanwhile it had been decided that the Canadians would concentrate on bombing rather than rocket-firing. Their Wing Leader would be Wg Cdr R.T.P.Davidson, DFC, a Canadian in the RAF, who had flown Hurricanes in the Western Desert, commanded 175 Squadron on Typhoons, and briefly led 121 Airfield before transferring to 143 Airfield to lead his fellow countrymen. Close behind these first three units came three more RCAF ex-Kittyhawk units, which during February would join 144 Airfield, which Digby now became. These units would be re-equipped with Spitfire IXs, and would be commanded by a very successful and experienced fighter pilot, Wg Cdr J.E.Walker, DFC & 2 Bars. In the air they would be led by Wg Cdr J.E.'Johnnie' Johnson, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, who had earlier led 127 Airfield, and who was now ending a period off operations at HQ, 11 Group. Each of the three squadrons was commanded by a pilot already well-versed in operational flying, the first by Sqn Ldr G.U.Hill, DFC & 2 Bars, who had led III Squadron, RAF, in North Africa a year earlier; the second by Sqn Ldr B.R.Walker, and the third by Sqn Ldr H.W.McLeod, DFC, who had been second only to Beurling in the number of victories he had claimed over Malta during 1942. These units had been numbered 125, 14 and 127 Squadron in the RCAF and were now renumbered 441, 442 and 443 Squadrons respectively. 22 Wing was formed as 22(RCAF) Fighter Wing to administer these two new Airfields, which became a part of 83 Group during March. 145 and 146 Airfield HQs were also formed at the end of January/beginning of February, both intended for 84 Group, for administration by 23 Wing, which was formed on 20 January. 145 Airfield HQ incorporated 329, 340 and 341 (Free French) Squadrons, but was initially formed within 10 Group at Perranporth; as such it would remain a part ofADGB, and would not move into 2nd TAF until mid-April. 146 Airfield became an 84 Group unit forthwith, based at Tangmere. It was the Group's first Typhoon unit, and incorporated 183, 197 and 257 Squadrons, with which it moved to Beaulieu in February where it would be led by Wg Cdr D.E. Gillam, DSO, DFC & Bar Two more Wings would follow, both of which would become Base Defence Wings in 85 Group. The first of these, 24 Wing, was formed on 16 February to control 147 and 148 Airfield HQs. On this latter date 135 Airfield HQ was transferred from 20 to 23 Wing due to the delay in the arrival of 145 Airfield HQ from 10 Group. 147 Airfield HQ, formed at Acklington, Northumberland, on 16 February, had no aircraft allocated at first, but was subsequently to control 322(Dutch) Squadron (Spitfire XIV) and 409 (RCAF) Squadron (Mosquito NF XIII), while 148 Airfield HQ, formed at Drem, Scotland, a week later, was to have 29 Squadron (Mosquito NF XIII), 91 Squadron (Spitfire XIV) and 486 (RNZAF) Squadron (Tempest V). Finally, 25 Wing was to comprise 149 Airfield HQ, formed at Castle Camps on 1 March with 410(RCAF) Squadron (Mosquito NF XIII) and 150 Airfield HQ, at Bradwell Bay from 8 March, with 3 Squadron (Tempest V) and 488(RNZAF) Squadron (Mosquito NF XIII). Meanwhile, amongst the reconnaissance units, in mid-January 1944170 and 231 Squadrons were disbanded, while on 22nd 63 Squadron left 2nd TAF on posting to Scotland. All 84 Group's tactical reconnaissance aircraft were therefore concentrated with 130 Airfield HQ, allowing 123 Airfield HQ to convert its role to that of rocket-Typhoons. Over the next few weeks a number of different units would pass through this Airfield (see Appendices in Volume Three), which on 10 March would become administered by 20 Wing. Of perhaps equal importance was the re-organisation of the training of formation commanders for the role now awaiting them. On 26 January 1944, 59 OTU at Milfield was disbanded, and the Special Low Attack Instructors School was combined with the Fighter Command School of Tactics from Aston Down to form a new and considerably expanded Fighter Leaders School. Commanded by Grp Capt J,R.Adams, AFC, this unit was formed into two Wings - the Tactics Wing, commanded by Wg Cdr E.H.Thomas, DSO, DFC, formerly Commanding Officer of the School of Tactics, and the Armament Wing, commanded by Wg Cdr R.E.P.Brooker, DSO, DFC & Bar. Thomas had three training squadrons, including 1 Squadron, commanded by Sqn Ldr A.R.Hall, DFC, and 2 Squadron, commanded by a notable Belgian pilot, Sqn Ldr M.J.K.Donnet, DFC. Brooker's Wing - essentially the SLArS element - had two squadrons, one led by Sqn Ldr W.Pitt-Brown, DFC, who had been a SLAIS instructor, and the other by Sqn Ldr J.R.Pennington-Leigh, DFC & Bar, a distinguished Hurricane and Typhoon fighter-bomber pilot who had commanded 175 Squadron during 1942-43. The School moved in formally at the end of January and No 1 Course was run from 3-19 February. Present on this first course were a galaxy of leading fighter pilots including Wg Cdrs J.Rankin (about to become a Grp Capt), B.Drake, S.F.Skalski, K.Birksted, P.R.Walker, R.J.C.Grant, P.R.W.Wickham, G.C.Keefer and E.Haabjorn, and Sqn Ldr J.R.Baldwin, all of whom would play an important part in the forthcoming operations.

The function of these courses was to instill in Wing Leaders and squadron commanders the knowledge they would need to employ in training and indoctrinating their pilots, particularly the flight commanders and section leaders, in the fundamentals of ground-attack procedures. This was a vitally important matter, given the duties which would devolve onto the fighter and fighter-bomber squadrons both during the run-up to the Invasion, and most particularly when supporting the Army following the landings in Europe. No 2 Course would include British, Canadian, Polish, Czech, French and US personnel, while Courses 3-5 would have a very substantial USAAF composition, the Americans outnumbering other nationalities by two to one. During February Bill Pitt-Brown would depart to command his own Typhoon squadron, 174, but in April a No 1 Course student, Billy Drake, was posted in from 136 Airfield as Chief Instructor, following an altercation which he had had with newlypromoted Grp Capt Denys Gillam. Drake replaced Brooker, who left to become Wing Leader of 123 Airfield during May. For a short time Grp Capt Jamie Rankin commanded the School, but then left to become Commanding Officer of what had by then become 125 Wing. On the 3rd 400 Squadron lost one of two Mustang Is on a photo reconnaissance operation over 3 January 1944 -----"----'--the Cabourg area, from where FIg Off Jessiman failed to return. A 168 Squadron Mustang IA was also lost over the Cambrai area on this date, while two Spitfires of 65 Squadron failed to return from the Brussels area, one pilot being killed and one captured. For 400 Squadron this was the end of Mustang operations, for next day it began its reequipment for the PR role, 'I\. Flight receiving Spitfire XIs and 'B' Flight Mosquito XVIs. 4 Squadron at Aston Down had also received its first Spitfire XIs the day before, ceasing all operations for two weeks to train on these aircraft. TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

e1150 e1400 e1500

400 168 65

Mustang I Mustang IA Spitfire IX

AP191 F0445 MA835 MA847

PILOT/CREW FlO W.H.Jessiman IKI

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION ftr lis nr Cabourg ftr (Cambrail {ftr (Ranger Brussels) {

FIL R.Cook (K) FIS W.TWhitmore IKI FlO P.F.Waterman IP)

'Noball' sites were once again the focus of the day's operations. Ruisseauville was visited by 21 and 487 Squadrons in the morning, each losing an aircraft and crew, although one crew survived. The same units returned to the target in the afternoon as part of 'Ramrod 422', which also included Bostons attacking a site at Ligescourt and Mitchells bombing two sites near Yvrench, but no losses were incurred. LR331

W

el0l0

487

Mosquito VI

e1050 1105

245 21

Typhoon IB JR238 Mosquito VI HX954

e1405 1425 1545 e1600 1605

315 175 331 331 411 122

Spitfire V Typhoon IB Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

1155 1230 1345

184 302 317

1510

247

Hurricane IV KZ194 MH853 Q Spitfire IX MH726 A Spitfire IX MJ152 Typhoon IB JP850 E

P8744 JP376 H EN130 A BS148 B MJ229 MH875 MH368

FIS H.Baird (K) FlO J.F,Parker (K) FlO KWSim (E) F/L F.O.J.Pearce IP) FlO H,Greenaway IE) FIS K.Lojek (K) P/O H.E.Hare IPI 2Lt B.E.F.Stenstad (K) Capt B Bjornstad FIL RWOrr F/O O.R.Stephens P/O E.A,Roemmele

FIS E,L.E. Drysdale WID SWojcik FlO A. Kolczynski F/Lt H Knapik FlO A.S.Aitchison III

4 January 1944

hbl Ruisseauville ftr hbl? III 2m NW Brutelles hit dunes ftr IRuisseauville)

Bll09 Fw 190 Fw 190

--1 -1-1-

Fw 190

--1

sdbea ILe MesnillAllard) hbl b/o 1m NW Labroye {cld over N Weald {;b/o W Rauen {S Somme Est {

w/u Odiham catB lAc

5 January 1944

SE Flers rol III nr Northolt catB rolf/l nr Northolt catB/Ac ell I/iitchel Manor nr Odiham (Yvrench)

122 Airfield Spitfires escorted Mitchells and Mosquitoes of 2 Group to attack 'Noball' targets 6 January 1944 ----=-------'----around midday, while 401 and 411 Squadrons from Biggin Hill flew a sweep while the raid was in progress (412 Squadron had left the airfield on this date for an air-firing course at Hutton Cranswick). Both formations were intercepted, the Gravesend squadrons becoming involved in a big fight, during which Flt Sgt Hutchinson of 19 Squadron claimed one enemy fighter shot down and two damaged. 401 Squadron was attacked by an Fw 190 and a Bf 109, and 411 Squadron by four Fw 190s, Flg Off H.K.Hamilton of the former unit and Flt Lt R.W.Orr of the latter each claiming one Fw 190. It may have been that aircraft recognition was not at its strongest on this occasion, for II. and III./JG 2 lost three Bf 109 Gs during the day, whilst the latter unit claimed three Spitfires shot down between 1215-1220 (German time); no claims were submitted by USAAF pilots on this occasion. 464 Squadron, now with two months of Mosquito operations behind it, was taken over by Wg Cdr R.W.Iredale, DFC, who had been one of the unit's original flight commanders in August 1942.

TIME

SON

TYPE

1210

e1230 e1300

19 122 401 411 122 107

Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire Boston

1425

184

1440 e1500

175 184

Hurricane IV KZ378 V KZ401 Typhoon IB JR190 Hurricane IV KZ554

1230

IX IX IX IX IX lila

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

CLAIM

MH365 nk MH885 MJ229 MH318 BZ387 L

F/S RA.Hutchinsan F/O D.R.Stevens F/O H.K.Hamiltan F/L RWOrr F/S J.Crossland Lt A.G.Truxler (KI P/O D.H.Skipp (Kl P/O A.J.Naisbit (K) P/O B.A,McConneIIIKI F/L A'w.Ruffhead (K) F/S A.Andrew IK) F/S G.L.Renshaw (PI W/O J.F.Seliors

Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Bf 109

CD

U

+-'

U

~ ~

7 January 1944

N

dpd 1- 2 --1 1-1---1

CAUSE/LOCATION {8m NW Rauen { Pavilly - ERauen Pavilly (Rauen) elf csd Little Sandhurst

sdbf nr Le Touquet hbf I/s nr Le Touquet ftr Marquenneville hbf (Le Touquet) c/I nr Lympne catB

Wg Cdr Yule led 132 and 602 Squadrons from Detling to provide withdrawal cover to B-17s and B-24s shortly after midday. Eight Fw 190s were seen attacking the bombers, Yule and Fit Lt H.E.Walmsley of 132 Squadron each claiming one shot down, while two more were claimed damaged. JG 26 lost four Fw 190s during this period of the day, shot down by the Spitfire, and/or by P-47 Thunderbolts of the US 4th Fighter Group, which claimed three such aircraft over France. 174 Squadron suffered a particularly unfortunate loss when two of its Typhoons collided during the 'pull-out' following a dive-bombing attack. Each aircraft lost a wing, and only one pilot managed to bale out successfully. On this date 313 Squadron temporarily left 134 Airfield, flying to Woodvale, and from there to Ayr on 20th. 1325 1330 1340 1345

125Af 19 132 98

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Mitchell II

MH718 MA837 MH719 J FL682 N

1345

180

Mitchell II

FR396 K

1350 e1410 1630

602 602 174

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Typhoon IB

MH504 MH722 JP600 K JR373

Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190

W/C R.D.Yule F/L T.H.Drinkwater F/L H.E.walmsley F/S T.Riordan (KI F/S D.Marris (KI F/S S.G.Narton (K) F/S W.Cross (K) F/O E.B.Faoks (K) Pip L.A.Taylar IKI F/S C.H.Farsyth (K) F/S G.T.Ormandy (K) P/O P.H.Closterman F/S C.H.Jenkins (A) F/O J.F.Cobbett (K) F/S RV.Smith (PI

1---1 1--

Cambrai - Albert area St Pol area EAbbeville cld FR396 csd 3m S Dunsfold

cld FL682 csd 3m S Dunsfold

Fw 190

--1

EAbbeville rof dtd 5m off Dover {cld csd nr Bethune {

8 January 1944

George Robert Arthur McGarel Johnston DSO, DFC & Bar

eorge Johnston, known to all as 'Robin', was born in South Africa in 1916, but was educated in England. He was commissioned in the RAFVR in 1938 and was called up on the outbreak of war. He served from early in 1941 with 73 Squadron in the North African Desert, becoming a flight commander and receiving a DFC after claiming four aerial victiories. Returning to the UK in January 1944, he took command of 65 Squadron as it was

G

re-equipping with Mustang IIIs, becoming Wing Leader of 122 Airfield in March. He led the Wing with distinction, claiming several further victories, and was awarded the DSO and a Bar to his DFC. He ended the war as Wing Commander Tactics at the Central Fighter Establishment at Tangmere, subsequently returning to the Colonial Service, which he had joined shortly before the war.

TIME

SON TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/lOCATION

1400

121Af Typhoon IB 245 Typhoon IB 174 Typhoon IB

WIG R.T.P.Davidson} P/D K.JADickie} F/L FAGrantham} F/S G.J.Steel} F/S W.NWaudby IE)

LeD 45

1--

Soissons

Ju 88-

1-

Villa roche

FlO R.M.Davenport (EI

sdbf SW Montreuil

FlO J.D.Lunn P/O J.P.Bassett (K) F/S L.JWarner IK) FlO V.A.Hester FlO R.Birkett

hbf IRhubarb N France) catB/Ac sdbf csd 7m NE Rouen hbf? LeTouquet dtd 3m off Fr cst hbf nr Dieppe ell base catB

e1420

245

Typhoon 18

nk nk JR241 JR133 JP971

1145

401

Spitfire IX

MH827

e1450 e1510 e1520 1645

195 245 195 613

Typhoon IB EJ910 Typhoon IB JP852 Typhoon IB JP935 Mosquito VI LR336

1405

rn ><

""0

ill

::;

sdb Ju 88 nr Evreux

_.

CI:l

0 9 January 1944 ::; 10 January 1944

ABOVE: A wintry day in mid-January 1944 and pilots of 245 Squadron return from bombing a 'Noball' site in France, passing Typhoons dispersed on the Westhampnett (now Goodwood) 'peritrack'. The Typhoons - notoriously difficult to start when cold - have cowling covers with 'chimneys' beneath, under which heaters could be inserted. In the background is Hurricane 'MR-2': the Typhoon units usually had one or two such aircraft for continuation training or communications duties but they would be replaced by Austers before the Invasion. Second from the left is Bob Lee (who would survive five days trapped in his wrecked Typhoon near Mortain), in the middle at the back is Roly Temple (who was shot down on the same day, but did not survive) and on the right of the back row is Ramsay 'Sheep' Milne, a Canadian who was about to be posted to 440 Squadron to help his compatriots' conversion to Typhoon operations. In front of Milne is John Golley who would later write 'The Day of the Typhoon' and a number of other aviation books. Typhoon JR311 'MR-G' was then Flight Commander Robin McNair's aircraft. but it would shortly be transferred to 175 Squadron (see 24 May 1944) (IWM CH12255A)

LEFT: Armourers fit 500 Ib bombs, no doubt destined for a 'Noball' site, and adjust the 'sway braces'on JPB02 'MR-M' of 245 Squadron. The Typhoon is one of the interim models delivered in the latter half of 1943, featuring 'whip' aerials and exhaust fairings. (IWM CH122521

I

LEFT: The 'erks' queue up for 'tea and a wad' in front of a recently delivered Typhoon, DN248, one of many which had returned to Gloster Aircraft for fitting with a 'bubble canopy'. (IWM CH12249)

Q)

U

l.-

o

LL

«

14 January 1944

Hptm Klaus Mietusch was a long-serving member of JG 26, and by early 1944 was Kommandeur of III.Gruppe, with his personal score approaching 60. He would be killed in action on 17 September 1944 with 72 victories to his credit.

15 January 1944

TIME

SON

1150 1155 1155

132 Spitfire IX 125Af Spitfire IX 342 Boston lila

TYPE

IDENT MJ307 nk BZ305

PILOT/CREW FlO H.S.Srnith WIG RO.Yule FlO FRozoy (W) WIO RFurst (WI

CLAIM

dpd

Fw 190 Bf 109

1---1

e1200

613

Mosquito VI

LR290

e1200

613

Mosquito VI

LR276

e1200 e1200 1200

168 132 308

Mustang IA Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

1200

602

Spitfire IX

1210

602

Spitfire IX

e1500 1510 1600

231 247 231

Mustang I Typhoon IB Mustang I

FD542 MH978 nk MH927 MH504 MJ147 MH736 MH708 AG601 JR196 P AG651

Sgt H.Ardouin (WI Sgt RMainery IK) F/L J.G.Oliver (EI Sgt HWilliarns IP) F/L P.G.Gobley IW) FlO GWWiliiarns (W) F/L RNWBock (K) S/L FFGolleredo-Mansfield (K) F/S W.Korwel Fw 190 F/L J.P.Piotrowski (K) F/S J.J.Rernlinger Fw 190 F/L K.L.Gharney Fw 190 PIO B.J.Durnbrell } Bf 109 F/S G.L.Paggetl} FlO T.B.R.Anderson FlO G.G.Heathcote (K) FlO W.RWardle

e1530

132

Spitfire IX

MH505

FlO J.J.Gaulton

Fw 190

CAUSE/LOCATION 10m ELe Touquet over XI./A/72 hbf (Goranflos) csd Pevensey Bay

hbf Longuernont ftr hbf Longuernont

--1 --1 1--1-

hbf dtd Ghnl f? csd off Berck 10m SE St Orner sdbea {Boulogne-Hesdin-St Pol { { hbf Brionne catB/Ac hbf? g/lk csd 10m S St Valery w/u Redhill cnk catB

--1

nr St Orner

17-20 January 1944 Following these intense operations, 132 and 602 Squadrons were rested on 17th, the former flying up to Castletown in Scotland, the latter to the Orkneys. On 19 January 453(RAAF) Squadron arrived at Detling to join 125 Airfield, exchanging its Spitfire VBs for Mark IXBs, The resident Spitfire squadrons (132 and 602) were reversing the process, leaving for Castletown and Perranporth respectively, and 'trading down' to Mark Vs, Three days later 453 departed for Hutton Cranswick's APe.

Ofw Heinz KemethmOlier had seen service in Russia with JG 3 before joining III./JG 26 in 1943 By early 1944, he was StaffelfOhrer of 4.Staffel. Although wounded seven times, he survived the war credited with 89 victories, 60 of them in the East.

Wg Cdr Frantisek Dolezal, DC 134 Airfield, had flown Morane 406s wth Groupe de Chasse 11/2 in the Battle of France and Spitfires with 19 Squadron during the Battle of Britain before leading 310 Squadron, and eventually, in January 1943, the Czech Wing. The Spitfire IX is 'RY-V' of 313 Squadron.

The Czech squadrons at 134 Airfield had by now also received Spitfire lXs, and on 20 January undertook their first operational sorties with these aircraft. At 124 Airfield on this date Wg Cdr Derek Walker finished his tour, his place now going to the Norwegian, Wg Cdr Erik Haabjorn, DFC, formerly commander of 247 Squadron; this latter unit was taken over by Sqn Ldr R.J.McNair, DFC, previously a flight commander with 245 Squadron. Typhoons with clear all-perspex blown 'blister' cockpit hoods had been available in small numbers since the previous September, and were usually the preserve of unit commanders, but now they were reaching the squadrons in growing numbers. During the coming months many of the older Typhoons would be withdrawn and rebuilt with the new canopies, and with modifications to allow them to carry rockets. Even so, small numbers of the older aircraft would remain in service until mid-summer, notably with some of the 121 and 124 Airfield squadrons.

Units engaged in attacking the 'Noball' sites were finding the surrounding Flak defences even more effective. On the 21st, 21 Squadron lost two Mosquitoes off Bruneval during one such attack on a site at St Pierre, both aircraft coming down in the sea with the loss of both crews. Several 'Ramrods' were undertaken during the day, 403 and 421 Squadrons sweeping to the Dieppe-Amiens-Cambrai-Arras area. Over the latter location, four Fw 190s were seen and attacked by 403 Squadron from 19,000 feet, two being claimed shot down and one damaged at 1240, one of the successful pilots again being Plt Off Claude Weaver. 'Ramrod 468' was an attack on Le Grismot by Mitchells, which was escorted by 122 Airfield Spitfires. Over the Somme Estuary an aircraft identified as an Me 210 (possibly an Me 410) was seen at 12,000 feet, Wg Cdr Grant leading pilots of 122 Squadron down to attack, and sharing its destruction with the squadron as a whole. A second such aircraft was spotted near Hucqueliers by Flt Lt Z.Drybanski of 306 Squadron, who attacked and claimed to have damaged this. Following an examination of his camera gun footage, this claim was upgraded to 'destroyed'. TIME

SON

e1200

21

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

Mosquito VI

HX960

S/L A.M.L.Alderton (K) Lt B.L.Chalet IKI F/O WS.Johnston IK) P/O L.Hoeking IKI F/L Z.Orybanski P/O CWeaver F/O H.R.Finley F/L J.O.Browne F/L WJ.Hill W/C R.J.C.Grant} Squadron} F/O WMarshal1 F/O J.A.Gordon Sgt H.M.Nottle P/O P.HWilfart P/O A.E.verren III P/O EWRogers III

HX958 1230 1240

1305 e1400

2200

306 403

Spitfire VB Spitfire IX

122Af Spitfire IX 122 Spitfire IX Mitehelill 98

464

Mosquito VI

nk A MH829 MA578 MJ310 MA832 nk RG FL674

W

HX964 y

CLAIM

dpd

268

Mustang IA

FD472

F/L A.Brees

F0563

F/O F.Jenkins

'""D ill ::.:::::l

en

o

::.:::::l

21 January 1944

CAUSE/LOCATION hbf esd off Bruneval hbf esd off Bruneval

Me 210 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190

--1 1-1---1

Me 210

1--

Huequeliers 12m W Lens SW Lens Lens area flew through friendly fireeatB/Ae St Pol hbf (Bois d'Esquardes) e/I Lympne

hbf e/I Hunsdon

268 Squadron re-commenced operations following a break for training, two Mustang lAs undertaking a 'Popular' operation during which they were attacked by two Fw 190s south of Hesdin. They escaped after FIg Off Jenkins' aircraft had been hit and damaged, Flt Lt Brees then hitting a tree as he manoeuvred at low level. He then saw one of his attackers apparently fly into a similar obstacle and blow up; he was awarded a probable victory in respect of this. e1500

rn ><

Fw 190

- 1-

22 January 1944

3m S Hesdin hit tree eatB hit ground S Hesdin eatB

During 'Ramrod 472' Marauders were escorted by 132 and 134 Airfield units during the early afternoon. At 1540, two pilots of 306 Squadron engaged a pair of Fw 190s near Gravelines and claimed damage to one, while five minutes later, Lt Col Birksted and his Norwegian pilots claimed three of four shot down after pursuing them from Amiens to Breteuil.

23 January 1944

I

Cl)

U :.....

Erik Haabjorn

o LL

«

DFC

member of the Norwegian Army Air Force in 1940, Haabjorn escaped capture in April 1940 and was later transported to the UK where he served with the first Norwegian fighter squadron, 331, from August 1941. Early in 1942 he transferred to 332 Squadron, and from there to 56 Squadron to fly Typhoons. He became a flight commander in 609 Squadron until promoted to command 247 Squadron in late summer 1943, when he as also awarded a DFC. At the start of 1944, he

A

became Wing Leader of 124 Airfield, which he was to lead until August that year. During his time flying Typhoons, he was brought down four times, twice by Flak, once by an engine failure and once by a Spitfire, and was rescued from the sea on three of the four occasions. He remained in the Royal Norwegian Air Force for a time after the war, subsequently forming his own commercial aviation company. He was killed ferrying a Norseman aircraft across the Atlantic in bad weather during 1953. RIGHT Erik Haabjorn in RNorAF uniform, while commanding 247 Squadron, having just received his DFC at Buckingham Palace.

LEFT AND BELOW LEFT Haabjorn's new Typhoon, JP649 'ZY-Z', which he adopted in late August 1943 and flew until the beginning of January when he replaced it with a sliding hood version, JR449

JP649 remained with 247 Squadron, becoming 'ZY-H', Fig Off 'Aitch' Aitcheson's aircraft; they were lost together on a long-range sweep to Chilteaudun on 14 February 1944.

ABOVE:

Typhoon IB JP649 'ZY-Z', Sqn Ldr Erik Haabjorn, 247 Squadron, New Romney and Merston, August-December 1943

rn ><

-0 ill ::J C/)

o

::J

ABOVE AND RIGHT: When Haabjorn commanded 247 squadron, his 'A' Flight commander was Fit Lt 'Bray' Brayshaw, who had a fortunate escape from his Typhoon, JP653 'ZY-E', when, on 24 September 1943, engine failure forced him to 'ditch' off Dymchurch. The Typhoon settled on the seabed before he was able to fight clear of the cockpit and surface to be rescued by fishermen. He is seen visiting his the Typhoon after it was salvaged.

ABOVE: Brayshaw usually flew 'ZY-B'; EK224 seen here was one of his earlier aircraft,

photographed at Bradwell Bay shortly before the Squadron joined 124 Airfield at New Romney in July 1943, where it was replaced by JP482 ABOVE: Some of Erik's

'boys' early in 1944 including, at the front 'Chuck' Cosar with 'Oscar', behind him from the left, Johnny 'Zero' Porter, Sinjo Ryen, and Bob Betts. Between the cannon is 'Minnie' Eckel.

LEFT: Haabjorn had a fellow countryman on 247 Squadron, Sgt Sinjo Ryen, seen here with a 500lb bomb marked on behalf of a Polish friend who was by then a POW Ryen was killed in Normandy when his aircraft turned over during a forced landing accident following engine failure.

I

Q)

u

~

TIME

SON

TYPE

1540 1545

306 132Af 331 332

Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire

o LL
24 January 1944

nk M nk MH940 D MH876 MH870

PILOT/CREW FlO S.Tronczynski LtC K.Birksted 2Lt R.Dogger Maj W.H.Christie } Sgt N.Riung }

CLAIM

d Pd

CAUSE/LOCATION

Fw Fw Fw Fw

--1 1-1-1--

Gravelines {Breteuil { {

190 190 190 190

On the 24th, 19 Squadron flew its last sorties with Spitfires, following which all squadrons at 122 Airfield were ordered to pass their Mark Dills to the Canadians at 127 Airfield, to replace the latter's Mark lXAs. 19,65 and 122 Squadrons were now to complete re-equipment with Mustang Ills. 1040 1040 e1220

25 January 1944

IDENT IX IX IX IX

401 350 122

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

MJ145 MJ150 MH375

F/L J.Sheppard (AI FlO A.Herreman FlO P.GWGoode (K)

elf dtd Chnl overshot r/w Hornchurch catB/Ac elf blo 6m off Deal

During raids on 'Noball' sites, six of 342 Squadron's Bostons were damaged by Flak, while a 180 Squadron Mitchell was so hard hit that it crashed near Hawkinge on return; three of the crew had managed to bale out, but the pilot was killed. Whilst escorting Mitchells on one such raid during the morning, FIg Off A.Furniss-Rowe of 66 Squadron was shot down south of St Orner by Fw Heinz Gomann of 6.1JG 26. He force-landed, evading capture for the second time, having had a similar experience in August 1943; and he again made good his return to England! A rocket-Typhoon of 181 Squadron was hit by Flak about an hour later and spun into the ground, FIg Off L.R.Allen was killed. e1015

e1035 e1100

180

66 181

Mitchell II

Spitfire IX Typhoon IB

FL218

W

EN575 JP968 Y

WIO D.Rogers (K)

hbf csd 1m NNW Hawkinge

Sgt W.Hemmingway Sgt J.Baker F/S W.Mackenzie FlO A.Furniss-Rowe (E) FlO L.R.Allen (K)

fll 5m S St Omer spun in from cloud (Noball)

At first Wg Cdr Billy Drake flew 195 Squadron Typhoons when leading 136 Airfield units on operations - eventually acquiring a personal Typhoon coded ·BO-7". However on 27 January 1944 he led 24 aircraft on an operation from Fairlop in JP90B 'JE-H', but suffered an engine failure near Bromley on the way out. He was able to make a 'dead-stick' landing - wheels up and still with two 500 Ib bombs beneath the wings - at Biggin Hill. Unable to remember in the heat of the moment whether or not the bombs were armed, he was relieved to discover they were 'safe'! (IWM HU22307j

28 January 1944

Although now much involved in photographic operations, 414 Squadron still occasionally undertook the odd 'Rangers' or 'Rhubarbs'. Around noon, four of the unit's Mustangs set off for the Chartres area, where two Ar 96 trainers were seen at 1235. Fh Us Gordon Wonnacott and G.W.Burroughs shared one, while FIg Off RO.Brown was seen to shoot down the other. Two Bf 109s then appeared and shot down Brown's aircraft before Wonnacott and Burroughs were able to claim one apiece; Wonnacott reported that as he left the area, he could see five columns of smoke rising into the air. It seems that they had been engaged with aircraft of the Luftwaffe's operational training unit, JG 105, which was based at Chartres. A young Unteroffizier from this unit's 2. Staffel claimed a Mustang shot down at only 30 metres (about 60 feet) two kilometres south-east of Nogent-Ie-Roi at 1257. About an hour behind the Canadian quartet came a pair of 2 Squadron Mustangs, but these were less fortunate, being intercepted by two pilots of 8.1JG 26, who shot them down in the Abbeville area, and both pilots were killed. Their victors were Lt Wilhelm Hofmann and Fw Josef Zirngibl, claiming their seventh and sixth victories respectively.

At 1500 a trio of 403 Squadron Spitfires undertook a 'Ranger' to Arniens, but these too were 'bounced' by II./JG 26 Fw 190s, the Malta veteran, PIt Off Claude Weaver III (probably the youngest Allied 'ace'of the war), being shot down and killed by Fw Gerhard Vogt (his 19th claim), while Fw Mayer claimed damage to a second Spitfire. In fact both the other Canadian fighters were badly damaged, but made good their escape, claiming to have damaged one Focke-Wulf in return. TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

1140 e1200

412 487

Spitfire IX Mosquito VI

MJ302 nk H

1235

414

Mustang I

1240

414

Mustang I

403

Mustang I Mustang I Spitfire IX

AG503 AP211 AM251 AP211 AM251 AM182 AP237 MA844 MA642 MA628

F/L D.G.McKay (AI F/O R.C.Beazer F/O J.Baker F/O R.D.Brown (K) F/L GWonnacott} F/L GW.Burroughs} F/L GWonnacott F/L G.W.Burroughs F/L G.I.H.Macpherson (KI FlO M.D.L.Graham IKI P/O L.Foster P/O CWeaver IKI F/L C.P.Thornton

e1350 1550

CLAIM

dpd

1345

464

Mustang I

P/O J.Alexander (KI P/O RWLink IKI JR449 EH W/C E.Haabjorn ) JP649 H FlO A.S.Aitchison } JR521 B FlO K.B.Sellick} JP785 X P/O R.S Colquhoun} FlO G.C. Brickwood (E) AM188

Mosquito VI

124Af Typhoon IB 247 Typhoon IB

1545 487

Mosquito VI

HX916 A

e1345

268

Mustang IA

FD543

487

Mosquito VI

HX951 K

e1420

:::i

en

o

:::i

hbl Bois Cocquerel catB Ar 96 Ar 96

1-1--

{5m E Chartres; sdb Bf 109 {

Bll09 Bf 109

1-1--

Fw 190

--1

{NE Chartres { {ftr XI./A/60&61 {Abbeville area? NE Amiens; db Fw 190 catB lAc sdb Fw 190 nr Amiens db Fw 190 nr Amiens cat Ac

HP851 U

e1240

><

-0 ill

CAUSE/lOCATION e/I b/o S Dungeness

Typhoons of both ADGB and 2nd TAF squadrons were very active, Wg Cdr Haabjorn leading 15 of these aircraft from 181 and 247 Squadrons on a 'Ranger' to the Chateaudun/Le Mans areas. Near the former, a four-engined Fw 200 was sighted, the Wing Leader and three pilots of 247 Squadron reaching it first and sending it down in flames. It had not been a good day for Typhoons however, for ADGB units lost seven such aircraft to Flak on this date with an eighth damaged. 2nd TAF's losses amounted to another 2 Squadron Mustang, which force-landed north-east of Cayeux. The pilot, FIg Off G.C.Brickwood, evaded capture and returned to England three months later, and a 464 Squadron Mosquito, was lost in the Florennes area. e0100

rn

29 January 1944

ftr IFlorennesl Fw 200

1--

5m SE Chiiteaudun

III NE Cayeux cnk

F/S J.T.Hyndman IK) WIO G.N.Matthews (KI FlO S.M.Seddon (K)

csd in bad vis, Belsham Corner, Sussex (Noball) csd 10m S Beachy Head

30 January 1944

F/S A.Settle (KI FlO M.L.Jones (KI

csd in log Priors Lease, Sussex INoball)

31 January 1944

February 1944 The programme of photographic reconnaissance was now fully into its stride, and the 140 Squadron Mosquitoes were in training to employ 'Gee' and 'Rebecca H' navigation aids for night and bad weather work. Airfields, coastal batteries and 'Noball' sites were the main targets for their activities at this time. In 2 Group, 107 Squadron moved to Lasham to exchange its Bostons for Mosquitoes. A few days later 320 Squadron left Lasham to join 98 and 180 Squadrons at Dunsfold, while 226 Squadron went to take 107 Squadron's place at Hartford Bridge. However, it was seldom to fly operations with the Boston squadrons here, usually flying instead with the other Mitchell units. The larger Mitchells offered more scope than Bostons for the fitting of additional equipment, and during February, 98 Squadron became the first 2 Group unit to use 'Gee' navigation in action. On 4 February 134 Airfield received a new Wing Leader when Wg Cdr T.Vybiral took over from Frantisek Dolezal, who was tour-expired. On the 11th, 453 Squadron, now back at 125 Airfield, undertook its first sorties since joining 2nd TAF, taking part in an escort for B-26s. FlO RWa Iker-Lutz (AI

elf dtd 2m S Selsey

3 February 1944

Typhoon IB JP380 Y Mosquito VI LR386

PIO O.J.Coxhead F/S J.Anderson (K) F/S G.T.Cox IKI

hyd/l w/u Tangmere catB hbl? lis Vvetot

5 February 1944

Mustang I Typhoon IB Mitchell II Typhoon IB Typhoon IB

F/L I.S.Miller (K) F/S R.B.Hemmings F/S A.W.Taylor P/O G.Tucker (PI F/S DASlack (PI

ftr (Oisementl hbf landed Ford catAc hyd/f w/u Swanton Morley catB hbf III nr Evreux lis W Montdidier

1545

247

Typhoon IB

1020 e1430

182 21

e1530 e1605 1620 1625 1630

2 247 226 175 175

JP927 0

AM146 JP730 M FV290 JP385 JP369 P

I

Q)

6 February 1944

U

~

o

A Mosquito of 21 Squadron failed to return from 'Ramrod 521', last being seen over the Bois Cogerie; it had been shot down by Flak. A Typhoon of 245 Squadron also fell to Flak over Cherbourg; all three aircrew from these two aircraft were lost

L..L.

co

TIME

SUN

el145 1220 e1300

245 247 21

TYPE

!DENT

PILOT/CREW

Typhoon IB JR323 Typhoon IB JP854 V Mosquito VI LR380

u

t)

8 February 1944

~

CLAIM

dpd

F/O R.L.Hawkins (K) F/O C.S.Cossar F/L H.V.CWebb (K) F/L J.Sercombe IKI

CAUSE/LOCATION sdbl nr Cherbourg dla Merston catB ftr I/s Bois Cogerie

Another 21 Squadron Mosquito was lost to Flak on this date, last seen over Bonnetot; the crew however evaded capture. A 342 Squadron Boston and a 184 Squadron Hurricane IV were also lost, and their aircrew did not survive.

-0 C

N

9 February 1944

1058

342

Boston Ilia

BZ329 H

1112

21

Mosquito VI

LR404

1605 e1620

184 175

Hurricane IV KZ607 Typhoon IB JP538

F/O J.L.Forsans (P) FIS B.RWateIIKI W/O P.Johanny (K) Sgt R.FWoodiwiss IKI FlO WFBender IE) FlO R.B.Gordon (EI F/O J.Downes (K) F/O N.C.R.Howe

sd bl nr St Pol

ftr I/s Bonnetot sdbf Zudausque hbf INoball La Glaceriel catB lAc

During an operation in the Gournay area early in the afternoon, a pair of Spitfires of 66 Squadron were 'bounced' and badly damaged by Fw 190s. One of the RAF aircraft was flown by FIg Off Arthur Varey, DFM, a Malta veteran.

Note: Although 266 Squadron was not a part of2nd TAP at this time, an event occurred on this date which is noteworthy here because it provides an opportunity to correct an item included in the authors' earlier The Typhoon & Tempest Story. During a 'Ranger' to the Chartres area, Pit Off D.Erasmus of this squadron claimed a Bf 109 shot down. This was in fact a Dewoitine 520, an ex-Armee de l'Air fighter taken over by the Luftwaffe and used by JG 105, (referred to above on 28 January) which was based at Chartres. D 520 No 483 was shot down and Uffz Woll was killed. Four days later Sqn Ldr G.B. Warnes of 263 Squadron, also a Typhoon unit, claimed another Bf 109 in the same area. Again this was a D 520 ofJG 105 - No 664 in which Uffz Bartl was killed. It is interesting to note that at this time the Luftwaffe operated four such Jagdgeschwader in France, which would continue to operate there until August 1944, when there was a general withdrawal back into Germany. The other units were JG 101 at Pau, JG 103 at Chateauroux and JG 107 at Nancy.

11 February 1944

e0925 1000 el010

182 175 180

Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Mitchell II

JR195 C JR337 FL689

e1050 ell00 elllO 1310 e1350

331 504 400 182 66

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Mustang I Typhoon IB Spitfire IX

MK129 MH480 AP202 JP860 MK287 MJ794

hbf Foret de Boulogne catB dla W Hampnett catB hbf ILivossart) cll Friston

elf b/o 25m NW Dieppe csd E Petersfield cnk hbf Trouville, catB elf w/u Merston catB db Fw 190 catB db Fw 190 catB

331 Squadron encountered Fw 190s between Lille and Dieppe during the early afternoon, Lt F.S.Fearnley claiming one shot down - one of only three such claims to be submitted by 2nd TAF pilots during the month; a second was claimed damaged by 2nd Lt J.W.Garben. ell00 1350 1400

12 February 1944

Z U N R

F/S J.WHenry W/O N.J.Scott F/O G.A.M.Struthers F/S T.E.Browne W/O D.C.Hammond (K) Sgt R.H.Exon Sgt 0 Treider (K) FlO R.GMorgan (K) FlO FE.Hanton FlO R.Brown FlO A.Varey F/L PChappell

2 331 331

Mustang I Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

AM195 MJ534 W MK236 M

F/L FJ.Reahil Lt F.S.Fearnley 2Lt J.WGarben

Fw 190 Fw 190

1---1

hbf Flessiel catS 40m SW Lille 10m NW Dieppe

Amongst the reconnaissance units, 168 Squadron now exchanged its Mustang lAs for 2 Squadron's Mark Is, then moving from Odiham to Benson to join 39 (Reece) Wing. 400 Squadron meanwhile moved to Odiham from where it would commence operations with its new Spitfire XIs and Mosquito XVls on the 20th. 430 Squadron was detached to Clifton in Yorkshire for two weeks to take part in an exercise code-named 'Eagle'. 127 Airfield, Kenley, welcomed the arrival of 416 Squadron to raise its complement of Spitfire squadrons to three. The unit would commence operations from here on the 15th. Next day the French squadrons of 145 Airfield (still at this time in 10 Group), which now had Wg Cdr Roy Marples as their Wing Leader, commenced re-equipment with Mark IX Spitfires, ridding themselves of the obsolescent Mark VBs.

BELOW, INSET AND BELOW RIGHT

19 Squadron became operational with its new Mustang Ills on 15 February 1944, undertaking a longrange, but uneventful sweep over Holland, Belgium and northern France. "All liked the new kites ... 250 lAS cruising speed at 25,000ft l " exulted the Squadron diarist. At first, the Mustangs carried identity markings (to prevent confusion with the Bf 109) which included a band across the fin, but these fin markings were soon removed (BELOW), as shown by the quartet of Mustangs (FBl13 'QV-H', 'QV-I', FZ190 'QV-!'\, and FZ141 'QV-E'). (IWM CH 12725 & CH 12876)

TIME

SON TYPE

IOENT

PILOT/CREW

1520

613

LR353

F/S A.Humphries Sgt J.E.Carroll

Mosquito VI

CLAIM

d Pd CAUSE/LOCATION

317 66 247 174 174 412 401

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

MH870 'EN 557' JP649 H JP548 MM962 MH734 MJ124

Sgt BWeyman (P) F/S A.Hopkins FlO A.S.Aitchison (K) FlO B.F.Proddow (E) S/L W.W.McConnell (PI FlO Z.J.Zabek IKI FlO R.K.Hayward

Me210

1--

88

Boston lila

BZ279 G

e1220

247

Typhoon IB

JP381

F

WIC A.BWheeler (K) F/L A.G.Oickenson (KI PIO GWGouit IK) F/S G.H.Reid (KI F/S C.E.B.EckeIIE)

14 February 1944

hbf XI./A/10B

elf blo 1m S Flers

Mustang III FZ164 'QV-V' Fit Lt T.H.Drinkwater, 19 Squadron, Gravesend, February-March 1944

§

C/)

o

:=J

ell lIs Abbeville e/tr fll N Chipping Ongar catB csd Chiiteaudun cnk ell III SE Marigny luelleak III 3m NW Percy elf csd Knockholt, Kent St Andre de l'Eure a/f

Bostons of 88 and 342 Squadrons attacked a target in the Cherbourg area, where very intense Flak was experienced. The Flak shot down the aircraft flown by 88 Squadron's Commanding Officer, Wg Cdr A.B. Wheeler, DFC, which fell in flames; several more Bostons were hit and damaged. During the day 19 and 65 Squadrons undertook their first operational sorties with the new Mustang IIIs, while 315 Squadron received a new commanding officer in the person of Sqn Ldr E.Horbaczewski, one of the most successful Polish fighter pilots. 1215

X

"""D

During the afternoon Fig Off R.K.Hayward of 401 Squadron made what would be only the .second claim of the month by 2nd TAF for an aircraft shot down. During a 'Ranger' by eight of the unit's Spitfires to the Evreux-Chartres area, he saw what he identified as an Me 210 taking off from St Andre airfield, diving to shoot this down. e1300 1410 1500 e1520 e1550 1605 1615

rn

hbl Assigny III Ford catB

15 February 1944

I

ill U

I.....-

o LL.

18 February 1944

During the month French Resistance workers had contacted the Special Operations Executive in England to request that an attack be made on the Gestapo headquarters in Amiens. Some 700 members of the Resistance were being held there, all of whom faced the death penalty. If an attack could be made, then many might be freed, even though some prisoners would probably be killed in the operation - but they were doomed men in any event. The request was referred to the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, who passed it to HQ, 2nd TAF, for implementation. Operation 'Jericho' was therefore planned, to be undertaken by 2 Group's 140 Airfield Mosquitoes from Hunsdon, as 'Ramrod 564'. Grp Capt Charles Pickard, famous for

LEFr On 18 February 1944, 2 Group's 140 Airfield was dispatched to attack the Gestapo Headquarters in Amiens as Operation 'Jericho' Here MM410 'S8-U' and MM403 '5B-V' of 464 Squadron are seen at low level over the Channel on the way to Amiens. Flown by Fg Off K.L.Monaghan and Fit Lt IMcPhee respectively: both crews and aircraft would return safely. (IWM FLM 1934)

ABOVE: Fit Lt John Broadley helps Gp Capt Charles Pickard to don

his Mae West, shortly before boarding HX922 'EG-F', a 487 Squadron aircraft, at Hunsdon for the 18 February Amiens raid. No doubt Pickard chose 'F for Freddie' after his famous Wellington, star of 'Target for Tonight'. (IWM FLM 1939)

ABOVE: LR403 'YH-U' flown by the 21 Squadron CO, Wg Cdr 'Danny' Dale, lifts off from Hunsdon to take part in 'Jericho'. 21 Squadron would have been the third squadron to attack the target, but was called off after successful strikes by the first two formations.

Mosquito VI HX922 'EG-F' Grp Capt P.C.Pickard, 140 Airfield, Hunsdon, 18 February 1944

rn

><

'"'0 ill ::::J C/)

o

::::J

ABOVE ANO RIGHT Escort for the 140 Airfield Mosquitoes was provided

by Typhoons. Returning from Amiens, two 174 Squadron Typhoons formated on the Film Production Unit Mosquito. JP535 'XP-A', flown by Flying Officer Harry 'Junior' Markby, was filmed just off the starboard wingtip of the Mosquito in a snow-storm mid-Channel. The close-up of Markby, surrounded by the substantial framework in the cockpit of a Typhoon, reveals why sliding 'blister' hoods, which were reaching the squadrons in appreciable numbers at this time, were so well received. (IWM FLM 1454)

Typhoon 18 JP535 'XP-A' Fig Off H.Markby, 174 Squadron, Westhampnett, 18 February 1944

appearing in the film Target for Tonight, had moved with the Airfield from Sculthorpe, and was still Airfield Commanding Officer. He decided that he would lead personally a force of 18 aircraft, drawn equally from 21, 464 and 487 Squadrons, each flight being headed by the respective squadron commander, It was planned that these would attack in three waves, the first two briefed to attack specific targets, while the third was to be held in reserve against failure of either of the first waves. The attacking formations were to be accompanied by a Mosquito of the Film Production Unit, which would film the results, Each wave was to have an escort of Typhoons, which were to be provided by 174 and 245 Squadrons from Westhampnett, and a third (ADGB) unit from Manston, The Mosquitoes went off at 1051, but there appears to have been a failure in communications regarding the fighter escort, for at Westhampnett briefing was carried out in great haste at 1055, the first Typhoons not getting airborne until 1110. Further, there had been no opportunity to fit long-range tanks. At Manston the weather was appalling, with very low cloud and snow squalls, The commanding officer of the ADGB unit ordered to take part, refused to allow his unit to fly, and at the last moment a few aircraft of 198 Squadron were sent off instead, arriving over the target too late to see anything other than the FPU Mosquito. At Westhampnett the weather was slightly better, and eight Typhoons of 174 Squadron got off, followed by eight more from 245 Squadron, all briefed to rendezvous with the Mosquitoes over Littlehampton. The weather upset this arrangement, but 174 Squadron did meet four Mosquitoes of the second wave, joined by four more of these aircraft mid-Channel. 245 . Squadron located three more, all that remained of the third wave, Having flown straight into snow clouds, two Mosquitoes from each of 21 and 464 Squadrons had turned back.

I

The remaining 15 Mosquitoes and their escorting Typhoons flew on, but as they approached Amiens the Flak opened up and one 464 Squadron Mosquito was hit in the port engine; despite a neck wound, Fit Lt Hanafin feathered the propeller, jettisoned his bombs, and turned back; he would make a successful single-engined landing at Ford. Wg Cdr LS.Smith led the 487 Squadron formation towards the target, followed by 464 Squadron's remaining quartet, the crews seeing Fw 190s taxying out at Glisy airfield as they passed. The attacks by these two squadrons were of pinpoint accuracy, blowing holes in the walls and demolishing guard towers. Grp Capt Pickard, having completed his own bombing run, circled above to observe results, and was able to advise Wg Cdr Dole that the job was complete and that the 21 Squadron aircraft need not attack. As the formation headed away, Fw 190s of7./JG 26 attempted to intercept, but were warded off by the Typhoons. Fig Off I.E.Renaud of 174 Squadron was at low-level, about four miles north ofAmiens, when he heard a loud explosion, the engine stopped, and he crash-landed near Poulainville to become a POW, believing that he had been brought down by Flak. In fact, he had failed to see Lt Waldemar Radner's Focke-Wulf on his tail, but he was actually shot down by this pilot for his 12th victory. Flak meanwhile had caught Sqn Ldr A.LMcRitchie's 464 Squadron Mosquito near Albert, and he was obliged to crash-land, suffering injury in doing so, but then discovered that his navigator, Fit Lt R.W.Sampson, was dead. Pit Off Sparkes of 487 Squadron also had his aircraft badly damaged by Flak, but returned to base. Pickard had delayed his departure from the scene too long, and he was intercepted by two Fw 190s and shot down by Lt Wilhelm Mayer, he and his navigator, Fit Lt Broadley, were both killed when their aircraft crashed at St Gratien, eight miles north of the target. Mayer then pursued one of the 487 Squadron aircraft, inflicting considerable damage before it escaped; he claimed this as probably destroyed, ten minutes after he had dispatched Pickard's aircraft. While two of the 174 Squadron Typhoons were ordered to escort the FPU Mosquito back to safety, the rest headed for home as Fit Lt Ian Mallet recalled "FIt Lt Grantham set course on 030

«

RIGHT 487 Squadron RNZAF photographed at Hunsdon, Hertfordshire, March 1944.

BELOW LEFT AND fNSEr

Seen shortly after the Amiens raid, these Mosquito Vis of 487 Squadron carry 250 Ib bombs beneath each wing, in addition to their internal bombload of two similar bombs. On 26 March 1944 MM417 'EG-T', flown by the Squadron Commander, Wg Cdr LSSmith, was hit by Flak in the starboard engine and the propeller could not be feathered. Smith managed to crash-land the aircraft at base Hunsdon - but the Mosquito was 'Category E' - a write-off. (IWM CH 12411 & CH 12415)

degrees but being Iowan fuel I led the remainder of my section back on a course of 330 degrees, dropping to sea level as the weather further deteriorated with flurries of snow. Boucher and Brown lost contact and climbed into cloud; Boucher managed to land at Lydd to refuel before returning to Westhampnett, but Brown regretfully did not return to base. Either he ran out offuel before reaching land or iced-up in the cloud. I continued at sea level on a revised course given to me by "Redhead" control and later caught a glimpse ofcliffs right in front of my nose. After pulling up into cloud I saw ice on the wings, so I turned south and let down over the sea and thence back to Westhampnett which was relatively clear. Flight time was 1 hour 55 minutes and there was very little fuel left·" Despite the ugly weather, the 21 Squadron formation, with the 245 Squadron Typhoons returned safely, as did those aircraft dispatched by 198 Squadron, none of these having encountered the intercepting Fw 190s. Had the raid been worth the effort and loss? A total of 258 prisoners escaped, including a Monsieur Vivant, a most important member of the Resistance, but 102 others were killed by the bombs. Regrettably, many of the escapees were soon recaptured. TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

e1210

464

Mosquito

MM404 T

S/L A.I.McRitchie(P) F/L RW.Sampson IKI F/O J.E.Renaud IPI G/C P.C.Pickard (K) F/L J.A.Broadley IKI F/S H.S.Brown (K)

e1210 e1220 e1230

174 Typhoon IB 140Af Mosquito 174

Typhoon IB

JR133 HX922 JP793

CLAIM

dpd

rn

X -0 ill ::J

C/)

o

::J

CAUSE/LOCATION sdbf nr Albert sdb Fw 190 N Amiens sdb Fw 190 nr Amiens; 487 Sq a/c I/s in snow20m SSE Beachey Head

On the 19th, 134 Airfield left Ibsley, moving to Mendlesham; 310 Squadron flew in at once, followed next day by 313 Squadron. 312 meanwhile, remained at Ibsley until the 23rd, when it departed for Southend APC. It would rejoin the other units on completion of its bombing course.

19 February 1944

ABOVE LEFT AND ABOVE RIGHT The Polish Spitfire squadrons of 131 Airfield remained at Northolt throughout the winter, moving to Deanland and then Chailey in April. MA843 'WX-F' of 302 Squadron, BS513 'ZF-P' and (probably) MA299 'ZF-E' of 308 Squadron are seen operating from Northolt during the making of an aircraft recognition film in February 1944 'WX-F' was the personal aircraft of Fit Lt Witold Lanowski who later flew PA7s with the 61 st Fighter Squadron of the 56th Fighter Group, USAAF (IWM FLM 3590 & FLM 3591)

RIGHT Spitfire IXs of 403 Squadron with their wolfs head badge just visible, parked among Typhoons of the resident 137 Squadron at Lympne in February 1944. They had probably landed there due to bad weather or fuel shortage on return from an escort mission. It would be another six months before 137 Squadron joined 2nd TAF - the last Typhoon unit to do so.

e1100 el140

19 613

Mustang III Mosquito VI

el150 e1150 1515 1630

400 400 403 464

Mustang I AM158 L Mustang I AP202 N Spitfire IX MJ944 Mosquito VI HX913

-

~,.;~,...

FZ158 LR354

W/O L.TWoodward F/L J.F.Overton Asp J.Murray F/O A.A.McKiggan F/L A.S.Collins F/L J.C.TruIlIEI F/O HW.Tuck + 1

hbf Walcharen catB hbf c/I Ford catB hit tree catB hbf nr Abbeville catAc/B e/f b/o E Lille hit birds over EfT catB/Ac

20 February 1944

I

Q)

21 February 1944

U

~

o LL

«

Four Typhoons of 247 Squadron escorted a pair of PR Mosquitoes over Amiens to photograph the results of the Operation 'Jericho' attack. As the French coast was crossed, intense Flak was encountered ("the worst yet... " claimed 247's ORB) and Flt Lt C.E.Brayshaw, 247's 'P:. Flight commander, was seriously hit. 'Bray' turned back with a smoking engine, but pieces of elevator were seen to fall away from the Typhoon which plunged vertically from 700 feet into the sea ten miles north of Cabourg. He had previously survived a ditching off the south coast of England in September 1943. Two more of the Typhoons were also hit and damaged, with one pilot wounded. SON

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

1105

453

Spitfire IX

MJ171

F/S K.C.Kinross

1205

464

MH504 Mosquito VI MM401 J

e1730

247

Typhoon IB

e1700

182

22 February 1944

1025

16

23 February 1944

Soon after midnight an apparently stray stick of 250 and 500 lb bombs fell across 504 Squadron's dispersal at Hornchurch, destroying or damaging 15 of its Spitfire IXs (acquired only the previous month) and seriously injuring two groundcrew. Wg Cdr K.H.Blair, DFC, completed his tour with 613 Squadron on 23rd, handing over to Sqn Ldr R.N.Bateson, DFC, previously one of the flight commanders. Next day, 485(RNZAF) Squadron arrived at 135 Airfield from Drem to join 2nd TAE

24 February 1944

25 February 1944

26 February 1944

Spitfire XI

PA840

WID R.Lidgate (K)

0045

504

Spitfire IX

e1720

464

Mosquito VI MM405 R

e2110

487

Mosquito VI HX949 A

dpd

emergency Idg cld MH504 Detling catB hit by MJ171 while taxying Detling hbf Les Hayons c/I Friston hbf csd in sea 10m N Cabourg hbf nr Cabourg catB /Ac hbf nr CabourgcatB /Ac sdbf Beaumont a/f csd 5 ml S Beachy Head, cnk

7 a/e destroyed by bombs Hornchurch. MH377, 384, 386, 436, 445,495, 879 F/O Sgt F/O F/O

F.Chambers (KI C.Bolder (K) E.H.Barbet IKI P.R. Mitchell (KI

csd Idue blast?) attacking Noball ftr (St Trendl

Mitchells from 226 and 320 Squadrons bombed a 'Noball' site near Abbeville. Flak here was both intense and accurate, and no fewer than 13 of 226 Squadron's bombers were badly hit. One crashed at once into the sea, while a second ditched in the Channel on the way back to England. A third, on fire, reached Friston where it ·crash-landed. The Mosquitoes of 305 Squadron, now fully operational, began attacks on 'Noball' targets on this date, while 122 Squadron became the third unit to become operational on Mustang Ills. e1240

226

Mttchelill

FL691

e1245

226

Mitchell II

FV910 G

1310

226

Mitchell II

FV934

C

1100

331

Spitfire IX

MJ534 MJ908 MJ567 MH494

W C B L

J

Lt J.E.Hendry (KI F/O R.BWright (K) F/S J.Slack (K) W/O K.M.Smith IKI P/D C.T.Burrows IKI P/O D.Moultrie IK) F/S A.E.Symons IA) F/S H.Crick (AI F/S A.B.M.Milis W/O L.V.W.Morgan F/S H.Tiley F/S H.Bruce Lt F.A.S.Fearnley (K)) F/S PThulin ) Sgt E.Gundersen ) Sgt E.Tjensvoll )

hbf

Vs nr French coast IMoyenneviliel

hbf dtd ChnllMoyennevillel

hbf (Moyenneville) c/I Friston catB/E

He177

1--

5m ESt Trond a/f

During a 'Ranger' near Laval in the early afternoon, two pilots of 245 Squadron caught and shot down a Fieseler Fi 156 Storch liaison aircraft. 1455

28 February 1944

Typhoon IB

JR258 JP794 J JP785 X JR370

F/O N.K.Baker F/L A.G.Oxlade F/L D.M.shanks F/L C.E.Brayshaw (K) F/S D.L.Burke (W) P/O R.S.Colquhoun F/L P.J.McGuire (K)

CLAIM

CAUSE/LOCATION

TIME

245

Typhoon IB

nk nk

F/L JWHWilson ) F/O D.Maxwell )

Fi156

1- -

10m NW Laval

The month ended with the loss of 122 Airfield's Wing Leader. Wg Cdr Reg Grant was taking off when his new Mustang III suffered engine failure, and oil sprayed back over the windscreen, blocking his vision. He attempted to glide back to the airfield, but stalled and crashed to his death. Sqn Ldr 'Robin' Johnston, DFC, who had recently replaced him as Commanding Officer of 65 Squadron, was at once promoted to take his place, his squadron being taken over by Sqn Ldr D.E 'Jerry' Westenra, DFC.

With their new aircraft, this Airfield's squadrons initially flew bomber escort operations and sweeps, providing cover to B-1?sand B-24s as far afield as Berlin, to B-26s and 2 Group Mitchells and Bostons over France and the Low Countries, and occasionally to Coastal Command Beaufighters attacking shipping off the Dutch coast. These operations would continue throughout March. Up to this stage, all the Spitfire squadrons were still engaged mainly on escort sorties to the bomber formations, interspersed with occasional sweeps and 'Rangers', and with visits to the various APCs. Early in 1944 training came more to the fore and several squadrons took part in large-scale exercises in co-operation with the Army. TIME

SON

TYPE

e0800 1009 1255 1415

247 168 122Af 464

Typhoon IB JP730 M Mustang I AM105 Mustang III FX996 Mosquito VI HP926 C

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

e1610

268

el035

Mustang I

FD509

21

Mosquito VI

LR403

el035

464

Mosquito VI

LR389

D

el055

98

Mitchell II

FL704

S

e1250

193

Typhoon IB

nk

CLAIM

dpd

rn X

-0 OJ ::J C/)

o

::J

CAUSE/LOCATION

W/O P.SWOaniel (K) F/O I.D.Sheeky IKI W/C R.J.C.Grant (KI F/O D.V.Avery W/O L.K.Brodie P/O TM.Harries IPI

e/f b/o 3m N Sark csd 2m NW Petersfield cnk e/f b/o nr Gavesend hbf IPas de Calaisl b/o nr Merston

F/O RWOffier (K) P/O A.C.J.Mango IKI F/O C.limson (K) Sgt P.H.Edwards IKI F/L L.G.Spong F/O E.Beale (WI W/D V.Fenwick F/O Webster F/O RWDavidge

ftr I/s EEurville

hbf b/o (Fruges)

29 February 1944

I/s at Fr cst in bad wx (Noball) hbf (Noballl Bonnieres

hbf (Ramrod 603 cover)catB

March 1944 As mentioned, 84 Group received its first Typhoon squadrons at 146 Airfield during February, and the second wing of these aircraft was not far behind. On 1 March, 198 and 609 Squadrons which had recently moved to Manston, became the nucleus for the re-formed 123 Airfield. This Airfield would now operate as part of 20 Wing, which had recently lost 135 Airfield on transfer of the latter to 23 Wing. These squadrons now forming 123 Airfield had seen considerable success over the past six months as long-range fighters, and operating together had gained a large number of aerial victories - far more than any other Typhoon units attained during the course of the war. The squadrons were not happy about the change as they lost several of their pilots to bring them to 2nd TAF established strength, and received a completely new ground echelon. They also lost their role and identity as long-range units, becoming close-support squadrons instead. As there was no operational flying, morale slumped temporarily. On 1 March 66 Squadron moved to 132 Airfield, North Weald, to operate with the resident Norwegian squadrons there. By this time the Airfield was commanded by the great fighter pilot, Grp Capt A.G.'Sailor' Malan, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, and was led by Wg Cdr ED.S.ScottMalden, DFC & Bar, who had recently taken over from the Dane, Kaj Birksted. Amongst the reconnaissance units, 414 Squadron was dispatched to Dundonald on a Naval Bombardment Spotting Course for ten days, while 130 Airfield moved from the rather crowded North Weald to Sawbridgeworth, 2 and 268 Squadrons flying over on 1st, followed by 4 Squadron two days later. On 6 March, 184 Squadron moved to Odiham and here gave up its Hurricanes, the last in the front line in north-west Europe, re-equipping with Typhoons; 136 Airfield's 164 Squadron had done so back in January. In the air the month had commenced rather quietly, but on the 1st, Spitfires of 308 Squadron on a 'Ranger' over Creil airfield during the afternoon, encountered some Fw 190s, one of which Sgt T.Rybczynski claimed to have shot down. nr Creil a/I

1 March 1944

F/S F.F.Cowpe F/O M.Soble (I) Sgt P.Desprez (K) W/O F.Baleste (KI W/D J'vergerio (KI Sgt G.Linieres IPI

hbf c/I N Romney catB e/f c/I nr Detling sdbf Bois de la Justice

2 March 1944

F/L J.C.Patterson F/L J.J.S.Millar

hbf Braneville c/I Ford catE/B

3 March 1944

1610

308

Spitfire IX

MA683

Sgt TRybczynski

1210 1800 1802

453 193 342

Spitfire IX Typhoon IB Boston Ilia

MH736 X JR430 BZ308 V

1000

487

Mosquito VI

nk

C

Fw 190

1- -

TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

1045 e1230 e1600

198 19 609

Typhoon IB Mustang III Typhoon IB

1630

412

Spitfire IX

MM987 FZ188 JR443 U JR192 N MJ306

e1500

613

Mosquito VI LR364

e1330 - - - - - - - - - 1440

174 430

Typhoon IB Mustang I

JP836 AM145

FlO J.A.lrwin (K) FlO E.J.Geddes

e1430 1455

268 401

Mustang IA Spitfire IX

FD470 MJ246 MJ289 MJ131 MJ385 FD539

FlO EWWFeidon (K) F/L J.E.Sheppard FlO WT.Klersy S/L L.M.Cameron FlO WE.Cummings FlO WWilson (KI

E

e1530

268

Mustang IA

el120

403

Spitfire IX

e1330

487

MJ356 MJ876 MJ563 Mosquito VI nk G

e1630 e1650

16 332

Spitfire XI Spitfire IX

1155 1245 e1330 1620

65 198 19 302

e1215 e1600

PILOTICREW FlO R.Armstrong F/S T.H.Redgate (K) FlO G.L.C.F.Jaspis } WID N.L.Merrit}

CLAIM

dpd

Me410

--1

ell esd EYpres

F/L A.BW.Ketterson (KI

W/C J.R.D.Braham F/L WS.Gregory

CAUSEILOCATION ell III N Lydd eatB ell? I/s Fr cst OG Sisonne all (Marne-Cambrai)

Hel77

1- -

Chateaudun

ell b/o S St Cath Pt hbl (Noball) ell Gatwiek eatB/E

Fw 190 Fw 190 Bll09 Bll09

1-1---1 --1

sdbf Village du Nord {N Beaumont sur Oise { {

{

ell b/o Channel

8 March 1944

9 March 1944

PA863 MJ299

F/L D. Goldberg lEI FlO J.H.Ballantyne (KI FlO J.Preston WID BWard F/S F.A.Read FlO A.L.Pearsall (KI Sgt R.Hoiland (P)

sdbl St Andre de l'Eure sdbl St Andre de l'Eure hbl St Andre de I'Eure eatB db bomb blast (Hambures) III Hawkinge, eatB b/o Calais area sdb Fw 190 Soesterburg

Mustang III Typhoon IB Mustang III Spitfire IX

FX973 JR447 FZ178 MH853 Q

FlO P.Harrison (K) FlO WParkes (K) FlO D.E.Saville (P) FlO J.Krajewski (WI

ell? esd Thames Estuary hit trees on ops, ell Brenzett hbl blo N Hannover (Celie) hbl ell Bradwell Bay eatB

257 315

Typhoon IB Spitfire V

JR151 K BM470 C

P/O N.Carter (P) F/L H.Stelankiewiez (A)

ell dtd Chnl

e1600

487

Mosquito VI

HX857

e2330

613

Mosquito VI LR364

PIO M.E.P.Barriball IK) PIO D.A.Priddle (K) FlO C.H.Pigg (K) WID WJWilis (K)

11 March 1944

13 March 1944

E

sdbl nr Barfleur

hbl dtd 30m N Sotteville ftr (Juvineourt)

Jim Ballantyne had achieved success over Malta during 1942. Commissioned and with a DFM, he joined 403 Squadron in January 1944 as a Flight Lieutenant, but on 8 March 1944 was shot down and killed near St Andre de l'Eure by intense light Flak.

LEFT Not all losses were operational. Sgt A. Dcelka was forced to crash-land Spitfire IX MJ637 'DU-B' of 312 Squadron near Mendlesham on 11 March 1944 when it had an engine fai lure during a training flight. It was a 'write-off

ABOVE AND ABOVE RIGHT On 11 March 1944, 349 Squadron joined

2nd TAF at 135 Airfield at Hornchurch, replacing another Belgian unit, 350 Squadron, which would not rejoin 2nd TAF until the following December Spitfire IX MJ294 'GE-X' (ABOVE) was the personal aircraft of 349 Squadron's Commanding Officer, Sqn Ldr Count Yvan Du Monceau de Bergandael who had become the highest-scoring Belgian fighter pilot of the war by the end of 1942. He commanded 349 Squadron until July 1944, leading it on D-Day patrols, but during the 12 months he was 'at the helm' he was not able to add any further victory claims to his total. He is seen here (ABOVE RIGHn in the cockpit of a Spitfire V, during his earlier service with 350 Squadron.

RIGHT Pit Off Mal Barriball (centre) of 487 Squadron RNZAF receiving some advice, apparently about the 0.303 inch machine-gun barrel covers on his Mosquito VI, from his groundcrew, Cpl Sutherland (left) and Sgt Bush (right), at Hunsdon, 1 March 1944 Barriball and his navigator were lost less than a fortnight later after being hit by Flak and attempting to ditch off the French coast.

I

Q)

15 March 1944

U

l0-

a

LL

16 March 1944

The Canadians of 126 and 127 Airfields provided cover for 72 B-26s bombing Aulnoy marshalling yards during the morning. 401 Squadron lost one Spitfire reportedly to engine failure between Albert and Cambrai, but over the latter area, six Fw 190s were seen apparently attempting to land, the runway blocked by an Me 410. The pilots at once dived to the attack, claiming four of these fighters shot down before obtaining some hits on the Me 410. In fact, the Focke-Wulfs, aircraft of 7/JG 26, had been forming up before flying to Rheine, and had received no warning of the approach of the Spitfires. Lt Hans Mayer, Uffz Kurt Stahnke and Uffz Rudolf Georgi were all shot down, only the latter surviving after he managed to bale out of his fighter. Although Flg Off Sherk had reported engine failure, Fw Boehm was credited with having shot down his Spitfire. In the afternoon 107 Squadron undertook its first operational sorties with Mosquitoes, attacking a 'Noball' site near Preuseville. Flt Lt D.M.Campbell's aircraft was hit by debris and he was obliged to crash-land on return to Lasham. TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

PILDT/CREW

1050 1100

401 401

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

MJ126 MJ246 MJ124 MJl19 MH724

1543

107

Mosquito

LR384 B

1840

182

Typhoon IB

JP584

F/O R.J.F.Sherk IE) F/L J.E.Sheppard FlO R.K.Hayward FlO O.O.Ashleigh F/L A.F.Halerow Squadron F/L D.M.Campbell FlO J.M.L.Drummond FlO I.M.Briseoe

CLAIM

d Pd

CAUSE/LOCATION

Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Me 410

1-1-1 1-1---1

ell ell nr Aehiet S Cambrai-Epinoy all Cambrai-Epinoya/l SE Cambrai-Epinoy all nr Cambrai-Epinoy all OG Cambrai/Epinoy? hbd ell Lasham eatB e/I ell N Hastings eatB

The 16th proved to be a big day for the Typhoons of 121 Airfield as Wg Cdr Charles Green led Squadrons on a sweep into France during the afternoon. Near Paris a Ju 188 was seen about to land, and was shot down in flames by Plt OffW.Cross of 175 Squadron, whilst a second was strafed on the ground and claimed damaged. Cross's aircraft was then hit by Flak and he crash-landed south of Fontainebleu, becoming a prisoner. 245 Squadron's pilots then spotted two more aircraft on the ground at Maintenon and claimed these destroyed, one of them being identified as a LeO 451.

- - - - - - - - - 174, 175 and 245

Engine failure on an 'offensive weather reconnaissance' on 16 March 1944 brought down this 257 Squadron Typhoon, JP510 'FM-Y' Its pilot, Pilot Officer JBWood, was betrayed to the Germans and captured. The Typhoon lies in a field at Toqueville-Ies-Murs, about eight miles south-east of Fecamp, and has been covered by straw to hide it from possible destruction by Allied aircraft.

A small single-engined aircraft believed to be a Bf 108 was then seen, towing a target drogue, and this was sjry.ot down by Flt Lt H.Davies of 175 Squadron. The squadrons then turned north and in the Rambouillet area a number of small trainer aircraft appeared head-on, these being identified as Ar 96s; two were claimed shot down and one damaged by pilots of 174 Squadron. During these actions one of 245 Squadron's aircraft was shot down by Flak south of Etampes. Flg Off C.E.Austin was killed, whilst one of 175 Squadron's was damaged and its pilot wounded.

TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

e0940 1420 1440 1445 1634 1635 e1640 e1645 e1645 e1650

168 412 401 257 175 175 175 245 175 174

Mustang I Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB

e1655

245

Typhoon IB

AM209 MJ149 MJ119 JP510 JR319 JR311 JP576 JR143 JP397 JR310 JP608 JP541 nk nk

F/O J.S. Wright IKI F/OTM.Saunderson IAI FlO K.BWoodhouse lEI PIO J.BWood (PI PIO W.Cross IPI F/L P.Bagshaw F/L H.Oavies FlO C.E.Austin (KI WID N.J.Scott IWI F/L F.A.Grantham WID R.C.Hayes P/O J.G.Steel S/L J.R.Coliins F/L J.S.Slaney

e1500

268

Mustang I

Y C P

N

Y

F0548

CLAIM

Ju188 Ju188 Bfl08

Ar96 Ar96 Ar96 E/A** Le0451

dpd

1---1 1--

1-1---1 1--

CAUSE/LOCATION

rn

ftr (Gorenflosl csd nr Ault b/o Somme Estuary elf b/o SE Amiens elf f/I 8m SE Fecamp Villa roche; hbf f/l S Fontainebleu OG Villaroche S Fontainebleu sdbf S Etampes hbf S Etampes catAc {N Etampes { { lOG Maintenon ** twin eng, single fin

><

U CD :::::::s C/)

-. 0

:::::::s

{

F/L O.A.M.Bourne IKI

hbf lis Cherbourg

17 March 1944

Destined for a 'Noball' site, 500 Ib bombs are taken out to 247 Squadron's Typhoons at Merston in March 1944. The squadron would begin coversion to rockets the following month, undertaking a three-week course at 18 APe, Eastchurch The nearest Typhoon is MM951 'ZY-G', Squadron Leader Robin McNair's aircraft, and carries a large 'pennant' beneath the windscreen.

During the day Mitchells from 98 and 320 Squadrons raided a 'Noball' site at Gorenflos, a 18 March 1944 ---------notorious Flak 'black spot'. Two of the bombers were hit and badly damaged, both forced to ditch in the Channel on the way home. Fortunately, both crews survived and were picked up by the ASR services, one by a Walrus amphibian, the other by a Sea Otter. In the latter part of the afternoon three Mosquitoes from 21 Squadron and four each from 464 and 487 Squadrons, launched a special attack on the Hozmeyer Electrical Equipment factory at Hengelo, Belgium. Two of the Australian unit's aircraft were hit, one returning in a damaged condition and the other lost, although the crew survived as POWs. FI Lt 'Zipp' Button also returned with a badly damaged aircraft, having hit a tree on a Ranger losing 3 feet off the starboard wing tip. He was forced to touch down at 195 knots at Manston, collapsing the undercarriage to avoid over-shooting the runway. On this date, the new Canadian Spitfire squadrons at 144 Airfield moved to Holmesley South to commence operations. TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

1306

320

Mitchell II

FR180

H

PILOT/CREW

1314

320

Mitchell II

FR177

M

e1640

464

Mosquito VI

MM402 A

e1640

464

Mosquito VI

HX921 H

1715

197

Typhoon IB

JR247

J.H.Ot (AI F.Gans IAI J.H.Posthumus IAI J.J.G.Lub (AI H.T.Voorspuij (AI J.vink IAI R.F.van Nouhuis (AI M.Engelsma IAI S/L w.R.C.Sugden (PI FlO AH.Bridger (PI FlO N.G.H.Binnie PIO J.J.Fleming F/L J.C.Button

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION hbf IGorenflosl dtd Channel

hbf IGorenflosl dtd Channel

sdbf Hengelo hbf Hengelo catB/Ac hit tree on ops c/l Manston catB

I

CD

U

''Amazing what you can see and feel in a few seconds... "

l.-

o

L.L

« m u +-' u

~ -0 C

N

Paris Rodeo - 16 March 1943

O

n 16 March 1944, Wg Cdr Charles "I could see my starboard wing had a Green (Wg Cdr Flying 121 Airfield) large piece missing, the aileron was led 16 Typhoons, drawn from all three missing and pieces of metal were squadrons of the Airfield, on a low-level sticking up into the airstream. Some sweep to the Paris area. The formation left pieces of Flak had entered the cockpit, Westhampnett (now Goodwood) in the but fortunately had not hit me, merely late afternoon, with Green (in S/L Ingleknocking pieces out of the instruments. Finch's 'HH-L Lulu',) plus seven from A thin white trail of something was 175 Squadron, four from 174 Squadron coming from the engine, which I thought led by Fit Lt Grantham, and four from might have been petrol but must have 245 Squadron led by Sqn Ldr Jack Collins. been glycol. The aircraft had a strong The following account is extracted tendency to turn starboard and I needed from the 121 Wing Intelligence Officer's both hands to keep straight and level. If report with the added recollections of it was only fuel I was losing I thought Pit Off Bill Cross in italics. that I might be able to rejoin the Wing "Wg Cdr Green led his Wing to cross and possibly make it home. I called up the French coast at 8,000 ft near Saint Wingo Green and asked him to climb a Valery. Flak was encountered nearly to little so I could rejoin - I knew I was on Beauvais. He lost height to 6,000 ft and at the correct heading. I also told him I had Creil a large number of Ju 88 or 188 were been hit. seen in dispersals in the woods to the "About a mile ahead of me I saw south. He turned south about 20 miles Green's aircraft climb a few hundred feet north-east of Paris and dived to zero feet and I opened the throttle to catch up. after dropping long-range tanks. Over Shortly after this there was another Villaroche/Melun aerodrome an enemy almighty bang, the aircraft rocked again 245 Squadron's contingent on the Ranger were led by aircraft was seen at 200 ft." and became even more difficult to Squadron Leader Jack Collins, seen here two months "I recall discussing with Tommy control. The cockpit filled with smoke so earlier wlth his 'MR-?' ('7' is just visible on the leading Rosser what an unwieldy formation it that I could scarcely see where I was edge). The aircraft also carries the unit's title, 'Northern would be, and how difficult a cross-over flying and the Typhoon settled into a turn Rhodesia Squadron', on the engine cowling. turn would be - with 16 aircraft spread to starboard from which I could not (IWM CH 12247) out on the deck at 150 yards apart, we recover - no matter how hard I pushed would cover around a mile or more. We the stick into the left hand corner. crossed the coast at 8,000 feet, dropped the tanks and came Temperatures started to move rapidly into the red zone and I down on the deck on the Marne near Paris. I could see the Eiffel realised it was time to get out - in some way. Tower in the distance. The operation had been routed to go near "Jettisoning the hood requires one to cross hands and pull various aerodromes, military establishments and so on. We had two levers on either side of the cockpit. No way could I let go been down on the deck for a short time when Green called with both hands so I let go with one and pulled the right lever. "Aerodrome ahead", and even as he spoke I saw a Ju 188 with The right side of the hood came away and, much to my relief, wheels and flaps down turning onto its final approach to land. " the airstream pulled the whole thing off. Ahead of me a farmer Wg Cdr Green ordered Blue Section of 175 Squadron to was ploughing his field and I passed very close over him and attack. Fit Lt Vernon-Jarvis fired a four-second burst but saw no slammed down at great speed. The earth was soft the nose dug strikes. Pit Off Cross then attacked ... in and I was afraid the kite would go right over, but it slammed "The pilot of the aircraft saw us and steep-turned to port back down on the deck. And there I was in France with silence about 300 yards ahead of me. I gave it a two or three second all around. " burst and saw white cannon strikes on or near the cockpit. The South of Fontainebleu, Fit Lt Davies DFC attacked what he Junkers steepened its turn and disappeared under my port thought to be an Mel08 towing a target at 400 ft. He gave it a sixwing. I glanced back and saw it hit the perimeter track and blow second burst from 500 to 200 yards head-on. Enemy aircraft was up in a soundless black and red ball. Then I was tearing across last seen belching black smoke in a spiral dive at 100 ft. Wing the middle of the 'drome, dead down the runway. Heavy Flak Leader then turned west to the south of Etampes. Very intense was criss-crossing the field, and I just kept my head down and Flak was met from Flak positions and a Flak train. It is here that hoped to reach the safety of the other side. I saw Bagshawe Fig Off Austin was probably hit and crashed, as a pall of black shoot at two Ju188s being refuelled, and the bowser blew up smoke was seen to rise near the Flak train after the Wing had taking the Ju's with it. I also saw Bagshawe blow the glass front passed over. Wt Off Scott was hit by Flak here; he was wounded out of the control tower. Amazing what you can see and feel in in the shoulder and his RIT put u/s. a few seconds. Beyond Etampes Leader saw four Arado 96Bs flying at 100 ft "As I crossed the perimeter of the field there was a hell of a crossing his path from starboard to port some way ahead. He bang. The aircraft was nearly blown on its back, so I righted it directed Blue Section 174 to attack. Fit Lt Grantham destroyed and dived even lower to escape the Flak which followed me very the first enemy aircraft which after a six-second burst, blew up in closely, some of it exploding in the fields ahead of me. I turned the air. Wt Off Hayes attacked the second and saw strikes. Pit Off behind some farm buildings soon losing both the Flak and the Steel saw strikes on the fourth but Fig Off Bathurst saw no strikes rest of the Wing - I could see no other aircraft at all. " on his target, the third enemy aircraft. The wing of one of the Blue section rejoined the Wing but Pit Off Cross was reported latter three Arados was seen to crumple and the enemy aircraft to have been badly damaged by Flak, his main tank having been crashed. Fit Lt Grantham believed it to be the one attacked by shot away. Wt Off Hayes. Wg Cdr Green then led his Wing north-west

rn

toward a point west of Dreux; on this leg, Red Section of 245 Squadron flew across an unidentified grass airfield (possibly Maintenon/Ecrosnesl. Sqn Ldr Collins fired a three or four second burst into a twinengined, single fin, enemy aircraft on the ground, leaving it in flames. On the far side of the airfield he fired at, and damaged, an electrical installation. Fit Lt Slaney attacked and destroyed a Leo 45 whilst Pit Off Dickie fired into camouflage netting but could not see what it concealed. Wg Cdr Green then gathered the formation together and led them back to base." Fig Off Austin perished in his Typhoon. Pit Off Cross was sheltered by the farmer, a Great War veteran, but was betrayed to the Germans by a villager fearful of reprisals. Subsequently he was taken to the airfield he had attacked, where he was told there had been no losses. He kept quiet about the Ju188 he had destroyed!

X -0 Q.)

::J

en

o

::J

ABOVE Photographed at Westhampnett about the time of the Ranger, JP650 of 245 Squadron shows that Typhoons had lost their well-known identity stripes (as ordered on 7 February 1944). Hand on cannon, is Fit Lt 'Ace' Miron, lost during Falaise Gap operations following a long tour. At the end of March, JP650 would be delivered to Cunliffe Owen at Eastleigh for canopy and RP modifications

RIGHT A Luftwaffe recovery team have raised Bill Cross's battered Typhoon, JR319 'HH-C' on air-bags ready for recovery. Below the rounde!. the shadow of the starboard wing indicates the damage which made the aircraft difficult to handle.

Typhoon 18 JR319 'HH-C' Pit Off W.Cross, 175 Squadron, Westhampnett, 16 March 1944

I

Q)

19 March 1944

U

!l.-

o

LL

«

During the night of 19/20th some 50 Luftwaffe bombers raided Hull on the east Yorkshire coast. One of the night fighter units intercepting was 85 Group's 264 Squadron, which recorded its first claim since becoming a part of 141 Airfield when FIg Off R.Barbour, with FIg Off G.Paine as radar operator, claimed a Do 217 shot down over Alford, South Lincolnshire.

20 March 1944

0918

21 March 1944

320

Mitchell II

FR141

B

e1005 e1045

245 98

Typhoon IB Mitchell II

JP972 FV940 M

1515

414

Mustang I

AM251

FlO A.Bevelander (KI FlO G.G.A.Birzak (K) Sgt J.J.de Jong (K) Cpl W.Kuipers (KI PIO NW.Crabtree (KI FlO O.V.Oalton (K) FlO OWLindsey (KI F/S V.H.PearsAIl (KI Sgt H.E.Jeffery (KI FlO O.C.McLeod

hbf (Flixecourtl csd nr Bourdon

sdbf Croisette hbf dtd 25m W Boulogne

dla Gatwick catB lAc

183 Squadron lost one of its flight commanders, Fl Lt Peter Raw, a veteran of early Typhoon

- - - - - - - - - operations with 609 Squadron, during a snow-plagued Ranger over Holland. He was shot down by Flak whilst attacking barges on the River Waal. e1500 e1615

22 March 1944 23 March 1944

183 66

Typhoon IB Spitfire IX

MN247 MK619

FIL P.E.Raw (KI FlO C.Reader

sdbf nr Nijmegen hbf (Ranger Parisi catB

efta cll Hunsdon

Undergoing maintenance at Hornchurch in March 1944 is what would become a very wellknown Spitfire. MH434 'ZD-B' of 222 Squadron wou Id shortly be transferred to 349 Squadron and survive the war. It continued in military service with the RNethAF in Indonesia, then the Belgian Air Force, and when 'demobbed' it starred in 'The Longest Day' and the 'The Battle of Britain' films and went on to take part in countless airshows.

on his way back to base. Lt Georg Kiefner's Focke-Wulf suffered a loss of propeller control, and he was pursued at low-altitude by FIg Off L.Svetlik. As he pulled up over a row of poplars near Courtrai, Svetlik's fire struck home and Kiefner baled out, slightly wounded. On this date 464 Squadron moved its Mosquitoes to Swanton Morley in order to undertake exercises with the Army. Here the unit would remain until 8 April. TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION

1200

412

Spitfire IX

1--

88

Boston Ilia

Creil area db return lire ell Kenley catS esd Minley Woods on approach Hartford Bridge enk

1747 1830

312 312

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

MJ931 L MJ893

F/L W.S,Needham } F/O D,C.Laubman} FlO C.J.Evans (KI F/S G.Harvie (K) WIO E,D.MeFarlane (K) Sgt C.H,Bagot (K) FlO L.Svetlik P/O F.Miejneeky

Ju 88

1416

MK622 MJ230 BZ204 K

Fw 190

1--

10m N Courtrai db Fw 190 III Manston eatB

rn ><

TI ill ::::J C/)

a

::::J

Wg Cdr 'Bob' Braham again borrowed a Mosquito from 613 Squadron, and during the middle 24 March 1944 --------of the afternoon, with Sqn Ldr Robertson navigating, flew a 'Ranger' to Denmark, passing over the Grave and Aalborg areas. South of Aalborg he spotted what appeared to be a Bf 109 with its undercarriage down (later identified as a Ju W34), just about to land, and at once shot it down. Moments later a Ju 52/3m appeared, and following a further attack by Braham, this transport force-landed on marshy ground and turned over onto its back. 1145 1504 1509 e1900

19 613

Mustang III Mosquito VI

FZ174 LR374 W

487

Mosquito VI

NS879 C

1700

197

Typhoon IB

JR363

F/L PWigley W/C J.R,D.Braham S/L Robertson FlO C,D.BWhite F/O C,B.Ball

PID D.E.Potter

Ju W34 Ju 52

1-1--

hbl blo nr Gravesend 6m S Aalborg 15m S Aa rlborg hit tip wires nr Biville, ell Friston

ell III Dymehureh eatB

25 March 1944

Pilots of 197 Squadron in front of Typhoon JP928 'OV-W', Tangmere, March 1944; the coming months would take a heavy toll. Standing, left-right, Fit Sgt Jimmy Kyle DFM, Pit Off D.l.McFee (POW 24 Dec 1944), Fig Off 'Tanner' Coles (killed 24 May 1944), Pit Off Bob Jones (killed 31 December 1944), Fit Lt Wally Ahrens DFC (KIA as CO 257 Sqn), unknown, Fig Off 'Bunny' Oury, Kneeling at front is Fit Sgt Derek Tapson. On wing, left-right, Fit Lt 'Zipp' Button DFC (later CO 193 Sqn and Wg Cdr Flying 123 Wing), Fit Lt RN,G.Allen DFC and Pit Off JWatson (killed 17 June 1944)

26 March 1944 Flak hit a 180 Squadron Mitchell during an attack on E-boat pens along the French coast, the --------bomber crash-landing at Bungay in Norfolk on return. On this date at 133 Airfield 306 Squadron began receiving Mustang IIIs to replace its Spitfire VBs, 315 Squadron commencing a similar conversion next day. Ten days earlier 129 Squadron had rejoined 2nd TAF from Peterhead, arriving at Heston to bring 133 Airfield up to three squadrons. This unit also converted to Mustangs from Spitfire IXs, having received its first example on the 24th; on the 30th the Squadron would be off to Llanbedr APC, borrowing 315 Squadron's Mustangs, which, unlike the unit's own at this stage, were equipped to carry bombs.

I

CD

U

!>.-

o

IDENT

TIME

SON

TYPE

1300 e1315 1752

65 193 487

Mustang III FZ117 Typhoon IB EK132 Mosquito VI MM417T

PILOT/CREW

CLAIM

dp d

CAUSE/LOCATION eta Gravesend sdbl nr Beauvoir hbf (Les Hayes) e/I Hunsdon

F/O N.E.S.Mutter W/O P.J.Thomas (K) W/C I.S.Smith

L.L

28 March 1944

«

John Deal!. a Rhodesian, was a long-serving Typhoon pilot who would later lead a Wing of these aircraft. He is seen here circa March 1944 at the end of his first tour as a flight commander in 266 Squadron. Flanked by his ground crew, he stands in front of his new Typhoon, MN258 'ZH-Q', which he would fly on only one operational sortie before his tour ended.

e1500

e1550

180

Mitchell II

FL685

144Af Spitfire IX 441 Spitfire IX

MK319 MK515

144Af Spitfire IX Spitfire IX 441

F/O FA.Baldwin IP) Sgt H.RACatt (P) F/S G.R.MeGillivaray (PI Sgt A.J.Galuehe (PI W/C E.P.Wells F/O TBrannagan

sdbl Bonnieres

Me410 Me410 E/A Ju 88

1-1-1--

Ju 88 He 111 Me410

--1 --1

-1-

E/A

--1

1--

lOG Dreux { { { { {

e1630

305

Mosquito

MK392 JEJ MK503 MK350 MK415 MK504 MKl77 MK415 MK504 LR276 S

e1640

107

Mosquito

NS856 T

1840

16

Spitfire XI

PA902

W/C J.E.Johnson } F/O P.A.MeLaehlan } F/O D.H.Kimbell F/L L.A.Moore F/O RG.Lake } F/L G.E.Mott} F/L L.A.Moore } F/O RG.Lake F/O B.Soehaeki (K) F/L J M Eckhardt (K) F/O J.A.Glen (K) W/O TDavison IK) F/O S.H.Davis

_3_0_M_a_r_ch_l_9_4_4

e1530

132

Spitfire IX

MJ307

F/S TH.Clarke (K)

hbl? I/s nr Rauen

31 March 1944

nk

F/L RH.Osborne (KI FlO GWlngham (KI

ftr night Intruder (Munsterl

21

Mosquito VI HX950 0

1/1 Fr enk sdb P.51 S Oieppe

ell e/I nr Hartfordbridge

April 1944 The course of aerial operations was changing considerably at this time. Since the formation of the Tactical Air Force ten months earlier the combined bomber offensives of RAF Bomber Command and the US Eighth Air Force had steadily gathered momentum, with many attacks being made on the German aircraft and fuel industries. At the same time the introduction of growing numbers of effective escort fighters by the Americans, able to accompany the day bombers ever deeper into the Reich, had been having an extremely deleterious effect on the Luftwaffe's fighter defences. This had been particularly so with the introduction around the turn of the year of the splendid P-51 Mustang. Throughout the first three months of 1944, the fighter pilots of the Eighth Air Force's Fighter Command had engaged in a severe battle of attrition with the Jagdwaffe, This had been going steadily in favour of the US pilots, and many of the great Experten of the 1940-43 period had fallen to the escort fighters. As a consequence of these actions, and of the ever-larger formations of heavy bombers appearing over German towns and cities, fighter units in Western Europe had been pulled back from the coastal areas nearer to the targets in the Heimat (the Homeland). It was becoming increasingly

obvious to the pilots of 2nd TAF and the ADGB units that the number of occasions on which they were being seriously challenged by their opposite numbers was decreasing. This was to become ever more the case during the final two months of the spring before the Invasion was launched. While a huge amount of effort had been expended against the 'Noball' sites during the opening months of the year, with the Invasion now on the horizon, other targets became the priority, and with the arrival of April, 2 Group and US inth Air Force medium bombers were increasingly directed at more diverse targets, particularly involving the transport infrastructure and airfields. Whilst the former were mainly the prerogative of Mitchell and B-26 units, the airfields were dealt with to a large extent by Bostons, and also US A-20s since these began arriving in growing numbers. Amongst 83 and 84 Groups' Wings, the various Airfield HQs now began moving to bases along the south coast of England from where they would operate during the Invasion. In preparation for a more nomadic existence once the move into France came about, the squadrons began increasingly to live under canvas as they moved to these new strips, rather than in the comfortable permanent Messes of the established fighter airfields. On 1 April therefore, 121 Airfield moved from Westhampnett to Holmsley South, and 124 Airfield from Merston to Hum. From these bases the Typhoons commenced a concentrated series of attacks on the railway system in Northern France - targeting track, tunnels, viaducts and rolling stock; coastal defences were also to be attacked. 129 Airfield at Odiham commenced sending Mustangs out to follow strikes by Typhoons - and soon by Spitfires - to record results achieved. Other moves during the month were to be: 31 March 132 Airfield from North Weald to Bognor 123 Airfield from Manston to Thomey Island* 1 April 131 Airfield from Northolt to Deanland 133 Airfield from Heston to Coolham 129 Airfield from Gatwick to Odiham (becoming part of 15 Wing) 2 April 143 Airfield from Hum to Funtington 134 Airfield from Mendlesham to Appledram 3 April 130 Airfield from Sawbridgeworth to Gatwick 4 April 136 Airfield from Fairlop to Thomey Island 6 April 146 Airfield from Beaulieu to Needs Oar Point 10 April 135 Airfield from Hornchurch to Selsey 11 April 145 Airfield from Perranporth to Merston** 14 April 122 Airfield from Gravesend to Ford 15 April 126 Airfield from Biggin Hill to Tangmere 21 April 144 Airfield from Westhampnett to Funtington 125 Airfield from Detling to Ford 4 May

rn

><

'"D ill ::J C/)

o

::J

* On arrival at Thorney Island 123 Airfield was joined by 183 Squadron, transferred with its Typhoons from ADGB.

** The French squadrons of 145 Airfield now joined 2nd TAF for the first time, transferred from ADGB's 10 Group. Two of the units, 340 'Ile de France' and 341 'Alsace' had been formed in the UK from Free French personnel, but 329 Squadron was an Armee de l'Air unit from North Africa (Groupe de Chasse I./2 'Cicognes'), and had moved to the UK at the start of 1944, receiving an RAP number.

ABOVE: Personnel of 134 Airfield inspecting their new accommodation at Appledram. Behind the tent is Wg Cdr 1 Vybiral's Spitfire IX MK483. bearing his pennant, a Czech national marking. and his nickname rather than the usual initials. (IWM CH128551

Yet again W g Cdr 'Bob' Braham managed to escape from his desk to undertake a lone 'Ranger' in 4 April 1944 ------"---one of 613 Squadron's Mosquitoes. This time he headed for France, encountering and shooting down a Bu 131 trainer over St Jean-d'Angel, to the south-east of Rochefort.

LEFr. Spitfire IX. 'RY-j' of 313 Squadron awaits its pi lot on a breezy spring day at Appledram. April 1944.

·I ..

ill

u

~

o

LL

«

THIS PAGE: Each having attended APC at Llanbedr, the three Mustang squadrons of 133 Airfield moved into Coolham ALG in the first days of April 1944 'UZ-U' of 315 Squadron (ABOVE) shows its identity stripes to advantage and evidence of the fin/rudder band having been painted out. FB169 'OV-H', (BELOW LEF7) seen taxying out with 500 Ib bombs beneath its wings, was 129 Squadron Commanding Officer 'Wag' Haw's aircraft. Parked on Sommerfeld tracking is FZ130 'OV-O', (LEFn identified by the '0' below the nose. FB125 'OV-F' (BELOW) was flown on 129's first Mustang operation - four aircraft 'beating up' airfields in the Paris area with the loss of one of their number. FB125, however, would survive a full year of operations, only to be lost in an accident post-war.

TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

1546

613

Mosquito VI

LR355

H

PILOT/CREW

CLAIM

dPd

CAUSE/LOCATION

WIC J.R.O.Braham F/L W.S.Gregory

Bu131

1- -

St Jean-d'Angel

266

Typhoon IB

MN150 MN234

P/O G.M.R.Eastwood } F/S J.O.Hulley}

X

-0

Typhoons of 266 Squadron flew a 'Ranger' over the Rennes-Gael area, catching a Ju 88C near the former town, two pilots shooting this down in flames. 1300

rn

Ju88

1--

6 April 1944

CI)

o

4mSRennes

:::::i

16 and 140 Squadrons moved from Hartford Bridge to Northolt with 34(Strategic Reconnaissance) 7 April 1944 --------"----Wing, and here 140 Squadron completed its last sorties with Spitfires, becoming fully-equipped with PR Mosquitoes. 1430

302

Spitfire IX

MH842

csd on approach Oeanland

F/S W Pilarek (II

8 April 1944 122 Squadron's Mustangs flew a 'Ranger' to Braunschweig in support of an Eighth Air Force ------"------'Ramrod'. Twelve miles south-east of Arnhem, Flak hit the Commanding Officer's aircraft and Sqn Ldr LA. Morrin baled out, but failed to survive. This day also saw the first dive-bombing sorties undertaken by Spitfires, when pilots of 403 and 421 Squadrons dropped 500 pounders on a 'Noball' site. This was to prove the first of many bomb-carrying operations for the air superiority squadrons. e1400 e1630

122 88

Mustang III Boston lila

FZ102 BZ291

hbl blo 12m SE Arnheim ell ell Romney Marshes catB/E

S/L LA.Morrin (KI FlO w.O.Powell FlO LRWeinstein WID A.G.Prince F/S A.G.Clark

198 Squadron had a change of command, when Sqn Ldr J.M.Bryan, DFC & Bar, who had previously undertaken a tour at the head of this unit, returned to command again in place of Sqn Ldr Johnny Baldwin, who ended his tour and became Sqn Ldr Tactics with 2 Group. With 412 Squadron FIg Off George Beurling also completed his tour to bring his operational career to an end. e1950 e1950

257 266

Typhoon IB Typhoon IB

JR139 H MN181

WID F.T.Norton (PI Sgt O.Shepherd (E)

9_A-"'p~r_i_l_I_9_44_

sdbl Bouzincourt ell I? III Beaumont

One of 4 Squadron's PR Spitfire XIs failed to return from a sortie over Belgium, 10 April 1944 --------"----FIg Off LA.Turnbull being lost. Whilst on a sweep over the North Sea, a Mustang III of 122 Squadron was shot down by ship-mounted Flak north-west of Texel; Sgt P.K.Heller baled out, but like his Commanding Officer two days earlier, was not recovered. e1300 e1300 e1330 e1900

4 168 439 122

Spitfire XI Mustang I Typhoon IB Mustang III

PA901 AL969 JR264 H FZ108

ftr IKnocke-Hulst) csd into sea at Beachy Head in log Ilk in cloud nr Beachy Head hbl blo NW Texel

FlO LA.Turnbull IK) F/L P.Plumridge (KI P/O P.J.Ellner (K) Sgt P.K.Helier IK)

II April 1944 613 Squadron was briefed for another 2 Group special operation. The Squadron's Mosquitoes flew ------"------to Swanton Morley, and from there were led by Wg Cdr Bateson to attack a building (housing German records of the Dutch Resistance) near the Peace Palace in The Hague, Holland. The target was accurately bombed without loss, and subsequently four decorations were awarded to squadron personnel, including a DSO to Bateson. Only one window was broken in the Peace Palace! 132 Airfield's Norwegians, led now by Lt Col R.A.Berg, attacked Juvincourt airfield, where Berg personally claimed an Me 410 destroyed by strafing, the pilots of 332 Squadron claiming five Fw 190s. e1745

132Af Spitfire IX 332 Spitfire IX

nk nk

LCol R.A.Berg } 2Lt O.Tideman} Squadron

Me 410

1- -

Fw190

5--

§5

lOG Juvincourt { {

Wg Cdr R.W.'Buck' McNair gave up his position at the head of 126 Airfield's squadrons, handing 12 April 1944 ------"------over to George Keefer, who was promoted from commanding 412 Squadron. McNair had been suffering increasingly from failing eyesight, the result of burns received when he had been forced to bale out due to an engine fire on 20 July 1943. As he departed, he was advised of the award of a DSO. One of 412's flight commanders, J.E.Sheppard, was promoted to take over Keefer's place, and G.B.Murray, DFC, was posted in from 401 Squadron as replacement flight commander. Wg Cdr 'Bob' Braham set off on another of his lone 'Rangers', this time having borrowed a 13 April 1944 --------"----Mosquito from 305 Squadron. He reverted to Denmark on this occasion, where he claimed an He III shot down over Esbjerg and an Fw 58 Weihe trainer over Aalborg. 305 Squadron had become very short of Polish aircrew at this time, and consequently a British flight was formed within the unit, commanded by Sqn Ldr M.J.Herrick, DFC, a veteran New Zealand fighter pilot.

I

Q)

u

~

0

L.L lI;;;.::

~

« m u

+-'

u

~ -0 C N ABOVE AND LEFT On 31 March 1944, Fig Off Winiarz of 430

:I

J

ABOVE AND RIGHT Of the 15 Typhoons visible, eight are carrying rocket rails but seven still have bomb-carriers; only two, MN200 EL-R' and MN208 'EL-A' have the new sliding hood. In the photograph over Sandbanks, on the left is JR294 'EL-C' with rocket rails, which is also seen on the ground at Merston the previous month, equipped with bombcarriers (RIGHD Sitting on the wing is Fig Off 'Slim' Kenny who was shot down by Flak on 1 August 1944 and taken prisoner

,

Squadron flew to Merston to undertake special tasks with 124 Airfield (note the 182 Squadron Typhoons in the background). The next day the Airfield moved to Hurn and over the next few weeks the Mustang accompanied the Typhoons on attacks on Noballs and radar sites to record the results. On 11 April however, the aircraft was used to photograph no fewer than 16 Typhoons of 181 Squadron which had taken off from Hurn - line abreast l Led by Squadron Leader Jimmy Keep this bold technique had been practised in order to get as many Typhoons airborne as quickly as possible in order to reduce delays and fuel wastage in forming up and thereby increase the time available over enemy territory. Although the mass take-off was managed successfully, caution prevailed and the method was not used again much to the relief of the pilots.

rn x

-0 ill

::J (/)

o

::J

ABOVE ANO RIGHT Early in April 1944, 35

(Reconnaissance) Wing arrived at Gatwick with two Mustang squadrons (2 and 268) and 4 Squadron which had converted from Mustangs at the end of 1943 '(:\ Flight operating Spitfire Xis and 'B' Flight Mosquito XVls. Two of the latter, MM273 'P' and MM313 Tare seen here - but the following month they would be replaced by more Spitfire Xis.

Braham was not the only senior officer to undertake an operational sortie on this date, for Grp Capt P.L.Donkin, DSO, Commanding Officer of 35 (Reece) Wing, also borrowed an aircraft - in this case a 268 Squadron Mustang - and flew a tactical reconnaissance sortie over the Belgian coast. Whilst so engaged, his aircraft was hit by Flak 20 miles north-west of Ostend, and he was obliged to bale out into the Channel. Many searches were undertaken by the pilots of his Wing, of 39 Wing, and of ASR Spitfires over the next few days without success. Just as hope was fading, he was found in his dinghy by a RN minesweeper during the evening of 18th, and was picked up, having spent six days and five nights on the water. After a month's recuperation he would resume command. During recent weeks the Mitchell crews of both 98 and 180 Squadrons had undertaken bombing courses, but on the 13th one of the former unit's aircraft was shot down in flames off Dieppe whilst attacking gun positions along the coast; all the crew were lost. TIME

SON

e0745

98

e0810 e1130 1515 1610

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

Mitchell II

FL181

F/L K.E.Cullen (K) Sgt G.R.Dunn (K) F/S J.E.Allen (K) Sgt A.Grossutti (P) F/L I GKeltie G/C P.L.Donkin (AI W/C J.R.D.Braham F/L W.S.Gregory

442 Spitfire IX 35Wg Mustang I 305 Mosquito VI

MK206 I FD448 LR313 B

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION sdbf off Dieppe

He 111 Fw 58

1-1--

damaged evading IParis) catB/Ac hbf Ostend b/o Chnl Esbjerg Aalborg

Two Spitfires were lost to Flak, with both pilots killed. One of these was Ph Off R.E.Yarra of 14 April 1944 ------"---453 Squadron, lost near Abbeville; he was brother to Fh Lt J.W. 'Slim' Yarra, DFM, an 'ace' of the defence of Maha in 1942, who had also been shot down by Flak whilst serving with 453 Squadron in December 1942. e1300 e1750

453 332

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

MK324 Y MH760 0

PIO R.E.Yarra (K) 2Lt IHetland IKI

hbf XI./A/40 (nr Abbevillel hbf b/o Channel

85 Group's 150 Airfield at Bradwell Bay was joined by 3 Squadron, bringing the first Hawker 15 April 1944 ------"---Tempest Vs to the command. Later in the month the Airfield would move to Newchurch, where it would be joined by the similarly-equipped 486 Squadron, and by 56 Squadron, now temporarily flying Spitfire IXs whilst awaiting Tempests. 1330

453

Spitfire IX

MK547 V

F/S F.F.Cowpe

w/u Ford catB/Ac

I

LEFT: Armourers prepare to 'bomb-up' Mosquito Vis of a 464 Squadron detachment at Swanton Morley early in April 1944 (MM412 'SB-F' in the background). On 17 April the Squadron moved to Gravesend; during this month the majority of its operations were flown against enemy airfields. (IWM CH12409)

ill U

l..-

o

LL

BELOW In mid-April 1944 Wg Cdr Hugh Godefroy says farewell to his personally-marked Spitfire IX, 'HC-G', on handing over leadership of 127 Airfield to Wg Cdr Lloyd Chadburn.

TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

CLAIM

0745

266

Typhoon IB

MM953 JR183

F/L A.V.Sanders} F/S D.H.Dodd }

Ju188

dp d 1--

CAUSE/lOCATION Southampton Estuary

j Typhoon JP671 was an unusually long-serving machine; having begun its service life as 'PW', Gp Capt 'Paddy' Woodhouse's aircraft (DC 16 Wing) in August 1943. It became 'XP-R' of 174 Squadron early in 1944 and took part in the Amiens prison raid. Seen here at Holmsley South in April 1944 fitted with rocket rails, it went on to complete nearly a year on operations before finally being written off in a crash-landing in Normandy on 29 July 1944 TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

1645 1645

401 65

Spitfire IX Mustang III

MJ124 FZl19 FB119 FZl19 FX976 nk

F/L G.B.Murray F/L B.G.Collyns F/O TE.Jonsson F/L B.G.Collyns} F/L R.Barrett} W/C G.R.A.M.Johnston

e1645

1850 e1900 e1900

122Af Mustang III 122 122 443 312 313

Mustang III Mustang III Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

FZ168 FBll0 MK321 MK248 MJ558

F/L A.F.Pavey F/O A.W.Minchin S/L HWMcLeod F/L B.Budil (Pl W/O A.Mrtvy (KI

on its side and crashed with a sheet offlame near the back gardens of a row of cottages. We swept on our way, over the burning wreckage ofthe Dornier. 'Well done, Wally.' I said. 'Re-form. There may be more about.'" 443 Squadron's aggressive commanding officer, Sqn Ldr Wally McLeod, had just achieved his 14th victory. 134 Airfield's squadrons were also in the area at this time, escorting 72 B-26s to Malines marshalling yards, but the Czechs enjoyed less good fortune. 20 Bf 109s attacked, followed by Fw 190s; 312 and 313 Squadrons each lost one pilot. The Focke-Wulfs were from I./JG 26, Maj Karl Boris, the Kommandeur, and ObIt Wolfgang Neu, StaffelkapiHin of 4./JG 26, each claiming one Spitfire, the latter at 1855 and the former at 1905. CLAIM

dpd

Bf 109 Bf 109 Ju52

--1

Bf 109 E/A He 111 Ju 88 00 217

--1 --1 --1

--1 --1 --1 1--

CAUSE/LOCATION b/o due hang-up nr Beachy Head JOG Cognac { { JOG SW Fr (Lyons) { 45m SE Oijon OG SW Fr (Lyonsl T1relemontiE Louvain sdbea b/o nr Malines sdbea (Malines)

LEFT AND BELOW

Mitchells FV914 'VO-A' and FV985 'VOS of 98 Squadron photographed during an attack on a Noball on 19 Apri I 1944. Flown by Sqn Ldr Eager ('S') and Fig Off Grellman ('Al sites at Fruges and Yufra ugh were bombed at about 1230 and 1800 hrs respectively. (IWM CH12846 & CH12842)

I

'Blowing a chute' among 438 Squadron Typhoons during the unit's short stay at Funtington in mid-April 1944.

_2_0_A-,p,,-r_i_l_l_9_4_4

During the night 85 Group's night fighters gained their third success since the Group was set up, Fig Off Corre/Plt Off Bines of 264 Squadron claiming an He 177 40 miles north-east of Spurn Point during another Luftwaffe raid on Hull. TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

1233

98

Mitchell 11

FL700

e1400

342

Boston lila

BZ304 H

e2005

313

Spitfire IX

21 April 1944

1030

349

Spitfire IX

_2_2_A-,p,--r_i_l_l_9_4_4

Wg Cdr 'Robin' Johnston led the Mustang Ills of 19 and 65 Squadrons on a sweep of the NancyStrasbourg area, meeting 14 Bf 109s at 1730 hours. Flt Sgt Basilios Vassiliades, a 19 Squadron pilot of Greek parentage, and Fig Off N.E.S.Mutter of 65 Squadron each claimed a Bf 109 shot down, but 19 Squadron's Plt OffW.A.Chisholm was shot down; he evaded capture and returned. 0745 1455 1730

340 107

_2_3_A-,p,,-r_il_l_9_4_4

Mustang 111

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION csd after tlo 4m SW Dunsfold.

MK122

Sgt G.R.Davies (KI Sgt G.Aldridge (K) FlO J.P.Diversi (K) Sgt T.Shehan IKI S'gt R.Petiot IKI Sgt C.Simon IKI Sgt H.Soupe (I) F/Sgt EViven (I) WID A. Wemyss IP)

MJ962

F/O J.Moreau (A)

hbf (Beben) blo S Beachy Head

Spitfire IX MK112 Mosquito VI NS836 G

122Af Mustang III 19 Mustang III 65

PILOT/CREW J

FZ151 FB104 FX990 FX944

Sgt ELagarde F/S W.B.Smith F/S T.Wilson WIG G.R.A.M.Johnston F/S B.Vassiliades PIO WAChisholm (E) FlO N.E.S.Mutter

e/tr ols landing Friston

ftr (Abbevillel

dla ndea catB lAc hbf cll Manston catB Bf 109 Bf 109

1-· 1··

Bf 109

1-·

S Laon Nancy area sdb Bf 109 nr Nancy S Laon

During the early hours 2 Group suffered two Mosquito casualties. A 305 Squadron aircraft failed to return from the Leeuwarden area of Holland, while a 21 Squadron aircraft crash-landed at Gravesend, having been damaged by an enemy night fighter. By day, 411 Squadron undertook its first bombing operation, attacking the Merville Viaduct. 19 Squadron lost another Mustang III, shot down by Flak north of Doullens, but 122 Squadron from the same Airfield enjoyed considerable success when four of its pilots undertook a 'Ranger' to the Swiss border. Over Dole/Tavaux airfield eight He Ills were seen, six claimed shot down, two of them by Flt Lt L.A.P.Burra-Robinson, who also shared a third. One more was claimed damaged, and a Go 242 glider was also strafed on the ground. 85 Group's defensive capability was considerably enhanced at the time, 124 Squadron moving to Bradwell Bay with its high-altitude Spitfire VIIs, while 91 Squadron moved to West Mailing and 322 Squadron to Hartford Bridge. Both these units had just re-equipped with the latest Griffon-engined Spitfire XlVs, and all three units were tasked with undertaking highaltitude patrols to ward off any Luftwaffe reconnaissance aircraft seeking to photograph the Invasion build-up area.

TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

0100

21

Mosquito VI

LR301

V

PILOT/CREW

eOllO

305

Mosquito VI

LR313

B

e1500 e1630

19 122

Mustang III Mustang III

FZ151 FZ168 FZ164 FZ131 FB110 FZ131

F/L A.E.CWheeler F/L N.M.Redington WID lCiula lEI F/O J M Rosinski IE) F/L D.C. Ross IKI F/L A.F.Pavey F/L L.A.P.Burra- Robinson PIO J.Crossland

PIO EARoemmele } P/O J.Crossland } shared by above 4

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION

rn

ell Gravesend ndea, eatB

X

"D

ftr ILeeuwardenl

111 111 111 242 111

1-1 2- 1---1 1--

sdbl N Ooullens Oole/Tavaux Oole/Tavaux Oole/Tavaux OG Oole/Tavaux Oole/Tavaux

He 111

1--

Oole/Tavaux

He He He Go He

ill

::::J C/.l

_.

0 ::::J

The four 122 Squadron pilots who, on 23 April 1944, caught eight He 111 s approaching Dole/Tavaux airfield and between them claimed six destroyed. Left to right Fit Lt LAPBurra-Robinson, Pit Off EARoemmele, Pit Off J.Crossland and FI Lt A.F.Pavey The star on the nose contains a leopard - a version of 122 Squadron's official badge. (IWM CH 12891) On the 24th, 438 Squadron became the first Typhoon unit to drop 1,000 lb bombs operationally, 24 April 1944 --------"---these missiles now being employed against 'Noball' sites and bridges. The heavier bombs would not be used on every sortie, the choice of 500 lb or 1,000 lb weapon was dictated by the nature of the target and the range involved. During the evening 401 Squadron undertook a 'Ranger' to Laon where the Spitfire pilots were lucky to catch two of 8./NJG 4's Bf 110 night fighters up at 1945 hours, and both were shot down. 1715 1947

174 401

Typhoon IB Spitfire IX

1948

401

Spitfire IX

MM967 M MJ982 MJ385 MH483

F/L W.O.O.Montgomery FlO R.K.Hayward} FlO O.O.Ashleigh} PIO T.W.Oowbiggin

e/II/I Hinton Admiral Bll10

1--

SW Laon

Bll10

1--

6m E Laon

LErr On routine 'Popular' sortie is one of four 168 Squadron Mustangs, which photographed the banks of the River Seine on the morning of 24 April 1944. 'Ten tenths' cloud cover was encountered in the target area so the Mustangs descended to make their runs at 'zero feet'. 'Medium to light Flak, no problems .. .' said the squadron ORB.

I

Q)

U

~

o

LL

If you had to crash-land, the Typhoon was a good aircraft in which to do it. On 24 April 1944, Fit Lt Don Montgomery of 174 Squadron took off from Holmsley South for a rocket attack on a viaduct near Mirvelle, but almost immediately experienced a CSU failure which forced him to land MM967 'XP-M' in woodland at Hinton Admiral. Despite the disintegration of the Typhoon he remained secure in the cockpit and was soon enjoying tea with Sir George Merrick, on whose estate he had landed. The recently-fitted armour plating is visible on the the fuselage side below the cockpit.

TIME

SON

0100

464

0820

1030 1450 e1550 e1550 1908

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

F/O E.H.Dunkley FlO H.PWoodward 144Af Spitfire IX MK392 JEJ W/C J.E.Johnson 443 Spitfire IX MK605 F/L D.MWalz MJ741 F/L H.Russell S/L G.U.Hili (P) } 441 Spitfire IX MK519 FlO R.H.Sparling (K)} MK394 MK632 FlO L.A. Plummer} nk C PIO JWFleming} 443 Spitfire IX MK212 FlO E.H.Fairfield MK321 PIO P.G.Boekman (I) FlO L.J.S.Finoek (KI 464 Mosquito VI MM400 J WID JW.Haugh (AI 349 Spitfire IX MJ569 L F/S J.van Molkot 349 Spitfire IX MK148 R F/S H.Limet 107 Mosquito VI MM419 L FlO K.B.Hadley (K) FlO G.Crabtree (K)

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION hbf ell Gravesend, cat Ae

Mosquito VI NS896 0

Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190

2- 1-1-1--

Fw 190

1--

{Laon area { { {; db Fw 190 ell nr Laon {;sdb Fw 190 nr Laon { rof (Paris) ell nr Spenisbury eatB/E rof (Paris) ell nr Puddleton hbf (N France) dtd Chnl hit hte IRambouilletl eatAC hbf (Rambouilletl eaB/AC hit slipstream esd nr Le Torps Mesnil (Hendriere)

Sqn Ldr George Hill, DFC &2 Bars had served in North Africa at the head of 111 Squadron. After home leave he came to the UK as commander of the new 441 Squadron, but on 25 April 1944, having claimed ten aircraft shot down and eight more shared since 1942, he was shot down, becoming a prisoner following an abortive attempt to reach neutral Spain.

From Thomey Island, Wg Cdr Gillam led one of the largest Typhoon 'Ramrods' yet to attack 'Noball' targets, aircraft from 136 Airfield's 164 and 183 Squadrons and 146 Airfield's 197 and 257 Squadrons taking part. This operation created an altercation between Gillam and 136 Airfield's Wg Cdr Billy Drake, who considered that so large a formation attacking a single target would put the latter units in grave danger from the fully-alerted Flak defences. The formation did indeed receive a hot reception but took no losses; orchestrating several squadrons attacking a pin-point target would become a trade-mark of 146 Wing later in the year. Returning from an escort mission, 145 Airfield's Wing Leader, Roy Marples, was killed when Sgt ChefA.Alligier of 329 Squadron collided with his Spitfire near Shoreham. Alligier was also killed, as was this unit's Adj Chef J.Cheminade, who ditched south of St Catherine's Point during the day. TIME

SaN

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

0920 el000 1125 1455

145Af 329 331 175 132

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Typhoon IS Spitfire IX

1540

132

Spitfire IX

el725 e1930

129 329

Mustang III Spitfire IX

MK373 MK346 nk JR508 MK144 MK628 MJ519 MJ271 MK144 MK628 MJ519 MJ271 FX949 MK360

WIC R.Marples (K) Sgt/C A.Alligier (K) W/C R.A.Serg P/O S.F.Thirwell S/L A.G.Page} FlO R.OWe bster} F/S D.JWatkins } F/S J.E.Ford } S/L A.G.Page } FlO R.OWebster} F/S D.JWatkins} F/S J.E.Ford} P/O D.H.Nelson (KI Adj/C J.Cheminade (K)

T A 0 T J 0 T J K S

ClAIM

dpd

X

-0

Q)

::; C/)

o

::;

CAUSE/lOCATION

Ju W.34 1--

{cld csd nr Shoreham { catS hbf Furnes catS dla Holmsley catS/Ac 12m S Duren

Gldr

OG; 10m EVogelsang

--4

rn

hbf b/o N Beauvais dtd 18 S StCath Pt cnk

LEFT. Squadron Leader Geoffrey Page studies a'quarter-million'scale map with some of his 132 Squadron pilots who took part in the first Spitfire sortie into Germany on 26 April 1944; they flew over territory between Aix-Ia-Chapelle & Cologne a round trip of about 800 miles. Identified are Sqn Ldr Geoff Page (2nd left) and Pit Off Bob Harden (NZ) (holding map, extreme right) and the others in the photo are OJ Watkins, R0 Webster, 0 J Hawkins and J EFord. The Spitfire IX is MK144 'FF-D', Page's personal aircraft. (IWM CH 12889)

LEFT: Spitfire MH708 lD-P' of 602 Squadron is gu ided out from its dispersal at Ford on 27 April 1944. Top right are two more Spitfires of the same unit and beyond them Mustangs of 122 Airfield, which would move out to Funtington three weeks later. (IWM CH 12890)

I

Q)

27 April 1944

U

l-.

o

LL

«

On a day which cost 2nd TAF two 2 Group Mosquitoes and two Spitfires, 65 Squadron's Mustang IIIs undertook a 'Ranger' to the Nancy area where a Bf 109 was then strafed on Suippes airfield, while an Fw 190 was shot down by Fit Lt A.Barrett just as it was taking off from Mourmelon. TIME

SON

TYPE

e0030

613

Mosquito VI NS819 P

u

1216 1220 1310 e1440

65 65 401 464

Mustang III Mustang III Spitfire IX Mosquito VI

FX976 FX993 MJ982 HP935 C

""'0

e1530 e1650

263 411

Mustang I Spitfire IX

FD532 MJ140

m u

+-'

~ C

IDENT

PILOT/CREW F/S R.J.E.Adey (K) F/S K.J.Pinnell (K) F/S WP.Kelly F/L R.Barrett FlO WE. Cummings (K) FlO A.R.Oates (K) Sgt D.E.Spencer (K) F/L T.BWinslow FlO C.D.Cross (I/A)

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION ftr (Twente) csd Enschede

Bf 109 Fw 190

--1 1--

OG Suippes OG Mourmelon csd in low attack nr Granville hit tree csd a/Noball (Heudiere) hbf Gonderville catB/E hbf g/lk b/o off Selsey

N _2_8_A--'p.....r_il_I_9_44

Four of 19 Squadron's Mustang Ins flew a 'Ranger' over the Tours-Rheims area, three of the pilots shooting down an Ar 96 'hack' ofI./SKG 10 which was encountered over the Laigle area at 1540. Six Spitfires of 441 Squadron then flew an evening 'Ranger', FIt Lts Brannagan and Moore jointly shooting down a Caudron Goeland aircraft over La Neuvre-Lyre at 2000. e0915 1540

349 19

Spitfire IX Mustang III

e1705 2000

182 441

Typhoon IB Spitfire IX

MH610 Z FX955 FB158 FZ181 JR293 C MK515 MK415

F/S H.J.R.Limet (PI F/S B.vassiliades} F/S WTWarren } F/S A.J.Feliows} FlO I.M.Briscoe (K) F/L T.A.Brannagan } F/L L.A. Moore }

Ar96

1--

Irt problems ell W R.Seine Laigle area

Cdrn

1--

hbf csd nr lie St-Marcouf la Neuve-Lyre

By the end of April 1944, Hum was home to 124 and 143 Airfields, with six Typhoon squadrons between them. All were under canvas and 181 Squadron's accommodation was along the southern perimeter.

rn

><

-0 Q.)

::J C/)

o

::J

The 132 Squadron Spitfire of Fig Off Johnny Caulton, MK639 'FF-G', lies in a Dutch field following a head-on attack against a Bf 110 flown by the night fighter ace Major Hans-Joachim Jabs, 29 April 1944

ABOVE

RIGHT: Victor & Vanquished Maj Jabs (left) and Caulton (with bandage above eye) exchange pleasantries an hour after trying to kill one another l The German on the right was Jabs' gunner. It was only after the war that Caulton learned that Jabs had himself crashed following damage he had received to his own aircraft during the engagement.

BELOW 184 Squadron converted from Hurricanes to Typhoons in March 1944 and by the end of the following month was in residence at Westhampnett - the sole unit attached to 129 Airfield. Standing by his Typhoon MN255 'BR-M', named 'William II' is Fig Off Doug Gross who would be lost during operations over the Falaise Gap.

Warned by his gunner, he was ready for the Spitfires which were going so fast that they overshot him. Pulling up the nose of his fighter, he got a short burst into Pit Off R.B.Pullin's aircraft, which crashed at once in flames, Fig Off J.J.Caulton had by now turned, and attacked the Messerschmitt head-on, but was also hit and had to crash-land on the airfield. More experienced and cautious than his wingmen, Page had curved in behind the night fighter and opened fire, whereupon Jabs also crash-landed, subsequently meeting the downed Caulton, Page and Sgt Armour returned, reporting that they thought the two missing Spitfires had been brought down by the airfield's Flak defences. Many years later Page was to meet Jabs and become on friendly terms. Jabs recounted that he had been carrying bacon in his aircraft for his unit, but that this had been destroyed with the aircraft. Page at once sent him a side of bacon by way of recompense, in response to which Jabs telephoned him to say: "Geoffrey, I forgot to mention the case of brandy which was also on board!" TIME

SUN TYPE

e0755

193 257 132

1530

1802

305

IOENT

Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Spitfire IX

nk MN381 S MK144 0 MJ619 MK639 G MJ170 Mosquito VI MM422 H

PILOT/CREW

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION

F/L A.S.Ross } FlO D.A.Porter} S/L A.G.Page} F/S W.S.Armour} FlO J.J.Caulton (PI} PIO R.B.Pullin (K) W/C J.R.D.Braham F/L W.S.Gregory

LeO 45

1--

nr Lisieux

Bl110

1--

OG; Deelen all {sdbl Deelen all {

Fw 190

1--

NW Poitiers

Another 'Ranger' was flown on 30th, this time by Mustang Ills of 122 Squadron which strafed and destroyed a Ju W34 on the ground northwest of St Menshold, near Verdun, at 0930. An hour later, as the unit passed to the east of Romilly, FIg Off N.E.S.Mutter's aircraft was hit by Flak and he force-landed to become a POW. Eight more of the unit's aircraft went out during the afternoon to the same area, where an Hs 126 and three Bii 131s were claimed destroyed on the ground, plus two more damaged. Flak was heavy, and Pit Off J.Crossland was shot down, baling out to become a POW, while two more Mustangs were damaged. e0630 e0930 e1030 e1630

132 122 65 122

Spitfire V Mustang III Mustang III Mustang III

JL109 FB103 FBl19 FZ106

WID Warrington (AI

FZ131 FB110

PIO J.Crossland (P)

F/L P.F.Steib } FlO N.E.S.Mutter(PI} FlO M.H.Pinches S/L TH.Drinkwater

JuW34 1-Hs126 B0131 BO 131 BO 131

1-2-1 1---1

Irt problem ell b/o 3m SloW OG; 5m NW St Menshold hbl III 3m ERomilly lOG; Metz {

OG Metz; hbl b/o SW Arion OG; Metz

By the end of the month most Spitfire units had attended one APC or another, and all were engaged either in dive-bombing 'Nobal!' sites, escorting medium bombers to attack these sites and transport targets or airfields, or were undertaking sweeps and 'Rangers'.

30 April 1944

I

OJ

U

l....

o

L.J....

«

During April and May 1944 the bomb-carrying Typhoons of 143 and 146 Airfields took on a secondary role - smoke laying - and practised during a number of exercises with the Army. In the event, this role would never be undertaken operationally. This 439 Squadron Typhoon at Hum appears to have a premature smoke discharge from the starboard M10 smoke cannister; the port tank can be seen more clearly. The tanks could also have been used for chemical weapons if required.

May 1944 Early May again saw a variety of moves and command changes. At 136 Airfield Wg Cdr Billy Drake had been posted to the Fighter Leaders School at Milfield as Chief Instructor towards the end of April, his place as Wing Leader now being taken by Sqn Ldr J.M.Bryan, DFC & Bar from 198 Squadron; the latter's post then went to Flt Lt ].Niblett, DFC, previously a 609 Squadron pilot. In 2 Group 180 Squadron welcomed Wg Cdr R.W.Goodwin, who replaced Wg Cdr J.F.Castle, DFC, while in 88 Squadron the first examples were received of the new Boston IV. 34(Recce) Wing was reinforced by the addition of a third squadron. This was 69 Squadron, a unit which had seen long service in the Mediterranean area in the reconnaissance role. Returned to the UK, it now reformed at Northolt with Vickers Wellington XIII aircraft for night photographic reconnaissance. 85 Group received another influx of night fighter units, 409(RCAF) Squadron joining 410 Squadron at Hunsdon, to which base these units moved from Acklington and Castle Camps respectively. 604 Squadron, now re-equipped with Mosquito XIIIs, moved from Church Fenton to Hum, while a few days later 488(RNZAF) Squadron arrived at Zeals from Colerne, these two units becoming administered by 147 Airfield, which also moved to Zeals. 29 Squadron arrived at West Mailing from Drem, while the Group's resident 264 Squadron moved to Hartford Bridge, having previously shared Church Fenton with 604 Squadron. With appropriate timing, the Mark VIII A.I. radar with which these six units' Mosquitoes were fitted, was released for operations over hostile territory.

1 May 1944

TIME

SON TYPE

IOENT

e2330

305

Mosquito VI MM409 T

PilOT/CREW FlO A MArcher (K) FlO R L McEwan (K)

e1945

421

Spitfire IX

F/L H.P.Zary

hbf 1St Quentinl catB

2 May 1944

0145 e1640 1645 el720 e1815 nk

107 340 401 329 183 442

Mosquito VI NS821 C Spitfire IX MK213 L Spitfire IX MH841 Spitfire IX MK582 F Typhoon IB MN465 C Spitfire IX MK241 H

WID R.A.Martin SILt M.Reeve (KI F/L T.Koch (I) Cmdt P.C. DeG.Fleurquin (A) FlO N.T.Glenn (K) F/L D.E.Trott

hit b/c c/l Coltishall cld MK582 nr Namur rol (escortl c/l 7m NW Worthing cld MK213 nr Namur b/o off Dover csd 11 m S Selsey hbl Baupte catE

3 May 1944

e1610 1730 e2000 e2045

175 440 198 403

Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Spitfire IX

FlO C.G.Haddow F/O J.A.D.Gordon WID A.R.Haliet F/L W.G.N.Hume (AI

III W Holmsley catB ndea hbf c/l Predannack catB hbl Formerie catB/Ac hbl b/o 12m off Le Treport

nk

MN582 JR431 MN305 Y MK179

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/lOCATION ftr (Bonn)

ABOVE: On 3 May 1944, King George VI visited Northolt to inspect a group of the latest RAF types and weapons which would be used on the forthcoming 'second front'. He is seen here examining a 183 Squadron Typhoon (MN454 'HF-s') flown in from Thorney Island by its 'owner', Squadron Leader, the Honourable, Felix Scarlett It has probably the smartest set of rockets ever seen on a 2nd TAF Typhoon! Scarlett would have a near escape in this aircraft just eight days later when hit by Flak attacking a radar site at Cap d'Antifer. The starboard fuel tank caught fire and he jettisoned the hood to abandon the aircraft but then the flames went out He stayed with the aircraft and survived a breezy trip back to Thorney Island. After repair, MN454 was issued to 164 Squadron, but was shot down by a Fw 190 on D-Day, with the loss of its pilot Behind the Typhoon is a 222 Squadron Spitfire IX, MK799 'ZD-X" in which Fit Lt Green would claim a Fw 190 damaged on '0+2' during Treble Two's only large-scale engagement over Normandy. (IWM CH13240)

LEFT: Included in the line-up were an Auster, a Mitchell, a 342 Squadron Boston, a 438 Squadron Typhoon ('F3-F') with 1000 Ib bombs, a 487 Squadron Mosquito (NS8401. a Mustang Inamed 'Susie Q' and two Mustang Ills. In front of one of the latter the King is talking to a 65 Squadron pilot His Mustang carries a simplified version of the unit badge - and just visible behind is FZ152 'SS', Wg Cdr SF.Skalski's aircraft (IWM FLM 3594) TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

1124

320

Mitchell II

FR184

U

PILDT/CREW Lt G.O.KANuesink IA)

CLAIM

dp d

CAUSE/LOCATION

4 May 1944

hbf (Bois de Coquerellel dtd Channel

SILt L.Th.Limbosch IA) Sgt Ch.H.van Offeren IA) Sgt P.de Haan (A)

Once more 'Johnnie' Johnson led 144 Airfield units on an early morning sweep ahead of a 5 May 1944 --------'--medium bomber raid over the Lille area. At 0745, Fw 190s of II./JG 26 were encountered near Douai, and Johnson shot down the aircraft flown by Fw Horst Schwentick of 5. Staffel, who was killed. The Spitfires reformed and flew on to Mons, where more Focke-Wulfs, this time from III./JG 26, engaged them. Two were claimed shot down by pilots of 441 Squadron, but Ph Off P.A.McLachlan's Spitfire was shot down by Fw Peter Crump. Sqn Ldr Wally McLeod of 443 Squadron then claimed another Fw 190 south of Brussels; Uffz Manfred Talkenburg of 8. Staffel was shot down and killed during this engagement, probably by McLeod, but JG 26's losses appear to have amounted only to these two aircraft. Whilst this had been taking place one of the Mitchells departing Dunsfold had crashed at the end of the runway; the crew were fortunate as the bomb load exploded soon after they had made their escape. 0735

0745 0820

0830

180

Mitchell II

144Af Spitfire IX 441 Spitfire IX

443

Spitfire IX

F/O R.M.Kennard F/O G.E.Freeman F/S B.G.Gilbert F/S R.Flitney F/O W.Kirk nk Y2-S W/C J.E.Johnson MK399 K P/O F.AWJ.wilson MK630 P/O T.C.Gamey P/O P.A.McLachlan (K) MJ473 MK636 S/L HWMcLeod

cto bombs exploded

FW100

Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190

1-1-1--

Fw 190

1 --

Douai area {Mons area { sdb Fw 190 nr Mons S Brussels

I

Q)

u

~

o

LL

«

A scene which was being repeated all along the South Coast from Hampshire to Kent in the spring of 1944although thanks to the boldly marked tractor there is no doubt as to the location - 131 Airfield, Chailey, with Spitfires of 317 Squadron in the background.

6 May 1944

7 May 1944

TIME

SON

e1815 e1900

122 19 122 122

TYPE Mustang Mustang Mustang Mustang

III

III III III

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION

FB103 FX955 FX994 FZ168

F/L P.FSteib FlO E.LGermain IKI I Lt K.Nyerrod I F/L LAP.Burra-Robinson

Ju 88 Ju 88

1---2

lOG Loningen all; Isdb Fw 190 NE Aalborg

Hs1291

OG Aalborg

TIME

SON TYPE

IDENT

PILOTICREW

0845 e0900 1000

401 411 403

MH483 MJ229 nk nk

P/O T.W.Dowbiggin (PI F/L RW.Orr F/L J.D.Hodgson F/L J.D.Lindsay

1050

21

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

Mosquito VI

nk

G

el100 1115 1115 e1940 e2025

403 403 403 122 180

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Mustang III Mitchell II

MH719 MJ887 MJ986 FX971 Fw232

1105 1925

193 331

Typhoon IB Spitfire IX

e2000 e2010

442 184

Spitfire IX Typhoon IB

MN350 nk MK182 nk MK241 H JR494 B

WIC J.R.D.Braham F/L DWalsh FlO E.D.Kelly IAI FlO W.H.Rhodes F/L C.P.Thornton F/L H.E.H.Gillett (P) F/L K.Fisher FlO C.A.Hunter F/L KWLittie WID VWilson IWI F/S R.O.Cvylenburg 2Lt EA Gundersen Lt K. Bache IKI Capt B.FBjornstad F/L D.E.Trott FlO J.R.Best II./A)

CLAIM Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Bll09 Ju 88

dpd 2 ---1 --1 1-1--

CAUSE/LOCATION Irt problem ell III 20m SW Charleroi 6-8m ELaon {nr Mons {

e1215 1230

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

143Af Typhoon IB 442 Spitfire IX

e1755

98

Mitchell II

e1755

98

Mitchell II

FlO P.G.Johnson FlO P.G.Johnson F/L FJ.Clark F/L H.P.lary F3-N W/C R.T.P.Davidson (E) F/L Stiles (I) X B FlO GACostello III C FlO Cochand D W/C R.K.FBell-lrving IKI FlO V.C.Phipps IKI F/S K.JWhite IK) FlO C.L.M.Forsyth IKI FV913 J F/S Anstey F/S Winter (K) F/S Campbell WID Merlin

nk nk nk nk MM957 MJ967 MK181 MK149 FW109

ill ::J

30m N Copenhagen

C/)

_.

0 rol b/o ChannellNoball) rol cll nr Beachy Head catB rol cll nr Friston catB sdbl nr Oldenburg hbl Granvilliers catB (Cambrai)

Bf 109

--2

elf f/l Broadstairs OG Moiselle sdbf Moorseele a/f hit htc in low attack catB hbf Baupte catAc/E hbf? elf b/o Chnl

A trio of 226 Squadron Mitchells, FV905 'MQ-s', FW130 'MQ-A', FW128 'MQ-H', head for France in May 1944; all three would survive the hostilities. 'S' is named 'Stalingrad'. (IWM CH13071) 421 421

X -0

(

Four Spitfires of 421 Squadron set off early on the 8th to undertake a weather reconnaissance to 8 May 1944 --------<--France. Near Cambrai a Bf 110 of 8.1NJG 4 was met and shot down by Flg Off P.G.Johnson. Seven Ju 88s were then spotted on the ground at Achiet, near Montdidier, three of these being claimed damaged by strafing. Around midday Wg Cdr R.T.P.Davidson led 438 Squadron's Typhoons for a dive-bombing attack on Douai marshalling yards. En route the engine of his aircraft cut and he was obliged to force-land near Bethune. He managed to avoid capture and was hidden by members of the French Resistance, but it would be many weeks before he was able to return to Allied territory. His place as Wing Leader of 143 Airfield was taken by Wg Cdr M.T.Judd, DFC, AFe, a British pilot who had seen considerable service in the Western Desert, flying Kittyhawks. During the afternoon Mitchells of 98 Squadron raided a 'Noball' site at Bois Coquerel, but over the target Wg Cdr R.K.F.Bell-Irving's aircraft was hit in the nose by a heavy Flak burst, and was seen to spin down and crash. Wg Cdr J.G.C.Paul would arrive to take over command of the unit on 15th.

0700 e0710

rn

Bl110 Ju 88 Ju 88 Ju 88

1---1 --1 --1

SSE Cambrai OG Achiet OG Achiet OG Achiet elf III nr Bethune cld MK181 & MK149 landing {hit by MJ967 Funtington { sdbf 5m S Abbeville (Bois Coquerell

hbf SAbbeville IBois Coquerel) catB

::J

I

Q)

9 May 1944

U

!l.-

o

LL

«

Wg Cdr Erik Haabjorn led 23 Typhoons from Hurn to Manston, from where in the afternoon they set out on a long-range sweep to the Knocke-Rheims-Grandvilliers areas. About 20 miles north of Dover the Wing Leader's Typhoon suffered an engine failure, and zooming up from sea level, trading speed for height, he deftly stepped out of his aircraft before it fell back into the sea. The sweep continued under new leadership, and Haabjorn spent 55 minutes in his dinghy before a Walrus arrived from Hawkinge. This was his second immersion in the North Sea, having been shot down by Spitfires during the early days of Typhoon operations with 56 Squadron. It would be less than two weeks before he would repeat the experience again! TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

e1045 e1055 e1415 e1500 1635

609 266 124Af 182 464

Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Mosquito VI

MN409 MM981 MN406 R8840 MM410

PILOTICREW FlO J.O.Thoroughgood J FlO CWBaillie (P) EH W/C E.Haabjorn (A) PIO W.J.McBean L U FlO W.H.Tuck (I) PIO O.A.S.Crowfoot (II

e1820

266

Typhoon IB

MN483

Sgt A.D.McMurdon (P)

e1020 1115

349 602

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

1340

412

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION hbf (Bridge nr Rouen) catB/Ac csd 3m E Oieppe cnk elf b/o Chnl 40m E North Foreland hit tpw in France catB/Ac hbf (N France) ell Bradwell Bay g/lk f? fill m SE Yvetot

10 May 1944

e1820 e2350

401 613

MH491 MH718 Y MJ303 Spitfire IX MH826 MH617 MK853 Spitfire IX MJ385 Mosquito VI LR358 0

FlO PA.L.G.Libert (P) S/L RASutherland PIO MWFrith (K) S/L J.E.Sheppard F/L E.C.R.Likeness (PI F/L J.A.C.Crimmins (KI FlO H.K.Hamilton (PI FlO GASmith (K) FlO G.AWiliiamson (K)

Fw 190

11-

Fw 190 Fw 190

1-1--

Bf 109

--1

elf b/o Montdidier S Neufchatel ftr d/f S Neufchatel {SW Rheim {db Fw 190 b/o 3m SE Le Tnjport sdb Fw 190 SW Rheims OG Mouchy-Breton; sdbf N St Omer ftr Intruder (Creill

As D-Day for the Invasion approached, action was taken against the German radar chain along the coast of Western Europe. The planners had realised at an earlier date that the greatest obstacle to the success of the landings was likely to be represented by this chain, since it was the one thing which could give the Germans prior warning and destroy the element of surprise. Like that in the UK, it was formed by a line of stations close to the coast, backed by a number of inland stations. Most possessed installations of two or three different types of radar on each individual site. The great number of such stations made attacks on all of them impractical, but for both the Navy and the air forces it was essential to prevent the system working to any substantial level of efficiency. It was therefore concluded that a combination of air attacks and Radio Counter Measures be employed, and to co-ordinate these elements a SHAEF RCM Advisory Staff was formed on 15 May, headed by AVM Y.H.Tait, Director General of Signals, at the Air Ministry. A major role of this body was to select targets for direct air attack, and to identify those stations most susceptible to jamming. Those installations unsuitable for jamming, or able to report shipping, control artillery batteries, or in areas likely to endanger airborne forces operations, were listed for attack. For security purposes in endeavouring not to disclose the location chosen for invasion, two sites outside the area had to be attacked for everyone within it. It would be unwise to commence the attacks too soon, as this would allow repairs to take place prior to D-Day. Attacks were begun therefore on long-range Aircraft Reporting Stations on 10 May, as these installations were likely to be difficult to repair quickly, and were difficult to jam as they operated on a very narrow beam. A week later the targets would become the night fighter control stations and those controlling coastal gun batteries. Finally, during the week before the Invasion, an intensive series of attacks

would commence on 42 sites, most of which had more than one type of radar set. During the last three days attacks were to be concentrated on six sites selected by the Navy and six by the air forces as being the most worthwhile targets. The types of aircraft and weapons employed differed according to the type of radar to be put out of action and to the number of installations on each site. Most attacks were made by 2nd TAF rocketTyphoon units, which during this period would fly 694 sorties and fire 4,517 RPs. Bomb-carrying Typhoons and Spitfires made 759 sorties, dropping 1,258 bombs and firing large quantities of cannon and machine gun ammunition at the heavily-defended targets, many of which had to be attacked at extremely One of the German radar stations on the French coast under attack by rocket-firing Typhoons. The aerials proved difficult to destroy. as RP often passed through the mesh. low-level. Losses of aircraft were in and because of their structure they were resistant to blast. Many were put out of action consequence very heavy. The radio jamming by disrupting their power supplies or damaging the operators' facilities. IIWM CL 31) stations were attacked by Bomber Command heavy bombers however, and with good effect. This programme of attacks would put all six long-range Aircraft Reporting Stations out of action before D-Day, and at least 15 other sites were rendered unserviceable. Considerable stretches of the coast were left without radar coverage, and HQ, AEAF were able to calculate that during the night prior to D-Day never more than 18 per cent of the radars in north-west France were working, and that at times cover fell as low as 5 per cent. This was common to the whole area attacked, not just to the Normandy beachheads, preventing any overall appreciation by the Germans as to what was happening. Air Chief Marshal Leigh-Mallory later reported: "The enemy did not obtain the early warning of our approach that his radar coverage should have made possible; there is every reason to suppose that his radar-controlled gunfire was interfered with; no fighter aircraft hindered our airborne operations; the enemy was confused and his troop movements were delayed." All this was achieved at a high cost to 2nd TAF however. In the evening 609 Squadron was the third unit to attack the radar installation at Cap d'Antifer, and _ _ _ _11 1944 _May _....L._ _ was greeted by fully alert defences. Two of the 12 Typhoons were badly hit, Fit Lt R.L.Wood going down in flames, while Fig Off P.L.Soesman managed to bale out into the Channel. A third aircraft, flown by Fit Sgt Adam, was hit by Wood's aircraft and lost 30 inches off its port wingtip; he managed to return safely. Two Typhoons circled Soesman until at the limit of their fuel; by this time, a Walrus and escorting Spitfires were on the way, but on arrival they found nothing. Here were two indicators of the effects of the anti-radar offensive - high casualties and a very busy ASR service. TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

e0030

107

Mosquito VI

NS905 0

el150

412

Spitfire IX

MH427 MJ136 MN544 MN496

WID G.R.Leiper (KI F/S H.MacLeod (K) FlO RWThatcher (AI FlO J.S.Hamilton (A) F/L R.L.Wood IKI FlO P.L.Soesman (K)

e2005 e2010

609 609

Typhoon IB Typhoon IB

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION ftr (Chiiteaudun) lcld Pas de Calais b/o Channel

I sdbf Cap d'Antifer hbf b/o 20m WNW Fecamp

Another 21 Squadron Mosquito failed to return from a night sortie to Chateaudun, but by day _ _ _ _ 12_May 1944 - L_ _ Wg Cdr 'Bob' Braham, with his navigator, Fit Lt W.S. 'Sticks' Gregory, made another 'Ranger' sortie to Denmark, on this occasion having borrowed a Mosquito from 107 Squadron. Ten miles west-south-west of Aalborg he claimed an Fw 190 shot down, but his own aircraft was hit and damaged by another fighter on this occasion (being claimed shot down by a pilot of lO.lJG 11), and was then hit again by Flak. Consequently, he was obliged to ditch the stricken aircraft in the sea 25 miles north-west of Cromer, off the north Norfolk coast, where he and Gregory were very fortunate to be picked up by nearby trawlers. e0100

21

Mosquito VI

LR274

1155

107

Mosquito

NS885 B

e1620

329

Spitfire IX

MH482 K

F/L L.N.Walsh (KI FlO K.R Hall IKI WIC J.R.O.Braham IA) F/L W.S.Gregory (A) Sgt C.F'x.Mazo

ftr (Chiiteaudunl Fw 190

1- -

10m WSW Aalborg; dbea dtd 25m NW Cromer hbf Bethune catB

rn X -a Q)

::J C/)

o

::J

I

During his 'rest tour' as Wing Commander Night Operations, 2 Group, Bob Braham (rightl borrowed Mosquitoes from 21,107, 305 or 613 Squadrons two or three times a month to undertake Rangers, chalking up a string of victories in the process. On 12 May 1944, his 107 Squadron Mosquito was damaged by an intercepting Bf 109 and further damaged by Flak and he was forced down in the North Sea. Fortunately he was able to ditch close to some minesweepers and he and his navigator, Fig Off 'Sticks' Gregory (left) were promptly rescued. (IWM CH13176)

Q) Co.)

l0.-

a

LL

On 12 May came a reorganisation which provided some more logical identities to the units involved. Now the big Wings were re-titled Sectors, and the Airfields became Wings. In all other ways nothing changed. Thus the Sectors, and the Wings they adminstered, became: 15 Sector - 125,129 and 144 Wings 16 Wing had already been disbanded on 24 April, its commitments being taken over by 22 Wing (which now became 22 Sector) 17 Sector - 122, 126 and 127 Wings 18 Sector - 131, 133 and 135 Wings

19 20 21 22 24 25

Sector Sector Sector Sector Sector Sector

-

132, 134 and 145 Wings 123, 136 and 146 Wings 141 Wing (85 Group) 121,124 and 143 Wings 147 and 148 Wings (85 Group) 150 Wing (85 Group)

All but the 85 Group Base Defence Sectors would not long outlive the moves to the Continent of their Wings following the Invasion, and all but 21, 24 and 25 Sectors would be disbanded on 12 July 1944.

Pilots of 485 Squadron RNZAF at Selsey in May 1944, with the CO's Spitfire IXB in the background. Wt Off H.MEsdaile (on cowlingl, Fig Off HW.BPatterson &Wt Off W.A.Hoskins (seated on wing). In foreground, from left to right, Fit Lt L.S.Black, Fit Lt L.S.MWhite, Wt Off A.J.Downer, Sqn Ldr JBNiven, Fit Sgt A.J.Greer, Fit Lt L.M.Ralph, Fit Lt R.H.de lourret, and Fig Off MCMayston.

TIME

SON

TYPE

IOENT

PILOT/CREW

e1130 e1135 el150

609 609 442

Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Spitfire IX

MN155 MN414 MK326

F/S L.P.Fidgin IK) F/O JAStewart (PI F/L J.T.Marriott IAI

CLAIM

d Pd

CAUSE/LOCATION

13 May 1944

sdbf S Rauen hbf b/o N Fleury hbf b/o 10m S Beachy Head

The night proved to be both busy and successful for 85 Group's recently-strengthened night fighter arm. During a raid on Bristol the Luftwaffe lost 11 bombers, four of these falling to the Group's fighter crews. Three of these from 604 Squadron undertook a running fight over the Isle of Wight and Portland Bill in moonlight, Flt Lt John Surman/Plt Off Clarence Weston claiming a Do 217 and FIg Off MacDonald a Ju 88 damaged. 488 Squadron's Flt Lt J.A.S.Hall/Flg Off J.P.Cairns claimed a Ju 88, while FIg Off R.W.Jeffs/Flg Off Spedding claimed another Ju 88 plus a Do 217 as a probable. Flt Lt C.M.Ramsey, DFC, of 264 Squadron claimed a Ju 188 near Alton, Hampshire, but he and his radar operator, Flg Off J.A.Edgar, DFM, had to bale out when their aircraft got into difficulties; Ramsey landed safely, but Edgar was killed.

""D ill

14May1944 ~

o

::J

ISMay 1944 During a 'Ramrod', Spitfires of 403 Squadron attacked an Fw 190 of 4/JG 26 as it was landing at -------'----Courtrai, and it was shot down by four pilots. Fw Erich Schwarz crash-landed, wounded. One of his victors, Flt Lt C.P.Thornton, was then shot down by Flak, baling out near Amiens to become a POW. By night the Luftwaffe bombers returned, this time to Portsmouth. The night fighters were again able to intercept, Sqn Ldr P.B.Elwell/Flg Off EFerguson of 264 Squadron claiming an Me 410 over the Channel, while Wg Cdr M.H.Constable-Maxwell, DFC, of 604 Squadron claimed a Ju 188 south of the Isle of Wight, contributing between them thereby half of the victories gained that night. During the mid month period 4 Squadron, which was now commanded by Sqn Ldr C.D.Harris St.John, DFC & Bar, converted 'B' Flight from Mosquitoes to Spitfire XIs, so that the unit became fully equipped with the latter aircraft, while 400 Squadron did likewise. eOl00

107

Mosquito VI

LR357

0825 e0940 1030

310 411 403

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

e1440

183

Typhoon IB

MJ509 MJ831 MK507 nk nk nk MN262

T

Cap lA.Hunt F/O F.A.Brock F/S A Sveceny F/L SA Mills (PI F/L C.P.Thornton (P)} F/L E.C.williams} F/O A.JABryan} F/O J.D. Orr } F/S V.R.withey

hbf (Coulommier) w/u Manston

Fw 190

1--

cld with MJ291 on tlo catB/E hbf b/o nr Amiens OG Courtrai; hbf b/o

elf w/u Appledram catB

Wg Cdr 'Robin' Johnston led five Mustang IIIs of 65 Squadron and two of 122 Squadron on a special long-range operation to Aalborg, Denmark. 1200

122Wg Mustang III 65 Mustang III

FZ151 FZ120 FX900 FX993 FZ110 FZ125

122

65

Mustang III

Mustang III

FZl14

FZl18 FZ114 FZ125

S

W/C G.R.A.M.Johnston S/L D.F.Westenra F/L B.G.Collyns shared by above 3 F/L R.Barrett (KI} F/S R.T.Wiliiams IE)} F/S W.P.Kelly

F/O M.H.Pinches

Lt K.Nyerrod F/O M.H.Pinches} F/S W.P.Kelly}

Ju 88 Ju 88 Ju 88 Ju 88 Hel77 Ju 88 * JuW34 Bf 109 Do 217 Fw 190 Hel77 Ju188 Ar196 JuW34 JuW34

1-1-1-1 1-1-1-2- 1 1--1--1 1-1---2 1-1--

17 May 1944

{Aalborg area { { {

N Aalborg; sdb Fw 190 Siagstead; hbd f/I Aalborg a/f * claimed as Hel77 {

{ {

{Aalborg area {

{;dam on water { {

Wg Cdr Bryan led 164 and 183 Squadrons on an armed reconnaissance over the Gisen-Pontoise area during the afternoon, where two Bf 109Gs were seen and both were claimed shot down. These were aircraft of 5.1JG 2, this unit losing Uffz Erich Hollain, who baled out, wounded. Ninety minutes later four Mustang IIIs of 306 Squadron on a 'Ranger' to Chateauroux, Nevers and Orleans, happened upon a lone He III which became 133 Wing's first victory with the new fighters. Another 'Ranger' was carried out by 122 Squadron around 1930, in which Sqn Ldr T.H.Drinkwater was shot down in flames by intense Flak over Tours and killed, while a second Mustang was damaged during this operation. Drinkwater's place would be taken by Sqn Ldr E.L.Joyce, DFM. Although the night fighter units were heavily involved in training at this time, during the night of 18/19th, a crew from 488 Squadron intercepted two aircraft identified as a Do 217 and a Ju 188, and shot down both - but they had actually brought down two OTU Wellingtons. However, a Court of Inquiry completely exonerated the pilot and radar operator from any blame.

rn ><

1_8_M_a-'y'--I_9_4_4

I

ill U

l0.-

a

L.L

«

ABOVE 266 (Rhodesia) Squadron at Needs Oar Point ALG received a visit from the Prime

ABOVE A film crew was also present and, as well as the formal proceedings, they filmed

Minister of Southern Rhodesia on 18 May 1944, for the presentation of a Typhoon from the Matabele tribe. Sqn Ldr Joe Holmes (an ex-263 Squadron Whirlwind pilot) points out features of the presentation aircraft MN133 'ZH-G', which carried a suitable inscription and badge. (IWM CH18770j

pairs of 197 Squadron Typhoons taking off from Needs Oar Point's westerly runway. The first pair was Squadron Leader 'Butch' Taylor in MN463 'OV' (his aircraft wore just the squadron letters) and Fit Sgt Richards in JR367 'OV-K', to be followed by six more Typhoons, for a session of practice formation flying and 'breaks'. (IWM FLM 3611)

"1 hid in a water-filled irrigation ditch .. . " 'Ranger' to Aalborg - 17 May 1944

aving explored the long-range potential of their Mustang Ills with operations to the eastern side and west coast of France, 122 Wing looked further afield and flew a 'Ranger' operation to the Aalborg area on the north-east coast of Denmark on 6 May. Having proved the feasibility of the operation, Lt Nyerodd, a Norwegian pilot in 122 Squadron, proposed a return visit in force. T.he idea met with Wg Cdr 'Robin' Johnston's approval, and in the early hours of 17 May he led eight Mustangs from their new base at Funtington to refuel and breakfast at Coltish all, on the east coast. With him were five pilots of 65 Squadron - Sqn Ldr 'Jerry' Westenra, Fit Lt 'Buck' Collyns, Fit Lt R.Barrett, Fit Sgt 'Ned' Kelly and Ft Sgt R.Williams, and two from 122 Squadron - Lt Nyerodd and Fig Off M.H.Pinches. Crossing 300 miles of North Sea at low-level, the formation climbed on reaching the Danish coast for the remaining 100 miles to Aalborg, where they arrived at high noon, achieving total surprise. 'Gander' section (Johnston, Westenra, Collyns and Barrett) sped to the north of the town and immediately engaged a formation of four Ju 88s of KG 30, Johnston, Westenra and Collyns

H

hacking down one each before sharing the fourth, but the fourth member of the section, Barrett, disappeared. Bf 109s of an air defence unit known as AlarmstaffellJG 11, and a handful of Fw 190s of 10./JG 11 which were at Rordal airfield, had been scrambled at the approach of the British formation, and it seems that some of these fighters were engaged by Barrett, who may have shot down one or two of the Messerschmitts before falling himself to the Focke-Wulf flown by Uffz Siegfried Rudschinat; the Mustang crashed in the shallows off the north shore of Lim Fjord. Meanwhile 'Blue' section (Nyerodd, Pinches, Kelly and Williams) had split off to take a route to the south of Aalborg and soon encountered a Ju W34 trainer which was promptly despatched in flames by Nyerodd, who was leading. Pinches and Kelly claimed another of these between them, the former pilot then diving down to strafe a pair of Ar 196 floatplanes moored in Lim Fjord. He then spotted an He 177 - an aircraft of 4./KG 100 - which exploded alongside a lake to the west of the town. He then attacked a Ju 88 (identifed by him as a Ju 188), and this crashed inverted in Pilots of 65 Squadron at Funtington in May 1944, shortly before the 'Ranger' to Aalborg, with one of the unit's Mustang Ills. This aircraft carries the white recognition band around the nose and the squadron badge just beneath the exhaust ports. On the wing, left to right, are Fit Sgt WASumner, Fit Sgt WPKelly, RAAF, Fit Sgt R.lWiliiams, Fig Off JL.Mizener, RCAF, Fig Off Williams and Pit Off PSTaylor. Standing, left to right are Fig Off JPLloyd, Fit Lt R.LStillwell, Sqn Ldr D.FWestenra, RNZAF, Fit Sgt GCDinsdale, Wt Off Gillham, Fig Off NJHillman, RCAF. Fig Off RAWalley, RCAF, Fit Lt R.Barrett, RNZAF, Fit Sgt DJSmith, Fig Off Muir, RCAF, Fit Lt M.JWright and an unidentified Intelligence Officer. Seated are Fit Lt R.LSutherland, RCAF (left) and Wt Off PC Boon

rn X

Mustang III FZ11 0 'YT-S' Fit Sgt R.T.Williams, 65 Squadron, Funtington, 17 May 1944

-0 ill ~ C/)

o

~

a field. Kelly meanwhile had sought to attack a Bf 109, but before he could open fire, another Mustang cut in on him and he saw fire from this setting the Messerschmitt ablaze. He therefore turned his attention to a second Bf 109, which he saw go down and explode. Encountering an Fw 190, he claimed damage to this, then attacked a bomber which he identified as a Do 217, and from which he saw a member of the crew bale out - he would be granted a 'probable' for this aircraft. None ofthe other returning pilots claimed the first Messerchmitt he had seen go down, and it is surmised that the Mustang pilot who had baulked Kelly was probably Barrett. Rowland Williams was also found to be missing as the Mustangs withdrew, and it would be some Luftwaffe personnel inspect Fit Sgt R.T.Wiliiams' downed Mustang, FZ110 'YT-s', although he was weeks before his part in the action came to light. already on his way back to England. The 65 Squadron badge, as seen in the group photograph, is Initially he attacked and claimed damage to a difficult to see as the film used rendered yellow as a dark shade - as on the outer ring of the roundel. Ju W34, then spotting three bombers in line abreast at a height of about 100 feet. He identified these as He 177s, and opened fire on one, seeing strikes Known Luftwaffe losses closely mirror RAF claims; five or six before another Mustang attacked it, causing him to break away. Ju 88s of KG 30 went down, as did an He 177 (as recorded) and an It was presumed that this was Barrett since no other pilot He 111 of 2./KG 26 (possibly also identified as an He 177). Thus reported attacking a formation of Heinkels, but it may have been seven or eight bombers of various types were lost against claims Pinches. Meanwhile Williams had turned away eastwards, for eight. While only one Bf 109 was claimed and a second was seeing one Heinkel and two of 'Gander' Section's Ju 88s all crash. seen to be shot down, at least three were actually lost, with a fourth He then encountered three more Ju W34s approaching Aalborg hit; Gefr Johannes Dehmer was killed, while Uffz Ludwig Hendrix airfield, and claimed to have shot down two of these. Turning and Heinrich Esser were both wounded. north, he then met what he thought to be an He 177 approaching One piece of possible overclaiming strangely relates to the at low-level from the east, and attacked this. Many years later, claims for four Ju W34s shot down - undoubtedly the easiest type with the benefit of information then available, he added "The to despatch. However, only one of these elderly single-engined Ju 88 I was attacking at low-level (not a He 177 as in my combat aircraft is known to have been lost by IV/Fl.zieiG 1. It has been report) was on fire and the pilot gave the order for the crew to suggested however, that viewed from behind, the wing planform bale out. He pulled the aircraft up in front of me, as I was making and dihedral angle of the W34 could resemble that of a Bf 109 with a rear attack with 20 degrees flap down to avoid overshooting. In its undercarriage down. order to bale out the lower turret gunner had to jettison a piece Williams meanwhile, was picked up by the Danish Resistance of armour plating weighing 52 kg. This lodged in my air scoop and spent some considerable time travelling, often on foot, and causing the engine to seize and the Mustang almost to stall, hidden by sympathisers each night, until eventually he was leaving me no height to bale out, hence the forced-landing. smuggled aboard a fishing vessel which carried him to Sweden. He Having crashed near Hjallerup in the north of Jutland, I hid in a disembarked at Gothenburg during the morning of 6 June - D-Day water-filled irrigation ditch about three quarters of a mile from - and on 2 July was flown to the UK in the bomb bay of a BOAC the crash site. When the Germans had thoroughly searched a Mosquito. He rejoined the squadron after an absence of seven nearby barn, within my view, I hid there after daylight." weeks, and was able to add to his combat report the information Despite this account, it appears that as Williams' Mustang that flying in the area had ceased for a full week after the attack, was attacking the bomber, it was attacked from behind and only resuming under a standing patrol of four Fw 190s. claimed shot down by Hptm Siegfried Simsch of 10./JG 11 for Subsequently he received an immediate award of the DFM on 3 October 1944 for his exploits. his 53rd victory.

TYPE

!DENT

e1520 317 e1605 136Wg 183 e1605 136Wg 164

Spitfire IX Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB

1740

306

Mustang III

e1930 e1930

122 122

Mustang III Mustang III

ML275 MN415 MN265 MN415 MN177 EJ958 nk nk nk nk FZ164 FBl18

TIME

SON

PILOT/CREW B

T C I D Z X

FlO M.Adamek (K) W/C J.M.Bryan } F/L FH.Pollock} W/C J.M.Bryan } F/L A.G.Todd } F/S L Plows} F/L W.Potocki} F/S J.Pomietlarz} FlO A.Beyer} FlO S.Tronczynski } S/L IH.Drinkwater (K) F/O H.Cush

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION

Bf 109

1--

hbf Fecamp b/o off Beachy Head Pontoise/Gisors

Bf 109

1--

Pontoise/Gisors

He 111

1--

12m NE Nevers

CLAIM

sdbf Tours hbf Chartres catS

LEFT: 83 Group Support Unit staff preparing Spitfire IXs at Redhill, in late May 1944, for issue to front line squadrons. The two Spitfires in the front row had both come from 39 MU, Coleme, and would be issued to 403 Squadron (NH265) and 411 Squadron (NH307j The history of the aircraft behind on the right, MK574, remains obscure. (IWM CH13317)

ABOVE: Armourers preparing belts of 20 mm ammunition at 83 GSU, Redhill, late in May 1944. Spitfire IXs EN579 'OB-S' (ex 411 Squadron),

MK991 'US-K' (ex-56 Squadron) and MH727 'AH-(?l' (ex-332 Squadron) await repair or reissue alongside new Spitfires from Maintenance Units Surviving aircraft movement records do not contain detail of allocations within 2nd TAF during the first half of 1944, so none of these aircraft are recorded as being at 83 GSU and MH727's allocation to 332 Squadron is also missing. (IWM CH13319)

During the evening, 403 Squadron swept towards the Paris area, where two Fw 190s were seen and shot down; these were aircraft of 4./JG 2, Ofhr Peter Ullmann baling out having been badly wounded, while Uffz Otto Karbeum was killed. FIg Off R.H. Smith's Spitfire was seriously damaged during the engagement, and he baled out 15 miles north of Dieppe, but did not survive. During a dive-bombing raid, Sqn Ldr Norm Fowlow's 411 Squadron Spitfire was hit by Flak and the bomb beneath the fuselage exploded, the wreckage falling at Neufchatel with the pilot dead. He was replaced as Commanding Officer by Sqn Ldr G.D.Robertson. A 266 Squadron Typhoon and its pilot were also lost; having been hit by Flak, the aircraft burst into flames and crashed into the sea 40 miles south of the Isle of Wight, as the pilot was trying to get his damaged machine back to England. TIME

SON

TYPE

el000 elOlO ell05 e1200 e1200 1635 e1830 e1830 1900 e1935 1945

66 66 421 122 122 310 403 403

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Mustang III Mustang III Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

IDENT

266 613

MJ182 MJ143 MH714 K FZ168 FX940 'MJ888' nk nk MJ480 Typhoon IB MM953 Mosquito VI LR370 Y

PILOT/CREW

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION

Bll09

--1

Fw 190 Fw 190

1-1--

MK834

SIL K.T.Lofts FIS REmery FIL RW Henry (PI FIL P.FSteib Sgt J.K.Russell (KI FIS Cerveny FIL J.O.Hodgson FIL J.O.Lindsay) FlO RH.Smith (K)} FIS A.O.Holland (K) FIL RM. Muir (K) FIL FMountain (K) SIL N.R.Fowlow (K)

OG; Buc all hit trees catB/Ac hbf Neufchatel b/o cld FX940 b/o Surrey cld FZ168 csd Surrey hbf ell Friston catB N Auneuil {Beaumont sur Oise a/f {dbea b/o 15m N Dieppe hbf csd 40m SloW dtd 4925N 0300W (Sortosville en Beaumontl sdbf nr Neufchatel

e2010

411

Spitfire IX

1035 e1050 1200 1545

340 315 306 306

Spitfire IX Mustang III Mustang III Mustang III

MJ873 FB179 C nk N FB185 U

SILt H.V.F.Lepage FlO S.Calinski-Cap (K) FIL H.Pietrzak FIL MWedzik

tbto csd Merston catB/Ac sdbf Charleroi dla Coolham catB csd Va Coolham (Ramrod904)

rn X

-0 ill ::J C/)

a ::J

20 May1944

During the day, the Spitfire squadrons were involved in a series of attacks on the transport system in 21 May 1944 ---------'---France, but the results were little short of catastrophic. Sixteen Spitfires were shot down and many damaged - five significantly so - all victims of Flak. Incredibly, only four pilots were killed and one wounded, while five more were captured. Six managed to escape capture and would return later. Worst hit was 310 Squadron, with three shot down and one damaged, three other units each losing two aircraft. On this day however, only a single Typhoon went down, the 184 Squadron pilot also becoming a prisoner. During these attacks 416 Squadron's pilots claimed 13 trains shot-up. During the mid-afternoon, nine Mustangs of 19 Squadron escorted two 418 Squadron Mosquitoes (an ADGB unit) to north Denmark. The formation split into two sections and combed the area, one group meeting two aircraft identified as LeO 45s. The Mosquito pilot in this group shot down one of these, then sharing the second with three of the Mustang pilots. However, they were then surprised by Bf 109s of lO./JG 11, Flt LtA.G.Bird and Flt Sgt w.T.Warren both being shot down and killed by Uffz Wolfgang Schroeder-Barkhausen and Siegfried Rudschinat. In making a head-on attack on one of these Mustangs however, Schroeder-Barkhausen was shot down and killed. e0800 e0805 e0810 e1000 e1000 el010 el050

308 308 308 66 340 66 310

Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire

e1100 ell00 e1110

310 312 313

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

e1125 e1130 e1140 e1140 1200 e1200 e1200 e1210 1225 e1400 1645

416 310 421 421 403 453 184 132 349 317 19 19 19

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Typhoon IB Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Mustang III Mustang III Mustang III

MU16 ML215 ML254 MJ182 MK140 MK640 MJ798 MK725 MJ663 MJ907 MJ636 MK532 MJ832 MK116 MJ786 MJ928 MJ645 MK566 MN252 MH972 MK192 MJ934 FX882 FX943 FB113

e1650 e1650

19 19

Mustang III Mustang III

FX999 FB158

IX IX IX IX IX IX IX

P

Y W B A

T 0 D 0 L T I H N

FIL S.Czarnecki (W) FIL J.Kurowski (K) FIL J.Jeka (P) SIL K.T.Lofts (E) Cpt C. Demas (K) FlO S.A.Rodgers (K) SIL H.Hrbacek (E) Sgt B.Frohlich P/O KValasek IPI W/O ROssendorf (E) P/O R.Dodds FIS C.Stojan (W) FIS S.T.Lundberg (P) FIS A.Meier (K) FIL RW.Nickerson (E) FlO J.FDavidson (PI FlO A.J.Bryan (E) FIS J.O.w.Olson (PI P/O RGWorthington (P) FIL J.O.Carpenter (E) Lt M.Sans (AI FIL FMartini FIL A.C.Shirreff) W/O M.H.Bell} W/O L.TWoodward } 418 Sqn (ADGB)} FIL AG.Bird (K) FIS w.T.Warren (K)

LeO 45

1--

hbl W Buchy catB sdbl a/train W Lillebonne hbl f/l SW Buchy hbl f/l 6m N Bayeux hbf Bernay rep b/o hbl Bayeux dtd 10m off Fr cst hbf til S Lisieux hbf a/train catB sdbf nr Balleroy ftr (Le Havrel {hbf a/train catB IAcICaen-Rennes) { hbf altrain f/I (Cayeux-Berck) dtd 10m off English coast hbl a/trains III NE Amiens hbf a/trains b/o nr Amiens hbf b/o nr Achiet hbf ell nr Bernay I/s Walcheren hbf f/l nr Caudebec hbf b/o 10m S Beachy Head hbf altrain nr Gisors catB/Ac S Viborg

sdb Bf 109 Aalborg lis Danish cst after d/f Aalborg

I

ill U

l0.-

a LL

An intensive day of sorties against the French road and rail systems, the 21 May 1944 cost the 2nd TAF Spitfire squadrons heavy losses and damage to Flak. 453 Squadron Spitfire MK566 'FU-L' (TOP LEFl) was brought down near Bernay and its pilot, Fit Sgt JOWOlson, captured. MJ832 'DN-T' of 416 Squadron (TOP RIGHn was brought down attacking a train and Fit Sgt S.T.Lundberg was also made Pow. This aircraft is shown back in Allied hands in Holland the following November. Three Spitfires which did return, but in less than perfect condition, were MJ934 'JH-N' of 317 Squadron (ABOVE), ML116 'ZF-P' (ABOVE RlGHn of 308 Squadron and MJ751 'DU-V' (RIGHn of 312 Squadron. The latter was not a victim of Flak, but had hit trees when pressing home an attack on motor transport.

22 May 1944

rn

RIGHT AND FAR RIGHT

X

Although not a precision weapon, in the right circumstances with a well-practised pilot. the rocket projectile could be accurately placed This is beautifully demonstrated by these photographs of rockets 'rippled' onto a French railway track. - a direct hit on the slim target is shown at the bottom of the first frame - and to prove this was no 'lucky strike' the third rocket makes a similar impact in the second frame. (IWM C4488)

""D CD :::;

en

o

:::;

TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION

e0800

416

Spitfire IX

MJ770 MJ575 MJ347 MK207 MK139 nk MN542 EH MN489 N

F/L G.R.Patterson P/O WH.Palmer F/L WF.Mason F/L R.D.Forbes-Roberts FlO A.R.McFadden FlO H.WBowker W/C E.Haabjorn (AI FlO A.AWatkins (AI

Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Bf 109 Fw 190

1-1-1-1-1-2 --

{Etrepagnya/f { { {

el100 410RSU Spitfire IX 1525 124Wg Typhoon IB 1840 440 Typhoon IB

{

e/a cld csd S Selsey hbf b/o 3m off Dieppe hbf b/o 5m N Arromanches

Another Wing Leader baled out into the Channel after being hit by Flak. This time it was Wg Cdr 23 May 1944 --------'--R.E.P.Brooker of 123 Wing, who, whilst leading 609 Squadron to attack radar at St Valery-enCaux, had his engine fail mid-Channel. He was also rescued successfully (but complained that his waterproof watch was not in fact waterproof]), as were two more pilots of the other three Typhoons lost on this date, and a 2 Squadron Mustang I reconnaissance pilot. e1030 e1600 1710 el720 e1735

123Wg 2 440 181 183

Typhoon IB Mustang I Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB

MN143 RL-7 W/C R.E.P.Brooker (AI FD530 F/L J.D.Furneaux IAI MN637 Y FlO F.J.Crowley (AI JR381 Z S/L J.G.Keep II,AI EK268 FlO J.Ralph IKI

elf b/o 25m S Beachy Head hbf b/o 5m SW Etretat hbf b/o off Cherbourg hbf dtd 10m N Cherbourg sdbf Cap d'Antifer

ABOVE ANO RIGHT On 23 May 1944 the CO of 181 Squadron, Sqn Ldr Jimmy Keep, (RIGHn was a casualty of the

anti-radar campaign, ditching some ten miles off Cherbourg. He was picked up by a Walrus, but had suffered bad facial injuries, including a broken jaw, that would keep him off operations for some months. His place was taken by 'Kit' North-Lewis, promoted from flight commander with 182 Squadron, across the airfield. (ABOVE) The previous month, 182 Squadron had posed for an RCAF photographer near the control tower at Hum - North-Lewis is standing to the right of the lowest propeller blade.

I

Q)

U

!>.-

o

LL

« m u

+-'

u

~

ABOVE AND RlGHr On 24 May 1944 Fit Lt IBWinslow and

Fg Off A.D.Fraser flew their 268 Squadron Mustangs across the

-0 Channel to take 'zero feet' photo-coverage of the radar station

c:

N

at Neufchatel. Flak was "fairly heavy" and Winslow pulled up in a half-roll, streaming smoke, before regaining the 'deck'; the cockpit filled with flames and he jettisoned the hood. Deciding to land at Brenzett, Winslow found he was unable to lower the undercarriage and made a belly-landing after two approaches. American Gis stationed nearby showed a keen interest in his battered Mustang IA, FD497 'Z', which never flew again.

24 May 1944

RIGHr Pit Off S.S.Finlayson proudly poses with his 175 Squadron Typhoon at Holmsley South. On 24 May 1944, with his JR311 'HH-P', fitted with RPs instead of the bomb carriers illustrated, Finlayson took part in an attack on a radar station near Le Havre. Unfortunately he fell victim, not to the usual Flak, but to elevatorflutter-induced structural failure, which tore the tail off his aircraft as he dived on the target This problem, which had dogged the Typhoon since mid-1942, had been allayed by modifications to the elevator balance weights. Checks on all the Wing's Typhoons revealed many had not received the latest modifications.

TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

e1030 e1030

197 198

Typhoon IB Typhoon IB

e1100 e1400 1430 e1605 e1605 e1855 e1910 1915 2015 nk

164 439 268 175 268 193 257 198 401 88

Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Mustang IA Typhoon IB Mustang IA Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Spitfire IX Boston Ilia

MN458 MN410 JR527 MN349 MN516 FD497 JR311 FD505 nk MN367 MN234 MJ131 BZ325

PILOTICREW N G M P W Z P

Y K T

CLAIM

dpd

FlO FlO F/S FlO S/L

HWCoies (K) H.Freeman (K) L.Valiely (K) P.GWest (WI H.H.Norsworthy F/L lBWinslow (I) PIO S.S.Finlayson (K) FlO D.M.Ashlord (W) WIO B.Lenson FlO M.F.Culien (P) WIO A.R.Haliet S/L L.M.Cameron PIO A.L.Breckels +3

Fw 190

1--

CAUSE/LOCATION hbl csd 5m off Pte de la Percee {sdbl Jobourge { hbl (Boulogne) III Newchurch catB ell III 4m SE Horsham hbl Neulchatel w/u Brenzett s/l csd Le Havre hbl SE Boulogne cat B/E hbl (Amiens) catB hbl III Picquigny ell w/u Shoreham catB (Amiens) Nivelles III 2m NE Eversley

During an evening 'Ranger' across central France on the 25th, four pilots of 315 Squadron 25 May 1944 --------'---spotted a pair of Ar 96 trainers over Bourges at 1915, Fit Lt J,Marciniak shooting down one while the other three pilots disposed of the other. On this date 66 Squadron received Sqn Ldr H.A.S.Johnston, DFC & Bar, as Commanding Officer, while next day 181 Squadron was taken over by Sqn Ldr C.D'Kit' North-Lewis, DFC, who had been a flight commander with 182 Squadron. eOl00

305

Mosquito

NT145 Z

FlO M.Latawiec (K) PIO S Wator (KI

ftr Cambrai

0220

305

Mosquito

NS901 K

dla Lasham

e1100 e1100 1915

184 184 315

Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Mustang III

MN233 MN344 FX897 nk FX855 FX917

F/L H.Kolacz (K) Sgt FKruszynski (K) WIO G.C.Polkey (K) F/S L.Tidbury F/L J.Marciniak FlO J.Polak} FlO M.Kirste } F/S lJankowski}

Y N S X M W

Ar96B Ar96B

1-1--

hbl csd Gisors hbl (Gisors) catB {Bourges {

Lit by the evening sun at Newchurch, Fit Sgt 'Bill' Bailey's Tempest V, JNB07 'JF-Y' of 3 Squadron awaits the action to come. Although under 2nd TAF control during the Invasion, 150 Wing, with two squadrons of Tempests (the other was 486 Squadron) and one of Spitfire IXs (56 Squadron awaiting Tempests) remained in 85 Group, ADGB, throughout the Normandy campaign. Not until the following September would the Tempests leave the UK to join 122 Wing on the Continent.

150 Wing at Bradwell Bay had now commenced operations with its newly-arrived Tempests, aircraft 27 May 1944 -------'--of 3 and 486 Squadrons undertaking shipping reconnaissance and strafing sorties throughout much of the month. On this date, however, two 3 Squadron aircraft failed to return from a shipping reconnaissance off the Ostend-Dunkirk stretch of the coast. No claims for aircraft shot down here on this date appear to have been submitted by German fighter or Flak units, and it is possible that the two fighters had collided and crashed into the sea. Alternatively, they may have been victims of German coastal guns, the crews of which frequently attempted to 'lob' large calibre shells into the path of such low-level targets in an effort to raise great fountains of water into which they might fly,

28 May 1944 Whilst undertaking a patrol during the early hours of 28th, Pit Off L.J,Kearney/Flg Off -------'--N.W.Bradford of 410 Squadron intercepted a Ju 88, which they then pursued right over France, claiming to have shot it down in the Lille area. This proved to be the first success gained over enemy-held territory for an aircraft equipped with Mark VIII A.I. radar.

rn

X -0 Q)

::::l

-.

C/)

0

::::l

I U

Among the six losses on the 28th was Sqn Ldr H.A.B.Russell, commander of 164 Squadron, who baled out near Torcy after a Flak hit on his aircraft whilst attacking radar; he became a prisoner.

o

TIME

SON TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

e0030

613

Mosquito VI

NS851 G

e1025 e1050 1115 e1225 e1600 e1620 16:40 el720 1800 2000

245 349 66 164 317 132 401 2 403 403

Typhoon IB Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Typhoon IB Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Mustang IA Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

nk MK130 P MH723 H JR515 L MJ934 N MJ417 S 'MH819' FD500 MH848 MJ980

FlO PK.Twiss (K) Sgt G.E.Reddish (KI Sgt O.J.Lush FlO J.Ester (A) WID V.Lonnen SIL H.A.B.Russell (PI FIL J.Pentz (PI FIS T.C.Turner (K) FIL RRBouskili FIL I.W.Harris (P) PIO ET.Hubbard (I) FIL A.EHalerow

(])

!>....

LL

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION ftr intruder 1St Oizier) hbf Gamaehes eatB hbf b/o 10m off Ault bhu ell Bognor eatB hbf b/o nr Torey hbf ell nr Bois de Creey I/s XI./A/83 ell Friston ndea eatB sdbf nr Neufehatel efto esd Hawkinge tbl esd Hawkinge eatB

29 May 1944

30 May 1944

e1110 e1530 1800

313 183 401

Spitfire IX Typhoon IB Spitfire IX

MJ963 JR390 U MH848

Sgt J.Bednar FlO A.RTaylor PIO ET.Hubbard (I)

el040 el040 e1200 e1630

609 175 306 66

Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Mustang III Spitfire IX

JR386 JP931 FX979 A MH455

FlO FlO FlO FlO

e1225 0740

416 122

Spitfire IX Mustang III

MJ347 FX954

WID J.RL.N.Guillot (KI S/L E.L.Joyee

Bf 109

2 --

hbf (Bois Coquerelle)eatB/Ae 40m SloW eto Hawkinge eatE hbf b/o 15m NW Formerie sdbf nr Hardelot hbf ell EZwolle; executed 8 Mar 45 elf esd nr Shoreham

J.O.Thorogood (E) J.M.Cowie (K) C.Oberdak (E/P/K) J.Hughes (K)

31 May 1944

1 June 1944

_2-=.J_un_e_l_9_4_4

He 111

1- -

ABOVE: Fg Off 'Newfy' Taylor of 183 Squadron was flying one of two Typhoons scrambled from Thomey Island on 29 May 1944 to intercept low-flying intruders. Two Sf 109s were intercepted 40 miles south of the Isle of Wight and Taylor promptly despatched both, using only 20 rounds per gun. A week later, on D-Day, he was one of three 183 Squadron pilots who failed to return, having been 'bounced' by Sf 109s when about to attack a tank column. (IWM CH13347)

elf esd Somme Estuary N Alte Mellum

18 Typhoons of 198 and 609 Squadrons attacked one of the Night Fighter Control radars at Dieppe/Caudecote, but here Sqn Ldr J.Niblett of the former unit was shot down and killed by Flak, crashing into the cliffs. His place at the head of the squadron would be taken by

LEFT: Long-range tanks stockpiled for the use of 131 (Polish) Wing. Originally designed for use on Hurricanes, and later used by Typhoons, the tanks were adapted for use on Spitfires, which carried a single tank below the fuselage. The extra 44 gallons allowed penetration as far as the German border and would be invaluable in extending patrol time over the Invasion area.

rn

The Story of the 'Ginger' Mitchell Flight (Courtesy of G.E.T.Nichols)

n the early summer of 1944, the light and medium bombers of 2 Group were heavily committed to attacks on coastal fortifications, 'Noball' sites, airfields, supply and communications targets in France preparatory to Operation 'Overlord'. At this time in the records of one unit of this force, 226 Squadron, appeared an apparent anachronism. It seemed that Mitchells were being sent out at night over France to drop 'Nickels'; this was the code-word used to describe propaganda leaflets. An odd diversion of effort at so critical a time, it might be thought, but the truth is more bizarre. 'Nickelling' was no more than a cover for a vital duty these aircraft had been sent out to perform. During March 1944 Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Forces (SHAEF) Intelligence had set up a network of agents in Occupied France, supplied with special radio equipment. Their task was to provide information on German movements and intentions for SHAEF; their equipment was to make the transmission of this information as speedy, safe and accurate as possible. 'E-Edward', a Mitchell of 'C' Flight, 226 Squadron - the 'Ginger' Mitchell Flight The German occupation forces had developed to a fine art Taken in Autumn 1944, the photograph shows 41 question marks indicating the the detection of normal radio transmissions, their patrolling DfF number of secret intelligence-gathering sorties undertaken. (Direction Finding) vans homing onto the transmitter with morning by fighter-bombers and rocket-Typhoons, with a minimum delay. Thus the normal slow morse transmission was considerable degree of success. too dangerous to use for other than urgent short messages, The only interception of a 'Ginger' aircraft occurred on the while with the equipment available, voice radio possessed lack night of 14 July 1944. Once again, the circumstances were of range. Consequently the 'quarter wave' system was used, unusual - a patrolling Mosquito night fighter of 100 (Bomber whereby a voice transmission was made, but on a narrow beam Support) Group, Bomber Command, attacked the Mitchell under transmission, which went out vertically into the sky. Due to its the impression that it was a Do 217 bomber. On the fighter's fifth narrowness at point of transmission (i.e. ground-level), this was pass, the Mitchell pilot finally ordered his gunners to return fire, extremely difficult to detect, but at 20,000 feet or above, it instead of evading, and the offending Mosquito was shot down. spread out to cover a circular area of some 50 miles (see Fortunately the hapless crew were able to bale out safely diagram). An aircraft flying in a prearranged area at a preinto Allied-occupied territory, subsequently claiming a Dornier determined height, could thus pick up these transmissions for badly damaged; the aggrieved 226 Squadron crew claimed one the whole of the time it took to cover the 50 miles. By retracing Mosquito shot down! This combat occurred despite a warning its course, very long messages could be received. to all units operating by night that lone Mitchells were flying in To undertake these duties an additional Flight was formed the area. within 226 Squadron, known officially as 'c' Flight, but soon A similar operation had been attempted over Holland, but nicknamed the 'Ginger' Mitchell Flight. This very special and without the same successful results. In August 'Ginger' Flight secret flight came under the direct operational orders of SHAEF. was requested to investigate, finding that the aircraft previously 226 Squadron's commander, Wg Cdr D.Mitchell, and Grp Capt used had made their flights parallel to the Dutch coast. W.L.M.MacDonald, commander of 137 Wing, were responsible Experience swiftly showed that contact could only be only for the Flight's operational efficiency and administration. established by flying directly across Holland in a west-east To the normal crews were added a number of French radio direction to the German border. With France by then well on the operators, including Joseph Kassel, the writer, who were to way to being liberated, solo day and night sorties were receive the transmissions. After intensive night flying training undertaken over Holland. Information brought back included particularly in accurate navigation - the first sortie was made on location of V-2 rocket-launching sites, which were subsequently 1 June 1944 under cover of the leaflet-dropping story. Indeed, dive-bombed by Spitfires from England. leaflets were carried and dropped in By this time the leaflets had long since order to allay German suspicions, been dispensed with, the lack of particularly should an aircraft be opposition rendering the need for this brought down in enemy territory. The 50 Miles deception no longer necessary. leaflets were, however, frequently Operations by the 'Ginger' Mitchell 'delivered' in bulk - probably to the Flight finally came to a close at the end detriment of local rooftops! of October 1944, by which time the Allied From then on two aircraft were sent armies had overrun the areas from out each night, each contacting two which the agents had been operating. agents. On return, the collated (G.E. T.Nicholls, who supplied the 20,000 ft information gained was sent to London information related above, served with by dispatch rider during the early hours the 'Ginger' Mitchell Flight. He was of the morning. The information awarded a DFC for these operations, generally concerned German supply adding it to a DFM which he had and reinforcement trains or convoys, received earlier in the war.) allowing these to be attacked next

I

><

-0 Q)

:::::l

en

o

:::::l

I

Sqn Ldr I.J.Davies, DFC, promoted from within 609 Squadron. Another Typhoon pilot of 245 Squadron was also shot down and killed on this date, as was a Spitfire pilot of 403 Squadron. Flt Lt R.W.Orr of 411 Squadron, one of the unit's most successful pilots, baled out into the Channel due to a Flak hit, and was rescued.

CD

U "--

a

LL

« co u

+-'

u ~ 3 June 1944 -0 C N

TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

e1010

245

Typhoon IB

MN355

F/S D.J.Lush IKI

hbl b/o 8m NW Cherbourg

e1600 e1720 1815

198 411 403

Typhoon IB Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

MN192 H MJ229 MK742

S/L J.Niblett (K) F/LRWOrr IA) F/L J.Hodgson IK)

sdblDieppe hbl blo Channel ell 1/1 nr Herbecourt

e0130

464

Mosquito VI NT154 U

ftr intruder (Laon/Athies)

1420 1515

401 132

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

F/O R.A.Faulalem (KI F/O RWWilkins (K) F/O C.B. Cohen (K) F/O N.Varanand F/S W.GThom

MK84D nk S nk Z

4 June 1944

5 June 1944

ABOVE AND RIGHT: Armourers manhandling RPs with 60 Ib warheads for 609 Squadron Typhoons at Thomey Island just two days before D-Day; behind them, JR379 'PR-L' is already fully armed. On the runway a 164 Squadron Typhoon, MN304 'FJ-N', starts its take-off run; the next day its pilot would forget to lower the undercarriage when landing. claiming he was distracted by his first sight of the Invasion fleet! The aircraft serial number has been painted on the fin - probably in anticipation of the fuselage number being obscured by the stripes that would be painted that evening. (IWM CH13345 & CH13344)

CLAIM

d Pd

CAUSE/LOCATION

e/I b/o Channel (Argentan-Falaise) {cld Idg catB {

although three more were picked up safely from the sea. A long-range photo reconnaissance Mosquito of 140 Squadron was also lost during the morning on a sortie over the Nogent-Le Mans area of France. Three of the Typhoon losses had been suffered by 121 Wing, which had despatched 174, 175 and 245 Squadrons to attack a radar near Cap de la Hague, which was put out of action. However the past six weeks had probably been the worst of the war for the Typhoons. In 84 Group alone the three Wings of these aircraft had two Wing Leaders and five squadron commanders shot down, although several of these had survived to return to operations. The Spitfires had also played their part, one attack by 23 aircraft from 144 Wing against a 'Wurzburg' installation at Cap d'Antifer having achieved nine direct hits with 500 lb bombs. By night, as the invasion fleets sailed and the airborne divisions' transport aircraft took to the skies, both ADGB and 84 Group night fighters were on patrol, Fig Off H.E Pearce/Fig Off Moores of 409 Squadron claiming a Ju 88 probably destroyed at 0223, while ADGB units claimed two more. D-Day was imminent. TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

e0830 e0835 0845 e0850 e0915 e1140

245 245 175 439 193 140

Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Mosquito IX

nk nk MN456 MN210 U MN761 MM243

1550 2240

340 441

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

MJ795 K MK465

FlO W.Smith (AI F/L W.E.Reynolds (AI WID J.H.Pugh (K) F/L JWSaville (KI S/L o.G.Ross (KI FlO J.B.Reynolds (K) F/S F.E.Baker (K) Lt Boisot FIS VAG. Brochu (A)

CLAIM

dpd

rn X

"'D Q)

:::J

en a

:::J

CAUSE/LOCATION hbf b/o 30m off Cherbourg elf hbf? b/o 30m off Cherbourg hbf b/o 15m off Cherbourg sdbf St Peter Port hbf b/o 15m SE loW ftr Nogent - Le Mans

elf ell Bognor catB elf blo W of Selsey

South Coast 2nd TAF Airfields on D-D_ay

Hunsdon ~ .

Key •

2nd TAF Airfields

•

10 & 11 Group Air Defence of Great Britain

Northolt • ('I\-./".r

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

. Greater London

Appledram Bognar Ford Funtington Merston Selsey Tangmere Thorney Island Westhampnett

Manston ~ Hartford Bridge • West Mailing • .odiham Lasham.

Gatvvick • •Horne

Dunsfold.

Coolham. Chailey.

Southam/< on)

(

Shoreham

Lee on Solent Holmsley South Hurn.. ·Warmwell

Boumemouth

.Deanland

2 f '_ _B~righton

l3

~

Friston

Needs Dar Point

N G

\.. \

Eastbourne

.oetling

I

Q)

Orders of Battle

u

~

o

2nd TAF,ADGB 10 & 11 Groups, US NinthAF

L..L

5 June 1944

2nd TACTICAL AIR FORCE HEADQUARTERS 34(PR) Wing 16 Squadron 140 Squadron 69 Squadron 1401(Met) Flight

Spitfire XI Mosquito XVI Wellington XIII Spitfire IX

Northolt Northolt Northolt Manston

Boston IliA Mitchell II

Hartford Bridge Hartford Bridge

Mosquito VI

Lasham

Mitchell II

Dunsfold

Mosquito VI

Hunsdon

2 GROUP 137 Wing 88, 342 Squadrons 226 Squadron 138 Wing 107, 305(Polishl, 613 Squadrons 139 Wing 98, 180,320(0 utch) Squadrons 140 Wing 21, 464(RAAFl. 487(RNZAF) Squadrons 83 GROUP 39(Recce) Wing 168,414(RCAFl. 430(RCAF) Squadrons 400(RCAFl Squadron 121 Wing 174,175,245 Squadrons 122 Wing 19,65,122 Squadrons 124 Wing 181,182,247 Squadrons 125 Wing 132, 453(RAAFl. 602 Squadrons 126 Wing 401 (RCAFI. 411(RCAFl. 412(RCAF) Squadrons 127 Wing 403(RCAFl. 416(RCAFl. 421(RCAFl Squadrons 129 Wing 184 Squadron 143 Wing 438(RCAFl. 439(RCAFl, 440(RCAF) Squadrons 144 Wing 441(RCAFl, 442(RCAFl, 443(RCAF) Squadrons AOP Units 653, 658, 659, 662 Squadrons 84 GROUP 35(Recce) Wing 2, 268 Squadrons 4 Squadron 123 Wing 198,609 Squadrons 131 Wing 302(Polishl, 308(Polishl, 317( Polishl Squadrons 132 Wing 66,331(Norwegianl, 332(Norwegian) Squadrons

133 Wing 129,306(Polishl, 315(Polish) Squadrons 134 Wing 310(Czechl, 312(Czechl, 313(Czech) Squadrons 135 Wing 222, 349(Belgianl, 485(RNZAFl Squadrons 136 Wing 164, 184 Squadrons

Mustang III

Coolham

Spitfire IX

Appledram

Spitfire IX

Selsey

Typhoon IB

Thorney Island

145 Wing 329(Frenchl, 340(Frenchl, 341(French) Squadrons

Spitfire IX

Merston

146 Wing 193, 197,257, 266 Squadrons

Typhoon IB

Needs Oar Point

AOP Units 652,660, 661 Squadrons 85 GROUP

Auster IV

various

141 Wing 264, 410(RCAF) Squadrons 322(Dutch) Squadron

Mosquito XIII Spitfire XIV

Hartford Bridge Hartford Bridge

Mustang I

Odiham

Spitfire XI

Odiham

Typhoon IB

Holmesley South

142 Wing 124 Squadron

Spitfire VII

Horne

Mustang III

Funtington

147 Wing 488(RNZAFl. 604 Squadrons

Mosquito XIII

Zeals

Typhoon IB

Hurn

Spitfire IX

Ford

148 Wing 29, 409(RCAFl Squadrons 91 Squadron

Mosquito XIII Spitfire XIV

West Mailing West Mailing

Spitfire IX

Tangmere

150 Wing 3, 486(RNZAF) Squadrons 56 Squadron

Tempest V Spitfire IX

Newchurch Newchurch

Spitfire IX

Tangmere

Spitfire V Typhoon IB Seafire/Spitfire V

Lee-on-Solent Lee-on-Solent Lee-on-Solent

Typhoon IB

Westhampnett

Spitfire V

Lee-on-Solent

Typhoon IB

Hurn

295,570 Squadrons 296,297 Squadrons 298,644 Squadrons 190 Squadron 196 Squadron 299 Squadron 46(TRANSPORT) GROUP

Albemarle V Albemarle V Halifax V Stirling IV Stirling IV Stirling IV

Harwell Brize Norton Tarrant Rushton Fairford Keevil Stoney Cross

Dakota Dakota Dakota

Down Ampney Broadwell Blakehill Farm

Air Spotting Pool 26,63 Squadrons 1320 Flight 808(FAAl. 885(FAAl. 886(FAAl. 897(FAA) Sqns VCS-7 (US Navy)

AVAILABLE TO AEAF Spitfire IX

Ford

38(AIRBORNE FORCES) GROUP

Auster IV

various

Mustang IA Spitfire XI

Gatwick Gatwick

Typhoon IB

Thorney Island

48,271 Squadrons 512,575 Squadrons 271 Squadron

Spitfire IX

Chailey

AIR DEFENCE OF GREAT BRITAIN

Spitfire IX

Bognor Regis

10 GROUP (South-West England)

1,165 Squadrons 151 Squadron 276(ASRI Squadron

Spitfire IX Mosquito XIII Walrus, Warwick,

Predannack Predannack Portreath

41 Squadron 610 Squadron 263 Squadron 126 Squadron 131,616 Squadrons 68 Squadron 406 (RCAF) Squadron

Spitfire VB Spitfire XII Spitfire XIV Typhoon IB Spitfire IX Spitfire VII Beaufighter VIF Mosquito XII Beaufighter VIF

Bolt Head Harrowbeer Harrowbeer Culmhead Culm head Fairwood Common Winkleigh

11 GROUP (South-East England) 33,74,127 Squadrons 80, 229, 274 Squadrons 137 Squadron 605 Squadron 96 Squadron 125 Squadron 64, 611 Squadrons 234 Squadron 130, 303( Polish), 402(RCAF) Squadrons 465(RAAF) Squadron Fighter Interception Unit 350(Belgian) Squadron 501 Squadron 345(French) Squadron 277(ASR) Squadron 418(RCAF) Squadron 275(ASRI Squadron 219 Squadron 278(ASR) Squadron

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Typhoon IB Mosquito VI Mosquito XIII Mosquito XVII Spitfire V Spitfire VI Spitfire V

Lympne Detling Manston Manston West Mailing Hurn Deanland Deanland Horne

Mosquito XVII Mosquito Spitfire V Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Lysander III, Walrus,Sea Otter Mosquito II Anson, Walrus, Spitfire V Mosquito XVII Walrus, Warwick I Spitfire V

Ford Ford Friston Friston Shoreham Shoreham Holmesley South Warmwell Bradwell Bay Bradwell Bay

US NINTH AIR FORCE IX FIGHTER COMMAND 422nd, 423rd and 425th Night Fighter Sqns IX TACTICAL AIR COMMAND

P-61 Black Widow (not yet operational) Scorton, Middle Wallop

67th Tac R Group (four squadrons)

F-6 Mustang

Middle Wallop

70th Fighter Wing 48th Fighter Group 367th Fighter Group 371 st Fighter Group 474th Fighter Group

P-47 Thunderbolt P-38 Lightning P-47 Thunderbolt P-38 Lightning

Ibsley Stoney Cross Bisterne Warmwell

71st Fighter Wing 366th Fighter Group 368th Fighter Group 370th Fighter-Group

P-47 Thunderbolt P-47 Thunderbolt P-38 Lightning

Thruxton Chilbolton Andover

84th Fighter Wing 50th Fighter Group 365th Fighter Group 404th Fighter Group 405th Fighter Group XIX TACTICAL AIR COMMAND

P-47 P-47 P-47 P-47

Thunderbolt Thunderbolt Thunderbolt Thunderbolt

Lymington Beaulieu Winkton Christchurch

10th PR Group (five squadrons)

F-5 Lightning

Chalgrove

100th Fighter Wing 354th Fighter Group 358th Fighter Group 362nd Fighter Group 363rd Fighter Group

P-51 P-47 P-47 P-51

Mustang Thunderbolt Thunderbolt Mustang

Lashenden High Halden Wormingford Staplehurst

303rd Fighter Wing 36th Fighter Group 373rd Fighter Group 406th Fighter Group

P-47 Thunderbolt P-47 Thunderbolt P-47 Thunderbolt

Kingsnorth Woodchurch Ashford

Note: All Fighter Groups contained three squadrons; all other Groups

rn

contained four squadrons IX BOMBER COMMAND

X

1st Pathfinder Squadron(Provisionall B-26 Marauder

Great Saling

97th Bomb Wing 409th Bomb Group 410th Bomb Group 416th Bomb Group

A-20 Havoc A-20 Havoc A-20 Havoc

Little Walden Gosfield Wethersfield

98th Bomb Wing 323rd Bomb Group 387th Bomb Group 394th Bomb Group 397th Bomb Group

B-26 B-26 B-26 B-26

Marauder Marauder Marauder Marauder

Earls Colne Chipping Ongar Boreham Rivenhall

99th Bomb Wing 322nd Bomb Group 344th Bomb Group 386th Bomb Group 391st Bomb Group IX TROOP CARRIER COMMAND

B-26 B-26 B-26 B-26

Marauder Marauder Marauder Marauder

Andrews Field Stansted Great Dunmow Matching

IX TCC Pathfinder Group

C-47 Skytrain

North Witham

50th Troop Carrier Wing 439th Troop Carrier Group 440th Troop Carrier Group 441st Troop Carrier Group 442nd Troop Carrier Group

C-47 C-47 C-47 C-47

Skytrain Skytrain Skytrain Skytrain

Upottery Exeter Merryfield Weston Zoyland

52nd Troop Carrier Wing 61st Troop Carrier Group 313rd Troop Carrier Group 314th Troop Carrier Group 315th Troop Carrier Group 316th Troop Carrier Group

C-47 C-47 C-47 C-47 C-47

Skytrain Skytrain Skytrain Skytrain Skytrain

Barkston Heath Folkingham Saltby Spanhoe Cottesmore

53rd Troop Carrier Wing 434th Troop Carrier Group 435th Troop Carrier Group 436th Troop Carrier Group 437th Troop' carrier Group 438th Troop carrier Group

C-47 C-47 C-47 C-47 C-47

Skytrain Skytrain Skytrain Skytrain Skytrain

Welford Park Welford Park Bottesford Ramsbury Greenham Common

ALLIED AIR STRENGTH AVAILABLE FOR OPERATIONS OVER EUROPE AS AT 5 JUNE 1944 BRITISH

UNITED STATES

Fighters/Fighter-Bombers Bombers Reconnaissance Units Defensive Fighters Air Transport

2nd TAF 51 squadrons 12 squadrons 10 squadrons 12 squadrons 14 squadrons**

Ninth Air Force 54 squadrons 45 squadrons 8 squadrons 3 squadrons* 56 squadrons

Fighters

ADGB 34 squadrons

VIII Fighter Command 45 squadrons

100 Group 7 Squadrons Heavy Bombers Support Types

Bomber Command 75 squadrons 3 squadrons

Coastal Command Heavy Fighters Patrol Bombers Reconnaissance

9 squadrons 23 squadrons 3 squadrons

TOTAL

254 squadrons

VIII Bomber Command 160 squadrons 5 squadrons

376 squadrons

* Not operational at this date ** Available to 2nd TAF, but not a part of the command Note: The above totals do not include AOP aircraft, of which the US forces also deployed a number of squadrons, nor any U.S.Naval or Fleet Air Arm units other than those operating with the Air Spotting Pool at Lee-on-Solent.

U ill ::J C/) -.

a

::J

•2 o en

~ 2

----L::.Ju::::..:.::ne::........:::..19~44

A

s preparations for the launch of the greatest seaborne invasion in history approached their conclusion, it is pertinent to look at the massive Allied air armada that had been readied to protect and support this grand endeavour. Whilst 2nd Tactical Air Force was indeed a powerful entity in its own right, important though its role was to be, it was but a part of the whole. A glance at the map of Southern England, running from Cornwall in the far west, around the coasts of Devon, Dorset, Hampshire, Sussex, Kent and Essex, to run northwards up the Channel past the counties of East Anglia, revealed a clear, if complex, picture of the component parts of the Allied Air Forces. The fighters and fighter-bombers of 83 and 84 Groups were based in the coastal area between Brighton and Bournemouth, in the counties of West Sussex and Hampshire. Inland, directly behind them in Berkshire, were the bomber units of 2 Group, save for 140 Wing, which was further east at Gravesend, in North Kent, close to the southern bank of the Thames Estuary. The Groups' reconnaissance wings, 39 and 35 respectively, were at Odiham and Gatwick, while the HQ of 2nd TAF had its own immediate reconnaissance units, forming 34 Wing, which were located further north, to the west of London at Northolt. 85 Group was a different matter. Essentially an air defence organisation with a high proportion of night fighter units under command, its squadrons were spread around the periphery of the area containing the 2nd TAF airfields, from West Malling and Newchurch in Kent, through western Essex and across through the 2 Group bomber airfields of Berkshire, and west as far as Zeals in Somerset. Whilst destined for 2nd TAF later, at this stage 85 Group remained part of ADGB, ensuring a unified air defence of the UK was maintained. A single unit, 124 Squadron, equipped with high altitude Spitfire VIIs, was at Bradwell Bay in the far east of Essex, ready to intercept any high-flying Luftwaffe reconnaissance aircraft which might attempt to photograph the Invasion areas by entering via the 'back door'. To the east of the 2nd TAF bases, clustered around Ashford in Kent, were the airfields of the XIX Tactical Air Command of the US Ninth Air Force - the other major tactical force. The rest of Kent and Sussex was occupied by airfields containing the defensive fighter squadrons of ADGB's 11 Group. These stretched as far west as the Bournemouth area, several of the units of this command sharing airfields with 2nd TAF squadrons, including Bradwell Bay, Essex. To the immediate west of the 2nd TAF conglomeration of fighter bases on the south coast were those of the IX Tactical Air Command of the Ninth Air Force, which were clustered around the Bournemouth area, and to the north of Southampton. The West Country, comprising Devon and Cornwall, was defended by the fighters of ADGB's 10 Group. To the immediate north of the Thames Estuary were the airfields occupied by the US Ninth Air Force's strong IX Bomber Command, based across central Essex. To the immediate north of these, scattered throughout much of southern East Anglia, were the powerful fighter groups of VIII Fighter Command of the US Eighth Air Force. Still mainly responsible for the escort of the heavy bomber formations of this Air Force's strategic arm, these experienced, wellequipped units would also be available when necessary to add their considerable weight to the assault on Normandy. Further north of these units, around The Wash and in South Lincolnshire, were four more defensive fighter units of ADGB's 12 Group, and seven squadrons of night fighter Mosquitoes forming 100 Group of Bomber Command, intended for operations over the European continent by night in support of that Command's heavy bombers. Besides the forces already described, the vast might of the Eighth Air Force's strategic fourengined day bombers and of RAF Bomber Command were located from East Anglia northwards through Lincolnshire and the East and North Ridings of Yorkshire. Too far away to take any part in the operations to come were two further defensive fighter squadrons of 13 Group, based up in Scotland. Coastal Command was also a powerful force, containing numerous squadrons of Beaufighter and Mosquito anti-shipping aircraft, whilst its patrol aircraft, and those of certain US units, provided protection from U-boat attack for the convoys of supplies and reinforcements which would continue to pour across the Atlantic from the USA and Canada. There were also the units of the Fleet Air Arm, preparing to move the preponderance of its strength to the Far East for the war against Japan. Nonetheless, carrier-borne naval aircraft were to patrol the peripheries of the sea routes to France, whilst several squadrons of Seafires were being made available to 2nd TAP's Air Spotting Pool to assist during the opening days of the Invasion with the direction of naval gunfire onto targets ashore. Indeed, in this role even a US Navy squadron temporarily equipped with Spitfires, was to take part. There was one more vital aerial asset which should not be overlooked - the air transport force. The US Ninth Air Force included such an element - IX Troop Carrier Command. This body's three Wings were located at a variety of bases situated behind the main tactical units, and stretching from the East Midlands area to East Devon.

:::J

< OJ C/)

a :::J

I

Q)

U

l--

o

U-

The British transport force, comprising 38 and 46 Groups, was located primarily in the central south of England area, but did not form a part of 2nd TAF, although falling under the direct command of HQ, Allied Expeditionary Air Force. In comparing the strength, equipment and experience of the various elements of the overall Allied Air Forces detailed above, attention is drawn to the Orders of Battle as at 5 June 1944 (see pages 120-121). The fighter units of those commands which did not form a part of the tactical air forces will be considered first, if for no other reason than to dispense with them here and return quickly to that command with which this account is primarily concerned. VIII Fighter Command was a most formidable body. It comprised 15 USAAF Fighter Groups, each containing three squadrons. Seven were now equipped with P-51 Mustangs, and all were fully combat-experienced. Indeed, certain of the longer-serving groups had already been in action for more than a year. The pilots of these units had been fighting a sustained battle with the Luftwaffe for control of the skies over Western Europe during the major daylight bomber incursions - a battle which by now they were well on the way to winning. Despite the removal of many units to create 2nd TAF, ADGB remained a quite substantial force for the defence of the home islands, particularly of the south and south-eastern areas from which the Invasion was essentially to be launched. 11 Group, responsible for this area, controlled 14 squadrons of Spitfires - seven with Mark IXs and seven with the obsolescent Mark Vs together with a single Typhoon unit and six squadrons of Mosquitoes. Three of the Spitfire V-equipped units, based on the South Coast at Shoreham and Friston, were to be attached to 2nd TAF for the initial phase of the Invasion.

ABOVE: 129 Squadron Mustangs at Coolham give a clear view of the way Invasion stripes were applied to the wings.

For single-engined aircraft they were to be 18 inches wide and commence 6 inches inboard of the national marking; however, this could not always be followed exactly as can be seen here, where the Mustangs have upperwing roundels in different positions.

LEFT: It was non-stop work for ground crews to keep a squadron's complement of fighters serviceable - as in this corner of Cool ham ALG where 129 Squadron Mustangs are receiving attention.

12 Group in East Anglia fielded one squadron of high-altitude Spitfire VIIs, one of Mustang IIIs, and two of Mosquitoes, whilst in the South-West the rather larger 10 Group had three squadrons of Spitfire IXs, two of Mark VIIs, one each of Griffon-engined Mark XIIs and Mark XIVs, one of Typhoons, one of Mosquitoes and two of Beaufighters. Turning to the two Allied tactical air forces, some interesting comparisons can be drawn. For the main air supremacy/ground support role, 2nd TAF's 83 Group had available nine squadrons of Spitfire IXs, ten squadrons of Typhoons and three squadrons of Mustang IIIs. 84 Group incorporated 15 squadrons of Spitfire IXs, eight of Typhoons and three of Mustang IIIs. 83 Group's reconnaissance wing included three squadrons of tactical reconnaissance fighters and one of photographic reconnaissance aircraft; 84 Group's wing had two tactical reconnaissance units and one photographic reconnaissance unit. 85 Group contained the latest air superiority fighters, including two squadrons of GriffonSpitfire XIVs and two of Tempest Vs, plus one of Spitfire IXs (awaiting Tempests) and one of Spitfire VIIs. Also available were six squadrons of Mosquito night fighters, predominantly of the Mark XIII version. 2 Group had available four squadrons of Mitchell bombers, two of Bostons, and six of Mosquito VI fighter-bombers, whilst 2nd TAF HQ had three PR squadrons, one a specialist night unit. The Air Spotting Pool included two RAF Spitfire V squadrons, four Fleet Air Arm Seafire squadrons, and the US Navy observation unit with its borrowed Spitfires. As mentioned, three further squadrons of Spitfire Vs were attached from ADGB for the initial phase. Discounting the two latter groups of units, 2nd TAF therefore represented 53 squadrons of fighters and fighter-bombers, six comprising night fighters, 12 comprising bombers and ten comprising reconnaissance aircraft. By comparison, US Ninth Air Force was similarly divided. IX TAC had three wings of fighters and fighter-bombers, containing eight groups of P-47 Thunderbolts and three of P-38 Lightnings. Each group contained three squadrons, representing a total of 33 squadrons. There was also a single Tactical Reconnaissance Group of three squadrons. XIX TAC was somewhat smaller, comprising two Wings controlling five P-47 groups and two of P-51 Mustangs, plus a single Photo Reconnaissance Group. There were therefore 21 squadrons of fighters/fighter-bombers, to bring the Ninth's total of these to 54. Two squadrons of Northrop P-61 Black Widow night fighters had arrived in the UK to join the Ninth Air Force, but these would not be fully operational until July. Thus far therefore, the two air forces were of very similaF size and composition. However, it was in medium bombers that the Ninth possessed a huge advantage over 2nd TAP. At the various Essex bases were three Wings, two of these containing no fewer than eight groups of Martin B-26 Marauders (32 squadrons - because unlike the fighter groups, these bomber groups had four squadrons each), whilst the third Wing had three groups (12 squadrons) of Douglas A-20 Havocs - the USAAF version of the Boston. IX Bomber Command also fielded a single specialized pathfinder squadron. The other great asset possessed by the Ninth was its IX Troop Carrier Command. Again comprising three Wings, this force had 14 full groups (56 squadrons) of C-47 and C-53 Dakota transports. By comparison, 38 Group, RAF, had four squadrons of Albemarles - principally glider tugs - four of converted Stirlings and two of converted Halifaxes (both types being essentially four-engined bombers); 46 Group had five squadrons of Dakotas. Clearly, the greater part of any air landing or transport operation would of necessity be a US contribution to a considerable degree. In one respect however, 2nd TAF possessed an advantage of some considerable value. During the mid-war years, losses of fighter pilots were relatively light, whilst the demands of Bomber Command for aircrew had proved nearly insatiable. Consequently, relatively few of those in 2nd TAP's squadrons were new or inexperienced pilots. Many had been flying on operations for lengthy periods, and a high proportion of squadron and flight commanders were on their second or third tours. With the potential for Japanese attacks on the west coast of Canada much reduced, RCAF home defence pilots from that area had also been redeployed to the UK in substantial numbers, and pilots who had for some time been retained as instructors at the various bases of the Commonwealth Air Training Plan, were also now being released for operational service, all being highly-experienced fliers. The first fighter and fighter-bomber units of the Ninth Air Force had arrived in time to see action under the control of the Eighth. Indeed, the 354th Fighter Group had been the first to take the Merlin-engined version of the P-51 into action over Europe, and now proudly carried the name 'Pioneer Mustangs'. However, the majority of the Ninth's units, both fighters and bombers, were newly-formed and recently-arrived. Whilst well-trained and equipped, they were generally without much in the way of actual operational experience.

::::J

< ill C/)

o

::::J

I

Q)

U

l.-

o

LL

ill U +-'

U

~ """0 C

N

A pilot of 3 Naval Fighter Wing (or possibly VCS-7), with maps tucked into his boot, about to climb into his Spitfire LF V (used alongside the unit's Seafire Ills) for another artillery 'spotting' sortie. Despite the plainly evident markings the 'spotters' would suffer badly from the attentions of Allied fighters, and particularly anti-aircraft fire from shipping, while carrying out this dangerous task. VCS-7 was a US Navy unit based along side 3 Naval Fighter Wing at Lee-on-Solent, operating Spitfire Vs and spotting for the US fleet

The story of the launching of the D-Day Invasion as Operation 'Overlord' has frequently been told, and to avoid unnecessary repetition no more than a broad outline of what was occurring on the ground will therefore be provided here. The narrative will concentrate upon the activities of 2nd TAF's units which were mainly involved with activities over the more easterly of the landing beaches, codenamed 'Gold' 'Sword' and 'Juno', where the forces of the Canadian First and British Second Armies came ashore. The five designated landing areas were located on the Normandy coast between Ouistreham and Varreville. Initial objectives were the capture of Caen, Bayeux, Isigny and Carentan, together with the airfields in the area. A further early objective was the port of Cherbourg, situated at the end of the Cotentin Peninsula at the western end of the selected area, and directly to the south of Bournemouth. The initial assault was to be made by five seaborne and three airborne divisions, which were to be reinforced as rapidly as possible to 23 infantry, ten armoured and four airborne divisions. Because some time was considered likely to elapse before a suitable harbour became available for the unloading of reinforcements and supplies, two complete temporary floating harbours had been constructed of reinforced concrete caissons, which were to be towed across the Channel and anchored adjacent to the coast, one in each sector. This extraordinary (and effective) invention was known by the codename 'Mulberry'. The initial air plan provided for nine squadrons of fighters to patrol over the beaches throughout the day, six Spitfire units operating at lower level, with three more of USAAF P-47s above. A further four squadrons, this time of P-38s, which because of their unusual twin-boom construction were considered marginally less likely to be fired on by Naval AA gunners, were to patrol over the mid-Channel area, covering the huge mass of shipping which would make its way back and forth. Other squadrons were to escort the massive airlift of troop carriers and gliders during the first day as the airborne forces were dropped behind the coastal defences. With darkness, six squadrons of Mosquito night fighters were to take over the beachhead patrols. Meanwhile the Typhoon squadrons were to be committed from H-hour, with half the 18 squadrons attacking pre-arranged targets such as gun positions and German HQs, whilst the remainder operated on 'Air Alert'. This plan detailed three squadrons of Typhoons to each of the three British and Canadian beaches so that they could be called in as targets presented themselves. Three of the reconnaissance Mustang squadrons and two of the attached ADGB Spitfire V units were to operate with the Air Spotting Pool, directing the fire of the mass of warships lying offshore. To face the huge Allied aerial armadas the Luftwaffe had initially only some 500 serviceable aircraft in the area at this time, of which 160 were day fighters, mainly serving with Jagdgeschwader 2 and 26, while 50 more were night fighters. Only 185 of the 500 were actually

in a position to operate in the area on the first day, but few were to do so, to the disappointment of the Allied fighter pilots, but to the vast relief of the High Command. Luftwaffe resistance would come, but Normandy was to be a vast 'mincing machine' for the German fighter arm - the Jagdwaffe - and it would all but destroy what was already a weakened force. It will have been noticed that during the period since June 1943, the claims of the Luftwaffe fighter units had been remarkably accurate on most occasions. Generally it may be said that their pilots had actually shot down two out of three, or even three out of four of the Allied aircraft they had claimed. Now, with the confusion of Invasion, the increasing multiplicity of units which would become involved, and the growing difficulty of being able to check claims by reference to crashes, the occasions on which overclaiming took place increased greatly.

D-Day On this first day of the Invasion, AEAF provided 1,547 fighter sorties over the beachhead, with 6 June 1944 ----~--36 fighters maintained continuously over the British and Canadian beaches, and 36 more over those where the Americans were landing. A further 1,800 sorties were flown as escorts to the troop carriers, and to Allied bomber aircraft operating in the area. One of the weapons developed which was to playa major part in the landings was the DD tank. Basically this involved a standard Sherman tank, waterproofed and with canvas screens erected around the superstructure by way of air-filled tubes, to prevent the tank being engulfed, and to allow it to 'swim' ashore to support the troops on the beaches. Generally, these proved very successful, and were apparently not identified as such by the defenders, for no great volume of fire was directed at them whilst in the water. Off the 'Omaha' beach however, disaster struck. An unanticipated change in wind direction resulted in the tanks being launched too far from the beach, and in the choppy conditions most were sunk. Ashore, strong resistance pinned the infantry to the beach, and without the benefit of armoured support, the invaders here suffered substantially heavier casualties and made much less progress, than at the other four locations. The British and Canadian forces initially made good progress inland, as did the US elements from 'Utah' beach, which soon made contact with the airborne troops. By nightfall a bridgehead five miles deep had been established. The first 2nd TAP unit to strike the enemy was the RCAF's 14-3 Wing, which approached the beaches as the first landing craft went ashore at 0725. On arrival, enquiry was made of the Assault Force Commander's HQ ships in case urgent targets should already have been identified, but none were forthcoming. The Typhoon pilots therefore divebombed pre-arranged targets comprising Filmed on the morning of D-Day, a Boston of 88 Squadron shows smoke dispensers protruding its bomb bay - and the correct markings - not the strongpoints identified at Le Hamel and La Riviere 'Starkey' markings as sometimes depicted. (IWM FLM25851 ('Gold' Beach); Courseulles ('Juno' Beach) and Hermanville ('Sword' Beach). First visible evidence of 2nd TAP's support to the Invasion force had appeared at 0500 hours with the arrival of the smoke-laying Bostons. 88 Squadron covered the eastern flank of the Invasion fleet while 342 Squadron took the west. It was a precision operation, with single Bostons arriving on each flank at ten minute intervals in order to maintain a continuous smokescreen. The operation achieved complete success, although each unit suffered the loss of one aircraft (each crashing into the sea for unknown reasons), while a second from 88 Squadron, hit in the rudder and undercarriage, was forced, due to shortage of fuel, to land downwind at Hartford Bridge, overshooting into a sandpit. Its navigator was killed. 139 Wing Mitchells would also be out during the day, raiding a road/rail intersection south of Argentan. Earlier losses had already been suffered however, for shortly after midnight, before the landings had commenced, one of 464 Squadron's Mosquito VIs on an intruder sortie was hit by Flak and crash-landed near Gueres in Normandy. The pilot, Sqn Ldr A.G.Oxlade, was killed, although his navigator, Flt Lt D.M.Shanks, survived and evaded capture, soon reaching Allied lines once the troops were ashore. Another Mosquito - a PR XVI of 140 Squadron - was lost during an early reconnaissance sortie, failing to return from the Montdidier-Cambrai area. Over the Invasion area itself during the day casualties proved quite severe amongst the various aircraft spotting for the guns of the warships offshore - most of these fell to fire from below - some of it, it must be said, directed at them by their erstwhile "friends". The first such victim was a Mustang I of 268 Squadron, in which Flt Lt E.D.Woodward was killed. 26 and 63 Squadrons at Lee-on-Solent had 'pooled' their aircraft to allow maximum sorties of this nature to be flown. Over the first wave of landing craft, FIg Off G.R.Duff of the latter unit

:::J

< Q)

C/)

o

:::J

I

Invasion Fighters

Q)

U

!..-

o L.L

«

Mustang III FB189 'DV-H' Sqn Ldr C.Haw, 129 Squadron, Coolham, June 1944

Mustang I AP214 'V' Fig Off D.G.Dickson, 168 Squadron, Odiham, 21 June 1944

Typhoon IB MN253 'XP-U' Fig Off H.W.Bathurst, 174 Squadron, Holmsley South, June 1944

Spitfire IXB MK892 'ZD-C' Fit Lt C.H.Lazenby, 222 Squadron, Selsey,10 June 1944

Typhoon IB MN819 'MR-?' Sqn Ldr J.Collins, 245 Squadron, Holmsley South, June 1944

Mustang III FZ180 'UZ-L' Sqn Ldrs S.Lapka and J.Marciniak, 306 (Polish) Squadron, Coolham, Holmsley South and Ford, June 1944

Spitfire IXB MJ840 'DU-L' Fit Lt L.Svetlik, 312 (Czech) Squadron, Appledram, June 1944

Mustang III FB398 'PK-A' Fit Lt H.Stefankiewicz, 315 (Polish) Squadron, Coolham and Holmsley South, June 1944

ill U

Spitfire IXB NH171 'AH-Z', 332 Squadron, Bognor, June 1944

I..-

o

LL

«

Spitfire IXB MJ255 'VZ-S' Fit Lt H.G.Garwood, 412 Squadron, Tangmere, 11 June 1944

Spitfire IXB MH370 '21-N' Fig Off E.Ferguson, 443 Squadron, Ford, 6 June 1944

Typhoon IB MN131 'PR-M' Fit Lt L.E.J.M.Geerts 609 Squadron, Thorney Island, 6 June 1944

was baled out into the sea off the east coast of the Cherbourg peninsula when his aircraft was hit, but was picked up and was soon back with his unit. He reported that the aircraft which had shot him down appeared to have been a Spitfire. The Commanding Officer of 16 Squadron, over the area later in the day, returned to advise that he had been pursued by a Bf 109, but this in turn was attacked and shot down by another Spitfire. However, no Bf 109s appear to have been lost by the Luftwaffe over the Invasion beaches on this date. During the day a further 63 Squadron aircraft was hit by AA and crash-landed at Hamble on its return, while 885 and 886 Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm suffered similar losses to two Seafire Ills, the former of these crash-landing in France to the south of Hermanville-sur-Mer; a further Seafire was also lost, but the pilot was safe. Whilst 2, 268 and 414 Squadrons were assisting in this somewhat dangerous role, the other Mustang Is of 168 and 430 Squadrons were heavily engaged in undertaking tactical reconnaissance (TacR) sorties over the landing areas as the troops went ashore. Thirty six such flights were made during the day by 168 Squadron between 0500-2315 hours, but as Flg Off S.H.Barnard made one such sortie over the eastern end of 'Sword' beach he was shot down north of Lion-sur-Mer, and was killed; again, it was believed that he had fallen to Allied gunfire. 430 Squadron also put in many such sorties, but were to suffer one of the first losses to opposing fighters during the afternoon. Wg Cdr Godfrey (128 Airfield commander) and FIg Off J.S.Cox were providing cover to Sqn Ldr F.H.Chesters while he reconnoitred the roads in the Montfort-Evreux area, when four Fw 190s attacked, shooting down Cox's aircraft six miles north-east of Bernay; two more of these fighters had joined the engagement before the surviving Canadians were able to make good their escape. Cornelius Ryan's book The Longest Day (1959) has given rise to the myth that during D-Day the only appearance of the Luftwaffe occurred when Oberstlt Josef 'Pips' Priller and his wingman from Stab/JG 26 made a strafing pass over the British beaches, the impression being given that these were the only fighters available to the Germans in France. Indeed, Luftwaffe activity was light - particularly before midday. This was due in the main to the fact that most Jagdgruppen had been withdrawn from airfields in the immediate coastal area in recent months, due to the constant pounding of the airfields in the area prior to the Invasion. However, German fighters were present and throughout the 6th they were to claim more than 20 Allied aircraft shot down over the general Invasion area. The first four of these were effectively pre-Invasion, pilots of 3./SKG 10 (actually a groundattack unit) claiming four heavy bombers shot down, all identified as Lancasters, in the IsignyCarentan area around 0500. Bomber Command units were indeed operating against coastal targets in this area in support of the landings, four Lancasters, two Halifaxes and two Stirlings being lost apparently to hostile action. The real action in the air commenced around midday when 183 Squadron Typhoons, led by Sqn Ldr Scarlett, were about to attack a tank column seen approaching the landing area southeast of Caen. The formation was then 'bounced' by a reported 12 Bf 109s, and three pilots were shot down and killed, including a flight commander, Flt Lt R.W.Evans. There is no doubt that their attackers were actually Fw 190s of Stab, 1. and Stab III./JG 21ed by Hptm Herbert Huppertz. Claims were made for four Typhoons and a Thunderbolt between 1210 and 1216, although one of the Typhoons was claimed by a pilot of 12./JG 2 some distance away to the south-west. Three of the claims for these aircraft and for that identified as a 'P-47' would appear to have been made against 183 Squadron, two of which were credited to Huppertz. Around mid-afternoon the Spitfires of 135 Wing were on patrol when Ju 88s were seen approaching - unescorted! Up until this point the Spitfires had been present in numbers, but with little to do but gaze in awe at the vast conglomeration of shipping below. Now this particular wing was presented with 'Manna from Heaven', and dived to intercept. In fact the raiders were not bomber aircraft, but Ju 88C-6 long-range fighters of I./ZG 1, despatched from their airfield in Brittany to attack the Invasion fleet. Whilst 222 Squadron remained above as top cover, 485 Squadron attacked first. FIg Off J.A.Houlton demonstrated the effectiveness of the new gyro gunsight by dispatching the first Junkers, opening fire from 500 yards with 45 degree deflection! He then shared a second with the other three pilots of his section. Their Belgian colleagues of 349 Squadron then swept in, claiming two more, plus four damaged, all these claims being shared between a number of pilots. These claims were quite accurate - 1 and 2 Staffeln of ZG 1 indeed losing four aircraft. Houlton was subsequently credited with having achieved 2nd TAF's first aerial victory of the Invasion. With their low-level activities, the Typhoons continued to catch much of the bulk of the Flak, as had proved so often to be the case prior to the Invasion. Earlier in the day a 245 Squadron aircraft had been damaged near Tailleville, and as the afternoon drew on, one of 181 Squadron's machines was shot down near Caen, with Flt Sgt G.J,Howard killed. A 266 Squadron aircraft went down north-east of Caen, the pilot baling out, whilst another from 247 Squadron was damaged whilst attacking a convoy near the city.

::J

<

OJ CI?

o

::J

Hptm Herbert Huppertz of IlIjJG 2 was to claim three victories during 6 June 1944 - the first day of the Invasion of Normandy. He would be killed two days later with his personal score at 70

I

Q)

U

I.-

o

u...

Wt Off Harkness, a New Zealander of 609 Squadron, sits in his newly painted Typhoon, JP843', at Thorney Island. This close-up shows the variation in the hastily painted stripes, each of which were supposed to be 18 inches wide on single-engined aircraft.

At 1835 came another clash with Fw 190s, when 164 Squadron on its third sweep over the beachhead, was attacked over the Caen/Bayeux area, Fig Off A.E,Roberts was shot down and killed - the third claim of the day for Hptm Huppertz of III./JG 2. Sqn Ldr Percy Beake evened the matter, claiming one of the attacking fighters shot down in return. This had been Huppertz's 67th victory of the war, and he would claim two further victories before night fell; next day he would claim one American aircraft, but on 8 June would be shot down and killed near Caen in combat with P-47s. He was subsequently posthumously awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knights' Cross which he had received in 1941. With evening another Typhoon, this one from 440 Squadron, was apparently hit by Flak and crashed near the Falaise-Conde road, two more of the unit's aircraft being hit, subsequently crash-landing. The final loss of the day occurred at about 2130 hours when Wt Off G.K.E.Martin of 609 Squadron baled out south-east of Caen - again a victim of Flak. At this time the second wave of airborne troops was winging its way across the Channel, the 2nd TAF Mustangs of both wings amongst the escorts to the long formations of gliders and their tugs. As they approached the drop zone the Fw 190s appeared, Fit Lt A,J.Hancock and Wt Off W.E.Rigby of 129 Squadron claiming one shot down, whilst a pilot of 122 Squadron claimed damage to a second. During this momentous day, the Spitfire wings had escaped almost unscathed during their many hours of uneventful patrols. Only in 144 Wing was a single loss suffered as one of 441 Squadron's Mark IXs succumbed to Flak, Fig Off EA.Wilson baling out into the Channel. A ground radar station had been taken ashore as an urgent priority, and this was ready for use by the time darkness fell, being put into operation controlling night fighters. The medium bombers of 2 Group now commenced a series of night raids, while 85 Group also entered the fray, 29 Squadron dispatching four Mosquito night fighters on intruder sorties. During one such sortie, Fit Lt W.B.Allison and his radar operator, Fig Off Stainton, encountered and shot down a Ju 52/3m transport over Coulommiers and a second aircraft, which they were unable to identify. Thus at the end of the day 2nd TAF fighters had claimed four Ju 88s and three Fw 190s shot down in addition to carrying out their many patrol, reconnaissance and ground-attack

A section of 453 Squadron Spitfire IXs, fitted with long-range tanks, gets airborne from Ford soon after D-Day

functions. The pilots of III./JG 2 - the RAF's main opponents of the day - had claimed eight Typhoons, a ninth being added by a pilot of I./JG 2; research appears to indicate that a number of the aircraft claimed as Typhoons were actually P-51s of the US Eighth Air Force's 4th Fighter Group. The German fighter pilots had also claimed three P-47s and eight P-51s - one of these probably relating to the 430 Squadron Mustang which had been lost. Against these claims they had lost 15 Fw 190s and a single Bf 109, with at least eight of the pilots killed. Most of these had fallen to the US fighters of the Eighth and Ninth Air Forces, which had enjoyed a fairly active day. Eighth Air Force P-51s had the good fortune to encounter a formation of Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers from an operational training unit, and had done considerable execution, claiming 12 shot down and a probable; 14 claims had been submitted against Luftwaffe fighters, so compared with an actual loss of 16 (to all causes), 17 Allied claims for aircraft of this type had been made. TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

e0010

464

Mosquito VI

NS897 A

e0630

342

Boston Ilia

BZ213

e0700 e0730

268 88

Mustang I Boston Ilia

FD495 BZ243 N

e0750 e0800

245 140

Typhoon IB MN459 Mosquito XVI MM279

e0820 e0900

168 88

Mustang I Boston lila

AM225 BZ214 T

e1200

183

Typhoon IB

MN432 R8973 P MN478

e1210 1320 e1530

164 441 485

Typhoon IB Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

1545

349

Spitfire IX

1545

349

Spitfire IX

e1645 el725 1835 1835 e1845 e1940 e2000 2115

181 430 164 164 266 247 440 129

Typhoon IB Mustang I Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Mustang III

e2130 e2130 nk nk nk nk nk

609 122 63 63 808 886 885

Typhoon IB Mustang III Spitfire V Spitfire V Spitfire V Seafire III Seafire III

MK420 MK950 MK950 MK732 MK897 ML377 MJ955 MK363 MK178 MK153 MJ353 MK354 MJ964 MJ879 MJ502 MK230 JP604 AG465 DN432 MN454 DN562 JR391 MN428 FZ121 FB171 MN697 FB224 W3443 nk EN821 NF537 NF533

X X

T U S J V G

W P F

G V S

PILOT/CREW S/L A.G.Oxlade IKI F/L D.M.Shanks IE) Sgt R.Boissieux IKI PIO B.Canut IKI Sgt J.F.Henson IKI F/L E.DWoodward (K) PIO A.J. Boyle (K) PIO J.C.Chalmers (K) PIO A.T.Gardner IKI FlO RAGordon IWI F/L F.G.Rudduek IKI F/S H.C.Dent IK) FlO S.H.Barnard (K) F/L O.B.Smith F/S E.Allan (KI Sgt J.RLoake F/L RWEvans IKI FlO A.R.Taylor IKI FlO M.H.Gee IKI Squadron FlO F.AW.JWilson FlO J.A.Houlton FlO J.A.Houlton } F/L K.J.Maedonald } FlO M.G.Mayston } F/S E.G.Atkins } Sgt J.Bragard } F/S J.C.I.Van Molkot (P)} FlO J.Moreau } F/S J.Moureau} FlO M.J.Sans F/L G.M.H.Seydel } Sgt D.Blair} F/L A.A.van de Velde} FlO H.Bailly} FlO M.Siraut F/S G.J.Howard (K) FlO J.S. Cox (K) S/L P.H.Beake FlO A.E.Roberts IKI Sgt E.H.Donne Pia W.J.Lowes FlO L.RAllman IKI F/L A.J.Haneoek} WID W.E.Rigby} WID G.K.E.Martin lEI PIO K.A:Galloway FlO G.R.Duff III FlO RN.viekers SILt HACogilllKI Lt Wallace SILt A.H.Bassett (K)

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION hbf esd nr Gueres (Normandyl esd in Channel N smoke laying area

hbf? (Naval shootl ftr smoke laying (Le Havre)

hbf nr Tailleville landed Ford cat B/Ae ftr (Montdidier - Cambrai) hbAf? Blew up nr Lion-sur-Mer hbf ell Hartford Bridge eatB/E

Fw 190

1--

Ju 88 Ju 88

1-1--

Ju 88

1--

Ju 88

1--

Ju 88 Ju 88

--1 --1

Ju 88

--1

Ju 88

--1

Fw 190

1--

Fw 190

1--

Fw 190

--1

{sdb Bf 109s SE Caen { { OG; Bayeux area hbf? elf ell Ford eatB nr Caen nr Caen

{4m S Caen {shot down by return fire {6m NE Caen {

5m N Caen {3m E Ryes { 3m NNW Caen 5m N Caen sdbf nr Caen psdb Fw 190s 6m NE Bernay 8m ECaen sdb Fw 190 NE Caen hbd b/o 5m NW Caen hbf eatB (convoy Caenl hbf? esd nr Mauvieu 15 m SW Caen hbf b/o SE Caen N Caen sdb Spit? off Ecst of Cherbourg pen. hblf, ell Hamble cat nk sdb e/a off Le Havre hblf ell eatnk hbf? ell S Hermanville sur Mer

On the ground fortunes had been mixed. In the area of the 'Utah' beach the parachute landings of the 82nd and 101st US Airborne Divisions had taken place in the area just north of Carentan to Ste Mere-Eglise, amongst flooded and marshy ground, but effectively securing the exits from the beaches. Separated from this area by the Vire/Taute/Douvre estuaries at the base of the Cotentin Peninsula, the troops of US V Corps at 'Omaha' remained in grave peril, and by nightfall they were still six miles short of their initial objectives for the day, whilst those coming ashore at 'Utah' had still to link up with the airborne forces.

=:;

< ill Cf) _. 0 =:;

I

Q)

U

l.-

o LL
In the British sector the landings at 'Gold' in the west had been outstandingly successful. The German forces covering Bayeux proved to be weak, and the town would be taken next day, allowing XXX Corps to close up to their segment of the Bayeux-Caen road. At 'Juno' however, the sea had been rough and many of the coastal strongpoints had survived the bombing, the fighting proving to be too hard to allow the initial objective of Carpiquet airfield, to the immediate west of Caen, to be taken. A section of the Bayeux-Caen road was, however, reached by these forces. Between 'Juno' and 'Sword' there was a two-and-a-half mile gap into which the Wehrmacht's 21.Panzer Division had launched an immediate counter-attack during the evening, actually reaching the coast at Lion-sur-Mer. This thrust was violently opposed by British airborne and other forces which had landed in the 'Sword' area, reinforced during the evening by the 6th Air Landing Brigade which came in with the big glider drop. Next morning, 21. Panzer would be withdrawn to meet the threat which was growing from the Canadian forces advancing up the eastern flank of 'Gold' area. Nonetheless, as night fell the British/Canadian forces were still three miles short of their D-Day objectives, and two great gaps remained to be closed between the two US landings, and another between the British and Canadian 3rd Divisions respectively around Lion-sur-Mer. Meanwhile reconnaissance flown by 2nd TAF had discovered elements of four Panzer divisions moving towards the area - 2.SS and 12.SS Panzer Lehr and 17.Panzer Grenadier. The strength and disposition of the German forces based in Western Europe were extremely pertinent to 2nd TAF, for not only would operations be directed against them, and their presence dictate when and where wings and squadrons might move to French soil, one of the single most important roles of the air forces would be to slow down and delay their movements to the fighting area. There were two Army Groups present, the most immediate of which was Army Group B, commanded by Feldmarschall Erwin Rommel. This comprised VILArmee, based around Brittany and the Cotentin Peninsula, up to the Scheldt and Loire rivers, an area including the Normandy invasion beaches, and XV.Armee, located from Le Havre in the south, through Calais to Belgium and Rotterdam in Holland. Armee Gruppe G (Generaloberst Johannes Blaskowitz) comprised LArmee in south-west France (Biscay) and XIX.Armee, located in Southern France and along the Mediterranean coast. The forces available to these Army Groups appeared formidable, but they were spread over a considerable area - and potential front. Prior to, and for several weeks after the Invasion, most German commanders from Adolf Hitler downwards, remained convinced that the main Allied invasion would be between the Seine and Dunkirk, in the Pas de Calais. Initially, the Normandy landings were thought to be a diversion to draw off the defences from the critical area. Of 58 divisions available, 25 were based north of the Seine and only 17 in the Seine-Loire triangle. With Allied forces in Italy having reached Rome only one day before D-Day, the potential for further landings in the far south had to remain a possibility (as indeed they were). Whilst the standard German infantry divisions were generally of good quality, where they were comprised of ethnic Germans, they were relatively immobile. Unlike the Allied units, they had not reached the same degree of mechanisation, and still relied considerably on horse-drawn transport. Some divisions were also comprised principally of Central and Eastern Europeans, captured on the Russian Front, but who had volunteered for service in the West rather than languish in POW camps. Not surprisingly, the desire of such troops to resist for long was strictly limited, and many of the prisoners initially taken in ormandy belonged to this group. The primary forces who could seriously threaten and potentially drive the Invasion back into the sea, were the Panzer divisions, whilst the paratroop divisions, fighting as ground troops, were to prove particularly tough adversaries. VII.Armee had three such divisions making up II.Fallschirmjager Korps, together with three infantry corps, totalling seven more divisions. XV.Armee had eight infantry divisions in four corps, plus Panzer Gruppe West, which comprised 2.,19.,21., 116. and 1.SS Panzer Divisions, and the Panzer Lehr - the latter a particularly strong and experienced formation. In the south LArmee had II.Panzer and 17.SS Panzer Grenadier Divisions, whilst XIX.Armee had 9.Panzer and 2.SS Panzer Divisions. Also in the general area of Western Europe was the Luftwaffe's Luftflotte 3 commanded by Generalfeldmarschall Hugo Sperrle; this included IILFlak Corps and comprised more than 300,000 Luftwaffe ground personnel in addition to the aircrews and their aircraft. The command structure was little short of chaotic however, and would greatly facilitate the Allied position on numerous occasions. Commander-in-Chief in the West was Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt, who was nominally Rommel's superior. However, the latter had the direct ear of Hitler when he wished to ignore or override von Rundsted's orders. Rommel had direct control of 2., 21. and 116.Panzer Divisions, but the reserve represented by 1., 12.SS and Panzer Lehr remained firmly under Hitler's personal direction. A major disagreement already existed between Rommel and von Rundstedt regarding the manner in which the defence was to be undertaken. The latter favoured a coastal screen, with the

main forces in reserve, ready to be thrown in in maximum force when the main focus of the Allied landings became obvious. Rommel, with immediate and painful memories of the extent to which Allied supremacy in the air could - and had - greatly inhibited the movement and supply of his forces in North Africa - wished to keep his main forces close to the coast where they could respond more rapidly even if in lesser strength. Hitler was to make the lives of his commanders constantly difficult by his adamant refusal on almost every occasion to give up territory, and his orders for the launching of counter-attacks which the actual strength and disposition of the units simply did not warrant. Further, neither von Rundstedt nor his subordinate commanders had any direct authority over Luftflotte 3, whose Flak units were particularly well able to operate in a ground (predominantly anti-tank) role, nor over the elements of the Navy based along the Brittany coast or in the other Atlantic and Channel ports. Against this background, the primary function for the Allies, now that the fragile toehold had been achieved, was to widen the bridgehead as rapidly as possible in order to allow reinforcements and supplies to be landed in great profusion. It was also required to permit the early arrival of ground support aircraft at numerous landing strips to be constructed within the bridgehead. These requirements thus set the scene for the initial activities of the air forces. As mentioned, on D-Day itself 12.Panzer Division had been one of those spotted on the move, German units being seen near Rouen. Panzer Lehr and 2.Panzer Division had already also been identified as on the way. Military trains were seen being loaded near Chartres and Amiens, whilst south of the Loire 17.SS Panzer Grenadier Division was also spotted moving north. By night Bomber Command dispatched over 1,000 sorties against road and rail junctions, whilst 2 Group Mosquitoes and Mitchells attacked road bottlenecks at Falaise and VillersBocage. With daylight on the 7th US Eighth Air Force Bomber Command took up the attack on the various routes, whilst the longer-ranging fighters and fighter-bombers maintained a constant search for anything that moved. The first 24 hours were to prove decisive, as the delays created by the constant air attack prevented the Wehrmacht from being able to launch a significant and effective counter-attack. Panzer Lehr was to suffer such attacks throughout 7 June, by the end of the day having lost more than 80 half-tracks, self-propelled guns and prime movers. Desperate fighting in the east by the British Airborne Division held the flank of the bridgehead, whilst at 'Omaha' the 352nd Division finally broke through the defences by the evening of the 8th, and US V Corps troops would link with the British on their left on the 9th, the bridgehead rapidly being widened. The situation on the American front was thereby totally transformed, although on the British front the city of Caen remained tantalisingly close, but still beyond their reach due to the strong defence immediately mounted there. The German commanders remained convinced that this was not the main landing and continued to believe that it was in the Pas de Calais that the main threat would come. Here, they were well aware, the secret weapon sites were located for the launching of the V-I flying bomb offensive against England which was imminently to commence, and which Hitler fondly believed would cause the war-weary British people to give up the fight. Despite this, von Rundstedt ordered 2.Panzer from Amiens, and 1. and 2.SS Panzer Divisions from Belgium and southern France to move to Normandy - but it would take at least ten days for them to arrive. So the scene was set for virtually the next two months of hard fighting. Whilst the bridgehead would steadily expand, it would do so only painfully slowly at first, and with increasing controversy regarding its direction. Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, the overall Allied Army Commander on the Continent until a breakout was secured, subsequently insisted - and with considerable hard evidence to back up what he said - that his strategy had been to draw as much as possible of the German armour onto the British and Canadian forces on the left flank, to destroy it incrementally, thereby allowing the Americans to expand their holding on the right, bring in reinforcements, and break out to the south. Whilst the soldiers of British Second Army, and subsequently Canadian First Army, undertook this hard and thankless task against some of the toughest and most experienced troops in the world, equipped in the main with better and more effective equipment, the US forces were initially greatly slowed by the nature of the terrain they faced. It is now considered by many historians that so much planning had been devoted to the landings, that little thought had been given to the nature of the ground, which the armies would have to fight over once ashore. Much of coastal Normandy is made up of'bocage' country. This comprises multitudes of small fields, divided by high earth banks topped with thick hedges. Between these ran narrow lanes, difficult to leave when cover was needed. This form oflandscape had developed over the centuries as a direct response to the strong winds which blew in from the sea, and from which agriculture required shelter. It was to prove eminently defensible by relatively small groups of determined men, backed by anti-tank guns or personal anti-tank

:::J

< CD C/)

o

:::J

I

Q)

U

!l.-

o

LL

The Film production Unit was present at Thomey Island on D-Day to capture scenes of 198 and 609 Squadron Typhoons preparing and departing for operations.

«

RIGHT: Ground crew watch departing Typhoons Behind them is 'PR-A of 609 Squadron which has had its squadron letters obscured by new paintwork and which have been repainted on the fin.

ABOVE: MN131 'PR-M', Fit Lt 'Manu' Geert's usual

aircraft, also has its individual letter temporarily repainted - but on the fuselage side. ABOVE RIGHT: 'PR-R' shows a third variation - just 'PR' on the fin. (IWM FLM 1483)

RIGHT: At around 1710 hours, Fig Off R.SRoyston gets airborne in MN630 'PR-B' for its second sortie of the day - to attack 'MET' east of Lisieux. (IWM FLM 1448)

THIS PAGE: Five minutes later Wg Cdr REP Brooker takes off in his MN570 'B' (ABOVE) leading seven more Typhoons of 198 Squadron, including Fit Lt K.J.Harding in MN409 'TP-G' (RIGHn and Fit Sgt J.SJraser-Petherbridge in MN293 'TP-D' (BELOW). Their orders were to search for MET on the Caen-Falaise road and they would return claiming seven AFV destroyed and five damaged, plus one MET destroyed. (IWM FLM 3107, FLM 1450 & FLM 2572)

weapons, and equipped generously with machine guns. Such conditions require tactics of a special nature, for which the Allied troops had sadly received little or no prior training. Further, most of the main roads in this part of France tend to run in a direction rougWy parallel to the coast rather than inland from it, thus not often facilitating the desired axis of advance. The slow development of the bridgehead also had the effect of delaying the construction of landing strips along the coastal belt in the quantities envisaged, whilst many of those which were constructed with exemplary speed and efficiency, remained under enemy artillery fire for some time, rendering their use other than for rapid daytime refuelling, distinctly limited. It was against this general scenario therefore, that the operations of the units of 2nd TAF were to be undertaken during the next few weeks.

Charles Llewellyn Green DSO & Bar, DFC

rom Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Charles Green

Fworked for Imperial Airways before the war. He joined the RAF

at the start of 1939, flying initially with Coastal Command. In September 1941 he became a flight commander in 266 Squadron, flying Spitfires until the unit converted to Typhoons; he commanded the squadron from January 1942 until July 1943, receiving a DFC during this period. Promoted and posted to 59 OTU (which was planned as the first Typhoon training unit) as Wing Commander Training, he returned to operations to lead 121

Airfield's squadrons in January 1944. In August he took command of 124 Wing with promotion to Grp Capt, and was awarded a DSO and Bar. His Typhoon 'CG' was shot down by Flak on 26 December 1944, and he spent the rest of the war as a POW. Released in May 1945, he returned to Southern Rhodesia for a time as a farmer. Ultimately he settled in South Africa where he died in 2001, aged 88.

Typhoon 18 MN666 'CoG' Wg Cdr C.L.Green, 121 Wing, Holmsley South, June 1944

LEFT Wg Cdr Charles Green settles into the cockpit of his Typhoon, MN666 'CG' at Holmsley South; he had led the first RP attack on D-Day at 'Ht20' in this aircraft. In the last week of June. MN666 was supplemented by a second Typhoon, MN855 'CG2'. For a while in July, he used 'CG3' and 'CG4' before returning to his original pair for the rest of the Normandy campaign. Shortly after taking command of 124 Wing, he acquired a new 'CG', MP156, which he was flying when shot down by Flak on 26 December 1944. Meanwhile MN666 had been allocated to the Fighter Leader's School, which on 27 December 1944, was absorbed by the Central Fighter Establishment. Here the Typhoon was stripped of its camouflage (except on the fabric-covered rudder) and armament, for use by instructors; it was known as the 'Silver Bullet'.

RIGHT Typhoons of 121 Wing on an 'R&R' strip in mid-June 1944. Second from the left is MN353 'HH-J' and in the centre MN594 'HH-F', both of 175 Squadron; second from the right. with fourblade propeller and black spinner, is MN666 'CG' (IWM CL153)

I

CD

U

l..-

o

LL.

«

During a late patrol by 144 Wing, Flt Lt Ian Maclennan's 443 Squadron Spitfire suffered a glycol leak and this veteran of the defence of Malta was obliged to force-land in enemy territory at 1125, where he became a prisoner. His place as a flight commander was taken by FIg Off EA.W.J.Wilson, who moved over from 441 Squadron. 126 Wing flew its second patrol from 1300, on this occasion six Fw 190s with bombs being seen approaching fast. One was claimed by Wg Cdr George Keefer, who was leading, and another by FIg Off Bill Klersey of 401 Squadron; three more were believed to have been damaged by this unit; Plt Off N.Marshall failed to return and was thought to have been the victim of Flak. However he was probably shot down by Hptm Robert Weiss of III./JG 54, who claimed a Spitfire at 1345 for his 161st victory - the first of 18 which he would claim over Normandy; alternatively, he may have fallen to this unit's Uffz Otto Venjakob who claimed one such aircraft north-northeast of Caen at 1346. The Gruppe lost one Fw 190 during this engagement. Losses to Flak were mounting rapidly on this date, and already by early afternoon the ill-fated 440 Squadron had suffered damage to two of its Typhoons, whilst two more had been lost by 245 Squadron and one by 266. Worst hit was 184 Squadron, which carried out a rocket attack on the vital marshalling yards at Mezidon. They were met by a storm of Flak which took down three of the eight Typhoons. One of the pilots was killed, another survived as a POW, but the formation leader, Flt Lt 'Dutch' Holland, would spend 70 days on the run in enemy territory before reaching Allied forces. Later he would return to operations with 2nd TAF, flying a Tempest with 33 Squadron. Four Spitfires had also gone down and two more had been damaged, though it was thought that one aircraft of 317 Squadron which failed to return might have been the victim of a fighter. Two Mustang IIIs had also been lost, one each from 19 and 122 Squadrons, and a second aircraft from the former unit had been damaged. The 19 Squadron pilot had managed to bale out of his Flak-damaged Mustang, but had the extreme misfortune to land in the blazing wreckage. The Air Spotting Pool continued to experience a somewhat torrid period. At about 1300 a 26 Squadron Spitfire V was hit, probably by Flak, and went down in a sheet of flame, FIg Off R.F.Wilcox being killed. Three 886 Squadron Seafires were brought down, two of them making crash-landings in Normandy. Two of 808 Squadron's aircraft were attacked by Bf 109s, Cdr E.H. Keene-Miller, Commander Flying at Lee-on-Solent, going down in a Seafire to become a POW, whilst a borrowed Spitfire V flown by Lt Cdr C.P.Campbell-Horsfall, was damaged. 885 Squadron's Lt Cdr S.L.Devonald was shot down by an Fw 190, ditching in the sea close to a Tank Landing Ship, while a 63 Squadron Spitfire crash-landed at Hamble due to Flak damage. On the credit side, 886 Squadron's Lt Mike Crosley managed to claim a Bf 109 shot down south of Evrecy, and Sub Lt D.W.Barraclough of 897 Squadron in a Spitfire V, claimed a second. Crosley recorded his encounter in his diary as published in They Gave Me a Seafire (1986): "Having already seen a Bf 109 'stooging along above cloud' into which it disappeared before I could attack... La and behold I saw another one like the first, heading in a straight line for Deauville. This time I determined to have a good overtaking speed to make sure what he was, quickly. The top of the cloud was about 2,000 feet below me and with 18 pounds of boost, everything shaking and clattering at about 360 knots on the way down, I was catching up fast. I still wasn't sure whether he was one of ours. I got in behind him before I saw the Black Crosses on the side of his fuselage." Having dispatched the Bf 109 (thought to be a PR aircraft) using only 20 rounds per gun, he later reflected that he had forgotten that any aircraft flying over ormandy without "white stripes" must have been German. Indeed the efficiency of the identification markings in the adrenaline-loaded combat situation was relatively low, as he had discovered the previous day while performing his prime task of spotting for the naval guns. The vulnerable spotters were protected by around 150 RAF and USAAF fighters above, but" .. . in spite of huge white stripes on our wings and round our fuselages ... [they] leapt on us in large numbers." Amongst other units, one of 34(PR) Wing's all-blue Spitfire XIs of 16 Squadron became another Flak victim over Peronne-Somaine, as did a Typhoon of 20 Sector's HQ Flight, flown by Flt Lt P.D.L.Roper. Roper was actually 'on rest' but had 'borrowed' his Commanding Officer's (Grp Capt Gillam) Typhoon for a look at the beachhead! Badly wounded, he was sheltered by the French and liberated when the Germans eventually retreated. The Canadians of 144 Wing undertook their third patrol of the day at 1540, and at 1700 hours ecountered four Bf 109s east of Caen, one of which was claimed shot down by Flt Lt H.Russel and FIg Off G.EOckenden, with a second damaged. About an hour later a 183 Squadron Typhoon flown by Flt Lt EH.Pollock was shot down by a German fighter south-east of Le Havre, the pilot becoming a prisoner after force-landing his stricken aircraft. It seems likely that he fell to Oblt Saar of IV.lJG 27 who made the only known Luftwaffe claim for such an aircraft during the evening. Close behind the Canadian Spitfires came the Polish Mustangs of 306 Squadron, eight of these fighters undertaking another 'Ramrod'farmed reconnaissance over Argentan, leaving their base at 1630. At about 1805 six enemy aircraft were seen, and then four more to the south-east of Caen. At a cost of two Mustangs damaged, the Poles claimed six Bf 109s shot down and three damaged.

::J

<

ill C/)

o

::J

Runway construction went ahead at a terrific pace in Normandy, with the first strips just inland from the beaches, soon to be followed by more on the plateau of farmland north of the Caen-Bayeux road. The latter were dangerously near the German lines and suffered badly from shelling. Here construction crews are pegging down rolls of SMT - square mesh track. (IWM CL7101

Finally, 126 Wing also undertook a third patrol during which 411 Squadron engaged more fighters at about 1915, Sqn Ldr G.D.Robertson claiming an Fw 190 and Flt Lt G.W.]ohnson a Bf 109, both a little to the north of Caen. This busy day had cost 2nd TAF 18 Spitfires and Seafires of various types, with six more damaged, 12 Typhoons, with two more damaged, and six Mtlstang Ills with three damaged. The Americans had also had a costly day, with 30 P-47s, 13 P-51s and a P-38 lost. Luftwaffe fighter pilots' claims totalled only four Spitfires and two Typhoons, but also 14 P-51s - some of which were undoubtedly 2nd TAF Mustang Ills - 28 P-47s and the lone P-38. The Allied fighters had made significant claims. 2nd TAP's claims included 19 Bf 109s, nine Ju 88s, five Fw 190s and the Ju 52/3m. US claims totalled 37 fighters - 27 Bf 109s and ten Fw 190s, plus one He 177, a Ju 88, a Ju 52/3m and an Me 410. The Luftwaffe recorded the loss of 54 fighters - 36 Bf 109s and 18 Fw 190s. Whilst it cannot be confirmed how many of these losses were inflicted by Allied fighters, the impression at this stage is that there was no vast incidence of overclaiming by either side. It is however, noteworthy that by this second day of action, elements of Jagdgruppen already operating over Normandy included II. and III./JG 1., I,. II. and III./JG 2, III./JG 3, I./JG 5, II. and III./JG 11., I,. II. and III./JG 26, I. and IV./JG 27, 7./JG 51, III./JG 53, III./JG 54, III./SG 4 and 3./SKG 10. Landing strips within the beachhead were, as has been mentioned, an immediate priority, and airfield Construction Wings were amongst the first support troops ashore on the 7th, with their bulldozers, graders and rolls of covering material. These commenced work at once on the first such strip at St Croix-sur-Mer. Six RAF Servicing Commandos had been formed to take part in Operation 'Overlord', numbered 3205-3210 SCUs, and four of these - 3205, 3207, 3209 and 3210, also came ashore on the 7th, ready to service any aircraft which came in to land. First to be constructed were Emergency Landing Strips (ELS), at which aircraft in trouble could put down; then Refuelling and Re-arming Strips (R&Rs - not to be confused with Rest and Recreation!); and then Advanced Landing Grounds (ALG) to which wings were to move, and from where they would operate. The latter were required to be 1,200 yards long for the operation of fighters, or 1,650 yards long if fighter-bombers were to be based there. The ALGs would feature different types of runway surface - Sommerfeld tracking, which had surfaced many of the ALGs in southern England, had been found to cause accidents - notably by ripping off tailwheels - and had been replaced by Square Mesh Track (SMT). SMT, a tough, welded steel mesh similar to that used in reinforced concrete, would be used on most of the British strips in Normandy; a few would remain with graded earth only due their short lifespan. On some of the strips built later in the campaign the runways were covered entirely with Prefabricated Bitumenized Surfacing, which could be laid quickly and protected the runway in wet weather. Another alternative was Pierced Steel Planking (PSP) - and while this provided the best surface it weighed

Q)

u

~

o

LL

« ABOVE: A still from a German newsreel which depicts a crash-landed Mustang

ABOVE: On '0+1' 245 Squadron lost two Typhoons to Flak on a morning 'armed-reece'

south of Caen; Fit L.A.Greenhalgh was shot down and killed, but Fig Off KJAOickie managed to crash-land MN377 MR-B well behind the lines, near Falaise. He was seen running for cover, and did, in fact, successfully evade capture.

III, its pilots with hands-up in front of the tail unit surrounded by the crew of a Flak position, whose parapet is in the foreground. No details are known for certain, but the scene perfectly fits Fig Off Lech Laszkiewicz's description of his capture, following a dogfight and engine trouble, which forced him to land on a Normandy cliff top, among anti-glider poles. If so, the Mustang is FB139, 'UZ-R' of 306 Squadron and the date is 7 June 1944. (IWM FLM 3592)

the heaviest and demanded the greatest area of shipping space, a most important consideration at this stage. Only one runway was to be surfaced with PSP in the British sector, at Carpiquet, but PSP was used extensively to provide hard-standings for aircraft and vehicles. With nightfall, 2 Group bombers were out again, one Mitchell of 320 Squadron failing to return. The RAP's night fighters were out in force, claiming ten victories; most of these however, were achieved by 11 Group aircraft, the only 85 Group unit to make claims again being 29 Squadron. Fit Lt J.E. Barry with Sub Lt Porter, FAA, claimed two aircraft identified as Ju 188s shot down south of Paris, one of them just after it had been seen to attack and shoot down a British bomber. FIg Off Pringle/Pit Off Eaton claimed another over Dreux and two more damaged, but a third Mosquito flown by Fit Lt Densham with Fig Off Ellis as radar operator, failed to return. TIME

SUN

TYPE

IDENT

0630

414

Mustang I

0635 e0645 0640

349 197 129

Spitfire IX Typhoon IB Mustang III

0700 0730 e0750 e0800 e0815 e0815 e0815 0820 e0840 e0910

315 310 266 181 440 440 440 332 132 245

Mustang III Spitfire IX Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Typhoon IB

e0910 0920

198 401

Typhoon IB Spitfire IX

AM251 AG490 MK354 MN423 FB212 FX959 nk MJ906 MN264 JR244 MN257 MN548 MN307 MJ218 NH189 MN377 JR289 JP503 MK300 MJ246 MH774 ML135 ML305 MJ485 MK632 MJ959 MK826 MJ289 MJ131 nk FB188 nk FX917 FZ154 FZ156 FX873 FB167 FX970 nk FB134 FZ197

0920

412

0920 0930 0950 0950 1010

126Wg 401 401 145Wg 315

1035

306

Spitfire IX

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Mustang III

Mustang III

PILOT/CREW FIL G.WBurroughs} FlO R.A.Bromley} V FIL G.M.H.Seydel S FlO O.E.F.Potter (Kl J FlO M.Twomey M WID N.Roggencamp IE) B FIL A.S.Sworniowski F/S M.Moravec IKI Sgt P.K.MitcheIIIE) Q P/O G.E.Rendle IKI 0 FlO RWOoidge IE) F FlO SVGarside (K) FlO WJ.Mahagan (K) X Sgt E.B.Olufsen (Dol) K FlO O.J.Hawkins B FlO K.J.A.Oickie (E) FIL L.A.Greenhalgh (K) F WID G.J.Stokes IK) FIL R.H.Cull FIL G.B.Murray} FlO WA.Bishop } FlO G.O.Billings FIL A.F.Halcrow FlO P.M.Charron FIL H.L.Phillips FlO J.P.M.Laureys GGK WIG G.G.Keefer FlO O.F.Husband SIL L.M.Gameron WVG WIG WV.Grawlord-Compton U FIL J.Marciniak B FlO M.Kirste W F/S T.Berka N F/S R.ldrjan M S/L S.H.Lapka IE) T FIL G.Sologub V FIL R.Budrewicz G FIL J.Siekierski Y FlO A.Beyer K F/S J.Pomietlarz W F/S J. Gzezowski

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION

Ju 52

1--

N Martagne

Fw 190

--1

Fw 190

1--

Fw 190

1--

Bf 109

--1

Ju 88 Ju 88

1-1--

5m SSW Caen I/s 5 mls SE SI. Lo Evreux-Bernay sdb Fw 190s Evreux-Bernay 3m W Argentan csd SE Appledram ndea hbf fll nr St Aubin elf b/o 20m SloW hbf blo S Caen sdbf S Caen sdbf S Caen ell Port-en-Bessin Dol 23 June nr Barfleur hbf III 5 ml NE Falaise sdbl 3 ml N Thury- Harcourt hbl? csd nr Lisieux Gold beach Caen area

Ju 88 Ju 88 Ju 88 Ju 88 Ju 88 Ju 88 Ju 88 Ju 88 Ju 88 Bl109 BI109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bl109 BI109 Bf 109 Bl109 Bf 109 Bll09

1---1 1---1 --1 1-1-2 -1-111-1-1-1-1-1-1-1 1---1 -1-

Caenl beachhead Gold beach Carpiquet Gaenl beachhead NW Gaen Sword/Juno beach N Gaen 3m S Gold beach WGaen {15m SE Rouen { {

{ {psdbea b/o Pont Audemer area { {dbea catAc/B {

{ {

{

TIME

SON TYPE

1035 1035 el140 el140 el145 e1200 e1230 1245 e1300 e1300 1330 1330 1340 1345 1345 e1350 e1400 e1700 e1700 e1700 1700

306 306 349 485 317 122 421 443 19 26 442 401 401 401 312 401 602 184 184 184 443

Mustang III Mustang III Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Mustang III Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Mustang III Spitfire V Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Spitfire IX

e1700 e1800 1805

443 183 306

Spitfire IX Typhoon IB Mustang III

1815

306

Mustang III

1842 126Wg Spitfire IX 1915 411 Spitfire IX 1920 Spitfire IX 411 nk 34Wg Spitfire XI nk 886 Seafire III nk 897 Spitfire V nk 885 Seafire III nk 808 Spitfire V nk 808 Seafire III nk 886 Seafire III nk 886 Seafire III 886 Seafire III nk Spitfire V nk 63 Spitfire IX 2015 421 e2045 443 Spitfire IX e2115 443 Spitfire IX nk 20Sr Typhoon IB e2120 245 Typhoon IB

IDENT FZ189 FB139 MJ748 MK862 ML310 FZl18 MJ554 MH850 FZ141 EE744 MJ608 MJ289 MJ231 NH413 NH546 MK902 MJ339 MN667 JP656 MN642 nk nk nk MN461 FZ196 FBlll FZ197 FZ163 nk FZ196 FBll1 MK826 MK885 MH754 PA870 nk nk NF535 nk NF486 NF534 NF482 NF541 AB138 NH183 MJ455 MK605 MN125 MN121

PILOTICREW F/L B,Geca (KI P/O L.Laszkiewicz IPI FlO MASans (K) F/L L.S,Black J F/L B,Paley (P) F/S A,O,Neish IMI F/L WJ,Drope (K) H F/L I.R,Maclennan IPI P/D WDWendt (K) F/O R.FWilcock IKI W F/O D,Goodwin IAI F/O WT.Klersey F/L WRTew F/D RR,Bouskili C F/S J,Konvicka P/O N,Marshall (KI P/O L,D.Kidd F/L F.E,Holiand (EI F/S J,J,Rowland (KI F/S L.lIdbury IPI Z F/L H,Russel) U F/O G,F,Ockenden} T F/L WA,Prest M F/L F,H,Pollock (PI 0 F/L WPotocki Z F/D H,Pietrzak W F/S WNowoczyn X F/L Z,Jelinski B F/S S,Rudowski 0 F/L WPotocki FlO H,Pietrzak Z GCK W/C G,C,Keefer S/L G,D,Robertson F/L GW,Johnson F/L EWForwell (EI Lt R,M,Crosley 40 SLt D,WBarraclough 2J LCdr S,L.Devonald (AI LCdr C,P,Campbell-Horsefall Cdr E,H,Keene- Miller (PI LCdr P,E,I.Bailey SILt RJ,Foxley Lt D,B,Law F/S J,Harris K FlO RJ,Grigg IKI R FlO RB,Henderson 0 S/L O,J,Hall (WI SA·OF/L PD,L.Roper (W/EI U F/S E,E,G.Noakes lEI

CLAIM

d Pd

S R A

Fw Fw Fw Fw

190 190 190 190

1 ---1 --1 --1

BI109

1 --

Bf 109

--1

Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Fw 190 Fw 190 Bf 109

1 -1- 1 1 ---1 1- 1 1 -1 -1 -1 -1 --

Bf 109 Bl109

1 -1 --

CAUSEILOCATION psdbea IArgentan-Oreuxl sdb Bf 109 (Argentan-Dreuxl csd 1m W Caen hbAf (beachheadl cat B/Ac elf? b/o beachhead sdbf nr Livarot hbl b/o off Normandy pfto g/Ik 1/1 2m W Cabourg hbf b/o (Argentan-Virel hbl exp nr Bayeux rof b/o Cha nnel NW Caen 3m NW Mezidon SE Lieurey 20m SW Rouen hbf csd Bonville la Campagne elf w/u Coalville catB sdbf Mezidon sdbf Mezidon sdbf Mezidon N Caen ECaen; nc 2TAF elf f? lis SE Le Havre {lOm EArgentan { { { { {10m S Caen { E Caen 4m N Caen 3m N Caen sdbf (Peronne-SomaineI16 Sqn a/c S Evrecy nk sdb Fw 190 dtd by LST dam by BI 109s sdb Bf 109s hbAaf, pilot sale hbf f/l Normandy, AfT hbf c/l Normandy hbf, c/I Hamble, catB dtd S Isle of Wight cnk f/11m SE Rye hbAsaf catA sdbf Villers Bocage Irt trouble III 40m SW Caen

The early hours of the 8th saw the Mosquito VI fighter-bombers of 2 Group very active, their 8 June 1944 --------''-------'-'----crews having been ordered to concentrate their attacks on Wehrmacht units attempting to reach the area. Two of these were lost patrolling over the Mezidon/Carentan area, one each from 107 and the Polish 305 Squadrons. Apart from the 320 Squadron Mitchell lost over the Continent, two more collided over England with the loss of both crews. Bomb-carrying Mustangs from 65 Squadron were over the Dreux area early, at 0600 hours the Commanding Officer, Sqn Ldr 'Jerry' Westenra spotting some Fw 190s, three of which were claimed shot down, one each accredited to him and his two flight commanders, Flt Lts R.L.Sutherland and R.A.E.Milton. Close behind them followed Spitfires of 85 Group's 142 Wing to undertake a dawn patrol over the beaches. Led by Wg Cdr Johnny Checketts, these were Mark IXs of 501 Squadron, one of the ADGB units temporarily under 2nd TAF control. Near the Orne estuary two or three Fw 190s and six Bf 109s were spotted, FIt Lt L.P.Griffith, DFC, a New Zealander, claiming one of the latter in the Trouville area, which he saw crash-land, whilst a second was claimed by FIg Off D.C.Fairbanks, who also claimed one damaged as did Checketts, whilst Plt Off Bennett claimed a probable. It seems that 5/JG 3 lost two Messerschmitts during this flight, flown by Lt Walter Moritze and Uffz Heinz Schmidt. Griffith's Spitfire was damaged in the engagement, and he undertook a crash-landing. David 'Foob' Fairbanks was a US citizen in the RAF, and would soon become notable as 2nd TAP's most successful Tempest pilot. Some 15 or 20 minutes later, patrolling Spitfires from 135 Wing's 349 Squadron engaged bombcarrying Fw 190s south of Trouville, Flt Lt Seydel and Wt Off D.Clarke sharing in the destruction of one, although one of the unit's Spitfires was shot down. Flt Sgt J.L.M.P. Gheyssens was seen to bale out west of Dinan-sur-Mer, but failed to survive; he had been shot down by Uffz Erwin Schleef of

::::i

< Q) en

o

::::i

I

Q)

U

l0-

a

LL..

Port en Bessin

RAF airfields in Normandy (7-30 June 1944) Airfield 8.1 * 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 8.9 8 10 8.11

Runway length

Asnelles-sur-Mer 1800 ft 8azenville 5000 ft Ste-Croix-sur-Mer 3600 ft 8eny-sur-Mer 3500 ft (Le Fresnel Camilly 5000 ft Coulombs 5000 ft Martragny 3600 ft Sommervieu 3600 ft Lantheuil 3600 ft Plumetot 3600 ft Longues 3600 ft

Completed by 7 June 14 June 15 June 14 June 16 June 16 June 25 June 22 June 22 June 25 June 21 June

* Emergency Landing Strip only. When other strips became available it was used as a park for crashed aircraft

III./JG 54. Meanwhile another of the Wing's squadrons, 485, had also spotted the Focke-Wulfs and one of these was claimed by FIg Off J.F.P.Yeatman south-east of St Aubin. At 1225 Wg Cdr J.M.Bryan led eight 164 Squadron Typhoons to the area south of Caen where at 1320 hours the formation was attacked by 12 Bf 109s. Flt Lt Arthur Todd and Flt Sgt Dick Wilson shared in claiming one of these shot down, whilst the Wing Leader claimed damage to two more, the Typhoons escaping without loss despite a claim for one being submittted by Lt Becker of IV./JG 27; this Gruppe's 12. Staffel reported the loss of one Bf 1090G-6 flown by Fw Gerhard Sonntag, who was killed. Within 15 minutes two of the Czech squadrons of 134 Wing, which had departed their airfield at much the same time as Bryan's Typhoons, and which were now on their second patrol of the day, encountered another nine Fw 190 fighter-bombers (Jabos) bombing the beaches. Giving chase, Wg Cdr J.Cermak, the Wing Leader, who was flying with 312 Squadron, claimed one shot down and one damaged, whilst Sgt VAngetter claimed one more destroyed and other pilots claimed four damaged. 310 Squadron's pilots fired on two, but no claim was made. Flg Off Otto Smik then pursued one which was straggling from a 'Schwarm' of four, sealing its fate by shooting off one wing. It seems probable that the Czechs had been engaged with aircraft of III./JG 54, and had shot down Oblt Eugen-Ludwig Zweigart and Lt Alfred Tauchen, both of whom were killed. Zweigart was another leading Knights' Cross holder, who had been credited with 69 victories; two more of this unit's Fw 190s were also lost during the day. Next on the scene were nine of the new Tempest Vs of 3 Squadron led by the 150 Wing Leader, Wg Cdr Roland Beamont, on their first sweep over the area, covered by more such aircraft of 486 Squadron. East of Rouen at 1250, five Bf 109Gs were spotted and were at once attacked, 'Bea' Beamont closed rapidly on one of the formation, locking onto its tail and opening fire in a tight turn. The cannon fire from the Tempest proved immediately effective, but 'Bea's' aircraft, 'RB', also received fire from one of two Messerschmitts which attempted to 'bounce' the Tempests. Fit Lt L.Svetlik, a flight commander in 312 (Czech) Fortunately, Plt Off 'Lefty' Whitman, 'Bea's' wingman, was able to dispatch Squadron, leaves his cockpit at Appledram following a the attacker before further damage could be done. FIt Lt A.R.Moore, DFC, beachhead patrol during the early days of the Invasion. who had recently joined the Squadron after instructing at Milfield, claimed As a Flying Officer, he had claimed a Fw 190 shot down on 23 March. a third shot down. Beamont was able to limp his damaged Tempest back

to Newchurch, but Flt Sgt Rose suffered an over-speeding propeller and was obliged to force-land within the beachhead. This would be the only air combat for the Tempests before they were withdrawn from the Normandy battle to address a new threat, yet to emerge. An hour later four Typhoons from 266 Squadron were attacking vehicles near Caen, when they were surprised by Bf 109s, FIg Off H.C.Ballance's aircraft being hard hit. He headed for the sea, baling out about 40 miles north of Caen, where he was soon rescued. Other Typhoons from 121 Wing attacked a German airfield, where Wg Cdr R.T.P.Davidson, the Wing Leader, and Plt Off Dickie of 245 Squadron claimed to have destroyed an unidentified aircraft on the ground. Typhoons of 182 Squadron from 124 Wing left Hurn to attack armoured vehicles around Caen, but as they departed one was obliged to crash-land on the Isle of Wight. During the attack two more were hit by Flak, but in both cases the pilots were able to force-land in Allied-held territory. Flt Sgt 'Jock' Milne of 198 Squadron, 123 Wing, was not so fortunate; hit by Flak and with a dead engine, he attempted to stretch his glide to Allied lines. Near to stalling, his aircraft was hit again and crashed north of Caen where he was killed. During the day, one of 16 Squadron's PR Spitfire XIs was intercepted and damaged; Flt Lt M.McGilligan escaped and got the aircraft back to England, but crashed at Redhill, losing his life in doing so. Life for the Air Spotting Pool units remained fraught. FIg Off C.N.Gall's 63 Squadron Spitfire V was attacked by Bf 109s over Bayeux and he baled out. However, on returning to his unit he was quick to recount that he had been brought down not by the German fighters, but by AA fire from Allied warships! The Navy Seafires enjoyed more success when engaged by Fw 190s; Lt H.Lang of 886 Squadron claimed one of these destroyed and Lt Mike Crosley from the same unit claimed one damaged. Two Seafires were badly shot-up, but both returned safely with their pilots unhurt. During a TacR sortie on this date, Mustang Is of 168 Squadron were attacked by a dozen Fw 190s east of Argentan, FIg Off J.L.Low's aircraft falling in flames to the east of this town. He was probably shot down by Hptm Emil Lang of III./JG 54 who claimed a P-51 at low-level north of Argentan. This busy day was still far from over as evening drew on, but as 350 Squadron - another of the attached ADGB units - prepared to undertake a low-level patrol, FIg Off A.M.L.Herreman collided with a Ninth Air Force B-26 near Frinton and crashed to his death. Albert Herreman had been one of the more successfui Belgian fighter pilots, credited with two victories. At 1850 hours, 135 Wing was in the air again for another low cover patrol. In the Caen area at least 20 Fw 190s and 12 Bf 109s were seen, all carrying bombs, and while the pilots of 349 Squadron waited above, 222 and 485 Squadrons got well and truly stuck in. The former unit, led by its newly-arrived Commanding Officer, Sqn Ldr D.G.S.R.Cox, claimed three Fw 190s destroyed with four more plus a Bf 109, damaged, while the New Zealanders of 485 Squadron added claims for three Bf 109s and an Fw 190 shot down, and two more of the latter damaged. It is very likely that the Focke-Wulfs were aircraft of III./JG 54, for two pilots of this unit claimed to have shot down Spitfires during this engagement, although none were, in fact, lost. Losses to Flak on this date had been considerably lighter than on the previous day. Apart from those already mentioned, the only other aircraft to succumb during the day were two Mustang IIIs from the Polish Wing, both of which force-landed without harm to the pilots; one was from 306 Squadron, the other from 315. It will have been noted that many of the Luftwaffe fighters encountered during the day had been operating in the fighter-bomber, or Jagd-bomber ('Jabo'), role. By now a further 100 reinforcement aircraft and pilots had reached the area, but instead of allowing these to engage in air superiority sweeps in an effort to wrest command of the air space above the bridgehead from the Allies, the Wehrmacht commanders had insisted upon their use in the ground-support role. Unlike the Allied pilots, the majority of the Jagdflieger were not trained for this function; hampered by the vigilant Spitfire patrols and the aggressive Mustang intruders, they had been able to make little impression. Despite this, losses for the Jagdwaffe had been less severe than on the 7th, some 29 aircraft being lost and 18 pilots killed. There had undoubtedly been some fairly heavy overclaiming amongst the Allied units on this date, for the US fighter pilots had claimed a further 36 fighters shot down, 12 of them Bf 109s and 24 Fw 190s, plus two bombers. Against total Allied claims for 37 Focke-Wulfs and 16 Messerschmitts, the Luftwaffe had actually lost to all causes 16 of the former and 13 of the latter. Luftflotte 3 was also reinforced with 90 bombers from the Italian front and 45 torpedobombers from Southern France, raising available strength around the Invasion area to about 1,000 aircraft. In the circumstances prevailing, no attempt was made to utilize these arrivals by day; the Ju 88s, He 177s and Do 217s of FIiegerkorps X and Fliegerdivision 2 were to become active on most nights. Patrolling Mosquito night fighters would exact a heavy toll. With darkness on the 8th the latter were again out in force, FIg Off Wigglesworth/Sgt Bloomfield of 29 Squadron claiming a Ju 88, while soon after midnight Fit Lt J.C.I.Hooper, DFC/Flg Off S.C.Hubbard, DFM of 604 Squadron claimed a Bf 110 night fighter to the northeast of Laval.

::::J

< OJ C/)

o

::::J

I

TIME

Q)

SON TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

Lt H.L.Hamilton (K) SILt WBadings (K) Cpl L.Posthumus (KI Sgt F.Kuypers (K) 320 Mitchell II e0100 FR150 W Lt WC.Dobson (KI SILt J.Meester (KI Sgt R.D.Steffels (KI Sgt J.H.van Hagen (KI FR182 R SILt JAVasselsteen IK) SILt G.Mulder (K) Sgt P.Engels (K) Sgt T.P.Mensingh (K) e0130 305 Mosquito VI LR275 R WID WCesarz (KI FlO L.Jaksztas (K) 0320 107 Mosquito VI NS902 B FlO D.A.Long (K) Sgt B.C.G.Robinson (K) 0600 65 Mustang III FZ120 S/L D.FWestenra FZ173 F/L RL.Sutherland FZ193 F/L RA.E.Milton 0625 349 Spitfire IX MK354 V F/L G.M.H.Seydel} MJ955 T WID D.Clarke } e0640 349 Spitfire IX MK252 F F/S J.L.M.P.Gheyssens (KI e0650 306 Mustang III FZ197 W F/L RBudrewicz 0655 182 Typhoon IB MN735 F/L WJ.McBean 485 Spitfire IX 0658 MK677 FlO J.F.P.Yeatman e0815 332 Spitfire IX NHl72 T Sgt H.E.Bjornstad (E) 1250 416 Spitfire IX MJ929 P/O J.C.RMaranda IKI e1310 136Wg Typhoon IB MN415 W/C J.M.Bryan 1320 164 Typhoon IB MN130 Y F/L A.G.Todd ) MN419 F/S RJ.MWilson } 1335 134Wg Spitfire IX MK244 DU·ZW/C J.Cermak 312 Spitfire IX MJ881 E FlO V.Kopocek MJ572 W WID A.Skach MK895 P FlO F.Mlejnecky 1340 310 Spitfire IX MJ291 N FlO O.Smik 1340 312 Spitfire IX MK449 R Sgt V. Angetter e1440 266 Typhoon IB MN297 FlO H.C.Baliance (A) e1520 198 Typhoon IB JP655 P F/S J.Milne (K) 1600 315 Mustang III FB188 U F/L M.Cwynar e1630 168 Mustang I AM128 FlO J.C.Low (KI 1920 182 Typhoon IB JP395 K F/L A.C.Flood 182 Typhoon IB MM995 A FlO PH.Strong 2000 e2000 222 Spitfire IX MK889 S/L D.G.S.RCox MK892 C F/L RF.Bass MK799 X F/L G.C.D.Green MK774 FlO WF.Bern MK787 FlO A.WSurge e0100

U

!o-.

0

U!o-.

<:( CO U +-' U

~ -0 C

N

Mitchell II

2030

485

Spitfire IX

2035

485

Spitfire IX

nk nk nk nk

9 June 1944

320

16 886 886 63

Spitfire Sealire Sealire Spitfire

XI III III V

CLAIM

dpd

FR179 T

MK669 MK892 C MK804 MK732 MK754 ML407 V NH321 MK950 ML355 PA929 nk NF491 P8747

F/S S.GWalton F/L RF.Bass } WID A.A.Mclntyre} P/O HW.B.Patterson P/O F.Transom FlO J.A.Houlton S/L J.B.Niven FlO A.B.Stead WID H.M.Esdaile F/L M.McGilligan (K) Lt H.Lang (WI Lt RM.Crosley FlO C.N.Gall

CAUSE/LOCATION ftr Montsecret

cld FR182 over Sussex

cld FR150 over Sussex

ftr (Mezidon/Carentanl

biD cnk (Mezidon) Fw Fw Fw Fw

190 190 190 190

1-1-1-1--

Fw 190

I--

BI109 BI109

--2 1--

Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190

1-1 --2 --1 --1 1-1--

Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Bll09 SI109 Fw 190 Fw 190 BI109

--1 1---1 --1 --1 1-1---1

BI109 Bll09 BI 109 1 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190

1-1---1 1---1

Fw 190 Fw 190

1---1

{Gace/Dreux { {

4m S Trouville sdbea W Dinan-sur-Mer hbl 1/1 2m Irom B.4 hbl? ell c/l Newport lOW catB/E 3m SE St Aubin hbl biD nr Montebourg hbl csd off Beachhead 10-15m S Caen {Caen area {lO-15m SE Caen { { {

S Lisieux 5m N Courseulles biD 40 ml N Caen, cnk hbl? ell csd N Caen hbl III S Caen sdb Fw 190 E 01 Argentan III in AfT catB III in AfT catB {E Beach { {

{ { { { {

8m SSE Caen 15m E Caen 15m E Caen 10m E Caen 15m ESE Caen Caen area csd Redhill ndea Houlgate III nr AIT Houlgate sdbAI biD nr Bayeux

On the 9th the weather deteriorated seriously, bringing aerial activIty almost to a halt. Throughout the day the whole of the AEAF managed only 662 sorties. These were mainly defensive patrols over the shipping, and in the murky conditions appertaining, the anti-aircraft gunners again showed their propensity to shoot first and ask questions later, frequently firing on the patrolling Spitfires. West of Isigny, Maj Leif Lundsten, DFC, Commanding Officer of 331 Squadron, was shot down and killed by fire from US vessels; the Norwegian had been credited with the destruction of four German aircraft and a fifth shared during 1943. Another Spitfire from 403 Squadron came down on 'Omaha' beach to similar causes, Fit Lt E.C.Williams being wounded. He was cared for in the beachhead for some time, finally being evacuated from Cherbourg on 27 June for return to the UK. During this sortie two more of this unit's aircraft were damaged and another pilot suffered wounds. The first of the Auster AOP units to become engaged was 662 Squadron, aircraft from which had landed on the beaches on D-Day to assist in spotting for the Navy and for artillery as it came

ashore. Within a day the ground party of 652 Squadron had also come ashore and made for the strip at Beny-sur-Mer, the aircraft following on the 8th, when 662 Squadron also flew in. The duties of the little Austers in France included not only artillery spotting and registration, but also reconnaissance of the front to take photographs and to identify and mark targets for Typhoon rocket attacks, by dropping smoke cannisters. Rapidly, they became targets for intense small arms fire from the ground, and were frequently damaged, though remarkably few would actually be lost. On the 9th however, one of 652 Squadron's aircraft fell foul of the Luftwaffe in the Combes area, when Fw 190s of III./JG 2 intercepted. The pilot evaded two attacks, but on the third was shot down and killed by Fw Engelbrecht. With nightfall the weather had improved sufficiently to allow both the bombers and the night fighters out. 29 Squadron was again to the fore, Sqn Ldr Pargeter/Flt Lt Fell claiming a Ju 88 during an instruder sortie to Melun, whilst a Fleet Air Arm pilot operating with this unit, Lt D.R.Price, claimed a Ju 188. Two of the RCAF night Lt Ragnar Dogger in full flying kit, with pet German Shepherd dog and his appropriately-marked 331 Squadron fighter units also became involved, Sqn Ldr R.S.Jephson/Flg Off Spitfire IX. During his tour with the squadron he had claimed S.D.Sibbett of 409 Squadron claiming another Ju 188 south-east of four victories by mid-June 1944. He would return for a Le Havre at 0200 hours, while FIg Off R.L.Snowden/Lt L.A. Wilde, second tour later, when he would add two more successes. RNVR, of 410 Squadron claimed yet one more of these bombers, which blew up. Two further bombers, an He 177 and a Do 217, were shot down by Flt Lt R.B.Cowper of 456 Squadron, an ADGB unit. During the 9th British I Corps was ordered to pass 51st Highland Division into the bridgehead east of the Orme and attack towards Gagny. To the west, XXX Corps was to employ 7th Armoured Division to thrust south to Villers-Bocage and Noyers, and to high ground above Evrecy. Great things were expected of these two divisions, which were both veterans of the Eighth Army in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. Subject to their attacks proving successful, 1st Airborne Division was then to be dropped south of Odon, encircling Caen. Meanwhile the US expansion of the bridgehead to the west continued as V Corps took Caumont and Carentan, then turning west to cut off the Cotentin Peninsula. On the other side of the lines Panzergruppe West had set up its HQ in the Chateau de La Caine in orchards near Thury-Harcourt 20 kilometres south of Caen. TIME

SON

TYPE

IOENT

PILOT/CREW

e2150 2115

331 403

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

MK966 M MJ827 MJ951 MJ886

Maj L.Lundsten (K) F/L E.C.wiliiams IW/P/E) F/O E.D.Kelly IW) F/O F.W.Thomson

CLAIM

d Pd

CAUSE/LOCATION sdbAf W Isigny sdbAf Omaha beach {hbAf Omaha beach catS {

The day was to be marked by a highly significant success for 2nd TAP. During the afternoon Geyr 10 June 1944 ----~----'-----'-­ von Schweppenburg, commander of Panzergruppe West, ordered an attack by 12. Panzer Division and half of 21. Panzer Division which was to take place at twilight, and was designed to cut the British front in half to the north-west of Caen. However, his HQ had been pinpointed by Ultra intelligence, and an hour after he had issued his orders, a sustained attack was launched on the Chateau by 71 Mitchells drawn from all four 2 Group squadrons, and by 42 Typhoons from 181,182,245 and 247 Squadrons. The results were devastating and exceeded all expectations. The Chief of Staff, General von Dawans, and the whole operations section, plus nearly all officers of the forward echelon - 17 of them were killed, and signals equipment was destroyed. The grounds of the Chateau were full of the Panzer Group's vehicles, and many of these were destroyed or damaged. Not until 26 June would von Schweppenburg be able to form a new staff. In the meantime command passed to SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Sepp Dietrich, commander of LSS Panzerkorps; it was a severe blow to the Wehrmacht. This superbly timed operation was described by Lord Trenchard as "... an attack of major importance and one A fully-striped Mustang I from one of the Odiham-based 39 Wing squadrons which proved a turning point in the Allied demonstrates how badly their camouflage - normally a useful feature on their lowoffensive in Normandy." level 'TacR' sorties - was compromised by the 'invasion stripes'

::::J

< ill C/.)

o

::::J

I

ill

u

The 'Dinner'Raid

l0...-

a

L.L.

«

(by Malcolm Scott, DFC)

A

number of spectacular daylight strikes were carried out by the bombers of 2 Group during the war years and among the numerous operations undertaken by that Group's Mitchells, probably the most important but certainly least publicised was the evening raid on 10 June 1944. It received no publicity at the time because the intelligence leading to the operation had been gathered at Bletchley Park, by ULTRA, the existence of which had to remain secret. As a cover, it was 'leaked' afterwards that the attack was based on information passed by the French Resistance and confirmed by aerial reconnaissance. Panzer Group West - established by von Rundstedt in November 1943 - was a Command Post set up under General Geyr von Schweppenburg for the purpose of training and administering the seven Panzer Divisions in Northern France to be held in reserve for mass manoeuvre, when the Allied invasion came. This conflicted with Rommel's plan to deploy the tanks forward and destroy the invading force on the beaches before any bridgehead could be established. Rommel appealed to Hitler, who compromised by giving him (via von Rundstedt) control of three Divisions, but reserving the other four to the orders of OKW - the German High Command. Von Schweppenburg shared the views of von Rundstedt as regards employing mass manoeuvre in a counter strike. Rommel having deployed his available Panzers in an effort to stop the Allied advance, but to no avail, realised he must now make a co-ordinated counte'r-attack. Motoring to and from Panzer Group West on 9 June, Rommel was forcibly reminded of the enemy's air superiority, having to abandon his car some 30 times to seek shelter from marauding Allied fighters, Having eventually reached von Schweppenburg's HQ, Rommel ordered him to plan a decisive counter-attack. Panzer Group West became a hive of activity and the volume of radio traffic increased significantly. These transmissions were picked up by the British Monitoring Section and HF/DF bearings located the source.

The Headquarters of Panzer Group West were accomodated in the Chateau de la Caine some 12 miles south-west of Caen; its uncamaouflaged radio trucks, caravans, AFVs and other transport vehicles stood outside in the grounds of the orchard, Nearby was the village of Montigny where it was thought the NCOs and other ranks were billeted, Once the messages had been decoded by ULTRA at Bletchley Park and their importance realised, immediate advice was passed to SHAEF HQ, In the early hours of the next morning, 10 June, orders were received by 2nd TAF HQ to carry out a strike with immediate effect on the Chateau de la Caine, with maximum effort. It was planned to use rocket-firing Typhoons attacking at low-level, with Mitchells bombing from medium height. At Hurn airfield 124 Typhoon Wing, comprising 181, 182 and 247 Squadrons, came to immediate readiness together with 245 Squadron of 121 Wing at nearby Holmsley South. At the same time, 139 Mitchell Wing, comprising 98, 180 and 320 Squadrons at Dunsfold, and 226 Squadron of 137 Wing at Hartford Bridge, were similarly alerted. Four Spitfire squadrons were placed on 'stand-by' for escort duties. Flight plans were drawn up and the aircraft armed. The Typhoons were loaded with eight 60lb rockets apiece, the Mitchells with their full bomb load of 4,000 Ibs, made up of eight 500 pounders. A maximum effort had been called for - which meant ten aircraft from each of the Typhoon squadrons and 18 from each Mitchell squadron. When the time came, 40 fully-armed 'Tiffies' plus two 'spares' were ready to take off, plus 53 Mitchells at Dunsfold, and 18 at Hartford Bridge were equally ready to take part in the operation.

LEFT AND ABOVE Photographed afew days before the attack, possibly on D-Day, Mitchells of 226 Squadron cross the Channel and rele3se their 500 Ib bombs. Both Mitchells shown, FW130 'MQ-A' and FW152 'MQ-V', were flown on the 'Dinner' raid. 'MQ-A's much patched paint scheme includes upperwing roundels of different sizes. (IWM CL106 &CL107)

Mitchell II FW152 'MQ-V' Fig Off A.N.McQueen, 226 Squadron, Hartford Bridge, 10 June 1944

Typhoon IB MN317 'ZV-B' Fit Lt G.C.Robinson's aircraft, flown on 10 June 1944 by Fit Sgt J.A.D.Meechan, 247 Squadron, Hum

Seen here rearming at B.2 a few days after the attack. MN317 'ZY-B' of 247 Squadron was one of the 42 Typhoons which took part in the operation. (IWM CL160j The morning was heavily overcast with thick cloud stretching across the Channel and the briefing scheduled for 1030 was deferred. Later the cloud began to lessen and the aicrews were called in for briefing. As the weather conditions were still not ideal, the lead bomber of each squadron was to carry a 'Gee-H' operator in case cloud precluded visual bombing. Meanwhile the Typhoons of 124 Wing carried out two operations against gun positions near Caen. 180 Squadron, headed by Wg Cdr Lynn, 139 Wing Comander Flying, was to lead the whole formation and 18 Mitchells in three batches of six aircraft became airborne at 2000. Within five minutes another 17 aircraft from 320, the Dutch Naval Squadron, were roaring down the runway, led by Cdr Burgerhout, and by 2010 Sqn Ldr Eager was leading 16 Mitchells of 98 Squadron in similar style into the air to join the two squadrons ahead of him. The bombers climbed steadily, circling over base as they formed up, before setting course at 2022. Over Selsey Bill they were joined by another 18 aircraft of 226 Squadron led by their Commanding Officer, Wg Cdr Mitchell. Soon after, 33 Spitfires took up their escort positions, close escort being provided by Mark Vs from an ADGB squadron while three Mark IX squadrons of 84 Group flew high and low cover to the Mitchells. One 226 Squadron aircraft had to abort with mechanical trouble. Two others from 180 Squadron turned back before bombing; one with an oil pressure problem and the other with an instrument fault. Yet another suffered bomb release failure and brought its bombs back. Two of the four Typhoon squadrons flew their 'spare' aircraft also, and of the 42 Typhoons taking part in the operation, two from each squadron were 'fighters' with no rockets but fullyloaded cannon, the remaining 34 were all rocket-firing 'Tiffies'. The plan was for the Typhoons to attack in two waves with 30 minutes between them, the first wave's attack on the parked vehicles and tanks to coincide with the assault by the bombers, the second wave's task was "to clear up".

That evening, in the large candelabra-lit dining room of the chateau, von Schweppenburg's Chief of Staff, General von Dawans and his retinue of 18 staff officers were seated at the table enjoying their dinner when the air raid sirens gave imminent warning of the approaching attack. The table was hurriedly vacated as the officers rushed out to watch the proceedings. In service dress uniforms with their broad red-striped trousers, they must have been very obvious as they watched the Typhoons through binoculars wheeling into lines of attack, only realizing at the last moment that the Chateau and they were the target! It was reported that von Schweppenburg in his staff car, suitably emblazoned, swept into the ground just as the raid began. Seventeen 'Tiffies' from 181 and 247 Squadrons loosed off 136 rockets from 2,000 feet with devastating effect. Above at 12,000 feet, the three squadrons of 139 Wing spread in a 'vic', with the Mitchells of 226 Squadron flying tight up behind 180 Squadron in the No 4 position, converged on the target in boxes of six aircraft. At 2115 the Mitchells released 536 x 500 Ib bombs with great accuracy and saturated the chateau and the whole target area. Great clouds of dust and debris, flame and smoke rose into the air. Geyr von Schweppenburg and another officer were wounded, but von Dawans and the remainder of his staff perished in the attack. Four 'fighter' Typhoons meanwhile swept into the nearby village of Montigny, shooting up the place with their cannon. As the Mitchells swung onto a north-westerly course after dropping their bombs, some Flak was experienced from Caen, but no real damage was suffered. By the time the second wave of RP Typhoons arrived on the scene, the chateau was a charred and smoking ruin and the radio trucks and other vehicles were shattered and scorched wrecks. The 'Tiffies' fired their rockets and cannon into any outbuildings that remained standing. All the bombers were down by 2225 (2025 GMT) and there was an immediate call for a 'turn round' for night operations. At de-briefing the elated aircrews of each squadron reported on the complete success of the operation. Almost everyone claimed they had seen their bombs fall on the target or close to it; Flak had been light, there was no enemy fighter opposition and the raid appeared to have taken the enemy defences completely by surprise. With the whole planning staff wiped out and any plans for the Panzer counter-offensive that had been made now, quite literally, in ashes, it was a most serious setback for the Germans. Panzer Gruppe West had temporarily ceased to exist and SS-ObergruppenfLihrer Sepp Dietrich of the 1.SS Panzerkorps took command of the armoured divisions in the interim. After Bletchley had decoded the signals emanating from von Rundstedt's Headquarters of Armee Gruppe 'B' to OKW informing that Panzer Group West had been completely destroyed and would need to be re-established in Paris, the full significance of the results of this single co-ordinated strike became apparent. The appointment of new staff under General Eberbach and the preparation of plans for the armoured counter-stroke were delayed by some three weeks. The vital counter-attack never materialised as events overtook the situation, with the British 7th Armoured Division already ashore in full strength and heading south-east towards Caen.

I

Q) Co.)

!o.-

o

LL.

«

ABOVE: 'Treble-two's' first loss after D-Day, on 10 June 1944, was

ABOVE: A victim of small-arms fire on 10 June 1944, Pit Off George

Fit Lt C.H.Lazenby whose Spitfire, MK892 'ZD-C' had an air-lock in the fuel system which forced him to land on a beach, unfortunately in territory still held by the Germans, and he was captured.

Pyle managed to walk away from the wreckage of his 129 Squadron Mustang, FB108 'DV-C' - helped by the Resistance (who took this photograph). he was able to evade capture.

Prior to this event, the day had again started with early morning actions involving patrolling Spitfires and intruding Mustangs. Around 0700 FIt Lt G.W.Varley of 222 Squadron saw two Fw 190s over the eastern beaches during an early patrol, and claimed one of these shot down, the pilot being seen to bale out. However, Flt Lt C.H.Lazenby of this Squadron suffered an engine failure during the operation and was obliged to force-land on a beach still in German hands, becoming a POW. This was one of a number of occasions during the Normandy air fighting when 'long-nose' Fw 190s were reported. Pilots had been warned of the possible appearance of such an aircraft during Intelligence briefings, but in fact none was to become operational until the autumn. The morning proved expensive in terms of losses to flak. W g Cdr J.M.Bryan, Wing Leader of 136 Wing, was leading 183 Squadron in an attack on an enemy column when his Typhoon was ABOVE: Mike Bryan had flown Whirlwinds and hit and fell in flames. Five Spitfire IXs and five Mustang Ills were also lost during the morning, Hurricane IVs with two of the latter from 129 Squadron, which also suffered damage to a third aircraft. The pilot of 137 Squadron during one of these Mustangs, Plt Off Pyle, evaded capture and would return in two months. 1942/43, gaining a DFC FIt Lt Anderson of 65 Squadron was not so fortunate - he had flown straight into the enemy and bar in the process. transport he was attacking. Possibly he had been hit by ground-fire, but he may well have become Promoted to command a victim of 'target fixation'. This phenomenon was an ever-present danger to ground-attack pilots 198 Squadron (Typhoons). he finished as they pressed home their attacks, and would claim the lives of a number of pilots in the months his tour in November to come. Another of the missing Mustangs was from 315 Squadron, the pilot of which, 1943, returning to FIt Lt A.Sworniewski, suffered a fate which would also befall a number of 2nd TAF pilots - shot operations in May 1944 whilst attempting to evade capture. as Wing Commander 122 Wing's Mustangs would be sent out in sections of six throughout the day, seeking targets of Flying, 136 Wing, only to opportunity. One such formation from 65 Squadron took off at 0920, and over the battle area were fall victim to Flak near 'bounced' by more than 12 Bf 109s at about 1010. Flt Lt B.G.Collyns claimed one of these shot Falaise on '0+4'. (IWM CH12812j down and a second was claimed damaged by FIt Lt R.L.Stillwell, but FIg Off P.T.Driscoll was lost to the south of Caen. The two victorious pilots reported the Bf 109s to have been wearing black and white stripes, RAF roundels, and wingtips shaded to appear square! A little later Flt Lt R.A.E.Milton claimed another Messerchmitt shot down and a second damaged, but he was brought down near Caen by Flak, reaching Allied lines on foot safely. Six more Mustangs from 19 Squadron had taken off 30 minutes behind the 65 Squadron flight, and these too encountered five Bf 109s, FIt Sgl T.A.Carson claiming one ten miles south of Caen, while Wt Offs A.Sima and H.Holmes shared a second and FIt Lt D.P.Lamb claimed damage to a third. It remains difficult to identify which Luftwaffe units may have been involved, due to ABOVE: While attacks by Luftwaffe aircraft on 2nd TAF airfields were fairly infrequent, the identification of all Mustangs by the their airfields were much less secure and many German losses occurred on them or in German pilots as 'P-51s', so that their their vicinities Here a Bf 109 G-6 of II./JG 3 leaves the security of the woodland opponents might have been British or US adjacent to its airfield, with a 250 kg bomb destined for the beachhead - providing it would be able to penetrate the waves of protective Mustangs and Spitfires. aircraft. However on this date pilots of III./JG 3

made claims for four such aircraft around 1040-1050 in the Caen, Bayeux and Caumont area, also reporting a number of losses during the day. 414 Squadron had one of its Mustang Is hit by Flak during the morning, but the pilot managed to return to Odiham where he undertook a crash-landing. Early in the afternoon two more of the unit's aircraft set off to photograph gun positions near the Front, but these were attacked north of Mezidon at 1445 by eight Fw 190s. FIg Off B.B.Mossing managed to fire at one of these, believing that he had inflicted damage, but Spitfires then appeared on the scene and were seen apparently to shoot down three of the German fighters. No 2nd TAF Spitfire units made claims during the early afternoon period, and the identity of the TacR pilots' saviours has not been discovered, although some claims were made around this time by US P-47s. At about 1400 a Spitfire from 602 Squadron had been shot down by Allied AA fire near Colleville-sur-Mer, whilst during the afternoon a 268 Squadron Mustang IA failed to return; the pilot, Fit Lt R.G.Brown, survived and was hidden by the French until August, when he was able to return following the Allied advance. 3 Naval Fighter Wing, still engaged in gunfire spotting duties, lost a Spitfire V when Sub Lt Kennet was shot down by other Spitfires, while Wg Cdr F.D.S.Scott-Malden, who was serving with 84 Group Control Centre, flew over the area in a Spitfire of 145 Wing, but had to make a force-landing at an ELS after his aircraft was damaged. Over the bridgehead during an afternoon patrol, 312 Squadron spotted a Bf 109. This dived away into cloud, followed closely by Fit Sgt J.Konvicka, who managed to collide with it. The damage suffered caused him to bale out off Caen, where he was picked up by the Navy; he was awarded a 'probable' victory against his opponent. Apart from claims for eight P-51s during the day, the only other Luftwaffe claim against a British aircraft was for a Spitfire, claimed by a tactical reconnaissance pilot of 4.(F)/123 in the Caen area at 1737. The supposition must be that this was the aircraft with which Konvicka had collided. During another sweep by 350 Squadron's Spitfire Vs - one of the ADGB units under temporary 2nd TAF control - led by W g Cdr Don Kingaby, a Bf 109 was seen and pursued without result, but two Spitfires were lost due to engine failure - believed to result from glycol leaks - and both pilots were killed. Action flared again in the evening, commencing at 1850. Six more of 65 Squadron's Mustangs had gone off at 1720, and had bombed a convoy when Bf 109s were seen and one was claimed shot down by FIt Sgt W.P.'Ned' Kelly. 126 Wing had departed on patrol somewhat earlier, sweeping over Evreux, Chartres and Argentan. It was around 2110 before anything was seen, apart from some vehicles, which were strafed. Then a single Fw 190 was caught and claimed shot down jointly by Fit Lt A.A.Williams of 401 Squadron and Fit Lt H.J.Nixon of 411 Squadron. PIt Off D.R.C.Jamieson from the Wing's 412 Squadron suffered a glycol leak (which seemed to be very prevalent on this date) and force-landed south of Tilly-sur-Seulles. Already aircraft were beginning to land at the new forward strips to refuel and re-arm - at B.1, an emergency strip, and at B.3 where FIg Off Bill Smith made a precautionary landing after receiving Flak damage. He was surprised to find the Press assembled for his arrival - but they were expecting AVM Broadhurst to 'open' the strip in his personal Spitfire.

On the morning of 10 June 1944, Typhoon MN601 'MR-K' of 245 Squadron became the first aircraft to land wheelsdown at one of the strips in France. Fig Off Bill Smith made a precautionary landing with a badly vibrating engine, after being hit by Flak. He was somewhat surprised at the crowd of Press awaiting his unscheduled arrival - soon explained when AVM Broadhurst arrived in a Spitfire for what had been expected to be the first landing! Smith had a less auspicious landing two weeks later, when his Typhoon's engine failed on take-off at Holmsley South; MN625 'MR-B' was repaired but saw no further operational service.

I

THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE

CD

The Film Production Unit visited Coolham on 10 June 1944 and filmed a pilot climbing into FB169 'DV-H' the aircraft of 129 Squadron's Commanding Officer, 'Wag' Haw and (OPPOSITf) a number of 306 (Polish) Squadron Mustangs departing on 'Ramrod 986'. Among the latter was FZ180 'UZ-L', 'UZ-E' and 'UZ-K' flown by Sqn Ldr Marciniak, Pit Off Bzowski and Fit Sgt Michalkiewicl respectively. Unusually, the Polish aircraft are not wearing their customary red and white national marking.

U

l.....

0

Ul.....

«

CO

u

+-'

u

~ "'D C

N

m en L!1 M

2: ~

CD a to

M

2:

' ~

2: ~ L -_ _-_~_ _~_--._~~___'''''''"''_~

:::::i

< ill C/)

-. o :::::i

I

OJ

U

~

o

LL

On this date Luftwaffe fighter losses totalled 26 Bf 109s and seven Fw 190s. Allied fighter pilots claimed 26 Bf 109s (five by 2nd TAF) and nine Fw 190s (two by 2nd TAF); US fighters also again claimed a single Tu 52/3m. With nightfall the night fighters were again active. This time it was the turn of 409 Squadron to excel, Plt Off C.J. Preece/FIg Off Beaumont claiming two Tu 88s behind the beachhead at Bretteville and Falaise, FIg Off R.L.Fullerton/Flg Off Castellan claiming a Tu 188 in the same general area. Four more bombers were claimed by 11 Group Mosquitoes and three by Spitfires from this command. Two hours after midnight however, contact was lost with one of 69 Squadron's special reconnaissance Wellington XIlls, FIg Off R.T-White and his crew failing to return from the LavalLe Mans area. The situation facing the Germans as a result of V Corps' advance was proving dangerous; during 10th considerable territory was occupied by American troops in and around the Foret de Cerisy. The British offensive by 7th Armoured Division on the right commenced on the 11th, but was swiftly held by Panzer Lehr, which had by now moved up into the line, and although Tillysur-Seulles was taken, little other progress was made at this stage. TIME

SaN

TYPE

0700 222 Spitfire IX e0700 222 Spitfire IX e0700 65 Mustang III 0715 414 Mustang I e0745 136Wg Typhoon IB e0755 306 Mustang III 315 Mustang III e0800 e0900 129 Mustang III 129 Mustang III e0900 el000 341 Spotfire IX el010 65 Mustang III e1010 1020

1045 e1400 e1400 1445 1555 e1635 el725 1850 1900 2110

65 19

65 193 602 414 421 421 312 65 412 401 411 e2130 341 nk 3NFW 145Wg nk

Mustang III Mustang III

Mustang III Typhoon IB Spitfire IX Mustang I Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Mustang III Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Seafire L.1I1 Spitfire IX

IDENT

PILOTICREW

MK892 C MK663 FB160 AG595 MN415 FX994 FX960 A FB108 C FX952 M MK238 FX900 FX904 FX884 FB105 FB153 FB140 FBl13 FB102 MN522 NH203 AG507 MK120 MK954 MJ940 J FX193 'MJ136' MJ289 MJ295 MJ662 NF542 nk

F/L C.H.Lazenby IP) F/L GW.Varley F/L T.R.B.AndersonIK) F/L N.F.Rettie W/C J.M.Bryan (K) F/L E.Tomanek IP) F/L A.Sworniewski (K) PIO G.FPyle (E) WID R.L.Thomas Asp Leguie F/L B.G.Collyns F/L R.L.Stillwell FlO P.T.Driscoll (K) F/S lA.Carson WID A.Sima} WIO H.Holmes} F/L D.P.Lamb F/L R.A.E.Milton IE) F/S G.A.Gough F/S F.J.Fox FlO B.R.Mossing PIO J.H.Tetroe F/L P.G.Johnson F/S J.Konvicka (A) F/S W.P.Kelly PIO D.R.C.Jamieson F/L A.AWilliams} F/L H.J.Nixon} Lt Raoul-Duval SIlt R GKennet IK) WIG FD.S.Scott-Malden

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSEILOCATION ell III beach EfT

Fw 190

1--

Bf 109 Bl109

1---1

Bl109 Bl109

1-1--

EBeach csd a/m(Caen-Domlront) hbl (Caen-Conde-Aunayl c/l Odiham sdbl Sassy III 5 ml NNW Caen cnk hbl b/o ECaen shot trying to evade hbsal W Vire, III 3 ml W Vassy hbsal III beach W Bayeux hbl III? in France Cat E/B {S Caen { psdb BI 109 S Caen { 10 ml S Caen

Bf 109 Bf 109

--1 1-1

Fw 190

--1

Bf 109 Bf 109

-11--

Fw 190

1--

{ { {

hb Bf 109 and sdbf nr Caen hbf III beachhead ELG hbAf w/u Colleville N Mezidon u/s r/w Tangmere hbf catB cld e/a dtd or b/o off Caen nr Breteuil g/lk f/il/s W Le Havre Dreux f/l in AfT catAc sdb Spits csd in sea nr Deauville e/tr f/l ELS catB

/

Fit Lt H.GGarwood's 41 ZSquadron Spitfire, MJZ55 'VZ-S', had an engine failure on 11 June 1944, but he managed to force-land in Allied territory near Tillysur-Seulles. He was back with his unit a day later but the Spitfire, although apparently repairable was 'category E'. The Army seem to have helped in this respect! (IWM B 5661)

One of the factors affecting the disappointing British offensive was the lack of air support caused 11 June 1944 --------'----by a change in the weather, which severely curtailed aerial operations. Effectively no engagements :::J < took place in the air save during an attack on the west side of the Cherbourg Peninsula by ill Mitchells of 180 Squadron, a gunner in one such aircraft claiming to have inflicted damage on C/) an intercepting fighter. o Losses amongst 2nd TAF's fighters to ground-fire were by no means light however, four :::J Spitfire IXs and a Typhoon being shot down by Flak, with three of the pilots of the former aircraft killed. One unusual claim was submitted by a Luftwaffe pilot during the morning, when Hptm Emil 'Bully' Lang of III./JG 54, claimed an aircraft identified as a Lysander to the north of Caen. All other air combat occurred in the US sector of the front and involved only USAAF units on the Allied side. With nightfall, a further Mitchell was lost, this one an aircraft of 98 Squadron on a flare dropping sortie. Both this and a 487 Squadron Mosquito VI apparently fell to night fighters, which were noted as being around in force over the Normandy area. 85 Group's night fighters hit back, Fit Lt J.H.Corre/PIt Off C.A.Bines of 264 Squadron claiming a Ju 88 and a Fw 190, one of which became the unit's 100th victory of the war. TIME

SON

PILOT/CREW

69

TYPE Well'tonXll1

IOENT

e0210

ME902

e0340 e0615 e0640 e0915 e1020 1350 1645 1850 1850 1900 e2000

180 193 349 411 332 412 331 312 312 312 453

Mitehelill Typhoon IB Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

Fwl18 MN700 MK148 NH195 MJ235 MJ255 MJ834 MJ499 MK580 MJ840 MJ789

F/O R.JWhite (KI F/O D.A.Davey (KI P/O J.A.Grinde (KI Sgt P.J.MeCarthy (KI Sgt C.S.Smith (gnrl F/L A.S.Ross (EI F/S K.Brant F/STWTuttle IKI F/S J.P.Rinde F/L H.G.Garwood 2Lt K.B.Anthonsen (K) F/L F.Truhlar (II F/L V.Smolik Sgt V.Nosek (K) F/L H.L.Smith (KI

S S R X L B

CLAIM

d Pd

CAUSE/LOCATION ftr night recce (Laval-LeMansl

E/A

--1

W Cherbourg peninsula sdbf b/o E Falaise elf e/I NE Bayeux sdbfVillons les Buissons hbf b/o AfT elf e/I AfT ndea sdbf 2 ml NE Montebourg esd Portsmouth in bad wx w/u nr Chailey due bad wx csd 15m NE Appledram in bad wx hbf csd in canal W Sallenelles

As dawn broke, Spitfires of 485 Squadron were on early patrol over the beaches at 0500. An hour 12 June 1944 ----~--later two Bf 109s were spotted and both were claimed shot down by Fit Lt W_A.Newenham and FIg Off Johnny Houlton to the south-west of Aunay-sur-Odon. The morning brought a plethora of losses amongst the Typhoon units, five squadrons losing an aircraft apiece, four of them to Flak and one due to a collision with a high-tension electricity cable; four of the pilots failed to survive. One of these was Sqn Ldr Ronnie Fokes, DFC, DFM, Commanding Officer of 257 Squadron; he baled out of MN372 FM-A, but was seen to hit the ground hard and was killed. A successful fighter pilot earlier in the war, he had been due to end his current tour of operations, but had requested to remain with his unit until the Invasion had taken place. None of the missing Typhoons was recorded as having been the victim of opposing fighters, but during the mid-morning period two pilots of I./JG 2 claimed a pair of Typhoons shot down in the Lisieux area, one of these being credited to Lt Siegfried Lemke, a very successful 'Experte'. Somewhat later in the morning, four of 315 Squadron's Mustangs set off to bomb the area north of Mortagne, encountering seven Fw 190s at 1240 hours, which were flying below them at very low level. During the attack, Fit Sgt Jakub Bargielowski claimed two, whilst Sqn Ldr Eugeniusz Horbaczewski and FIg Off Maciej Kirste each claimed another. These may have been Jabo aircraft of III./SG 4, which recorded the loss of four of the unit's Focke-Wulfs on this date in the Laval area. As the Poles headed for home, ADGB Spitfires from 131 and 616 Squadrons had taken off on an early afternoon sweep to the airfield at Le Mans. Here three Bf 109s and two Fw 190s were Recently commissioned claimed shot down for the loss of two Spitfires, with two more suffering damage. Lt Siegfried 'Wumm' Half an hour later another Typhoon was lost when Fit Lt T.A.Bugg of 438 Squadron baled out Lemke was one of JG 2's into the Channel following a Flak hit on his aircraft; he spent just 15 minutes in his dinghy before younger pilots. Only in being picked up, and was back with his unit next day. The French-flown Spitfires of 145 Wing then action since late 1942, flew a sweep over the area, 10-15 Fw 190s being seen at about 1440 hours. Capt Olivier Massart, a he had achieved marked flight commander in 340 Squadron, claimed one probably destroyed, his claim rising to confirmed success in Italy early in destroyed. Spitfires were claimed shot down by Fw Gustav Sturm of I./JG 27 and Obit Rudiger 1944. His victory on 12 June brought his total Kirchmayr of II./JG 1, both near Le Mans. to 46, and he would With evening, two further Typhoons were lost to Flak, both Canadian-flown aircraft of receive the Knights Cross 143 Wing. Fit Lt P.Wilson of 438 Squadron baled out off the coast, but Fit Lt J.G.Gohl was killed two days later, being as he attempted to do likewise when only about two miles short of the English coast. His given command of parachute snagged on the tail of his Typhoon when it plunged into the sea south of Christchurch III./JG 2 in July. during his return flight. A Spitfire of 317 Squadron was also lost, Flt Sgt E.Malinowsky crashing He survived the war with 96 victories. at Colombieres, returning to his unit three days later.

ill U

~

o LL

Some of the first Spitfires in France 144 Wing aircraft at one of the 'R&R' strips, possibly B.3, Ste Croixsur-Mer. The only identifiable Spitfire is MH370 '21-N' of 443 Squadron. (IWM CL87j

Well to the west, a pair of Spitfire VIIs of 124 Squadron flown by FIt Lts Peter Ayerst and 'Jesse' Hibb~rt, intercepted and shot down a Bf 109 off the North Foreland; this was believed to have been a reconnaissance machine, During the day Spitfire pilots had claimed a total of ten German fighters shot down to add to the four by the Polish Mustang pilots. In most cases however, it is not possible to indicate with any degree of certainy who their victims might have been. On this date the Luftwaffe had again been hard hit, losing 19 Fw 190s and 26 Bf 109s, However, USAAF fighter pilots had claimed a massive 47 destroyed, five probables and 19 damaged during the day, including 35 or 36 Bf 109s and 11 Fw 190s destroyed. With nightfall the 2 Group bombers and fighter-bombers were out again, but once more German Flak took its deadly toll. 98 and 320 Squadrons each lost a Mitchell, whilst 305 Squadron lost one of its Mosquito VIs in the ~ame manner, Luftwaffe bombers were also active, but on this occasion suffered considerably to the Mosquitoes, 85 Group pilots and their radar operators being credited with dispatching nine and a tenth damaged, ADGB units adding one more. Amongst the former, credits were as follows: TIME

SON

0006 0130 0210- 0230 0215 0403 0405 188

0425

BELOW AND BELOW RIGHT: Ground crew

position a Spitfire IX MJ840 'DU-L' of 312 (Czech) Squadron at Appledram and a 'trolley acc' is connected ready for start-up.

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

Fig Off J.Maday/Flg Off J.RWalsh Pit Off C.Kearney/Flg Off NWBradford Wt Off W.F.Price/Plt Off J.G.Costello Fig Off R.A.Miller.OFC/Wt Off Catchpole Fit Lt J.C.Hooper/Flg Off S.C.Hubbard, OFM Fig Off R.L.Snowden/Lt LAWilde, RNVR Fit Lt R.L.Beverley/Flg Off P.C.Sturling Fit Lt M.M.Oavison,OFC/Flg Off A.CWilimott,OFC Sqn Ldr E.N.Bunting,OFC*/Flt Lt C.P.Reed, DFC*

CLAIM 409 Squadron

604 Squadron 410 Squadron 264 Squadron 488 Squadron

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION Ju 88 damaged He 177 2 He 1775 He 177 Ju 88 Ju 88 or Ju 188 Ju 188 Ju 88

During the day US V Corps had advanced further inland against little immediate opposition, allowing Caumont to be captured. At this turn of events, 7th Armoured Division, still stalled at Tilly-sur-Seulles by Panzer Lehr, was enabled to swing right and then run alongside the US flank towards Livry, just to the east of Caumont. From here on the 13th, the armour would swing left, behind Panzer Lehr, to reach Villers- Bocage,

\)

BELOW A member of the ground crew checks over Wg Cdr Vybiral's Spitfire MK483 'W which has now acquired an immaculate set of invasion stripes.

:::i

< Q.)

en

o

:::i

-' Spitfires and Typhoons began using B.2 and B.3 ALGs in France from 12 June 1944, flying in at first light. carrying out several operations and returning at dusk to their South Coast bases. MN529 'BR-N' (Fig Off Ian Handyside's aircraft) of 184 Squadron raises clouds of dust at B.2, not only creating visibilty problems for following pilots, but also severe aircraft serviceability problems - most Typhoon engines would be unserviceable in a matter of days. (IWM CL147) The town was entered and the troops pressed on to take Point 213 on the Villers-Bocage ridge, but on arrival they were met by a counter-attack, mounted by Tiger tanks of 2. Panzer Division, which had just reached the area. Overwhelmed by this assault, the British force withdrew to high ground to the west, just below Livry, where it was in contact with V Corps' US 1st Division.

BELOW Wg Cdr Lloyd Chadburn, a veteran RCAF fighter pilot. led the Digby Wing (an ADGB unit) from June 1943 until December that year. Awarded a DSO, DFC & Bar, he returned at the start of May 1944 to lead 127 Wing in 2nd TAF. However, on 13 June 1944, his Spitfire was in collision with another of the Wing's aircraft whilst on patrol over the Normandy beachhead. and he was killed. Behind him is the lynx badge of 416 Squadron. one of his Wing's units.

TIME

SUN

TYPE

IDENT

e0130

98

Mitchell II

0300

487

Mosquito VI

0410

464

Mosquito VI

0640

485

Spitfire IX

FW184 D F/S WVThurston (K) F/S EG.Dean (K) F/S WI.Girvin (KI F/S A.F.lado (PI LR332 F/O G.whincop (E) P/O lL.WMullinder (PI NS893 F/L S.T.Sharpe (I) FlO A.Mercer (I) ML407 V F/O J.A.Houlton ML377 F/L WA.Newenham FZl71 V F/L FWiza MN741 F/L RWNesbitt (K) FlO C.A.Graham (I) MK466 MN372 A S/L R.H.Fokes (KI R FlO G.M.Carr nk FB166 G S/L E.Horbaczewski nk D FlO M.Kirste FB145 F F/S J.Bargielowski MN538 N F/L lA.Bugg (AI PIO J.E.west (K) MH447 MN258 P FlO J.A.lnglis (KI MJ960 F Cpt O.Massart ML130 F/S E.Malinowsky MM968 F/L L.McNeill (K) FR149 N Lt D.H.Brand (P) SILt WC.van Haellen (P) Cpl R.P.M.van der Heyden (E) Cpl C.Smit (P) FR191 A LtCdr G.van der Wall (A) SILt Arriens (AI Sgt lvan Dijk (A) SILt A.J.de Haan (A) JR524 D PIO WJ.L.S.Lowes MN346 X F/L p.wilson (I/AI MNl15 F/L J.G.Gohl (K) MK631 V W/O R.C.Horden MK364 Z F/O B.S.Phillips (I)

0730 e0915 1127 e1135 e1140 1240

315 266 441 257 257 315

Mustang III Typhoon IB Spitfire IX Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Mustang III

1315 e1400 e1430 1440 2000 e2005 2035

438 441 193 340 317 174 320

Typhoon IB Spitfire IX Typhoon IB Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Typhoon IB Mitchell II

2102

320

Mitchell II

2105 e2220 e2240 2325

247 438 440 132

Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Spitfire IX

PILOT/CREW

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION

Ilr Ilare dropping (Carentan-Lessay)

Ilr (Argentan/Domlrontl blo on approach c/I Tangmere Bl109 Bl109

Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190

1-1--

1-1-2- -

{2m SW Aunay-sur-Odon {

hbl c/I B.2 cat E/Ac hbl a/MET csd 3ml EFlers tbto csd Ford sdbl8 ml S Caen hbl III B.3 cat B {8 ml SE Sees { {

hbf, b/o Chnl b/o 10 ml S Selsey ndea Fw 190

1--

hit htc csd Potigny NW Caen c/l Colombieres cnk hbl bo 4ml WBiville sdbl nr tgt (Foret de Grimbosq)

hbl dtd Channel (Foret de Grimbosq)

hbl III B.2 hbf b/o off Fr cst hbl elf b/o 2ml SChristchurch {cld Idg Ford catAc {catE

The day began badly for 2nd TAF when Wg Cdr Lloyd Chadburn, Wing Leader of 127 Wing, collided with FIt Lt EClark of 421 Squadron whilst leading a sweep to the north-east of Caen; both pilots were killed. Sqn Ldr R.A.Buckham, DFC, Commanding Officer of 403 Squadron, was at once promoted to take Chadburn's place, his own vacated position then being fllied by Sqn Ldr E.P.Wood. Two more Spitfire IXs of 421 Squadron suffered engine failure during the morning, both crashing; one went into the Channel with the loss of Fig Off R.W.Murray, but the other survived with Category B damage. Landing strip B.2 and B.3 were ready for use on this date, located at Banville and Ste Croix respectively. In the early morning Spitfires of 126 Wing flew into B.3 and 127

13 June 1944

Pilots of 401 Squadron converse with some of the local inhabitants at B.3, Ste Croix-sur-Mer while awaiting 'R&R'. Beyond, their Spitfire IXs, with 'YO-L' on the right.

OJ U

l0.-

a

LL.

Wing into B.2; they would operate from these strips during the day and return to their English bases before nightfall. Typhoons of 121 and 124 Wings flew into the same bases around midday, to refuel and re-arm, having completed a mission over the battle area. They completed two more operations from the French strips before also returning to the UK for the night. This would be the pattern for a number of days until the strips were ready to receive the Wings on a more permanent basis. Two Typhoons from other Wings went down during the day, FIg OffR.W.Prosser of 183 Squadron surviving a force-landing within the bridgehead when his aircraft was hit by Flak, although Flt Sgt M.C.Richards of 197 Squadron was killed. One of 26 Squadron's The wreckage of MN495 'OV-E' in which Fit Sgt Spitfire Vs was also a victim of Flak, Flg Off A. Griffiths crash-landing at Noirey M.C.Richards of 197 Squadron had gone missing on en Bessin after his aircraft had been hit over Tilly-sur-Seulles; he survived 13 June 1944, still lay in a Normandy field a year later unhurt and was back with the Squadron two days later. Although the unit markings remain plainly evident, the At 1900 eight Mustangs from 315 Squadron set off on a 'Ramrod' temporary D-Day stripes it would have been wearing have escorting bombers, during which a single Fw 190 was encountered and weathered away. was claimed shot down by Flt Lt H.Stefankiewicz - the sole aerial victory of the day for 2nd TAF. The bombers which the Poles had been escorting were 300 of Bomber Command's 'heavies', which reduced Villers-Bocage to ruins to cover the withdrawal of 7th Armoured Division to the village of Aunay. The hours of darkness proved more fruitful however, Wg Cdr J.W.Reid/Flt Lt J.W.Peacock of 409 Squadron claiming an He 177 north of Le Havre at 0145, while a second was claimed by FIt Lt LH.Cosby/Flg Off Murphy of 264 Squadron and a third Heinkel was claimed by an ADGB unit. At 0353 Sqn Ldr LA.March/Flt Lt Eyolfson of 410 Squadron claimed a Ju 88, damage being inflicted on another of these by Flt Lt C.E.Edinger/Flg Off c.L.Varssen of the same unit. 13 June was noteworthy however, for the sighting by a Tempest pilot of 3 Squadron, of one of the first V-I flying bombs. TIME

SIlN

eOllO

98

e0130

305

Mosquito VI HR143 Z

0415

320

Mitchell II

FR205

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Typhoon IB Spitfire V Mustang III Typhoon IB

MK235 MJ824 NH415 MN240 AB240 nk B MN495 E

e0845 421 e1250 127Wg 421 e1850 183 e1900 26 1945 315 e2035 197

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

Mitchell II

Fw129 D

F/L W.E.Dawes IKl F/L G.Richardson (K) F/O L.FGreen IKI W/O J.A.Jenkinson IK) PIO V.Everest (K) FlO J.Bilau (K) F/O J.Kocon IK) Lt Cdr J.C.Sillevis IK) Lt H.Huyskens (K) SILt J.van der Land IK) Sgt G.L.R.van Leenwen IK) Sgt AW.Klaassen IKI F/O RWMurray IK) W/C L.v.Chadburn (K) F/L F.J.Clark IKI F/O RW.Prosser F/O A.Griffiths IE) F/L H.Stelankiewicz F/S M.C.Richards (K)

0

CLAIM

d Pd

CAUSE/LOCATIDN ftr IMezidonl

ftr INormandy) csd nr Bernay ILisieux)

Fw 190

1- -

e/I csd Channel {cld NE Caen { hbll/I beach head hbl c/I Noirey en Bessin 5m NE Flers lis nr Caen

Whilst 7th Armoured Division was creating a long 'corridor' down the right flank of Second 14 June 1944 ----~----'-----'-Army's zone, 50th Division also attacked north around Tilly-sur-Seulles and Lingevres, supported by 11 Typhoon squadrons, the guns of the Royal Navy, and the artillery of US V Corps from the left, but again a breakthrough was not achieved. Meanwhile on the far left (eastern) flank, fierce fighting had continued. However, during the night of 12/13 June the British paratroops had taken Bn~ville despite heavy casualties. This secured this flank, which was not again to be seriously attacked. Following this success, 51st Highland Division had launched an attack on the 13th to drive a north-east pincer around Caen. This thrust was held by the defenders however, and it was accepted that the attempt to encircle Caen had failed. In the US sector, following the capture of Carentan, General Omar Bradley had begun bringing ashore XIX Corps to take up position between his other two Corps, and head towards St. L6. In the face of the increasing threat in this area, 17.SS Panzer Grenadier Division had been diverted from the area south of Caen towards Carentan. Despite these advances, both Rommel and von Rundstedt remained convinced that a further landing north of the Seine was imminent. Adolf Hitler meanwhile, ordered II. SS Panzerkorps to France from the Eastern Front, to bolster the defence, whilst also issuing a series of 'stand firm' orders which continued to constrain the options available to his local commanders. In Normandy meanwhile, the Typhoons providing support for 50th Division's thrust in the west, were soon suffering the depredations of the German Flak. Four fell victim to this scourge during the morning, two returning in a damaged condition, but two from 198 Squadron were obliged to come down in the area. One of these, was flown by Plt Off R.C.A.Crouch who had just returned from 'rest' after a lengthy tour; he attempted a crash-landing south of Montebourg, but was killed when his Typhoon hit a tree and blew up. During an early fighter-bombing sortie, a Mustang of 19 Squadron crashed whilst diving to release its bombs, and FIt Sgt D.B.Kairton was killed. 268 Squadron sent out two Mustang Is on a TacR sortie over Louviers, Evreux, Laigle, Lisieux and Beauville, but during this mission the pair were attacked south of Louviers by 12 Fw 190s, and were forced to abort their task; FIg Off M.H.Cullen failed to return from this sortie, and was later reported to have become a prisoner. Several claims were submitted by the Jagdwaffe during this early morning period, Maj Erich Hohagen and Lt Thomas Koepf ofI./JG 2 both claiming P-51s in the Rouen-Evreux area around 0645 hours, whilst Lt Siegfried Lemke of this unit claimed a Typhoon in the latter area. Just after 0800, Lt Xavier Ellenreider and Gefr Zubaiko of I./JG 26 claimed two more P-51s east of Paris. Whilst several Ninth Air Force P-51s were lost on this date, at least one of these claims is likely to have related to the 268 Squadron aircraft - those submitted by the I./JG 26 pilots being the most likely. No Typhoon losses other than to Flak have been discovered however, although the possibility remains that one of those lost may actually have been fired upon by a German fighter. At 1106 six of 65 Squadron's Mustangs took off for an armed reconnaissance to the southwest of Rouen, where German aircraft were spotted at 1210. Flg Off C.P.Ashworth claimed one Maj Erich Hohagen was one of the' old faxes' of Bf 109 shot down while FIg Off J.M.W.Lloyd claimed damage to two more, and Flt Lt R.L.Stillwell the Jagdwaffe. A reported hits on an Fw 190. More Mustangs from 19 Squadron had followed at 1140, and west veteran of the Battle of of Paris at 1230 three more Messerschmitts were seen. One of these was claimed by Britain and the Eastern Wt Off M.H.Bell ten miles south-east of Dreux, whilst a second was credited to four pilots in the Front, he had flown with same area. Their victims may have been aircraft of 8.1JG 3, two of which were lost in this area. JG 27 and JG 51 before Two Mustangs of 129 Squadron simply disappeared from a sortie to the Argentan area, last joining I./JG 2. Later in being seen 15 miles north-east of Caen. It seems very likely that these were the two P-51s claimed 1944, he would command III./JG 7 one of by Fw Engelbrecht of III./JG 2 over Caen and Lisieux at 1543-45. Flt Lt D.C.Byrne was the first jet fighter units subsequently reported to be a prisoner, but Wt Off W.E.Rigby had been killed. Just before and equipped with the Engelbrecht made these claims, Lt Horst Nitz of his unit had claimed a Spitfire north of Caen. Me 262, before flying the There is no corresponding 2nd TAF loss, but during the early afternoon, 611 Squadron, an jet again with Adolf ADGB unit, had engaged a number of bomb-carrying Bf 109s south of Caen, claiming three Galland's elite JV 44 in destroyed, one probable and three damaged for the loss of one aircraft and its pilot. the final weeks of the war. Credited with Last light again brought a flurry of activity. At about 2225 hours, Flt Lt J.W.Scambler of 56 victories, he survived 183 Squadron was obliged to bale out of his Typhoon ten miles south-west of Caen after it had the war. been hit by Flak, and he became the fourth pilot of the day to be captured. Twenty minutes later several wings of Spitfires provided escort to 220 Lancasters raiding Le Havre, and whilst so engaged at 2245, pilots of 443 Squadron's 12 Spitfires spotted four Do 217s apparently heading for England. Sqn Ldr Wally McLeod at once attacked one, which he shot down south-west of the target, Flg Off R.A.Hodgins then adding a second. At very much the same time 332 Squadron's Norwegian pilots encountered an Me 410, and damage to this was claimed jointly by three pilots. Elsewhere during the day one of 414 Squadron's Mustang Is, now operating during the day from B.2 airfield at Crepon, was shot down by Flak near Le Beny Bocage, Flg Off R.C.Brown baling out to become yet another captive. Various other Spitfires and Typhoons had crash-landed or suffered damage during the day, but all the pilots had survived unscathed.

ill U

l0-

a

LL. lo-

« m

u

+-J

U

~ -0 C

N

... "'i;~

Top FW115 'VD-K' of 98 Squadron seen over industrial targets which have just been attacked. (IWM CL217) A320 Squadron Mitchell crew with its mascot (one wonders if he flew with his head out the window l ), It was not unknown for mascots to fly on operations and some were lost in action. (IWM HU91 069) ABOVE:

The night fighters were not far behind the Spitfires as the long June day at last reached nightfalL At 2340 Fit Lt Walter Dinsdale/Pit Off J.E,Dunn of 410 Squadron claimed a Ju 88 which they thought was carrying a glider bomb above its fuselage, 25 miles south-east of Caen, This was in fact a 'Mistel' composite aircraft of 2.1KG 101 undertaking a training and familiarisation flight prior to the unit's inaugural raids on the Invasion fleet. Dinsdale later commented: "It was a very awkward thing and lumbered along like an old hippo at about 150 m,p,h, I recognised it as a Ju 88 but couldn't figure out what the thing on top was, I thought it was one of their glider bombs mounted in a new way, It was on top, mounted between the rudder and the main wing. My first short burst hit the starboard wing and cockpit of the Junkers, I thought I had killed the pilot, but, ofcourse, there was no pilot as the whole thing is controlled by the pilot on top, Carrying on for a few minutes, circling to port with the fire increasing, he then dropped away and crashed behind the German lines, The explosion lit up the countryside for miles around," It is believed that the 'Mistel' in question - the first to be lost to hostile action - was an S,l, incorporating a Bf 109, W,Nr. 10130, CD+LX, and a Ju 88A-4, WNr 10096, ST+CK, the whole coded 'Weisse 5', Ofw Heinz Lochmiiller, the pilot of the Messerschmitt, was wounded, but survived, whilst Obit Albert Rheker who was in the Ju 88, was killed when it crashed some 25 miles south-east of Caen soon after 2340, At 0008 hours a second such aircraft was claimed by FIt Lt J,H.Corre/PIt Off C.A.Bines of 264 Squadron, although they identified the bomber section as a Ju 188, Corre reporting: "I closed to 200 yards and identified it as a Ju 188, It appeared to have another single-engined aircraft flying immediately above it but upon closer scrutinising, it appeared to be'a glider bomb straddled on the Ju 188's back, ,.I dropped back to 200 yards", I gave him a half second burst and he blew up and disintegrated, The main body of the Ju 188 went almost vertically into the sea and we saw a large greyish cloud of smoke where it had crashed," Meanwhile, 15 minutes after Dinsdale had made his interception, a Ju 188 was claimed damaged by a 409 Squadron team. During the night FIg Off T.R,Wood/FIt Lt S,H,J.Elliott of 604 Squadron encountered two Fw 190s, claiming one of these shot down in the Carentan area and one probably

Top AND ABOVE: Mitchells FW228 'VD-D' and FW256 'VD-W' of 98 Squadron in full Invasion livery. The Mitchells would retain their fuselage stripes long after other aircraft had them removed from upper surfaces, as a precaution against misidentification by Allied night fighters, there having been a number of incidents when Mitchells were mistaken for Do 217s. (IWM HU 91064 [top])

over the beachhead. From this unit also, Fit Lt EC.Ellis claimed an He 177; he was flying with Wg Cdr Michael Constable-Maxwell, himself a successful fighter pilot, who on this occasion was in the radar operator's seat whilst making a final operational flight before giving up command of the unit. At about 0120 hours next morning one of 69 Squadron's Wellingtons met disaster when the flares which the aircraft was carrying ignited in the bomb-bay, causing the crew to bale out over the Seine estuary-Le Havre area. FIg Off C.L.Merrill and one of his crew went missing, whilst the other two managed to reach Allied territory. An hour later a 21 Squadron Mosquito VI was shot down over the Caen-Alen<;:on area, FIg Offs J.B.Croll and W.Oxley also failing to return. At about the same time as these events were occurring, another Ju 88 and a Bf 110 were claimed by ADGB sEluadrons, and then at 0225, Fit Lt P.F.L.HalllFlg Off R.D.Marriott claimed one more Ju 88 south-west of St. Lo. However, during the night of 14/15 June, the first of the long-anticipated flying bombs was intercepted over the Channel by a night fighter, and soon south-east England would be under sustained attack by these missiles. Defensive gun and balloon barrage belts were at once instituted, together with fighter patrols. Rapidly it was discovered that only the highestperformance fighters could catch the fast-moving V-Is with any sustained chance of success. In consequence, with the Spitfire IXs of 83 Group clearly in control over the bridgehead, 85 Group's day fighters reverted to ADGB to help deal with this threat. These included the three Tempest squadrons of 150 Wing at Newchurch and the Spitfire XIV-equipped units, 91 and 322 Squadrons. Mustang IIIs also proved effective when their engines were specially boosted, and as the numbers of bombs steadily increased, 133 Wing with its three squadrons of these aircraft would be removed from 84 Group early in July to join the defences. TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

0610 e0620 e0700 el005 1210

198 19 268 193 65

Typhoon IB Mustang III Mustang I Typhoon IB Mustang III

MN649 FX882 FD552 MN656 FZ125 FZ109 FX904 JR512 FB368 FZ195 FB223 FB122 FZ190 MJ193 JR514 NH413 SR416 FB169 AP205 nk MN742 nk nk nk nk nk MJ873

1215 e1230

198 19

Typhoon IB Mustang III

1300 1435 1500 e1510

412 182 401 129

Spitfire IX Typhoon IB Spitfire IX Mustang III

1645 1830 e2225 2245 2250 2250

414 245 183 443 443 332

Mustang I Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

2325

340

Spitfire IX

PILOT/CREW R

J

B H

E

V

Y

P/O RC.A.Crouch (KI F/S D.B.Kairton (K) F/O M.H.Culien (PI F/O E.Statters F/O C.P.Ashworth F/O J.MW.L1oyd F/L R.L. Stillwell F/S C.S.Stratford W/O M.H.Bell F/O J.Paton } P/O ED.Schofield } F/S C.RWells} W/OA.Sim} F/L R.IASmith S/L D.H.Bariow F/L R.R.Bouskill W/O W.E.Rigby (KI F/L D.C. Byrne (PI F/O R.C.Brown (PI F/O JWHWilson F/L J.W.Scambler (PI S/L HW.McLeod F/O RA.Hodgins 2Lt RKolling } 2Lt J.Rosla nd } 2Lt O.Tidemand } Sgt Chapman

Five pilots of 66 Squadron who had been involved in the combat with 'twenty plus' Fw 190s and Bf 109s on 15 June 1944. Three enemy aircraft were claimed destroyed and four damaged with no loss to the Squadron. Behind them is one of their LZ-coded Spitfire IXs (IWM CL155)

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/lOCATION hbfc/llm S Montebourg b/u csd dive-bombing sdb Fw 190s nr Louviers elf f/I 4 ml W Bayeux { 10 ml SW Rouen

Bf 109 Bf 109 Fw 190

1---2 --1

Bf 109 Bf 109

1-1--

{

1-1---1

csd on tlo ELS catAc/E efto w/u B.2 catB roft/I on ALG I/s crossing Fr cst I/s 15 ml NE Caen hbf b/o nr Le Beny Bocage hbf (Caenl w/u B.3 catB sdbf b/o lOml SW Caen SW Le Havre NE Le Havre W Le Havre

00217 00217 Me410

{ {

hbf f/I N Carentan {10 ml SE Oreux

c/I catEiAc

At 0555 132 Wing began taking off from Bognar Regis for ---_..:=....-_-15 June 1944 an early sweep over the Dieppe-Beauvais and Evreux area, led by Lt Col R.A.Berg. While at 10,000 feet over this area at about 0645, 15-20 Bf 109s and Fw 190s were seen, and the 36 Spitfires at once attacked. In short order, eight fighters were claimed shot down and 12 more damaged for the loss of a single Spitfire from 331 Squadron, Lt K.Sandvig baling out over Evreux airfield - reportedly after his Spitfire was hit by Flak - but he failed to survive; two more of this unit's aircraft were damaged. Some indication of the low experience level in Luftwaffe formations during the campaign can be gathered from 66 Squadron's commander, Sqn Ldr H.A.S.Johnston, during this engagement. After a fruitless attack on a Bf 109 'on the deck', he found himself alone and while climbing to 8,000 feet, was set upon by four Fw 190s; these he outclimbed and out-manoeuvred in order to join four

::J

<

CD C/)

o

::J

I

Q)

u

~

o

LL

«

Sometimes captioned as 'Spitfire pilots of 66 Squadron' (as it is aircraft of this unit in the background), this council of war involves Typhoon pilots of 121 and 124 Wings at B2, Bazenville on 15 June 1944: In the farthest group, wearing a steel helmet is Wg Cdr Charles Green and to the right of the same group is Sqn Ldr Bill Pitt-Brown of 174 Squadron (note the lanyard). Standing in the foregro~nd, from the left, Fig Off Tommy Hall, Fig Off Ray Boddington, Pit Off 'Stud' Foley, Sqn Ldr Mike Ingle-Finch, and Fit Lt Jack Davis (all 175 Squadron); from the centre Fit Lt Jimmy Bryant (in the beret), unknown, Fig Off Nev Arbon and Fit Lt Pete Tickner (all 181 squadron) Sitting on the left Erik Haabjorn (bare-headed, Wg Cdr Flying 124 Wing) and on the far right, Sqn Ldr Kit North-Lewis (181 Squadron). (IWM CL151) Spitfires which he could see above. Unfortunately, these turned out to be Bf 109s! He duly evaded these, using the same tactics as he had with the Focke-Wulfs. At 13,000 feet he saw two Fw 190s below and dived on these, claiming one as destroyed. The German pilots greatly overestimated the results they had achieved in defending themselves, I./JG 3 claiming one Spitfire over Lisieux, II./JG 3 claiming one and three P-S1s over Bernay, and I./JG 2 claiming four Spitfires over Evreux - two by Lt Lemke and one each by Maj Hohagen and Lt Kbpf. At least two Fw 190s were lost over Evreux during this engagement, whilst ten others were reported lost during the day. II./JG 3 also lost two Bf 109s. On this date total Jagdwaffe losses of Focke-Wulfs totalled 13, but only six or seven claims against such aircraft were made by US fighters. No further claims would be made for fighters of this type by 2nd TAF units, and no such claims were made by any ADGB units. It seems reasonable therefore to assume that perhaps half of the Fw 190 losses suffered on this date fell to 132 Wing during this early engagement. Following the action, the squadrons landed at B.2 to refuel and re-arm. 144 Wing became the first to move fully to France during the day, 441, 442 and 443 Squadrons landing at B.3, Ste Croix-sur-Mer. Other units continued to fly over to operate during the day, two of these being 602 and 421 Squadrons. Two French pilots with the former unit, Aspirants Pierre Clostermann and Jacques Remlinger, obtained permission to undertake a patrol west of Dreux- St Andre de l'Eure at 1140, where two He Ills were seen on the ground. Remlinger attacked these, claiming one probably destroyed and the second damaged. Meanwhile Clostermann reported that he 4ad Deja vu perhaps for Fit Lt Denis Clarke when his spotted two Bf 109s taking off and claimed one of these shot down. 268 Squadron Mustang, FD546, received Flak damage on 15 This was initially classified as a 'probable', but was apparently later June 1944, very similar to that of his 170 Squadron machine confirmed as destroyed. The Squadron was to remain in France the previous year. It was 'repaired on-site' by 49 MU and was overnight, not returning to Ford until next evening. back in service four weeks later.

421 Squadron's 12 Spitfires operated from B.2 throughout the day, but not until evening was anything seen. Then, as eight aircraft undertook a patrol to the south of Caen, a formation of Fw 190s and Bf 109s estimated to be in exces~ of20 strong, was seen. The Canadian pilots hit the Messerschmitts hard, claiming seven destroyed, two probables and two damaged. It seems that they had caught l./JG 27 at a disadvantage, this unit reporting the loss of six of its fighters in the Bayeux area, being able to claim only two Spitfires shot down in return. These were claimed by Fw Gustav Sturm and Ofhr Max Winkler, two of the very few survivors of the Gruppe's time in the Western Desert during 1942. At precisely the same time Uffz Engelbert Czerny claimed a P-47. In fact, one Spitfire went down at once, FIg Off L.F.Curry being killed. However, two more were hit, FIt Lt B.T.Gilmom's aircraft being written off after crash-landing in Allied territory, whilst Fit Lt John McElroy was slightly wounded. Whilst the day's combats had been taking place, the ground-attack and patrolling aircraft had continued to suffer from the Flak. Fortunately however, pilot casualties had remained fairly low. Three Typhoons were shot down and three were damaged so badly that their pilots were obliged to come down at ELGs or crash-land on return. FIg Off J.W.Ross of 439 Squadron and FIt Lt J,S.Slaney of 245 Squadron both became prisoners, but only Fit Sgt E.L.Bartley of 198 Squadron was lost when he baled out too low. However, Wt Off O.D.Leitch of 175 Squadron also lost his life baling out south of the Isle of Wight due to an engine failure. In addition to these losses, a Spitfire of 403 Squadron was also shot down near Caen, the pilot baling out safely, and one of 349 Squadron was damaged in the same area. The day saw the move of 122 Wing's Mustangs from Funtington to Ford, ready to fly over to a base in the bridgehead. TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

PILOTICREW

e0120

69

Well'tonXll1

MF231

e0130

21

Mosquito VI

NS938

0630 0640 0645

175 332 331

Typhoon IB Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

0645

332

Spitfire IX

MN481 nk nk nk nk MJ728 nk

FlO C.L.Merrill (P) FlO K.R.Prentice (E) FlO R.H.Riding (E) F/S lTrimble (P) FlO I.B.CroIIIKI FlO WOxley (K) WIO O.O.Leitch (K) 2Lt E.Sunde 2Lt R.Oogger 2Lt O.F.Solvang Sgt A.Steen Lt K.Sandvig (K) Maj WChristie

0645

66

Spitfire IX

0900 e0930 1140

168 2 602

Mustang I Mustang I Spitfire IX

e1305 e1445 1930

439 245 180

Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Mitchell II

1950

421

Spitfire IX

el725 1955 e2000 2025 2120 e2150

198 403 421 441 421 193

Typhoon IB Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Typhoon IB

2330 2350

441 308

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

nk nk nk nk nk NH173 MK297 NH363 MJl43 MJ559 MH723 AM159 F0565 MK611 MJ305 MN417 MN490 Fw249

0 Z H T

A M F 0 H

MK809 MJ820 NH344 MK199 MK994 MK472 MJ870 MN175 U MK574 MK941 MK399 MK687 nk nk MK177 NH188 G

2Lt R.Kolling Cpt EWestly F/S A.Sohr Lt H.R.lsaehsen 2Lt R.Keim S/L H.A.S.Johnston F/L J.A.Jackson FlO C.Brown FlO J.HWaterhouse FlO R.Casburn } WID V.Lonnen } FlO R.H.Reeve FlO D.G. Reich (P) Asp P.H.Clostermann Asp J.J.Remlinger FlO JWRoss (P) F/L J.S.Slaney (P) F/L A.C.MeLaren FlO R.F.Stigant FlO M.C.Demers PIO J.D.E.Davies (K) FlO J.N.Bamford F/L J.N.Paterson F/L WN.Stronach FlO WWarfield FlO W.F.Cook F/L J.F.MeElroy (I) F/L C.D.Grant F/S E.L.Bartley (KI FlO R.E.L.Reeves FlO L.F.Curry (K) F/L G.E.Mott F/L B.T.Gilmour F/L WASwitzer WID S.F.GWalker FlO WJ.Horrell F/S J Pidek

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/lOCATION Flares ignited in bomb bay, crew blo over EfT(Seine-Le Havrel

ftr ICaen-Alen<;onl

Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190

--1 1-1---1

Fw 190 Bf 109 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Bf 109 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Bf 109 Fw 190

1---1 1-1---1 --2 --1 1-1- 2 --1 --1 1--

Bf 109 He 111

-1-11

Bf Bf Bf Bf Bf Bf Bf

21111-2 -1---1 --1

109 109 109 109 109 109 109

elf blo SloW 4m SE Evreux Evreux S Evreux alf NE Evreux alf hbf blo Evreux alf {Evreux I E Evreux 2m SE Evreux E Evreux Evreux IEvreux I I I I I ell B.2 catE enk hit water a/bridge Caudebec apr St Andre de l'Eure OG; St Andre de I'Eure hbf blo 1ml N Caen sdbf Caen - Falaise hbf (Panzer HOI cat?

IS Caen I I I I Idbea cll France catB/E I hbf Duclair blo too low hbf blo 5m N Caen sdbea 9m N Caen elf w/u B.2 hit obstacle landing B.4 hbf fll AfT catB hbf fll ELG catB brakes failed o/s B.4 eatB overshot r/w csd Chailey catE/B

:::J

< ill C/) _. 0 :::J

I

Q.)

U

~

o

U-

« co u +-' u ~ -0 C N

16 June 1944

The day was to prove a somewhat more costly for one 2nd TAP in terms of pilot casualties. However it began well when six 443 Squadron Spitfires were scrambled from their new French base to pursue a reported 20 plus hostiles. One of these was encountered at 0620 south of Ste Croix-sur-Mer, the Bf 109 being claimed shot down by Flt Lt D.M.Walz. Finding their new base very dusty, most of the pilots of 144 Wing had elected to have their hair clipped off to prevent it becoming caked and unmanageable. During the day they were to be joined by more of their fellow countrymen when the Canadian squadrons of 127 Wing flew over to B.2. The first loss to be suffered was of a rather unusual nature. During the As with the Typhoons, there had been big effort to fit Mustangs with new canopies before the first part of the morning, Sqn Ldr M.J.Herrick, DFC, commander of the Invasion, but a few went into action with the older British flight in 305 Squadron, undertook a day 'Ranger' sortie to the Danish framed design, as on FZ154 'PK-N' of 315 (Polish) coast with Wg Cdr J.R.D.Braham, the notable night fighter pilot, who was Squadron at Cool ham. serving on the staff of 2 Group, but who continued to fly operationally at every opportunity. Over the North Sea the pair were intercepted by an Fw 190 of the AalborgstaffelnG 1, flown by Fw Robert Spreckels, and Herrick's Mosquito was shot down at 1124, he and his navigator being killed. A successful night fighter pilot earlier in the war, Herrick had recently flown Kittyhawks in the Solomons with his native RNZAF, and was a sad loss. Before the morning was through, another leading pilot had been killed when Wg Cdr E.R.Baker, Leader of 146 Wing, was shot down by Flak to the west of Caen. Typically, the last instruction from 'Lochinvar' (Baker's call-sign) as his Typhoon plummeted almost vertically, was a course to steer the formation away from the Flak. Like W g Cdr Mike Bryan, lost six days earlier, he was an ex-Whirlwind pilot who had commanded a Typhoon squadron before taking up his post; he would be much missed. The Spotting Pool units were still engaged in their duties in support of the warships off shore, whose gunfire was of very great support to the troops ashore, particularly when faced with German counter-attacks. After several relatively uneventful days, two of 885 Squadron's Seafire Ills were attacked by Bf 109s on this date, but were able to turn the tables, Sub Lts R.Hales and J.D.M.McIntee claiming three damaged. However, one of 63 Squadron's Spitfire Vs was hit by Flak and force-landed at an ALG near Bayeux. Around 1725 Typhoons of 438 Squadron were bombing woods near Vende when eight Bf 109s attacked and Flg Off R.C.Getty was shot down near Lisieux by Oblt Paul Schauder of 10./JG 26. Baling out near Pont l'Eveque, an area crawling with German troops, he managed to evade capture, and was able to link up with advancing Canadian troops some five weeks later. Yet again, it was in the evening that most aerial combat was to occur. First a Mustang II of 2 Squadron was intercepted by Fw 190s of I./JG 2 whilst on a TacR sortie, and was shot down over St Julien and FIg Off B.C.Tasker killed. His victor would seem to have been Lt Nitz, but within the next few minutes three more claims for P-51s were made by pilots of III./JG 2, including one by the Gruppenkommandeur, Hptm Josef 'Sepp' Wurmheller, and one by Lt Siegfried Lemke. However, these latter claims appear to have been made too far away to have related to the 2 Squadron aircraft - although firm identification of these aircraft has not proved possible. At much the same time a Typhoon of 181 Squadron fell to Flak south-west of Tilly-sur-Seulles, Fit Lt G.Jones, a survivor of the first Typhoon rocket attack, being killed, and a second TacR Mustang was also lost, Flg Off A.F.May baling out of a 414 Squadron Mustang I after also being hit by Flak. Some 45-50 minutes later the Spitfires of 144 Wing were on an evening sweep over the Caen area, led by Wg Cdr 'Johnnie' Johnson, as were 12 more Spitfires from 453 Squadron. The Australians of the latter unit spotted 12 .= -Bf 109s below them at 2043 and attacked at once, four pilots between them claiming two shot down, while three more were claimed damaged, one by the squadron commander, Sqn Ldr D.H.Smith. A few minutes later Sqn Ldr Wally McLeod of 443 Squadron saw three Messerschmitts, claiming one shot down in the same area. Two aircraft of I./JG 27 were lost here, while another Luftwaffe claim was registered at 2040 by Lt Gustav Sturm of 2./JG 27 for a Spitfire south-east of Caen. This may have been an ADGB aircraft of 274 This Spitfire IX. MH779 'FU-N' of 453 Squadron, RAAF, was based at Ford, as seen Squadron, lost on a bomber escort sortie over here. until 25 June 1944, when the unit moved to B.ll, Longues. MH779 survived the Normandy battles until replaced by a Mk IXE at the end of July. Alenc;:on around this time.

, L:'

Balanced precariously on the wing, an airman guides a Spitfire past Typhoon MN639 'EL-E' of 181 Squadron on one of the 'R&R' strips - probably B.2, Bazenville - in mid-June (IWM CL182)

As 144 Wing continued its sweep, it was, it seems, 'bounced' by Fw 190s of LlJG 1, and in moments Sqn Ldr J.D.Hall of 442 Squadron and three of his pilots, including Fit Lt D.M.Walz, victor of the morning's engagement, Fit Lt H.Russell and Fig Off L.Perez-Gomez, a pilot of Mexican extraction, were all shot down. Only Walz survived to evade capture, eventually returning two months later. Heavy Flak was reported as well as fighters, but there is little doubt but that the Canadians had fallen to the FockeWulf pilots, who claimed six Spitfires shot down including two by Lt Anton Rudolf Piffer, bringing his total to 35; he would be killed next day when in combat with P-Sls. W g Cdr Johnson managed to claim one of the attackers in return, and indeed the unit did lose two of its aircraft on this date.

TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

0620 el000

443 305

Spitfire IX Mosquito VI

nk W NS913 T

e1210 146Wg Typhoon IB nk Seafire III 885 nk 885 Seafire III nk Spitfire V 63 1625 Mustang I 414 el725 438 Typhoon IB e1955 2 Mustang II e2000 181 Typhoon IB 2043 453 Spitfire IX

2050 443 Spitfire IX 2110 144Wg Spitfire IX e2100 443 Spitfire IX

2223

308

Spitfire IX

PILOT/CREW

F/L D.MWalz S/L M.J.Herrick (K) F/D A.Turski IKI MN754 W/C E.R.Baker (K) NF547 SILt R.Hales NF577 SILt J.D.M.Mclntee nk F/L N.Doniger AM 172 FlO L.F.May MN298 A FlO R.C.Getty IE) FR892 FlO B.C.Tasker IK) MN200 R F/L G.J.Jones IK) MK284 U FlO K.K.Lawrencel NH462 B WID CASeeney} MK355 H F/L V.A.La ncaster} MK299 G WID C.A.Rice} MK379 ? S/L D.H.Smith ML146 S F/L p.v.McDade MK260 K FlO D.S.Murray nk E S/L HWMcLeod MK392 JEJ W/C J.E.Johnson MK397 S S/L J.D.Hall (K) MK607 W FlO L.Perez-Gomez (K) MK605 V F/L D.MWalz (EI NH300 T F/L H.Russell (K) MK578 FIS R Kaniok

CLAIM

d Pd

CAUSEILOCATION

Bf 109

1- -

Bf 109 Bf 109

--2 --1

Bf 109

1--

Bf 109

1--

4m S St Croix-sur-Mer sdb Fw 190 b/o N Sea IAa Iborg/Co penha gen I sdbf 3 ml W Caen Dives sur Mer Dives sur Mer hbf fll ALG nr Bayeux catB hbf b/o AfT (Villers-Bocage) sdb Bf 109s nr Pont I'Eveque sdb Fw 190 St Julien sdbf 2 ml SW Tilly-sur-Seulles {4m ECaen { {

Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Fw 190

--1 --1 --1 1-1--

{

{ {

{ NE Caen NE Villers-Bocage {ftr sweep (e/a and Flak) nr Caen {

{ { elf fll SW Cabourg catE/B

ABOVE Seen here during his time as a flight commander on 182 Squadron, 'Reg' Baker was promoted to lead the last Whirlwind Squadron - 263 - and then became the Wing Leader at Harrowbeer. When 146 Airfield was formed, he took two of his Harrowbeer squadrons with him on his posting to that unit as Wing Commander Flying. Apopular and charasmatic leader, his loss to Flak on 16 June 1944 was keenly felt by the Wing personnel.

A few minutes after midnight, just into the 17th, Fig Off LS,Girvan/Lt Cordwell, RN, of 410 Squadron ---_..:....-_-17 June 1944 claimed a Ju 88 shot down south-east of Valenges, while a little over an hour later a Ju 188 was damaged by a 409 Squadron crew. Following the earlier engagement, Girvan's Mosquito was shot-up by Flak, and he was obliged to crash-land at Ford on return, Fit Lt M,M,Davison/ Fig Off A.C.Wilimott of 264 Squadron then claimed a Ju 188 west of Cherbourg, while Fig Off RACrone/Flg Off HoF.Colebrook of 29 Squadron claimed a Do 217 shot down and a second damaged over St Trond airfield in Holland, whilst on an intruder sortie, At 0423, slightly before dawn, Sqn Ldr E,N,Bunting/FIt Lt C.P.Reed of 488 Squadron claimed a Fw 190 south of St. Lo. Two further claims were made during the night by ADGB squadrons. < The day was marked by the arrival in the bridgehead of more units, Dakotas carrying 121 Wing ground crews from Holmesley South, landed at B.S, but found the area still under fire from German artillery, Many of the guns were located and silenced by the Typhoons which operated from there during the day, but it would be another seven days before they joined their ground crews at the designated French base. At 0645 two spotter Spitfire Vs of 26 Squadron encountered three Bf 109s, the pilots between them claiming one of the latter probably shot down, although in the event they would receive credit only for one damaged. Luftwaffe fighters were in evidence from early in the day; at 0638 pilots of ILlJG 26 claimed two P-51s in the Caen area, whilst at 0712 Lt Nitz of Ground crew and some pilots (squadrons had more pilots than IILlJG 2 claimed a Spitfire here, He may have shot down aircraft) were flown out to the beachhead in transport aircraft, in Wt Off L.W.Love of 412 Squadron, whose aircraft was last this case a Dakota of 575 Squadron transporting 184 Squadron seen three miles north of Troarn; he did not return, having personnel from Holmsley South. They often received a hot reception been killed in action. - a 575 Squadron aircraft was destroyed by shelling at B.5.

Q)

U :.......

o

I

LL

«

RIGHf Squadron Leader Jack Collins lines up at Holmsley South in his Typhoon MN819 'MR-?' of 245 Squadron with at least four more on the runway ready to follow. Although not that clear in this photograph 'MR-?' sported a spiral marking on the spinner - recalled by a 245 Squadron pilot as 'Luftwaffe-style' in dark blue on the original 'Sky'. At about the same time, 143 Wing Typhoons at nearby Hurn were appearing with assymetric spinner markings, which produced a flickering effect, with the intention of diverting Flak gunners.

j

The Mustangs of both wings were active again, but as 129 Squadron took off to undertake an armed reconnaissance, Fig Off S,Payne crashed at Coolham and was killed. OVer the target area FIt Lt N.S.Green's Mustang was hit by Flak and he crashed at Le Beny Bocage where he was killed and his aircraft burnt out. During the mid-morning two 182 Squadron Typhoons were hit and damaged by Flak, whilst a 197 Squadron aircraft was shot down south of Caen, Pit Off J.Watson losing his life. Six more Mustangs, this time from 65 Squadron, were off at 1305. Having spotted and strafed a staff car, the pilots then saw both Fw 190s and Bf 109s in the Alenyon area at 1550, Fig Off C.P.Ashworth and Fh Sgt G:C.Dinsdale jointly claiming one of these shot down. Another Typhoon was then lost to Flak, Flg Off W.EAnderson of 247 Squadron baling out near Missy. At 1825 310 Squadron dispatched 12 Spitfires over the beaches; 403 Squadron were also over this area by 1900. At 1905 Fig Off WH.Rhodes was attacked by two Fw 190s and his Spitfire was damaged. However, he then managed to claim damage to one of his attackers, but Wt Off A.B.Clenard was shot down; he returned next day, having come down just within enemy lines, from where he made good his escape. Meanwhile at 1910 the Czech pilots of 310 Squadron, who had seen, but been unable to engage, 30 Bf 109s, now saw two Fw 190s. These were attacked by Fig Off O.Smik, who claimed one shot down single-handed and shared the second with Fig Off EVindis. It appears that the German fighters were from III./JG 54, which claimed three Spitfires and a P-47 in the area between 1903-1908, two of the former being claimed by Hptm 'Bazi' Weiss, the Gruppenkommandeur; this unit lost one Fw 190. At much the same time Uffz Lissack ofII./JG 26 claimed a P-51 in the Canmont area. This may well have been a Mustang I of 430 Squadron in which Fh Lt R.B.Moore was reported to have been shot down and killed in the Conde-Flers area during the afternoon whilst engaged on a TacR sortie. During the late afternoon period, six of 122 Squadron's Mustangs undertook an armed reconnaissance, bombing a train which was spotted at about 1930-1945. As they did so, three Bf 109s of IV./JG 27 attacked them, Lt Hans-Gunnar Culemann shooting down the Commanding Officer, Sqn Ldr E.L.Joyce, DFM, who was killed. Joyce had by this time claimed nine or ten victories, most of them over the Western Desert. Pit Off J.N.Thorne, a US citizen, managed to shoot down one of the attackers; his victim may have been a leading Ritterkreuztrager, Lt ErnstWilhelm Reinert, who baled out. Reinert was an extremely successful fighter pilot, who had at this stage of the war already claimed 168 victories, 51 of them over Tunisia against the Western Allies. About an hour later another section of 122 Squadron Mustangs, which had been sent off to attack a station at Boury Achard, encountered two Bf 109s south of Dreux after they had bombed. These were both claimed shot down, one by Fig Off M.H.Pinches, the other by three pilots. Eight more Mustangs, this time from 306 Squadron, took off at 2000 and bombed a rail embankment. At 2200 two Fw 190s were seen near Nogent, and both were claimed shot down to the south-west of this location by four of the Polish pilots. During the day another Typhoon had been lost, an aircraft of 257 Squadron last being seen to the south-west of Caen. Fit Lt W.W.Kistler was later reported to be a prisoner, but no Jagdwaffe claims for a Typhoon are recorded on this date, and it is likely that he was another victim of Flak. In the course of the day Spitfire pilots had claimed four victories (two of them by ADGB's 611 Squadron), while the Mustang units had claimed a further six. USAAF fighters added claims

ABOVE: 174 Squadron's Typhoons forming up at Holmsley South; the nearest aircraft, MN253 'XP-U' was usually flown by Fig Off HWBathurst

ABOVE: Hptm Robert

'Bazi' Weiss, a Viennese, saw long service on the Eastern Front before returning to the West as Kommandeu r of III./JG 54. One of the highest scoring pilots in the Jagdwaffe during the fighting over Normandy in June-August 1944, he was to be killed in a fight with RAF aircraft on 29 December 1944. By then his victory total amounted to 121-about 90 of them claimed against the Soviet air forces.

for 17 destroyed, three probables and seven damaged, whilst Luftwaffe losses to all causes amongst its fighters amounted to 18 Fw 190s and 12 Bf 109s.

BELOW Spitfire IX NH171 'AH-Z' of 332 Squadron ready for action at Bognor in mid-June 1944. The squadron letters have been obscured by the Invasion stripes and neatly repainted beneath the cockpit and the spinner has the Norwegian national colours.

TIME

SON

0645

26

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

CLAIM

d Pd

CAUSE/LOCATION

Spitfire V

W3432 A0133 MJ384 FZ176 nk* nk* MN809 AP235 FX976 FZ193 MN416 FB165 MN269 MK194 MK570 MJ291

F/L J.Roberts F/L B.Lees WID LWLove IKI F/L N.S.Green IKI F/L E.T.Brough FlO R.L.H.Dench FlO WF.Anderson IK) F/L R.B.Moore IK) FlO G.P.Ashworth} F/S G.G.Dinsdale} F/L WWKistler IPI FlO S.Payne IK) PIO JWatson IKI FlO WH.Rhodes WID A.B.Glenard III FlO O.Smik FlO O.Smik} FlO F.Vindis } PIO J.N.Thorne S/L E.L.Joyce (KI FlO M.H.Pinches F/L J.T.Reynolds} FlO A.V.Hargreaves } FlO R.E.Tickner} F/L WPotocki } F/L Z.Jelinski} F/S J.Pomietlarz} FlO A.Beyer}

Bf 109

--1

S Houlgate

e0655 e1040 el100 ellOO el120 e1255 1550

412 129 182 182 247 430 65

Spitfire IX Mustang III Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Typhoon IB Mustang I Mustang III

1--

I/s 3 ml N Troarn hbf csd Le Beny Bocage {hbf S Tilly sur Seulles catB {*MN533 or MN812 hbf b/o nr Missy Dol20June sdb Fw 190 nr Arromanches Alen~on area

e1710 1800 e1845 1905

257 129 197 403

Typhoon IB Mustang III Typhoon IB Spitfire IX

1910

310

Spitfire IX

1930 e1930 2045

122 122 122

Mustang III Mustang III Mustang III

2200

306

Mustang III

NH425 FX935 FX986 FZl14 FZ106 FX954 F.Z938 FB196 nk F.Z196 nk

Q

T N 0 A

N T W

N

Q

M D N

Fw 190

Fw 190

--1

Fw 190 Fw 190

1-1--

Bf 109

1--

Bf 109 Bf 109

1-1--

Fw 190

1--

I/s 3 ml SW Gaen csd on tlo Goolham sdbf S Gaen 5m SE St. La sdb Fw 190 nr Gaen Gaen 12m SE Caen Dreux - Chatres sdb Bf 109 Evreux {S Dreux {

{1O ml SW Nogent {

Fw 190

1--

{IO ml SW Nogent

The early hours of the 18th saw the night fighters again hunting German bombers. At 0010 18 June 1944 -----=-----Fit Lt Charles Edinger/Fig Off Charles Vaessen of 410 Squadron claimed a Ju 188 over the Channel. Two and a half hours later Fit Lt Peter Hall/Fig Off Richard Marriott of 488 Squadron claimed a Ju 88 and Sqn Ldr LA.March/FIt Lt K.M.Eyolfson of 410 Squadron claimed a Ju 188. During the night Fig OffJ.P.Brooke/PIt OffJ.Hutchinson of264 Squadron claimed two more Ju 188s and Fig Off J.C.Duffy/FIt Sgt Newhouse yet another: Fit Lt Ivor Cosby/Fit Lt E.R.Murphy and Fit Lt M.M.Davison/Fig Off Willmott, all also of this unit, each claimed Fw 190s. At 0421 FIg Off Douglas Robinson/FIg Off K.C.Keeping of 488 Squadron added a further Focke-Wulf and Fit Sgt Johnson of 29 Squadron claimed a Ju 88 to bring 85 Group's 'bag' for the night to ten. 18 June was marked by the arrival of US troops on the western side of the Cotentin Peninsula, cutting off the German forces in the port of Cherbourg itself. This was a very significant advance which appeared to offer the opportunity to seize a major seaport in the near future. The line on the western side of the bridgehead had now been considerably expanded, but in the east it was still stalled around Caen, where the bulk of the German armour was continuing to build up, facing the British and Canadians. The lack of progress here was constraining the planned movement of 2nd TAF units to the area, although in England more units were moving to airfields closer to the Normandy coast. The Spitfires of 126 Wing now began flying in to BA, where the pilots would start to add dive-bombing and strafing to their patrolling duties; with this move, all three Canadian Spitfire wings were now on the Continent. Funtington was now clear of 122 Wing's Mustangs, and the BELOW 312 Squadron two Typhoon squadrons of 136 Wing moved there on this date, while 129 Wing's single unit Spitfire IX MH819 184 Squadron - moved to Holmesley South, joining the 121 Wing squadrons which were visiting 'NN-M' up on trestles various Normandy strips during the day until B.5 became habitable. Whilst making landings in ready for gun testing at Appledram in mid-June. France, the pilots of this unit had been disconcerted to find that the Servicing Commando

\ \<

I

Q)

u

~

o

Spitfire IXB MJ966 'GW-B' Sous Chef D.Boudard, 340 Squadron, Merston, June 1944

LL

«

ABOVE LEFT AND RIGHT. Sous Chef Denys Boudard was filmed taxying out at Merston to return to France in his 340 Squadron Spitfire, MJ966 'GW-B', apparently on 18 June 1944. No doubt he was chosen to represent his countrymen because of his remarkable escape from France to join the RAF. On 29 April 1941 Boudard and Jean Hebert, 20-year olds with flying experience, dressed in black overalls to resemble German mechanics, walked onto Carpiquet aerodrome, stole a Bucker Jungmann trainer and flew it to England l Hebert was later killed during flying training but Boudard survived a tour with 340 Squadron He had first landed with his unit at B3, Ste-Croix-sur-Mer on 13 June and later would fly his Spitfire into Carpiquet on 14 August - the first Allied aircraft to land there. IIWM FLM 3110 & FLM 3112)

personnel there knew little about the Sabre engine with which the Typhoon was powered, having been trained to cope with the Merlins of the Spitfires and Mustang Ills. A further move during the day was made by 123 Wing, which left Thomey Island to join 136 Wing at Funtington. This allowed the Mosquito VI fighter-bombers of 140 Wing - 21, 464 and 487 Squadrons - to move from Hunsdon to Thomey. Next day the night fighters of 148 Wing would take their place at Hunsdon, vacating West Malling. 34(PR) Wing's 16 Squadron received the news during the day that the unit's unarmed Spitfire XIs were to be supplemented by six armed Mark IXs for low level photographic 'dicing' sorties_ Following recent losses of senior pilots, Wg Cdr J.R.Baldwin now took over 146 Wing, whilst command of 122 Squadron passed to Sqn Ldr J_T-Shaw, DSO, DFC, who like his predecessor, 'Nipper' Joyce, had been a Hurricane night intruder pilot earlier in the war. Baldwin had previously completed a Typhoon tour that saw him start by joining 609 Squadron straight from OTU, and finish as Commanding Officer of 198 Squadron, having also become the top-scoring Typhoon pilot. His 'rest tour' had been cut short for him to take up this appointment. Over Normandy activity became sustained during the afternoon_ Spitfires of 132 Squadron on a patrol in the Evreux area encountered six Fw 190s, one being claimed damaged by Sqn Ldr Geoffrey Page and FIg Off B.F.Collings. However Fit Lt R.L.F.Day, DFC, who had been a pilot of Defiant night fighters earlier in the war, was lost; he was seen chasing one of the FockeWulfs and was believed to have been brought down by ground-fire, although a claim for a Spitfire was made by Lt Waldemar Soffing of l./JG 26_ Two Typhoons of 198 Squadron were shot down by Flak during the afternoon, Pit Off D.W.Mason being killed and Fig Off R.A_Armstrong captured, while four more from 247 Squadron suffered damage to various causes; another from 245 Squadron was damaged by Flak. It was not until some 40 years later that the wreckage of Mason's aircraft with his remains still in situ, was to be found_ TacR Mustangs were extremely active, but became involved in a number of engagements_ In the mid-afternoon FIg Off L.W.Burt of 2 Squadron claimed damage to a Bf 109 over Mortaigne, whilst two of 268 Squadron's aircraft set off for the Falaise-Vimoutiers-Gace-Argentan area at 1954_ Fit Lt W_N.Tuele was able to claim one of six Fw 190s which attacked him at 2045; it appears that his claim for this aircraft as shot down was reduced to one damaged however.

During the late afternoon a pair of 414 Squadron aircraft had set off for the Le Beny Bocage area, but failed to return, Fit Lt J.A.MacKelvie and FIg OffR.A.Bromley both being shot down in the target area by Fw 190s of ILlJG 26 at 1729, one of these falling to Lt Adolf Glunz, a leading 'Experte'. Around 2010-2020, two more P-51s were claimed, this time by pilots ofLlJG 2. It would seem that these were a pair of 268 Squadron Mustang lAs flown by Fit Lt EJ.Reahill and FIg Off R.P.Howe, who were reported lost to fighters in the Laigle-Dreux area at about 2035. Some two hours later this unit lost another Mustang, a standard Mark I, also shot down by enemy aircraft in the Versailles-La Loupe area; Fit Lt R.G.Brown survived unhurt, but no Jagdwaffe claim for his aircraft has been found. A 430 Squadron Mustang I was attacked by six Fw 190s near St Germain when overflying German tanks during the day, and was damaged, but escaped. A Mitchell of 226 Squadron was reported lost to a fighter on this date, but no Luftwaffe claim for such an aircraft was submitted by day fighters, although it is possible that this aircraft was lost following nightfall and was the victim of a night fighter. TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

0830

247

Typhoon IB

0830 0910 e1140 1535

302 341 245 132

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Typhoon IB Spitfire IX

1545 e1600 e1700

2 132 414

Mustang I Spitfire IX Mustang I

MN373 G MN597 E MH712 A MJ772 nk MK144 0 NH414 M FR899 ML120 P AM220 AM251

e1840

198

Typhoon IB

e2035 e2035 2045 e2215 2220

268 268 268 268 247

Mustang IA Mustang IA Mustang I Mustang IA Typhoon IB

2230

412

Spitfire IX

MN314 MN132 F0567 F0531 F0561 F0447 MN704 MN710 MJ148

Z K

J N

PILOT/CREW S/L R.J.McNair FlO R.W.Walker-Lutz F/S M Muryada Sgt oabos FlO R.E.Temple S/L A.G.Page } FlO B.F.Collings} FlO LWBurt F/L RL.F.oay (KI F/L J.A.MacKelvie (K) FlO RA.Bromley (K) FlO R.Armstrong (P) P/o oWMason (K) F/L F.J.Reahill (K) FlO R.P.Howe (K) F/L W.N.Tuele F/L RG.Brown (EI F/S o.L.Burke F/L B.T.Tatham FlO P.M.Charron

CLAIM

d Pd

CAUSE/LOCATION

Fw 190

--1

{cld Idg B.6 catB/Ac {catB/Ac c/l Diver patrol catB/AC c/l catB hbf, catB N Evreux

Bf 109

--1

Fw 190

--1

nr Mortaigne ftr d/f Evreux {sdbea (Le Beny Bocagel { sdbf S Caen hbf csd Boulon sdbea (Laigle - oreux) sdbea (Laigle - oreux) Le Merlemault sdbea (Versailles - La Loupe) {cld on r/w B.6 catB {catE dla B.4 catB/E

Mosquito VI NS898 'SY-Z' 613 Squadron, 613 Squadron, Lasham, June 1944

BELOW While the Mustangs, Spitfires and Typhoons harried German transport and communications by day, the task was taken over at night by the Mosquito Vis of 138 Wing at Lasham and 140 Wing at Gravesend (moving to Thomey Island on 18 June 1944, the resident Typhoons having moved out to Funtington the previous day). Mosquitoes of the Lasham-based squadrons are shown here, (BELO\!I;j NS952 'OM-S' (marked on the fin) of 107 Squadron, and (BELOW LEFT) NS898 'SY-Z' of 613 Squadron.

I

Q)

19 June 1944

U

!--

o

LL

co

u

+-'

u

~ -0 C N

_20---"-Jun __e_l_9_44

In the early hours 85 Group's Mosquitoes again achieved some success, liLt A.A.Harrington, USAAF/Sgt D.G.Tongue and FIg Off G.E.Edwards/Flt Sgt Georges of 410 Squadron each claiming Ju 88s in the Vire area. A 409 Squadron crew also claimed a Do 217 damaged, whilst another shot down a V-I flying bomb. Daybreak however, was to bring disaster. During the early hours a gale suddenly sprang up in the Channel from the north-east. Completely unexpected, this grew steadily worse and was to cause the most terrible damage. The two Mulberry harbours were at this point about half finished, but within hours the American harbour at St Laurent had been destroyed, whilst the British one at Arromanches had been badly damaged. Two-and-a-half miles of artificial floating roadway which was on its way, was caught at sea and lost. The gale raged for three days and was the worst experienced in June for 40 years. Some 800 vessels were left stranded or damaged, more being destroyed by this one freak of nature than had been achieved by all the German gunfire, mines, bombs and E-Boats since the landings had begun. As a consequence, deliveries of ammunition and other supplies were seriously reduced, and the arrival of troop reinforcements was delayed. The planned British offensive had to be postponed. It would be a further week before the US forces on the Cotentin Peninsula were able to take Cherbourg itself, but this then proved to have been so effectively demolished that it would be 16 July before anything of note could be landed there. It was a major setback to the Allied plans. The weather also had a serious effect on the air war, and for the next three days activity was on a much reduced scale. With the onset of the V-I attacks on Southern England, much of the effort of 2 Group's medium bombers reverted to the 'Noball' launching sites, the first such raids being launched on this date. While escorting Lancasters, Spitfire pilots of 332 Squadron saw a V-I and Sgt E.Veierstad broke away to attack this. As he did so, the missile exploded, damaging his Spitfire severely, and he was Major Werner Christie commanded 332 (Norwegianl Squadron from obliged to bale out into the Channel from where he was safely picked up. January to June 1944. The spinner In the bridgehead, 403 Squadron at B.2 recorded that the strip was bombed by of his Spitfire IX carries the redFw 190s during the day. From Selsey the Spitfire pilots of 349 Squadron undertook white-blue stripes of the Norwegian their first bombing sorties since D-Day. However the Squadron had been experiencing national markings which had been a very high accident rate at this time, and was threatened with posting out of 2nd TAF applied to the wings of his if performance did not improve. Another Auster unit, 658 Squadron, flew in to France Squadron's aircraft prior to the during the day to commence spotting operations. German occupation of that country. During a patrol over the devastated beaches and shipping, a Spitfire of 302 Squadron was apparently hit by Flak and Wt Off Lucyszu was reported missing; he would return. TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

e0130

226

Mitchell II

FL192

PILOT/CREW

e0640 2045

332 302

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

MK341 ML257 N

Q

Sgt C.PV.Biddlecombe (K) F/S D.G.Badgery (KI F/S D.A.J.Ahearn (KI Sgt R.W.T.Ulens (K) Sgt E.Veierstad (A) W/D E Lucyszyn (E! I)

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION ftr flare dropping (Le Haye de Puit)

db V1 exp b/o Channel sdbf (shipping patrol)

Activities by night continued, at 0220 Plt Off Christian Vlotman (Dutch)/Sgt J.L.Wood of 488 Squadron claiming a Fw 190 south of Falaise, while Sqn Ldr EJ.A.Chase/Flg Off A.F.Watson of 264 Squadron claimed a Ju 88 over the Channel. 409 Squadron, still apparently having some difficulty in shooting down the bombers which its crews were intercepting, again claimed damage to a Ju 88. On a very early low-level shipping patrol, pilots of 331 Squadron encountered a Bf 109 east of Douvres, which was jointly claimed shot down in flames by Capt N.K.Jorstad, Lt K.M.Kopperud and 2/Lt P.P.M.Coucheron. More Typhoon units moved into the bridgehead on this date, 182 and 247 Squadrons from 124 Wing arriving at B.6, followed next day by 181 Squadron. Over the next few days their place at Hurn would be taken by 123 and 136 Wing squadrons, The Canadian Spitfires having vacated Tangmere, 132 and 134 Wings now moved in here, while 135 Wing would move to Funtington on the 22nd. 11 Group units, active over the Invasion area, were also on the move, 80 and 274 Squadrons going to Merston. From Needs Oar Point, during the day, Typhoons of 193 and 257 Squadrons attacked a railway tunnel, bombing both ends simultaneously and blocking it completely. At 1459 Spitfires of 317 Squadron, led by the 131 Wing Leader, Wg Cdr J.Kowalski, undertook another low altitude patrol, meeting three Fw 190s. One was claimed shot down by Flt Sgt L.Winski, and one probably so by Kowalski at 1600; more were seen five minutes later, FIt Sgt T.Wojciechowski claiming one and Fit Lt H.Knapik another probable. Winski's aircraft was damaged and he forcelanded in Allied territory, one other Spitfire being damaged. Both these aircraft were reported to have been hit by Flak, and indeed no claims were submitted by German pilots.

Half an hour behind them, Mustangs of 19 Squadron had set out to bomb marshalling yards at Rambouillet. Before the attack could be made, 16 Fw 190s of III./JG 54 were seen over Dreux and bombs were jettisoned so that the Mustangs could give battle, which they did at 1630. Sqn Ldr W.M.Gilmour claimed one and one damaged, as did four other pilots. However, Pit Off ED.Schofield was shot down, but managed to evade capture. One JG 54 Fw 190 was lost, but the Germans severely overestimated the results which they believed they had achieved, claiming no fewer than eight P-51s shot down! Four of these were claimed by Hptm 'Bully' Lang. Four Spitfires and a 129 Squadron Mustang were Pilots of 174 Squadron and a pair of Servicing Commandos at one of the damaged during the day, but the only other fighter loss 'R&R' strips in mid-June. Left to right, standing, Fit Sgt R.B.lAdams, was a Typhoon of 198 Squadron in which Pit Off G.Boucher, Fit Lt W.GMoore, Sqn Ldr WPitt-Brown, Pit Off J.S.Fraser-Petherbridge was killed south-west Fit Lt FAGrantham, Fit Lt o Montgomery and Fit Sgt W.Hodges. Three of the of Lisieux, when shot down by Flak. The mediums pilots can be seen to be wearing lanyards on their left shoulders; this was a suffered more severely however, as they continued 174 Squadron 'trademark' with a practical slant - a whistle, for potential their attacks on the 'Noball' targets. Seventeen ASR use, was attached to the lanyard. (IWM CL216) bombers drawn from 180 and 320 Squadrons raided one such target, the former unit losing one aircraft to Flak with a second damaged, whilst the latter lost two, one seen to go down to Flak and the other simply reported as missing. TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

0605

331

Spitfire IX

e0840

180

Mitchell II

nk R nk S nk T FV998

0915

320

Mitchell II

1625

180

Mitchell II

1600 1605

1630

e1710 1825 2110 e2135 e2200

131Wg Spitfire IX 317 Spitfire IX

19

340 340 411 332 198

Mustang III

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Typhoon IB

PILOT/CREW

Cpt N.K.Jorstad } Lt K.M.Kopperud } 2Lt P.P.M.Coucheron} S/L P.RAFord (KI P/O G.Lister (K) FlO W.Kirk (KI F/S R.A.Newham IKI F/S J.K.Stenhouse IKI FR151 C Lt C.J. den Tex Bondt IKI SILt H.Luschen IKI Cpl L.den Hollander (K) Cpl J.HVellemen IKI FW161 WID H.L.Pilkington F/S K.F.Tilston Sgt R.N.Lamb F/S G.F.James ML419 JK W/C J.Kowalski MU98 T F/S L.Winski ML350 X F/S TWojciechowski MK684 N F/L H.Knapik ML206 Q FlO W Kirchner FB201 S/L W.M.Gilmour FBl13 F/L D.P.Lamb FBl13 F/L D.P.Lamb} P/O E.R.Davies} FB153 FB105 F/S TACarson FB105 F/S lA.Carson } FB233 P/O F.D.Scholield} lEI FB116 F/L B.G.Collyns FB227 FlO P.B.Plumridge MK183 T Adj Huin Lt P.Borudy MK204 MJ905 FlO L.A. Dunn IAI ML202 2/Lt O.G.Aanjesen MN815 Y P/O J.S.Fraser-PetherbridgeIKI

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION

Bll09

1--

E Douvres

sdbl XI./A/60

sdbl Moyenville (XI./A/l071

hbl (XI./A/601 ell Dunslold catB

190 190 190 190

-1-

Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190

1-1 --1 1--

Fw 190 Fw 190

--1 --1

Fw 190 Fw 190

--1 --1

Fw Fw Fw Fw

-

1-1--1-

{nr Airel; hbAI III AfT { dbea III AfT {T.6570 hbl, catB { hbl, catB {Dreux { { {Dreux { sbd Fw 190 Dreux {Dreux { III AfT ndea catE/Ac ell III NW Bayeux ell b/o mid-ChannellEscortl db V-l exp catB/Ac hbl lis 6 ml WSW Lisieux

By night the defending Mosquitoes achieved less success, the only claim being made by 21 June 1944 -------=----Fit Lt M.C.Taylor/Wt Off W.L.Mitchell of 409 Squadron, this crew claiming a Ju 188 probably destroyed to the north-west of eaen. 2 Group continued to suffer however, a Mosquito VI of 21 Squadron falling to a fighter over Mezidon, while a 464 Squadron aircraft crashed when attempting to make a single-engined landing at Thorney Island on return from a sortie. 19 Squadron Mustangs took off on an armed reconnaissance to the south ofArgentan at 1755 hours, whilst five minutes later, four Mustang Is of 430 Squadron also got into the air, two to provide cover for a second pair which were to undertake a TacR. Over the Dreux area the two pairs became separated and the two aircraft undertaking the reconnaissance failed to return, Fig Off H.K.Jones was killed and Pit Off C.E.Butchart was taken POW.

::::;

< ill C/)

o::::;

I

Meanwhile the pilots of the Mustang IIIs had spotted 12 Bf 109s over the same area, engaging these and claiming four shot down, one each by Fit Lt R.A.Haywood, Fit Lt D.P.Lamb, FIg Off J.Paton and Fit Sgt Basilios Vassiliades, while Wt Off A.Sima claimed one damaged. Bob Haywood's aircraft was hit and damaged, and he was wounded in both legs, but he had managed to continue the engagement until he had shot down the aircraft which had attacked him. He then returned to base and made a splendid landing despite his injuries. It would appear that both Mustang formations had encountered Messerschmitts of III./JG 3, this unit claiming four P-S1s shot down over Dreux at 1920, whilst losing three Bf 109s. It is possible that III./JG 26 was also involved, for Lt Karl-Heinz Kempf of this unit claimed a P-S1 at 1937, whilst one of this unit's Bf 109s was lost on this date. Jagdwaffe losses of Bf 109s in France on this date amounted to nine, of which only one appears to have been claimed by US fighters. During the evening, 2nd TAP suffered some further losses. A Mustang of 306 Squadron was shot down by Flak whilst engaged on an armed reconnaissance south-west of Paris, FIt Sgt W.Mrozowski baling out; he evaded capture. Over the beaches a patrolling Spitfire of 401 Squadron flown by FIg Off H.E.Fenwick, DFC, gave chase to a lone raider near Bayeux. Whilst so engaged, the Spitfire was shot down by Allied AA fire and Fenwick was killed; he had served with distinction over Tunisia during 1942-43. Elsewhere one of 168 Squadron's Mustang Is had also been hit by Flak when east of Trun, Fit Lt D.G.Dickson suffering wounds. On this date 4 Squadron Spitfire XIs had been particularly active, but the sorties flown between dawn and dusk provide a good indication of the typical duties undertaken by PR pilots. The squadron recorded: "Fit Lt R.M. Cowell photographed the Seine from Paris to Meulan; Fit Lt G. G. Tozer, DFC, photographed the Laigle and Houdon marshalling yards; Fit Lt B.E. Crawley photographed bridges over the Seine; FIt Lt D.j.Bignell photographed the Paris-Chartres and Alenfon area; Fit Lt C.A.B.Slack photographed the Bernay-Beaumont-Conches and Dreux area; FIt Lt D.C. Wilkins made three runs over Conches and Vimoutiers; Fig Off A.R.Hutchinson and Fig OffT.A.Priddle photographed the Gace-Breteuil-Livarot and Evreux area." It will also be noted the relative seniority of the pilots involved in this specialist work - six out of the eight flying that day being Flight Lieutenants.

Q)

Co.) l0.-

a

LL

22 June 1944

TIME

SON

e0100

21

TYPE

Mosquito VI NT182

0300

%4

Mosquito VI

HX976

1840

19

Mustang 111

FZ140 FB113 FZ195 FB368 FB109 NH207 AG553 R AG377 0 AP214 Y FZ144 F

e2025 e1910

401 430

Spitfire IX Mustang I

e2000 e2120

168 306

Mustang I Mustang 111

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

0

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION

SIL lStransky IK) FlO FBouda (K)

ftr IMezidon)

F/L A.A.Rollo FlO G.S.Hayward F/L R.A.Haywood IW) F/L O.P.Lamb FlO J.Paton F/S BVassilliades WIO A.Sima FlO H.E.Fenwick (K) PIO C.E.Butchart (PI FlO H.K.Jones (K) F/L D.G.Dickson IW) F/S W.Mrozowski (E)

ols single-engine Idg csd Thomey lsi Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109

1-1-1-1---1

{Conches; catB { {

{ { sdbAf nr Bayeaux {ftr I/s nr Oreux { hbf ETrun landed B.2 catB/Ac hbf blo SW Pa ris

and immediately went down on them. I took the leading aircraft and opened fire at approximately 400 yards. He broke immediately, and pulled straight up in the air. I held my fire and, when within 50 yards of him, I saw strikes and then he blew up." Hptm Josef'Sepp' Wurmheller ofIII./JG 2, who had claimed 102 victories and been awarded the Ritterkreuz with Eichenlaub, was killed, as was a second pilot from his Gruppe's 9. Staffel. During the afternoon 133 Wing, which had moved to Holmesley South, suffered a number of losses. From 315 Squadron, Fh Lt H.Stefankiewicz and Wt Off O.H.T.Tamowicz were brought down by Flak in the Cherbourg area. The former was killed, but the latter crash-landed in a marsh, suffering wounds. Seeing an ELG under construction nearby, his Commanding Officer, Sqn Ldr Horbaczewski, landed, borrowed a jeep, and waded through mud and water to pull the pilot out of his cockpit, aided by some US engineers. He then placed Tamowiecz in the cockpit of his own Mustang, FB382, PK-G, sat on his knees, and flew back to England. 129 Squadron was also to suffer

:::i

<

ill C/.)

o

:::i

FAR LEFT, BELOW LEFT AND LEFT Mustang III. FB398 'PK-A' (named 'Mysza' mouse) of 315 Squadron was 'A' Flight commander, Fit Lt Henryk Stefankiewicz's aircraft, in which he was shot down by Flak into the sea near Cherbourg on 22 June 1944. On the same operation, Wt Off Tadeusz Tamowicz was hit and crash-landed in the marshy area along the east side of the Cherbourg Peninsula. Sqn Ldr Horbaczewski saw Tamowicz crawl clear of his damaged Mustang, landed at a nearby American ALG (still under construction) and commandeered a jeep in which to rescue him. He then flew him back to base, in his Mustang PK-G. in the manner shown (BELOW LEFT) albeit here posed with another pilot; Horbaczewski in the helmet.

RIGHT Commanding Officer of 315 (Polish) Squadron, Sqn Ldr Eugeniusz Horbaczewski, in the cockpit of his 'PK-G' at Cool ham on 24 June 1944. Long thought to be FB166, and often illustrated as such, this aircraft is now known to have been FB382 which replaced FB166 on 16 June; it was itself replaced by FB387 in August.

Mustang III FB382 'PK-G' Sqn Ldr E.Horbaczewski, 315 (Polish) Squadron, Coolham, Holmsley South and Ford, June-JUly 1944

Q) Co.) l.-

o

LL

«

on this date and in the same area; Fit Lt A.J.Hancock, DFC & Bar, was killed when his aircraft was shot down by Flak three miles south-west of Thiberville, whilst Flt Lt A.C.Leigh's aircraft was hit in the sump, causing him to force-land on a US ALG. Hancock was another of the RAF's veterans, who had been credited with a number of victories in the Western Desert prior to flying Mustangs. Not only the Mustangs fell foul of the Flak, for Sqn Ldr I,J.Davies, Commanding Officer of the Typhoon-equipped 198 Squadron, was lost when hit by Flak whilst providing close support for US forces near Cherbourg. Davies, who had been Commanding Officer for only two short, but momentous, weeks, was killed when he baled out too low whilst trying to reach the American lines. 257 Squadron's Flt Sgt G.Turton was also killed attempting to force-land his Typhoon in the Argentan area after it had been crippled. A third Typhoon, from 181 Squadron, landed at B.6 in a seriously damaged condition. Bf 109 pilots of IV.lJG 27 claimed a Spitfire at 1410 near Caen, which was probably an ADGB aircraft from 130 Squadron. During the evening Obit Kirchmayr ofII.lJG 1 claimed a second of these aircraft, 66 Squadron losing a Spitfire flown by Wt Off C.Neal at about 2120 hours. Two Mustang lAs of 268 Squadron took off on a TacR operation at 1946, but before reaching their target area, they were attacked by Fw 190s; Flt Lt V.E.Lewis was wounded, but managed to land his damaged aircraft safely at an ELS within the bridgehead, and was removed to a forward hospital. He had probably been attacked by aircraft of III./JG 54, Hptm 'Bazi' Weiss claiming a P-51 in the Bernay area at 2115. Four minutes after the 268 Squadron pair had taken off, two more followed, but these were attacked in error by US P-47s. These were evaded and the British pilots returned safely to base. Another Mustang from 2 Squadron was shot down by Flak to the south of Versailles at about 2140 when on a sortie to Alenc,:on, Fig Off P.G.Wilson being killed, although he was believed to have baled out. Two more Mark Is, this time from 168 Squadron, were also hit by Flak, Fit Lt W.K. Dodgson crash-landing in hostile territory north of Sees, but making good his escape, while Fig Off D.A.Forknall force-landed at B.9 where his aircraft was written-off. The ALG B.6, where 124 Wing squadrons had been joined temporarily by 245 Squadron, had been over-flown by a Bf 109 during the evening of the 21st; 245 Squadron's diarist gloomily recorded: "We shall be shelled or bombed soon and this will be expensive with no blast shelters for the aircraft." He was quite correct in his surmise, for with morning on the 22nd, shells had started landing on the strip and by 1030 the Typhoons had been ordered back to England. All units had suffered damage by this time, 247 'Squadron for example flying back 14 aircraft of which only four were undamaged, while four which were not fit to be flown were left behind. This did not ultimately prove as dire as anticipated, however, for three were subsequently repaired, the Wing's only write-off (out of a total of 65 aircraft) being a single aircraft of 181 Squadron. Meanwhile 2 Group's mediums had undertaken a successful operation during the evening. At the Caen/Mondeville Steel Works some strongpoints had been holding up the British advance since 10 June. Several Groups had attacked these targets without success, but now in the evening Mitchells of 226 Squadron bombed with considerable accuracy, followed by 24 Bostons of 88 and 342 Squadrons, with one 88 Squadron Boston crash-landing at base on return. 2nd TAF HQ were to receive a message from 51st Highland Division next day requesting them to "... thank the squadrons for excellent bombing." The work of the Repair and Salvage Units was vital in keeping the 2nd TAF squadrons up to strength and they were soon established in Normandy. The unit here, 410 R&SU, located alongside B.2, Bazenville, was the first to open up for business in Normandy. A diverse array of aircraft are receiving or awaiting attention, including a 3 NFW Seafire, Grp Capt W.R.McBrien's personal Spitfire V, four Typhoons (including JR252 'XP-M'l, two Spitfires (including one from 403 Squadron), three Thunderbolts (including one from 395th FS USAAFj and a Mustang I, AP214 'Y' of 168 Squadron.

John Hancock joined 129 Squadron as a flight commander in September 1943, following a successful tour in the Middle East. After the squadron reequipped with Mustang Ills he was to claim one shared victory whilst flying aircraft of this type, but on 22 June 1944 he was shot down and killed by Flak.

2 Group was to suffer one loss on this date however, when a 21 Squadron Mosquito VI flown by Flt Lt The Honourable M.J,Wedgwood Benn, brother of the later famous left-wing Labour MP and Government Minister, Anthony Wedgwood Benn, suffered a failure of its airspeed indicator whilst returning from a night 'Ranger'. Another Mosquito pilot flew alongside to monitor the speed as Benn sought to land at Thorney Island, but his speed was too high, and the aircraft overshot and crashed through the sea wall into the water. The force of this caused the armour plate behind his seat to move forward, and this broke his back as the aircraft broke up. His navigator, FIg Off WARoe, who had suffered only minor injuries, managed to get him free of the cockpit and held his head above water until help arrived, but Benn was to die from his injuries in the airfield sick quarters next day. The day had cost the Jagdwaffe six Fw 190s and 22 Bf 109s, but claims by US fighters totalled 21 and two probables. 17 of these claims were made against Bf 109s and three against Fw 190s, plus one for an Fi 156. Following the return to English soil of all the Typhoon squadrons, stock was taken, for the units operating from the continental ALGs had already been experiencing more engine trouble than normal, which initially had been thought to arise purely from the unfamiliarity of the Servicing Commandos with their Sabre engines. Inspection of the four squadrons now back at Holmsley South showed that no fewer than 37 engines showed sleeve valve wear sufficient to require replacement. Construction of the strips in Normandy had robbed the soil of its normal covering, allowing clouds of fine dust to billow over the area every time an aircraft moved or the wind blew. This dust had turned the surrounding countryside white and had played havoc with the Sabre's moving parts. Napiers, the manufacturers, responded immediately in this crisis, designing, manufacturing and flying the prototype of a dust deflector within 24 hours. Half the company's sheet metal workers were at work by midnight that day, producing deflectors in quantity, allowing all Typhoons to be fitted within a week. The device was a mushroom-shaped dome which sat over the carburettor air intake, deflecting dust and sand without preventing the ingress of air. This did not prove to be the complete answer however, for the Sabre retained its propensity for backfiring, which could cause a red-hot dome to be shot across the airfield! The dome was later replaced by a drum-shaped filter which had 'cuckoo-doors' to cope with backfires. TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

e0240

464

Mosquito VI

NT129 J

e0945 el000 1145 1300 1300 e1300

168 181 341 19 198 129

Mustang I Typhoon IB Spitfire IX Mustang III Typhoon IB Mustang III

AG477 MN648 MJ498 FB236 JR197 FZ121 FZ130 FB398 FZ147 MN852 MK392 nk nk nk nk MK632 MK992 NH306 MK630 MN820 BZ326

F/L J.L.Martin IKI Sgt H.L.Morgan IKI F/L WK. Dodgson lEI

CLAIM

dpd

Fw 190

-1-

Fw 190 Fw 190

1-1--

hbll/l1 ml ETrun db sheillire B.6 catE Utah beach; catB hbl b/o 2 ml SW Quetteliou sdbl nr Cherbourg sdbl3 ml SW Thiberville hbl III ALG catB sdbl nr Cherbourg hbl? III AfT SE Cherbourg III AfT S Cherbourg 7m W Argentan Argentan area

Bll09 Bll09 Fw 190 Fw 190

1-1-1-1--

10m SW Argentan Argentan area {SE Domlront {

Z

Lt M.Maillert F/L B.G.Collyns T S/L I.J.Davies IKI V F/L A.J.Hancock (K) D F/L A.C.Leigh e1300 315 Mustang III A F/L H.Stelankiewicz (K) J WID lTamowiecz (WI e1340 164 Typhoon IB K F/L M.P.Davies 1435 144Wg Spitfire IX JEJ W/C J.E.Johnson 442 Spitfire IX A S/L B.D.Russel) U F/L J.T.Marriott} E PIO EB.Young D FlO WRWeeks 1440 441 Spitfire IX FlO J.W.Fleming FlO WWL.Brown } FlO WR.Chowen } F/S R.A.McMillan } 257 Typhoon IB E F/S G.Turton IKI e1920 e1950 88 Boston lila H F/L L.Garston FlO H.N.Simson Sgt H.J.E.Moss FlO WProsser 1900 168 Mustang I AP195 FlO D.A.Forknall 2040 401 Spitfire IX MK263 FlO D.D.Ashleigh e2120 66 Spitfire IX MH723 H WID C.Neal 2130 268 Mustang IA FD490 F/L V.E.Lewis IWI Mustang II e2140 2 FR934 FlO P.GWilson IKI nk 21 Mosquito VI NS837 G F/L M.J.Benn (KI FlO WA.Roe III

CAUSE/LOCATION ftr INormandyl

hbl III nr S1. L61Argentani hbl III BA catB/Ac

hbl III B.9 hbl dla catB sdbea (Assault coverl db Fw 190 catAc/B/E sdbl S Versailles ASI uls ols Idg Thomey Island

The early hours brought more successes for the night fighters, Plt Off O,J.McCabe/ 23 June 1944 -------=----Wt Off J.T.Riley of 488 Squadron claiming a Ju 188 east of Bayeux, Flg Off J.S.Smith/Flg Off Roberts of 604 Squadron and FIg Off J.C.Trigg/Flt Lt Smith of 264 Squadron each claiming Ju 88s north-west of Le Havre and north of Rouen respectively.

:::::J

< ill C/)

a

:::::J

I

ill U

l.-

o

L.L

«

With morning the Typhoons were out in force again; at 1010 one of 439 Squadron's aircraft succumbed to Flak, FIg Off A.R. Brown baling out mid-Channel and being rescued. A 198 Squadron aircraft was also hit by Flak and damaged; FIt Sgt P.S.Barton attempted to get it back to England, but south of the Isle of Wight the engine failed, and he was lost when it went down into the sea. Another Typhoon of ADGB's 263 Squadron suffered similarly, but the pilot was rescued by a Walrus after baling out 35 miles south of BoIt Head, whilst earlier in the morning another ADGB aircraft, this time a Spitfire V of 303 Squadron, had also been lost to Flak in the Carentan area, a notable pilot, Wt Off Aleksander Chudek, VM, DFM, losing his life. Typhoons from 609 Squadron flew a mid-morning armed reconnaissance over the LisieuxEvreux area. Here one pilot who was lagging behind the formation saw a Bf 109 diving on the Squadron, and jettisoning his rockets and long-range tanks, opened fire on the intruder, thereby warning the other pilots. These turned and engaged a number of Fw 190s, Fit Lt E.R.A.Roberts claiming one shot down, while four more were claimed damaged. The pilots returned convinced that the Typhoons had had the best of it, even with their rocket launching rails still in place. Somewhat less than an hour later, Spitfire pilots of 132 and 602 Squadrons on patrol over the eastern beaches, saw ten Bf 109s and four Fw 190s approaching head-on and at once engaged. Sqn Ldr Geoffrey Page of 132 Squadron claimed a Fw 190 while FIt Lt T.A.Burke of 602 Squadron claimed a Bf 109 and a second damaged; other 602 Squadron pilots claimed one of each probably destroyed and one of each damaged. One Spitfire was claimed in the Falaise area at 1140 by Lt Rudolf Wirtgen of I./JG 2, but no losses were actually suffered. Into the area west of Dreux at midday came 12 Mustangs from 306 Squadron, eight carrying bombs and four acting as top cover. A railway station was bombed at Verneuil, but west of Dreux Bf 109s and Fw 190s, apparently respectively from IILlJG 3 and ILlJG 26, were encountered, the Messerschmitt pilots claiming three P-51s shot down. On this occasion Sqn Ldr J.P.Marciniak, Fit Lt R.P. Budrewicz, FIt Lt E.Tomanek and Fit Sgt M.K.Michalkiewicz were all shot down, Marciniak being killed while the two FIt Lts became prisoners. A fifth Mustang was damaged and made an emergency landing at an ELS. In return however, the surviving Polish pilots claimed three Fw 190s and five Bf 109s shot down, and two Fw 190s damaged. IILlJG 27 lost at least four Bf 109s, two of the pilots being wounded. Half an hour later another Fw 190 was claimed damaged by patrolling Spitfires of 421 Squadron to the east of Caen and again there was a Jagdwaffe claim for a Spitfire at around this time, made by Hptm Hermann Staiger of I./JG 26 over Pont l'Eveque. During the early afternoon two 414 Squadron Mustang Is set off on a TacR. They were attacked by seven Fw 190s of II./JG 26 in the Bayeux area at 1308, Sqn Ldr E.H.Stover, DFC, baling out into Allied territory, wounded, but claiming one of the attackers damaged, while FIt Lt E.N.ERe ttie was also wounded, but managed to crash-land in the St. L6 area. Their victors were Lts Gerhard Vogt and Wilhelm Hofmann, who recorded their claims at 1308. At 1330 two of 26 Squadron's Spitfire V 'spotters' were intercepted west of Criqueville by Fw 190s of III./JG 54, and FIt Lt E.K.Heywood and Fig Off A.Griffiths were both shot down (the latter reportedly by Flak) and claimed by Lt Alfred Gross and Uffz Erwin Schleef. This Jagdgruppe would appear to have been encountered again mid-afternoon, when 229 Squadron, an ADGB unit, patrolled north of Caen. Here FIt Lt R.H.Small, RAAF, was seen to shoot down one of six Fw 190s which were met over the area. Three more of the German fighters then joined the engagement, and Small was shot down and killed, while FIg Off D.R.Armstrong, (RCAF) was also hit and he crash-landed his Spitfire at an ALG. FIt Sgt Hayes' aircraft was damaged, but he managed to return. It seems that Small had shot down Uffz Otto Venjakob, who had claimed 17 victories, but he and Armstrong had fallen to Hptm 'Bazi' Weiss and Uffz Enser. Five Spitfires of 403 Squadron then encountered 15 bomb-carrying Fw 190s, FIt Lt P.Logan and Fit Lt M.J.Gordon each claiming one and a damaged, whilst FIg Off B.K.Oliver claimed a third damaged at 1640-45. Meanwhile at 1600 hours Ofw Rudolf Hubl of I./JG 1 claimed a P-51 over the Caumont-l'Eveque area, and this may have been either a Mustang I of 168 Squadron in which FIg Off J.W.Walker was last seen four miles north-east of Falaise, or one flown by FIt Lt A.S. Baker, Wing Operations Officer of 34 Wing in the Sens-Montdidier area; Walker was killed, but Baker later returned safely.

The Calvados dust problem was finally solved for the Typhoon with the introduction of a filter in the air intake - the hinged doors allowed for the inevitable backfire - which had tended to eject the earlier devices ... at speed I

This extremely busy day was still far from over, when at 2100 hours Spitfires from 442 and 443 Squadrons from 144 Wing, and 421 Squadron from 127 Wing set off to undertake sweeps over the forward area. At 2145 five Fw 190s were seen by 443 Squadron pilots near Alenc;:on, and two were claimed shot down by the commanding officer, Wally McLeod, Fit Lt W.V.Shenk claiming a third damaged. Five minutes later it was the turn of 421 Squadron which encountered IS-plus Fw 190s and eight Bf 109s in the Le Merlerault area. In moments, four Focke-Wulfs had been claimed shot down and two damaged, with two Bf 109s also damaged, all for the loss ofWt OffR.G.Wallace's Spitfire; two Spitfires were claimed by pilots of III./JG 2. The identity of the Canadian pilots' victims has not been definitely established; on this date however, the Jagdwaffe recorded the loss of 20 fighters, eight of these being Fw 190s. 2nd TAP and RAF units had claimed 19, including 14 Fw 190s, whilst US fighter pilots had submitted six claims, including four Messerschmitts and a single Focke-Wulf. The final loss of the day occurred around 2155 as dusk moved towards full darkness, Flg OffR.G.Hattie of 440 Squadron baling out of his Flak-damaged Typhoon near Juvigny. Other Luftwaffe claims on this date had been for an Auster shot down over Caen by a II./JG 2 Fw 190, and another 'Lysander' in the Bayeux area by II./JG 5. 652 Squadron suffered no fewer than seven interceptions of its little spotter aircraft during the day, Capt Bowden's aircraft being shot down when under attack by five Bf 109s, while Capt Vipand crashed into a tree as he endeavoured to evade four more; neither he nor his observer were hurt. Supporting the Austers, Bofors gunners claimed to have shot down three Bf 109s whilst they were engaged in attacking these light aircraft, and a fourth was seen to fall to a Spitfire. It does appear therefore that some German pilots were incorrectly identifying Austers as Lysanders, due to their high wing configuration. During much the same twilight period the first of the night fighters arrived, Sqn Ldr P.B.Elwell/Flg Off F.Ferguson of 264 Squadron being intercepted by five Fw 190s. They succeeded in avoiding their attacks in the dusk, claiming one shot down and one probable, whilst shaking a third off their tail. At midnight came another claim when FIg Off W.H.Vincent/ Flt Lt D.A.Thorpe at last achieved a confirmed victory for 409 Squadron, claiming a Ju 188 15 miles north-west of Caen. TIME

SON TYPE

e1010 e1100

439 609

1150 1150

1200

132 602

306

Typhoon IB Typhoon IB

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Mustang III

1235 e1300

421 414

Spitfire IX Mustang I

e1330

26

Spitfire V

e1540 1640 1645

168 403 403

Mustang I Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

nk e2115 2145 2150

e2155 2305

34Wg Mustang I Spitfire IX 421 443 Spitfire IX 421

440 198

Spitfire IX

Typhoon IB Typhoon IB

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

MN663 MN322 JP659 MN494 JR125 MN818 MK144 MJ305 MK624 MH526 MK612 FB168 nk nk nk nk nk FX970 FX873 FZ163 FB196 nk AG634 AG653 P8561 AB961 AG474 MK730 MK881 MH928 AG519 NH204 nk nk MK809 MK920 MK468 MJ880 MK962 PL275 MN171 EK218

FlO R.A.Brown (A) F/L E.R.A.Roberts FlO R.S.Royston WID J,O.Buchanan FlO R.K.Gibson FlO R.K.Holmes S/L A,G.Page FlO G.L.Robinson F/L K.L.Charney F/L T.A.Burke P/O J.S.McConnachae F/L W.Potocki P/O J.Bzowski F/L G.Sologub F/S S.Letki F/S J.Czezowski F/S J.Pomietlarz S/L J Marciniak (K) F/L ETomanek (P) F/L R Budrewicz {PI F/S K Michalkiewiez FlO R.C.McRoberts S/L C.H.Stover (WI F/L N.F.Rettie (W) FlO A. Griffiths (P) F/L E.K.Heywood (KI F/OJ.w.Walker (K) F/L M.J.Gordon F/L P.Logan FlO B.K.Oliver F/L A.S.Baker F/S RGWallace (K) S/L HWMcLeod F/L W.V.Shenk F/L P.G,Johnson F/L R,C.Wilson FlO J.F.McElroy FlO G.L.Mayson FlO A.C.Brandon FlO R.G.Driver FlO R.G.Hattie F/S P.S.Ba rton (K)

P 0 Z I T 0

0 H K W R V E C T X Q

D M

E X

CLAIM Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Bf 109

dpd 1---1 --1 --1 --1 1--1-11-1 --1 2 -1-1-1-1- 2 1--

Fw 190 Fw 190

--1 --1

Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190

1-1 1-1 --1

Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Bf 109

2---1 1-1-1 1-1---1 --2

CAUSE/LOCATION hbf b/o mid-Chnl {nr Oreux { { { {

ECaen {SW Caen { { {

{Verneuil; f/l B.6 catB { { {

{ {

{ftr d/f W Oreux { { sdbea AIT 20m ECaen db Fw 190 b/o AIT db Fw 190 landed B.2 sdbf (spotting Caenl sdbea W Criqeville (spotting Caen) psdb Fw 190s 4 ml NE Falaise {NE Caen { {

ftr PR Somain-Montdidier psdbea S Caen 12m N Alen~on Alen~on area {Le Merlevant { { { { {

hbf b/o AIT nr Juvigny hbf? elf dtd S loW

I

Q)

24 June 1944

Co.) ~

o

LL

«

A little over two hours later, at 0209, Wt Off Robert Jones/FIt Sgt Gregory of ~ 410 Squadron claimed another Ju 188 north-west of the beaches. However another of this unit's Mosquitoes was shot down by Flak over Barfleur, Fig Offs T.R.Steepe and D.H.Baker both being killed. Soon after dawn a 245 Squadron Typhoon was damaged by Flak, but at 0605 122 Wing Mustangs from 19, 65 and 122 Squadrons were led byWg Cdr Robin Johnston on an armed reconnaissance, bombing and strafing before landing to refuel at B.7, from where they were to operate for the rest of the day. Whilst they were over the target area at about 0720, large formations of Bf 109s and Fw 190s were encountered, and a large dogfight commenced. 19 Squadron pilots claimed four Fw 190s and a Bf 109 shot down, one of each being claimed by Fit Sgt Basilios Vassilliades, who also claimed damage to an He III which he spotted on the ground. 65 Squadron added three more Fw 190s, two of them by Fig Off T. 'Tony' Jonsson, DFM, the only Icelandic pilot with the RAF, while Fig Off C.'Jimmie' Talalla, a Singhalese, added a Bf 109 and Wg Cdr Johnston another Thorstein 'Tony' Jonsson was the only Fw 190. Talalla's brother was also in 2nd TAF as a Typhoon pilot with 182 Squadron. fighter pilot of Icelandic extraction to 65 Squadron was hard hit in return however, Fit Lt B.P.W.Clapin, Fit Sgts W.A.Sumner serve with the RAF. Following earlier and E.T.Williams, and Sgt nC.Webb, all being shot down. Sumner was killed, but the action over North Africa in 1942-43, he other three evaded capture and returned later. flew Mustang Ills with 65 Squadron. On There is little doubt but that their opponents were from III./JG 54 and II./JG 26, 24 June 1944. he claimed two Fw 190s pilots from these units claiming seven P-51s in the area at around 0715. Four of these shot down as his fifth and sixth victories. claims were made by Hptm 'Bully' Lang, one by Lt Hans Dortenmann and one by Uffz Erwin Schleef of the former unit, and one by Lt Wilhelm Hofmann of the latter. III./JG 54 lost three Focke-Wulfs in the area, while II.lJG 26 lost one. A little later at 0728 pilots of II./JG 26 claimed a Spitfire in the Evreux area and a P-51 east of Brezolles, these being claimed by Hptm Walter Matoni and Obit Stoll respectively, but no further 2nd TAF losses have been discovered. A little over an hour later, 12 Spitfires of 331 Squadron patrolled over the beaches, led by the 132 Wing Leader, Lt Col R.A.Berg. Here a dozen Bf 109s were seen, Berg claiming one shot down, whilst 2/Lt J.W.Garben claimed two and 2/Lt O.F.Solvang one more.

Stanislaw Skalski DSO, DFC & 2 Bars, VM

tan Skalski was born in Russia in 1915, of Polish parentage. He served in his national air force before the war, and during September 1939 was one of the two most successful Polish fighter pilots against the invading German forces. He fled to the UK via France, joining the RAF in Janaury 1940, and seeing action with 501 Squadron during the Battle of Britain. In 1941, already with around a dozen victories to his credit, he joined 306 (Polish) Squadron as a flight commander. During early 1943 he led a special flight of Poles flying Spitfire IXs attached to 145 Squadron in North

S

Africa, and then in July 1943 commanded 601 Squadron - the first Pole to lead an RAF unit. Late in the year he returned to the UK to lead 131 Airfield at Northolt, but in April 1944 he moved to 133 Airfield when that unit's squadrons received Mustang Ills. With these aircraft he claimed his final victories, bringing his total to over 20 as the most successful Polish fighter pilot of the war. He returned to Poland in 1947, and following many difficulties during the Communist years, was re-admitted to the Air Force, rising to the rank of General.

Wg Cdr Stanislaw Skalski's Mustang III. FZ152 'SS', at Coolham on 4 May 1944 and a close-up of him (RiGHn in the cockpit taken four days later. His scoreboard shows 17 'confirmed kills' and four 'probables'.

Wg Cdr Stanislaw Skalski then led 24 Mustangs of 133 Wing on an armed reconnaissance towards Evreux. Railway buildings were attacked, but an estimated 40 German fighters then attempted to 'bounce' the formation. Skalski attacked one, which he reported collided with a second, whilst endeavouring to avoid his fire, both crashing. Two more Bf 109s were claimed by FIg Off Jerzy Polak of 315 Squadron, whilst other pilots of this unit claimed an Fw 190 and a Bf 109 shot down, plus four Bf 109s and two Fw 190s damaged. Their opponents seem to have been aircraft of 1. and II./JG 2 and III./JG 3, pilots from these Gruppen claiming three P-51s shot down in the EvreuxDreux area, one of the claims being made by Maj Erich Hohagen, Kommandeur of I./JG 2. 315 Squadron lost a single Mustang in which Wt Off J.Adamiak was killed, falling near Tillieres. There had undoubtedly been a degree of overclaiming on this date. Mustang pilots claimed 14 victories and the Spitfires five more, whilst US fighters had added another four - all Bf 109s. Eight of the claims submitted by Mustang units had been for Fw 190s. However, Jagdwaffe losses amounted to four Focke-Wulfs and 11 Messerschmitts to all causes. The day had not been an expensive one for the Typhoons however. One did force-land south of Bernay after being hit by Flak during the latter part of the morning, FIg Off K.C.Matthews of 183 Squadron becoming a POW, whilst in the early afternoon a 197 Squadron aircraft had forcelanded in Allied territory after being hit, but Pit Off R.H.Jones was unhurt. One Mitchell of 320 Squadron had, however, fallen to Flak during an attack on an important target identified as a V- i headquarters in the Chateau D'Ansenne, with the crew lost. As night fell an ADGB Spitfire V of 130 Squadron on a late beachhead patrol engaged a Ju 88 off Le Havre, but was shot down, and Fit Sgt W.EHircock was killed. TIME 0720

SON

65

0835

TYPE

122Wg Mustang III 19 Mustang III

245 197 63 320

FlO J.M.Maynard W/O M.H.Bell P/O J.E.Staples FlO U.Jonsson FlO P.S.Taylor}

Mustang III

Typhoon IB Typhoon [B Spitfire V Mitchell II

nk V nk MN629 Z BL698 FR204 S

Mustang III

183 Typhoon IB e1135 1205 133Wg Mustang III 315 Mustang III

e1500 1725 1749 e2010

PILOT/CREW W/C G.R.M.Johnston F/S BVassilliades

nk FB201

FB223 FB368 FZ186 FZl12 FZ125 FX944 FZ123 FX988 FZ109 FB224 nk nk nk nk MN576 FZ152 FX984 FB145 FX855 FX995 FZ157 FZ149

122 Mustang III 132Wg Spitfire IX Spitfire [X 331

306

IDENT

D

M X

a E SS

Y F M E

a W

F/L B.P.w.Clapin} lEI F/S W.A.Sumner (K) F/S E.TWilliams (EI Sgt D.C.Webb IE) FlO C.Talalla LCol R.A.Berg 2Lt JW.Garben 2Lt O.F.Solvang Sgt J.P.Ditlev-Simonsen FlO K.C.Matthews IP) W/C S.F.Skalski F/S J.Bargielowski FlO J.Polak FlO M.Kirste F/L J.Schmidt W/O J.Adamiak IKI F/L K.Sporny

F/S W.Nowoczyn F/L A.E.Miron P/O R.H.Jones FlO A.TWitney IKI Lt A.J.Lochuizen IKI Lt J.Sluis IK) Cpl J.A.M.A.Hielckert IK) Cpl H.J.Keppler IKI

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION

Fw 190 Fw 190 Bll09 He 111 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190

1-1-1---1 1-1---1 2 -1--

Dreux {SE Dreux { DG; SE Dreux {SE Dreux

:=;

<

ill C/)

a

:=;

{ { { {

{sdbea nr Dreux { { {

Bll09 BI109 Bl109 Bl109 Bll09

1-1-2- 1---1

Bll09 Bll09 BI109 Bl109 Fw 190

2 ---1 2 ---2 1--

Bl109 Fw 190 Fw 190

1---1 --1

SE Dreux {5m NW Caen { NW Caen Caen hbl III EfT IS Bernay) {nr Ttllieres { { {

{ sdbea nr Ttllieres {nr Ttllieres {

{ hbl ILes Boissons)catB hbl III AfT e/tr III nr Gosport sdbl St Remy Boscrocourt Noball HQ

At 0040 Wt Off W.G.Kirkwood/Wt Off C.N.Matheson of 409 Squadron claimed a Ju 188, another of these bombers being reported damaged by 410 Squadron at 0145. Just before dawn at 0407, Fit Lt G.E.Jameson/Flg Off A.N.Crookes of 488 Squadron claimed an Me 410 20 miles south-west of Bayeux. During the night however, two of 21 Squadron's Mosquito VIs were lost. From the first at 0200, Fit Lt B.P.Horsley and FIg Off EC.Gunn baled out over the Channel Horsley and was picked up, but Gunn was not found. The second aircraft had been borrowed by Wg Cdr 'Bob' Braham, DSO & 2 Bars, DFC & 2 Bars, for another long day patrol towards Denmark. Here the aircraft was intercepted, again by Fw Spreckels of StabnG I, and was shot down into the sea. Braham and his navigator, Fit Lt D.Walsh, DFC, RAAF, were rescued by a German vessel, and spent the rest of the war as POWs. With dawn Wg Cdr George Keefer of 126 Wing scrambled at 0430, catching and shooting down a Bf 109 south of Caen - probably a night fighter on its way home. This however was to be the sole

25 June 1944

I « co u

+-'

u

~ -0 C

N

BELOW After a few days use by visiting squadrons, B.2, Bazenville, became home to the Spitfire IXs of 127 Wing. One of 416 Squadron's aircraft, 'DN-L' is seen dispersed on the edge of the airfield, on 25 June 1944.

claim of the day for 2nd TAP and the RAE On this date a new British offensive was opened as Operation 'Epsom', comprising 60,000 men of the newly-arrived VIII Corps under General O'Connor, supported by 600 tanks and 700 guns, advancing from between :xxx and I Corps, struck towards Gavrus and Evrecy to the west of Caen and Carpiquet airfield, The advance would be made in the face of five Panzer divisions and part of a sixth, and was to meet extremely stiff opposition. During the day the only actions reported by 2nd TAP were an attack by Bf 109s on a 438 Squadron Typhoon flown by Fit Lt J.R.Beirnes, which was damaged, whilst a 193 Squadron aircraft crashed in the sea south of The Needles, Isle of Wight, in low cloud. One of 63 Squadron's Spitfire Vs was shot down by Flak near Bayeux, with the loss of Fit Lt B.ECleeton, whilst a second crash-landed in Allied territory, and in which Fig Off G.R.Duff was injured. 125 Wing now moved to Normandy to join the other 83 Group Spitfire units there, 132, 453 and 602 Squadrons all flying in to B.ll, Longues. 122 Wing also moved in, its three Mustang squadrons going to B,7 at Martragny. Whilst few Luftwaffe aircraft had been seen over the British zone throughout the day, the story had been very different further west. In their best day since the landings had begun, US fighters had been involved in a veritable orgy of combat, claiming 49 German fighters shot down, one probable and another 28 damaged. Against these claims the Jagdwaffe had lost 36 aircraft - a massive enough loss in itself; 23 of these losses were suffered by JG 2 and JG 3, which lost 11 and 12 respectively. TIME

SON

0200

21

TYPE

Mosquito VI NS989

nk

21

Mosquito VI LR373

e0550 126Wg Spitfire IX 438 Typhoon IB e1500 e1545 193 Typhoon IB 1845 453 Spitfire IX Spitfire IX 2035 421 nk e2130

26 June 1944

63 63

Spitfire V Spitfire V

IDENT

MK826 nk MN760 MK942 MJ870 PL275 BL753 BL987

PILOT/CREW F/L B.P. Horsley IA) F/O FC.H.Gunn (K) W/C J.R.O.Braham (Pl F/L OWalsh (P) GGK WIG G.G.Keeler F/L J.R.Beirnes FIS K.G.Hodnett WID CASeeney F/L G.D.Grant IKI FlO R.G.Driver III FIL B.FCleeton (K) FlO G.R.Duff III

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION b/o over Chnl cnk sdb Fw 190 III nr Ringkobing

Bl110

1--

7m S Caen dam by BI 109s ECaen catB csd in sea S Needles in low cloud dla B.9 catB {cld on r/w B.2 { sdbl Bayeux c/l 2m S Barfleur cnk

LEFT: Pilots of 65 Squadron at Ford late in June 1944. The Mustang III, FB173, has had its white band around the nose painted over, probably in preparation for the move to B.7, Martragny, on 25 June 1944 (the bands were retained on UKbased Mustangs for some monthsl. Sitting on the nose of the aircraft are, left to right, Fig Off PS.Taylor, Fig Off AWiliiams, Fig Off NI.Hillman, RCAF, and Fit Sgt WASumner. Standing on the wing are Capt K.Nyerrod (Norwegian), an unidentified RAF Corpora Iand Fig Off RAWalley, RCAF. Sitting on the wing are Sgt DCWebb, Fit Sgt DI.Smith, Fig Off U.Jonsson (lcelanderl, Fit Lt RLStillwell, Sgt R.lWiliiams, Sqn Ldr D.FWestenra, RNZAF, Fig Off CP Ashworth, RNZAF, and Sgt Morton. Standing, are Fit Lt R.LSutherland, RCAF, Fit Sgt WPKelly, RAAF, Fit Lt D.PWill, Fit Sgt G.CDinsdale, Fig Off J.PLloyd, Fit Lt E.Cooper, Fit Lt Hughes, Wt Off PC.Boon (who force-landed FB173 in enemy territory on 27 June 1944 but evaded capture), Fig Off JLMizener, RCAF, Fig Off Muir, RCAF, Fit Lt B.PW.Clapin and Fig Off Rafford, the Squadron Adjutant

destroyed at 1125. Five minutes later he spotted four Fw 190s, claiming one of these shot down. In this area between 1100-1120, Hptm 'Bully' Lang of lII./JG 54 claimed one Spitfire over Bernay and Lt Oeckel of lII./JG 26 one east of Caen. At 1215 a Fw 190 was claimed damaged west of Rouen by Flt Lt W.A.Prest of 443 Squadron. On this date, although only four victories and one probable were claimed by 2nd TAF, and none by the USAAF, the Jagdwaffe reported the loss to various causes of 12 fighters. TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

CLAIM

dpd

CAUSE/LOCATION

0640

403

Spitfire IX

ML248 ML411 MJ988 ML420 MK250 MK250 nk T

FlO W.H.Rhodes FlO J.O.Orr FlO G.R.Nadon

Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Fw 190 Fw190

1-1 1-1 1---1 -11---1

{Lisieux a/f

1115 1125 1130 1215

Wg Cdr 'Johnny' Baldwin who had taken over the leadership of 146 Wing on 19 June 1944, led the successful attack on General Dohlmann's HQ in 'JB' just eight days later (IWM CL743)

403 602 602 443

Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire

IX IX IX IX

F/L J.D.Lindsay SLt P.H.Clostermann SLt P.H.Clostermann F.L W.A.Prest

{

( NW Caen EOrne Canal S Carpiquet a/f W Rouen

Although the weather remained unsettled during 27th, it had improved sufficiently to allow 27 June 1944 --------'----considerable patrolling to be undertaken, as well as some armed reconnaissances over the German rear areas. It was the close support afforded by the Typhoon squadrons which was still not fully available to the army on the ground, but now they commenced their return to Normandy; 121 Wing flew back to B.5, while 184 Squadron, still the lone unit in 129 Wing, moved to B.1O; 124 and 144 Wings, each with three squadrons, moved to B.6 and B.9, Lantheuil, respectively. This was no doubt much to the relief of the four Tyhoon squadrons of 123 Wing at Hurn, which were also awaiting a French base. For a few days the airfield had been host to ten Typhoon squadrons, as well as the resident Mosquito night fighters of 125 and 604 Squadrons! With airfields in England being vacated, a number of changes were made at various South Coast locations. 133 Wing's Mustangs had already moved from Holmsley South to Ford, releasing that airfield for use by the US Ninth Air Force. The reconnaissance aircraft of 35 Wing - 2, 4 and 268 Squadrons - moved to Odiham. The supporting ADGB units were also on the move, 80 and 274 Squadrons to Gatwick and 229 Squadron to Tangmere. UK-based Typhoons maintained the pressure, whilst the 83 Group wings were on the move, 609 Squadron aircraft undertaking an armed reconnaissance over the Front during the morning, attacking armoured vehicles. At about 0930 the Squadron was attacked by three Fw 190s, and FIg Off R.H.Holmes was shot down and killed. On this occasion no claim appears to have been made by any German unit, although Oblt Georg Hiebl of I./JG 11 claimed a P-47 east of Caen at about this time. One of 2 Squadron's Mustang lIs flown by Flt Lt W.A.Black was lost early in the day when two such aircraft undertook a Tac R over the Front; he fell victim to Flak and was killed. During the day all four squadrons of 146 Wing were led by Wg Cdr Johnny Baldwin to attack a farmhouse used by Generalleutnant Dohlmann as HQ of his infantry division facing the Americans at St. L6. The Wing hit the target with rockets, bombs and cannon fire, following which 2 Group Mitchells bombed from higher level. The target was totally destroyed, and Dohlmann was killed. The last of the 83 Group AOP squadrons, 653, had moved over to Normandy on 26th. Now on 27th aircraft of both 658 and 659 Squadrons were in the air together when three Bf 109s attacked them. The pilots of the former unit managed to evade these, but Capt P.LD.Heard of 659 Squadron was shot down and killed by two of the Messerschmitts. Two Austers were claimed shot down in the Caumont-Pont l'EvequeSt. L6 area at about 1030 by pilots of 1. and lI./JG l. Mid-morning 453 Squadron sent off eight Spitfires on an armed reconnaissance to strafe some motor vehicles. Four of these aircraft encountered eight Fw 190s, the pilots claiming one probable and four damaged without loss at 1050. Off at midday were Spitfires of 442 Squadron which met six Bf 109s of 6./JG 2, Flt Lt H.J.Dowding, DFC, and FIg Off S.M.McClarty claiming two each in the Lisieux area. ABOVE: Harry Dowding's first tour At 1255 more Spitfires, this time from 411 Squadron, undertook an armed with 403 Squadron ended in October 1943. He returned to reconnaissance, at least 15 Fw 190s being engaged. One was claimed shot down by the 2nd TAF in March 1944 as a flight squadron commander, Sqn Ldr G.D.Robertson, with three more damaged, but commander with 442 Squadron, FIg Off P.Wallace was shot down by Lt Horst Nitz of III./JG 2, or by Hptm Weiss of taking command of the unit on III./JG 54, both of whom claimed Spitfires around this time; another was claimed by a 15 July. Meanwhile, he claimed pilot of II./JG 2 north-east of Dreux. his final two victories on 27 June Spitfires from 401 Squadron were scrambled at 1525, 12-15 Bf 109s being to raise his total to five and three shared. intercepted, one of which was claimed by Wg Cdr George Keefer. Flak was very heavy

::::;

<

ill C/)

a

::::;

I

Q)

U

l-.

o LL

«

Ola Aanjesen served with 332 (Norwegian) Squadron until rested in July 1944. He would return later to undertake another tour and eventually command 332 Squadron.

however, and 12 aircraft suffered slight damage. One 421 Squadron aircraft crash-landed near Varaville after being hit by Flak whilst dive-bombing, Flg Off J.Bamford becoming a POw. Mid-afternoon 122 Wing Mustangs were off to the Alenyon-Dreux area, aircraft of 65 Squadron being led by Wg Cdr Robin Johnston. In the target area Bf 109s were encountered, Johnston and Flg Off J.M.W.Uoyd each claiming one, while a third was damaged. Two Mustangs were hit by Flak, one force-landing in enemy-held territory from which FIt Sgt P.C.Boon evaded capture, whilst the second was damaged, the pilot being wounded. Somewhat later, Spitfires of 411 Squadron undertook a patrol during which Flt Lt H.J.Nixon was shot down by Flak south of Bayeux; he evaded capture, returning to the UK in September. At 1715 Flt Sgt S.F.Nurse piloting one of 26 Squadron's Spitfire Vs, claimed a Fw 190 damaged over Guverville, whilst at about 1820 two of 438 Squadron's Typhoons were hit by Flak in the Caen area, as a result of which Flt Lt L.E.Park was shot down and killed, whilst the second aircraft made it back, suffering damage. Nine Spitfires of 453 Squadron patrolled during the evening, one section being 'bounced' by six Fw 190s, which inflicted damage to the tail of Flt Lt V.A.Lancaster's aircraft. He turned on his attackers and claimed one shot down in flames near Tilly-sur-Seulles. In the area at the same time on a 'Rodeo' to the Dreux-L'Aigle area, pilots of 332 Squadron spotted a Bf 109 which was pursued and claimed shot down by 2/Lt Ola Aanjesen. Some 15 or so minutes later ten Mustangs of 122 Squadron on an armed reconnaissance near Bernay saw four Fw 190s over Caumont. These were pursued for ten minutes, Flt Lt A.F.Pavey then claiming two shot down. Finally, during a late sweep, Lt J.Homolle's 340 Squadron Spitfire was hit by Flak which caused the engine to fail. He crash-landed near Caen, returning on foot next morning. During the day VIII Corps troops had taken a feature known as the Rauray Spur, but the offensive was not progressing well, fierce resistance inflicting heavy casualties and losses of tanks. In the air Spitfire pilots had claimed seven victories, whilst four had gone to the Mustangs, US units contributing 14 more claims, plus one probable and six damaged. Jagdwaffe losses totalled 28, including seven Fw 190s and 21 Bf 109s. 2nd TAF claims included three Focke-Wulfs and eight Messerschmitts, whilst the American pilots believed that they had accounted for six Fw 190s and eight Bf 109s. TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

e0710 e0930 e0945 1050

2 609 421 453

Mustang II Typhoon IB Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

FR902 MN818 MK969 MK355 NH208 MK299 MK260 MN750

1150 197 Typhoon IB 1235 442 Spitfire IX 442 Spitfire IX 1250 e1330 126Wg Spitfire IX e1330 411 Spitfire IX

e1600 122Wg Mustang III 65 Mustang III

_2_S--'J:....UD __e_I_9_44

e1700 1715 e1820 2100 2105 2130

411 26 438 453 332 122

Spitfire IX Spitfire V Typhoon IB Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Mustang III

e2130 nk

340 315

Spitfire IX Mustang III

PILOT/CREW

F/L W.A.Black (KI FlO RH.Holmes IK) FlO J.Bamford IPI H F/L V.A.Lancaster R FlO J.F.Olver G WID C.A.Rice K F/S RG.Peters D PIO P.A.Taylor (K) S FlO S.M.McClarty Z F/L H.J.Dowding MK826 GCK W/C G.C.Keefer MK885 S/L G.D.Robertson MJ474 F/L GW.Johnson MJ468 WID J.A.Kerr MK776 FlO PWaliace nk W/C G.RA.M.Johnston FX904 FlO J.MWUoyd FB217 F/S W.P.Kelly FB173 F/S P.C.Boon (E) MJ857 F/L H.J.Nixon IE) AA944 F/S S.F.Nurse MN746 X F/L L.E.Park (KI MK355 H F/L V.A.Lancaster nk 2/Lt O.G.Aanjesen FZ167 F/L A.F.Pavey FB110 FlO E.A.Roemmle 'MK234'X Lt J.Homolle FB166 G FlO M Kirste

CLAIM

dpd

190 190 190 190

-11 --1 --1 --1

Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190

2-2-1-1---2 --1

Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109

1-1---1

Fw 190

--1

Fw 190 Bf 109 Fw 190 Fw 190

-11-2---1

Fw Fw Fw Fw

CAUSE/LOCATION sdbf nr Remelard sdb Fw 190 nr Laval hbf cll nr Varaville {W Martinville { { { elf csd Fawley ndea Lisieux rea/SW Mezidon SW Lisieux Beaumont area SW Bretteville SE Caen S Caen sdb Fw 190 b/o S Caen Alencon-Dreux Alencon-Dreux Alencon-Dreux hbf fll EfT (Alencon - Dreux) sdbf S Bayeux Guverville sdbf SW Caen nr Tilly sur Seules Dreux {Bernayarea { hbf cll SW Caen dla Ford catB

By night German bombers flew down the Seine, attempting to lay mines in the estuary and FIg Off E.A.Turner/Fg Off T.V.Arden of 264 Squadron were able to claim a Ju 188 shot down in the area. By day the weight of Luftwaffe sorties transferred to the British front in an effort to support the units on the ground opposing VIII Corps' offensive. On this date, whilst USAAF pilots saw very few hostile aircraft and were able to submit only three claims, 2nd TAF Spitfire pilots would claim 26 enemy aircraft - their best day yet - and all these claims would be made by the pilots of the Canadian units of 83 Group. 412 Squadron was off on patrol at 0520, FIg OffW.J.Banks claiming a Bf 109 from six fighters which were intercepted, motor vehicles also being strafed. Four 403 Squadron aircraft were up at

::::J

< ru C/.) o

::::J

Servicing Commandos take a break while armourers fit a 500 Ib bomb beneath the wing of 122 Squadron Mustang III 'MT-A', probably at 8.7, Martragny, late in June 1944 (IWM CL260)

the same time, Flt Lt Andy Mackenzie claiming a Fw 190 over Evreux, although two of the unit's Spitfires were shot down, with FIg Off J.L.Lanfranchi killed and FIg Off W.H.Rhodes captured. 412 Squadron had also lost Wt Off A.E.Sellar as a prisoner, but due to engine failure which caused him to crash-land south-east of Caen. Four 401 Squadron aircraft set off on patrol at 0910, meeting 20 Fw 190s with a top cover of 20 Bf 109s to the south of Caen; two of the former were claimed by Flt Us A.EHalcrow and R.M.Stayner. About two hours later aircraft from 442, 443 and 416 Squadrons were in the air. 416 Squadron was engaged first at 1125, two Fw 190s and a Bf 109 being claimed in the Caen area. Five minutes later Wg Cdr Johnson claimed two Bf 109s here, while his 144 Wing pilots of 442 Squadron attacked two more, a probable and a damaged being claimed. 443 Squadron then took up the attack at 1135, three Fw 190s claimed destroyed when eight to ten of these fighters were seen in the Villiers area. At 1225411 Squadron was off on one of three operations it was to undertake during this day. South of Caen at least 15 Bf 109s and Fw 190s were seen at about 1315, one of each being claimed 20 miles south of Le Havre, with two Fw 190s damaged. 416 Squadron was back in the air at 1525, six pilots patrolling over the front, where at between 1600-1630 Fw 190s and Bf 109s were met, one of the former claimed by FIt Lt G.R.Patterson. At 1700 it was the turn of 442 Squadron again, six pilots having taken off at 1615, who met a large formation of Fw 190s near Caen, claiming three of these damaged south of Cabourg. Six 421 Squadron aircraft took up the patrol from 1725. At 1800 FIg Off John McElroy and Flt Lt 'Hank' Zary each claimed Bf 109s over Caen, whilst two more were believed to have been damaged. At 1920 411 Squadron was on its final patrol south of Caen when 10-15 Fw 190s and Bf 109s were engaged, FIt R.K.Hayward claiming two Focke-Wulfs and Flt Lt G.W.Johnson a third. One Spitfire was damaged during this encounter. So far the day had cost only the two 403 Squadron Spitfires during the early patrol, but now the final sorties of the day, whilst bringing more victories, were also to suffer some losses. 401 Squadron took off at 2115 on an armed reconnaissance, but whilst some vehicles were being strafed the squadron was 'bounced' by a dozen Fw 190s and a large dogfight ensued. FIg Off Bill Klersy claimed two destroyed, while Flt Lt 'Hap' Kennedy and Flt Lt W.R.Tew each claimed one, but Flt Us G.B.Murray and R.B.Davidson were both shot down and killed. Kennedy later wrote in Black Crosses offmy Wingtip: "... we were jumped by a squadron ofFocke- Wulf 190s out ofthe sun. A good old fashioned scrap followed right down to ground level. My new Spit IX was too much for a Focke Wulfpilot who stayed around for the scrap. He had a good aircraft, but could not turn with a Spit IX, and when I got on his tail I knew I had him. One short burst and he was into the trees with a great flash offire." There is little doubt that the opponents were pilots of l./JG 1 and l./JG 11, the former unit claiming one Spitfire and the latter two more in this area at this time. A little earlier at 2016, Lt Culemann of IIl./JG 27 had claimed a P-51 to the east of Caen, and this would appear to have been a 430 Squadron Mustang I flown by FIg Off EH.Byron, which was

I

attacked by six Bf 109s whilst he and another pilot were seeking to undertake a TacR sortie in the Bretville area; Byron was killed. Other claims by Luftwaffe pilots had included a Spitfire by I./JG 2 at 0927, another by II.JJG 26 at 1121 and three by 1. and II./JG 1 at 1720. It is very likely that all these claims were made during engagements with the Canadian Spitfires, but on all occasions no losses had actually been suffered. The three RCAF Wings had indeed claimed 26 victories for the loss of four aircraft and three pilots, one of whom survived as a POW. Jagdwaffe losses had totalled 29 for the day - coincidentally exactly the number claimed by Allied fighters. Ten Fw 190s and 19 Bf 109s made up the total, JG 26 with seven losses and JG 27 with eight bearing the brunt of the day's casualties. Allied claims had veered in the opposite direction, totalling 18 Fw 190s and 11 Bf 109s. This appears to denote either some poor aircraft recognition, or the normal proportion of overclaiming, which seems the more likely, despite the apparent convenience of the matching overall totals. Amongst other units operating during the day, 181 Squadron had one Typhoon damaged by Flak, which force-landed in friendly territory, whilst a Spitfire of 310 Squadron was shot down by Flak near Caen, and Sgt J.Bauer killed. This latter squadron had been operating from B.10, to which the pilots of 134 Wing had flown; they would return to England next day. The day had also seen the movement of 131 Wing's Polish Spitfire squadrons to Appledram, and ADGB's 229 Squadron to Gatwick.

OJ U ~

o

L.L

«

TIME

SON

TYPE

IDENT

e0550 e0615

403 412

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

0615 e0730 e0930

403 403 401

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

el100 1110 1125

181 416 416

Typhoon IB Spitfire Spitfire IX

ML248 NH182 NH322 MJ187 MJ988 MJ231 NH260 JR334 MJ882 MJ770 MJ874 MJ787 MK392 nk nk nk nk nk nk nk MK885 MK311 NH344 MK837 MJ611 nk nk nk MK468 NH412 MK962 MJ891 MK311 MK832 MJ474 NH344 AG591 MH754 MJ231 NH260 MK590 MJ246 MJ428

1130

1135

443

Spitfire IX

e1315

411

Spitfire IX

1600 1630 e1700 1705

416 416 442 442

Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire

1800

421

Spitfire IX

e2000

411

Spitfire IX

e2020 2050 e2150

29 June 1944

144Wg Spitfire IX 442 Spitfire IX

430 412 401

IX IX IX IX

Mustang I Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

PILOT/CREW FlO WH.Rhodes (P) FlO W.J.Banks F/L C.WFox F/L A.R.Mackenzie FlO J.L.Lanfranchi IKl F/L A.FHalcrow F/L R.M.Stayner FlO WH.B.Short F/L L.Campbell F/L D.E.Noonan F/L J.B.B.Rainville FlO G.H.Farqharson JEJ W/C J.E.Johnson Z FlO JG.L.Robiliard y FlO DW.Goodwin H FlO J.B.O·Sullivan U PIO N.A.Burns W FlO G.R.Stephen C FlO WA.C.Gilbert D F/L WV.Shenk FlO lRWheler F/L H.C.Trainor F/L RK.Hayward F/L G.R. Patterson F/L D.R.Cuthbertson Z SIL H.J.Dowding S FlO S.M.McLarty I FlO B.E.Middleton FlO J.F.McElroy F/L H.P.M.zary FlO A.C.Brandon FlO J.M.Flood F/L H.C.Trainor F/L RK.Hayward F/L G.WJohnson F/L D.J.Givens FlO FH.Bryon IKI W/O A.E.Seller (Pl F/L W.RTew F/L I.FKennedy FlO W.T.Klersy F/L G.B.Murray IE) F/S R.D.Davidson (K)

CLAIM

dpd

Bf 109 Fw 190 Fw 190

1---1 1--

Fw 190 Fw 190

1-1--

Fw 190 Fw 190 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Bf 109 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Bf 109

1-1-1-2 -1-1--1--1 1-1---1 1-1 1---1 1---1 --1 --1 --1 1-1---1 --1

Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190

1-1-2 --

I-2 -1---1

CAUSE/LOCATION d/f Fw 190 rof ell S Caen {NE Bernay { Evreux d/f Fw 190 elf W Falaise 10m S Caen 15m SW Caen hbf fll AfT tbto csd B.2 catB/Ac ECaen {Caen { Caen SW Caen {Caen { { S Caen {S Lisieux { {20m S Le Havre { S Le Havre Caen Caen 3m S Cabourg {SE Cabourg { {Caen { { { 2m NE Lisieux {5m SE Caen { { sdb Bf J09 (Esquay) elf ell SE Caen {lOm E Domfront { { db Fw 190 b/o S Caen psdb Fw 190 S Caen

Twenty minutes after midnight, 28/29 June, Wt Offs W.G.Kirkwood and C.N. Matheson of 409 Squadron claimed a Ju 188 north of Bayeux, while 20 minutes later Fit Lt G.E.Jameson/ Fig Off A.N.Crooke of 488 Squadron claimed a Ju 88 north-east of Caen. 29 Squadron however, noted that it had been ordered to cease beachhead patrols. Improved weather allowed the air forces to operate in strength on the 29th. The day was also to see the arrival in France of the last elements of 83 Group, the reconnaissance squadrons of 39 Wing moving from Odiham to B.8, Sommervieu. Amongst the 84 Group units, it was also the turn of 145 Wing to operate from the bridgehead, this formation's French squadrons flying in to B.3 for this purpose.

On an early TacR to the north of Paris, a Mustang II of 2 Squadron was lost and its Chinese pilot, FIt Lt Tai-Hai Tan, was killed. It was believed to have been intercepted by fighters, but no matching Luftwaffe claim has been found. At 0830 during a patrol, the Spitfires of 135 Wing were surprised by German fighters, FIt Lt R.F.Bass of 222 Squadron being shot down and killed by Fw 190s south-west of Lisieux, Lt Heinz Kemethmiiller and Lt Wilhelm Hofmann of II./JG 26 both claiming Spitfires, the first at 0840 north of Caen and the second (by Hofmann) south-east of Lisieux eight minutes later. Against this attack, Fit Lt nW.Beedham of 222 Squadron was able to claim damage to a Focke-Wulf, while FIg Off Johnny Houlton of 485 Squadron made a similar claim against a Bf 109 to the south-east of Caen. About 45 minutes later Mustang pilots of 65 Squadron who were undertaking a sweep to Dreux, led by Wg Cdr Robin Johnston, spotted a lone Bf 109. Johnston and Fit Lt R.L.Sutheriand jointly dispatched this, but as he attacked, Sutherland overshot. He pulled up violently, stalled, and went into a spin, crashing to his death. During the morning a second Mustang was lost when a 129 Squadron aircraft was hit by Flak north of Sees whilst attacking motor transport, with FIt Sgt D.J.F.Rivett also killed.A1).other 133 Wing Mustang was damaged. Once again, it was to be a busy day for the Typhoons, for a German counter-attack against VIII Corps' thrust was launched, and in the better weather conditions now prevailing, ground support operations could be maximised. Attacks by these aircraft were therefore able to foil the advance of a column of 40 tanks near Carpiquet. Their duties gave Typhoon pilots little chance to indulge in air combat. The activities of the patrolling Spitfires and Mustangs had undoubtedly been effective in freeing these powerful aircraft for their predominantly ground-attack role, and indeed of nearly 70 Typhoons which had been lost in action since 6 June, no more than six had fallen victim to German fighters, the majority having succumbed to fire from the ground. Against opposing fighters however, only nine would be claimed shot down during the month; yet more than half of that total would be achieved on 29th! Late in the morning 183 Squadron set off on an armed reconnaissance to attack railway marshalling yards, escorted by ten more aircraft from 193 Squadron, led by Wg Cdr Baldwin. Near Conches airfield a substantial number of Bf 109s were seen, Baldwin ordering the 193 Squadron pilots to jettison long-range tanks, then leading the squadron down in a classic 'bounce'. At this point more Messerschmitts appeared, and a dogfight developed in and out of cloud. Having personally claimed two shot down and a third damaged, Baldwin found that there were large numbers of hostile aircraft milling around, so he called on his pilots to make use of cloud cover and return immediately. This was achieved successfully, although two Typhoons suffered some damage, one force-landing at B.2 and the other at US ALG A.3. Three more Bf 109s were claimed by the returning pilots, plus four damaged; it seems likely that their opponents were aircraft of JG 27, the Gruppen of this unit losing a significant number of Bf 109s during the day (four by II. Gruppe alone). Between 1150-1157 OberstIt Gustav Rodel, the Geschwaderkommodore of JG 27, claimed three fighters which he identified as P-47s to raise his personal score to 97, whilst Fw Hans Moser of the unit's 9. Staffel claimed two more. From the location and timing it may be that they incorrectly identified their opponents. 127 Wing Spitfires were also engaged early in the afternoon, FIt Lt J.D.Lindsay of 403 Squadron claiming a Fw 190 south-east of Caen, aIthough another of the unit's aircraft was hit both by fighters and Flak, going down near Lisieux; Wt Off R.C.A.Shannon survived and avoided capture, returning later. Another of the Wing's Spitfires, a 416 Squadron machine, was also lost to Flak when flown by the Wing's Commanding Officer, Sqn Ldr EE.Green, DFC, who was injured when he crash-landed the damaged aircraft at B.2. This squadron's Commanding Officer, Sqn Ldr Dan Noonan, finished his tour on this date, John McElroy being posted in from 421 Squadron to take over his position. During an afternoon patrol, which commenced at 1530, FIt Lt H.C.Trainor of 411 Squadron claimed a Bf 109 shot down five miles east of Caen. A Mustang I of 414 Squadron was hit by Flak and force-landed in Allied territory, the pilot, FIg Off P.T.Cooke, having been wounded. With evening Spitfires from 602 Squadron undertook an armed reconnaissance, whilst others from 145 Wing made a wing-strength sweep over the Evreux area. From the former unit Sous Lt Pierre Clostermann became lost in cloud. Emerging, he saw eight Fw 190s ahead which at once attacked him. He managed to get back into cloud, and on emerging again, saw a lone Focke-Wulf at ground level, which he claimed to have shot down. This may possibly have been a TacR aircraft of 2/NAGr 13, reported lost on this date. Meanwhile the pilots of the French Wing and their New Zealand Wing Leader, had spotted eight Fw 190s and Bf 109s below them in the Evreux area, Wg Cdr Bill Crawford-Compton claiming one of each shot down over the Beaumont-Ie-Roger area, whilst Lt J.Guignard from 340 Squadron claimed another Fw 190. This brought the number of fighters which had been claimed by 2nd TAF pilots to 13. To these must be added ten USAAF claims. Jagdwaffe losses amounted to 22 aircraft, including seven

I

Fw 190s and 15 Bf 109s. As indicated, JG 27 had fared worst, 11 of the Messerschmitts having been lost by this Geschwader. A Typhoon was lost during the evening, when FIg Off C.A.Rowland of 609 Squadron was shot down and killed near St Maske Couches, reportedly by fighters, although no claim has been found. 26 Squadron, which had spent the whole month spotting for the naval guns, recorded on this date that the unit undertook two escort operations for Dakota transport aircraft flying in supplies.

Q)

U

l.-

o

LL

« m

u

TIME

SON

0240

180

TYPE

!DENT

Mitchell II

Fw101

e1615 609 e1615 411 nk 414 1940 602 1950 145Wg

Typhoon IB Spitfire IX Mustang I Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

1950

Spitfire IX

MJ746 H

+-'

u

~

2 Mustang II e0650 0830 485 Spitfire IX 222 Spitfire IX e0830 222 Spitfire IX e0830 e0840 129 Mustang III 0915 122Wg Mustang III 0915 65 Mustang III 310 Spitfire IX 1055 1100 416 Spitfire IX 1145 146Wg Typhoon IB 193 Typhoon IB

-0

c:

N

1345

_3_0...:.J_un_e_19_4_4

PILOT/CREW

F/L A.C.McLaren FlO R.FStigant FlO M.C.Demers FlO WSnow III F/L Tai-Hai Tan (K) FR899 ML407 V FlO J.A.Houlton MK797 F/L R.FBass (K) MK787 F/L D.WBeedham SR438 FIS D.J.FRivett (KI FZ151 W/C G.R.A.M.Johnston FZ173 F/L R.L.Sutherland IKI NH570 Sgt J.Bauer (K) MK790 W/C FE.Green II) nk JB W/C J.R.Baldwin nk F/L A.S.Smith nk FIS G.A.Gough nk FlO E.Statters nk FlO WM.J.Bulleid nk FlO C.E.Hall nk FlO J.G.Brown nk PIO G.L.Bilz 'MJ988' F/L J.D.Lindsay MH928 W/O R.C.A. Shannon IE) FlO G.A.Rowland (K) MN339 NH341 F/L H.C.Trainor AM166 FlO P.T.Cooke (W) MJ586 0 SLt P.H.Clostermann nk WVCW/C W.V.Crawford-Compton

403

340

Spitfire IX

Lt J.Guignard

CLAIM

dpd

Bf 109

--1

Fw 190

--1

Bf 109

1--

Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Fw 190

2- 1 1-1---1 1---1 --1 --1 1--

Bf 109

1--

Fw 190 Bf 109 Fw 190 Fw 190

1-1-1-1--

CAUSE/LOCATION elf csd Cranleigh

ftr (Sees) 10 SE Caen sdb Fw 190 SW Lisieux SW Lisieux sdbf 4 ml N Sees NW LAigle Spun in alBf 109 NW LAigle lis 3 ml N Mezidon hbf cll nr B.2 {Conches { { { { { {; dbea catB (; dbea catB 12 ml SE Caen ftr d/f nr Lisieux sdbea (St.Maske Couchesl 5m ECaen hbf fll AfT nr Rauen {Beaumont-Ie-Roger area { Evreux - Montfort

The last day of the month was to prove another good day for the 83 Group Spitfires. It commenced early when 12421 Squadron aircraft were scrambled at 0619, FIt Lts P.G.Johnson and R.C.Wilson both claiming Bf 109s shot down north of Bernay at 0705, Johnson adding a second damaged. The rest of the early morning period saw the loss of several aircraft however. During an escort to bombers raiding a 'Noball' Sgt E.Veiersted of 332 Squadron suffered an engine failure, baling out into the Channel from where he was safely picked up by a Walrus amphibian, his second such rescue during the month. Two of 3 Naval Fighter Wing's Seafire Ills were damaged by Flak whilst spotting for naval gunfire. Canadian Spitfire pilots were off again when 442 Squadron aircraft began a patrol over Caen at 1015. Forty-five minutes later, Fw 190s were encountered east ofVillers-Bocage, three being claimed shot down without loss. Meanwhile ADGB Spitfires were also in the area; at 1055 Wg Cdr Don Kingaby with FIg Off Stockburn of 501 Squadron claimed one of two Bf 109s shot down in flames, the pilot seen to bale out. At midday, six 441 Squadron Spitfires commenced an armed reconnaissance, whilst six more set off on a front line patrol. The first flight encountered ten Bf 109s over the Argentan area, Sqn Ldr Danny Browne claiming one of these shot down, whilst the second sextet met 12 Bf 109s, claiming three and one damaged. One of the former was claimed by Wg Cdr 'Johnnie' Johnson as his 33rd victory, while Fit Lt A,Johnstone claimed one and one damaged, and Fit Lt G.E.Mott the third victory. FIg Off J.W.Fleming was shot down near Flers, becoming a prisoner; he fell to Lt Friedrich Krakowitzer, commander of 7./JG 51, a Staffel which had been detached from the Eastern Front to operate with II./JG 1. At 1410 Spitfires from 401 Squadron commenced an armed reconnaissance over the Argentan-Falaise area, at least 12 Focke-Wulfs and Messerschmitts being spotted north of Caen. One Bf 109 was claimed by FIt Lt R.M.Stayner, but the rest escaped into cloud; one Spitfire was hit by Flak and crash-landed near Morma!. 125 Wing Spitfires were up during the mid-afternoon period, when at around 1500 Sous Lt Pierre Clostermann of 602 Squadron claimed a Bf 109 probably destroyed near Vire, while a 453 Squadron aircraft was hit by Flak which blew off the cockpit canopy, wounding Fit Sgt R.G.Peters in the head; he managed to get his aircraft back to base and land successfully. At around the same time a Spitfire was claimed shot down by a pilot of I1I./JG 26 in the Caen-Lisieux area, but no such loss was suffered.

411 Squadron Spitfires went off to dive-bomb the Bretteville crossroads an hour or so later. Six Fw 190s attacked near Caen and bombs had to be jettisoned, Sqn Ldr G.D.Robertson then claiming one of the attackers shot down. In the same area, west of Falaise, two more Fw 190s and a Bf 109 were claimed by pilots of 442 Squadron at 1730, one of the unit's Spitfires suffering some damage. Half an hour later a 19 Squadron Mustang spun in whilst dive-bombing near VillersBocage, and Fig Off M.L.Cameron, RCAF, was killed. Patrols continued all day, with four 421 Squadron Spitfires departing at 1951. At 2030 these met Bf 109s, and two were claimed, Fit Lt P.G.Johnson reporting his second victory of the day, whilst FIg Off R.C.McRoberts added another. Two more Spitfires from 403 Squadron had set off at much the same time to patrol over the western beaches and these saw 12 or so Bf 109s, all fitted with long-range tanks; one of these was claimed by Fig Off J.D.Orr. 145 Wing was providing cover for a large force of Bomber Command Lancasters and Halifaxes which were on their way to drop 1,000 tons of bombs on German armour at VillersBocage at this time, pilots of 341 Squadron seeing two Bf 109s south of Le Havre, both of which were claimed shot down by Capt Jacques Andrieux and Lt Girardon. However, during an evening cover patrol, a 331 Squadron Spitfire was hit by Flak and crash-landed near Tilly-sur-Seulles. Unfortunately, it hit a tree and 2/Lt P.Hattrem was killed. The final patrol of the day was made by 411 Squadron, commencing at 2030. At about 2105 a lone Bf 109 was encountered over Thury Harcourt, and was claimed by FIt Lt Hugh Trainor, the 22nd victory of the day for the Spitfires. The Jagdwaffe had indeed recorded the loss of 22 fighters on this date - but on the Allied side, US fighter pilots had also claimed seven destroyed with five more probables and nine damaged; all of the destroyed and probable claims made by the Americans were for Bf 109s, as were 15 of the RAP's claims; however the latter also claimed seven Fw 190s, only two ofwhich were recorded as being lost on this date. The 30 June also saw the suspension of Operation 'Epsom', which had now stalled following the withdrawal of 11th Armoured Division from a dominant hill feature known as Hill 112, following German counter-attacks there. Carpiquet airfield had also not quite been reached on the east flank of the advance, but a fairly substantial salient had been driven into the area to the immediate west of Caen, which would be capable of subsequent expansion. TIME

SUN

TYPE

IDENT

PILOT/CREW

e0150

180

Mitchell II

Fw169

0705

421

Spitfire IX

e0900 1100

332 442

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

MK809 MJ891 MJ253 K nk nk F H nk nk K ML205 NH380 ML269 PL274 MK737 ML415 NH260 MH872 MJ586 0 MK510 J MJ474 nk K 0 nk nk B FB368 ML149 S MK809 MK365 MJ671 MJ780 MJ570 NH341

F/O G.A.M.Struthers IKI F/O A.S.B.McLachlan (K) F/S R.Haddock (K) F/S R.H.Ekon (K) F/S PTRook (K) F/L P.G.Johnson F/L R.C.wilson Sgt E.Veiersted (A) F/L A.w.Roseland P/O EB. Young F/O G.G.Millar} F/L A.w.Roseland } SIL J.D. Browne W/C J.E.Johnson FIL A.Johnstone F/L G.E.Mott F/O JW Fleming (P) F/L H.R.Finley FIL R.M.Stayner FlO D.D.Ashleigh SLt P.H.Clostermann FIS R.G.Peters (WI SIL G.D.Robertson FIL D.H.Dover FIL D.E.Trott P/O GACostelio FlO M.L.Cameron (K) 2fLt P.Hattrem (KI FIL P.G.Johnson F/O R.C.McRoberts Capt J.Andrieux Lt L.Girardon FlO J.D.Drr FIL H.C.Trainor

1235 1250

Spitfire IX 441 144Wg Spitfire IX 441 Spitfire IX

1300 e1440 e1445 1500 e1500 e1640 1730

403 401 401 602 453 411 442

Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire Spitfire

IX IX IX IX IX IX IX

e1800 e1930 2030 2035 2035

19 331 421 421 341

Mustang III Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

2040 e2105

403 411

Spitfire IX Spitfire IX

CLAIM

d Pd

CAUSE/LOCATION csd Chiddingfold after tlo

Bf 109 Bf 109

1-1 1--

Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190

1-1-1--

Fw 190 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109

1-1-1-1 1--

Bf 109 Bf 109

--1 1--

Bf 109

-1-

Fw 190 Fw 190 Fw 190 Bf 109

1-1-1-1--

Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109 Bf 109

2 -1-1-1-1-1--

{15m N Bernay { elf b/o Chnl {1m EVillers Bocage { { Gace area E Gace Gace area E Gace sdb Fw 190 nr Flers Falaise-Lisieux 5m Ecaen hbf fll nr Lisieuxl nr Vire hbf catA 15m W Falaise {W Falaise { { spun in d/b nr Villers Bocage hbf ell 3m NE Tilly sur Seulles E Lisieux E Lisieux {Lisieux-Cabourg { Bayeux area Thury Harcourt

June Overview By the end of June some 875,000 Allied troops had been landed in Normandy. Since D-Day there had been 61,732 casualties - killed, wounded, sick, or taken prisoner. Casualties to the defenders are believed to have been circa 80,000 during this same period.

·I ,,

OJ

U

l.-

o

LL

ro

u u

+-'

~ -0

c:

N

The delays in expanding the bridgehead had significantly reduced the construction and occupation programme for the landing grounds, and by the end of the month, only nine were in use in the British zone, with four more still under shellfire. Eleven more had been occupied in the US zone. This situation was of concern to the RAF, and was to lead to some bitter criticism of Bernard Montgomery by Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder, who was at this time General Eisenhower's immediate Deputy as Supreme Commander. With this in mind, it is perhaps appropriate here to quote from the key order which Montgomery issued to his subordinate commanders on 30 June(Order M505). It began: "My broad policy, once we had secured a firm lodgement area, has always been to draw the main enemy forces into the battle on our eastern flank, and to fight them there, so that our affairs on the western flank could proceed the easier." It continues by stating that no loss of the initiative must be allowed, especially on the eastern flank. Paragraph 7 specifies that the purpose of that eastern flank was"... to hold the maximum number of German divisions on the eastern flank between Caen and VillersBocage and to swing the western or right flank ofthe Army Group southwards and eastwards in a wide sweep so as to threaten the withdrawal ofsuch enemy divisions to the south ofParis." It was to be the duty of the Allied air forces to ensure that the bridges over the Seine between Paris and the Channel would be kept permanently out of action. A powerful Allied force in the area of Le Mans-Alenc;:on would thereby represent a considerable threat to the Germans concentrated around Caen, and to the potential for them to withdraw through the Paris-Orleans gap. This plan therefore required the British and Canadian forces in the east to hold firm, particularly on their right flank, allowing the US forces on their own right to press ahead as rapidly as possible before any of the Panzer divisions facing the British could be moved to their front to try and prevent a breakout. Thus Dempsey, commander of Second Army, was ordered to hold the Germans between Caen and Villers-Bocage, and to take Caen as soon as possible. Bradley was to ensure that the US First Army continued to move southwards to the base of the Cotentin Peninsula and into Brittany as rapidly as possible. It was envisaged that this would then allow the two armies to make a wide sweep to the south of the bocage country and then eastwards towards the Seine and Paris. This would certainly be the philosophy which Montgomery and his armies would pursue for the next several weeks until the desired breakthrough was achieved. How much this plan, detailed at the end of June, represented his original blueprint prior to the delays and setbacks of June itself, remains a matter of considerable speculation, disagreement and argument to this day; it is not however a matter for more conjecture here. During the month, 2nd TAF had frequently been aided not only by the ADGB squadrons placed under its direct temporary control, but by two more wings of Spitfire IXs, comprising 80, 229 and 274 Squadrons at Gatwick, and 33, 74 and 127 Squadrons at Lympne. The latter wing, led by Wg Cdr Ray Harries, would move to Tangmere on 3 and 4 July; during June it had flown patrols over the beaches, then escorted Lancasters making daylight raids on 'Noball' sites. During the latter part of the month, bridgehead patrols had again been flown, B.3 being used as an ALG on occasions. The end of the month also saw 135 Wing move to Coolham, whilst on the 30th, 609 Squadron became the first of the 84 Group units to move to Normandy, flying in to B.10, Plumetot, followed next day by its sister 123 Wing squadron, 198. The strip was shelled on 1 July however, and also proved to be waterlogged. Leaving the ground personnel in situ, the Typhoons were swiftly flown back to Hum for the time being. HEADQUARTERS 34 (PR) Wing Northolt 2 Group 137 Wing 138 Wing 139 Wing 140 Wing

Hartford Bridge Lasham Dunsfold Thomey Island

83 Group 39(Recce) Wing B.8, Sommervieu (414 Squadron remained at Odiham, awaiting re-equipment) 121 Wing B.5, Camilly 122 Wing B.7, Martragny 124 Wing B.6, Coulombs

125 Wing 126 Wing 127 Wing 129 Wing 143 Wing 144 Wing

B.ll, Longues B.4, Beny-sur-Mer B.2, Bazenville B.10, Plumetot B.9, Lantheuil B.3, Ste Croix-sur-Mer

AOPUnits 653 Squadron 658 Squadron 659 Squadron 662 Squadron

Rucqueville Ellon Lantheuil Bayeux

84 Group 35(Recce) Wing Odiham (detachments of 4 and 268 Squadrons at B-10, Plumetot)

123 Wing 131 Wing 132 Wing 133 Wing 134 Wing 135 Wing 145 Wing 146 Wing

B.lO, Plumetot Appledram Tangmere Ford Tangmere Coolham Selsey (from 1 July) Needs Oar Point (193,197 and 257 Squadrons to move to Hum on 2/3 July; 266 Squadron at AP and to follow on 13 July)

AOP Units 652 Squadron 660 Squadron 661 Squadron 85 Group 141 Wing

142 Wing 147 Wing 148 Wing

Plumetot Westenhangar Penshurst

~

< ill (/) _. 0 ~

Hartford Bridge (264 Squadron) Zeals (410 Squadron) Bradwell Bay Zeals (488 Squadron) Hum (604 Squadron) Hunsdon

Air Spotting Pool Lee-on-Solent Thus at the start of July, 2nd TAF had changed little in composition, other than as regards the loss of most of the single-engined squadrons of 85 Group to the anti-V-I campaign. Bases had, however, changed considerably, and were now as follows: 83 Group Headquarters was poised to move to Normandy as soon as possible. In the US zone, 12 squadrons from the Ninth Air Force had also moved to airfields in the bridgehead. With the whole of 83 Group now based there, 84 Group Spitfire squadrons would be released during July to undertake a greater number of bomber escort sorties, covering aircraft from both 2 Group and Bomber Command attacking radar sites and 'Noball' launching sites. 264 Squadron was now planning to move its Mosquito night fighters to the American strips at A.l, St Laurent-sur-Mer, A.8, Picauville, and A. 7, Forting-sur-Mer, to facilitate operations over Cherbourg and the Seine estuary. Apart from the predominant air power of the Allied air forces, the invaders also possessed a continuing advantage offered by the support of naval gunfire as long as the fighting remained in the coastal region. The Germans were all too aware of this, and were mounting sustained efforts by night to mine the estuary area in an effort to disrupt and drive off the warships operating there. The three main duties which the Luftwaffe was instructed to pursue during June and July involved this mining; interception of the Allied units attacking and disrupting the movement of supplies by freelance' (Freie Jagd) fighter patrolling; and continuous support for the ground forces. The latter duty required a complete conversion of the fighter units, which had been arriving from home defence duties, for a role for which they were untrained and unfamiliar. To facilitate these activities, on 2 July Fliegerkorps II and Fliegerfuhrer West were disbanded, II. Jagdkorps being formed to co-ordinate the latter two functions. Bombing and minelaying duties remained in the hands of Fliegerkorps IX and X, and 2. Fliegerdivision, while NAGr 13, the tactical reconnaissance unit, and AufklGr 123, the strategic reconnaissance unit, remained a separate command. However on 16 July, Reichsmarschall Hermann Goring would order II. Jagdkorps to reform Fliegerkorps II. The Luftwaffe's 8.Abteilung would subsequently record of July: "The air supremacy of the enemy as well as a crushing superiority in material and technical resources continued. Enemy air activity over the battlefield did not diminish until we brought up strong anti-aircraft forces. Our own battle operations were determined by the incontrovertible air and ground artillery superiority of the enemy and opportunities for organised operations were considerably restricted." For the German ground forces also, the situation was not a happy one. Although reinforcements had been drawn from the Reich and Poland from the start of the Invasion, these had been greatly delayed in arriving due to the appalling travelling conditions created by the months of sustained bombing, and by new Allied offensives in Russia and Italy, which prevented any further redisposition of forces. As a result no build-up had yet been achieved to allow a major counter-attack to be launched. By this time, Adolf Hitler had lost confidence in the supreme commander in the West, and on 2 July von Rundstedt was to be awarded the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz - and relieved, his place being taken by Hans Gunther von Kluge. Consequently the Allies had been able to begin a massive build-up of their own, though the circumstances of the onset of the V-I campaign against England had forced a cut in the general level of air action over Normandy and in the surrounding areas, although at the same time direct support had been increased. Despite the loss of the highest-performing fighters, the level of air opposition had not reached a point where the loss of these squadrons was seriously felt, and by the end of June, 2nd TAF fighter units had claimed 231 day and 65 night victories, ADGB units contributing 17 more by day and 41 by night.

I>< W

A personnel index covering all three volumes of this work will be found in Volume Three.

C

AEAF 16,34,49,51,105,120,124,

~

_

127, 146

ROYAL AIR FORCE AND COMMONWEALTH AIR FORCES Orders of Battle 49, 120, 124

Commands ADGB 10,49,52,54,58,59,60,69, 73,87, Ill, 115, 119, 120, 121, 123, 124, 125, 126, 143, 145, 147, 149, 151, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 161, 162, 164, 165, 166, 174, 176, 179, 181, 184, 186, 188, 189 Army Co-operation Command 12, 16,18,19,51 Bomber Command 12,21,34,39, 49,86,105,117,121,123,125, 131, 135, 158, 187, 189 Coastal Command 77, 121, 123, 139 Fighter Command 6, 12, 15, 16, 18, 19,20,21,24,28,32,34,49 Groups 2 (Bomber) Group 12,16,17,21, 22,26,27,34,35,39,40,41,45, 46,49,52,53,56,58,59,61,69, 72,77,78,87,89,94,96,98,100, 106, 117, 120, 123, 125, 132, 135, 142,143,147,148,156,164,170, 171,174,175,181,188,189 10 (Fighter) Group 34, 39, 60, 70, 87, 120, 123, 125 11 (Fighter) Group 17, 19,21,33, 34,38,39,41,45,52,57,60,98, 120, 121, 123, 124, 142, 154, 170 12 (Fighter) Group 34, 123, 125 13 (Fighter) Group 34, 123 38 (Airborne Forces) Group 19,51, 120, 124, 125 46 (Transport) Group 120, 124, 125 70 (Training) Group 18 72 (Operational) Group 18 83 (Mobile) Group 8, 9, 12, 16,20, 32,34,38,49,50,51,52,60,87, 110, 120, 123, 125, 161, 180, 181, 182, 184, 186, 188, 189 84 (Mobile) Group 16,20, 34, 49, 50,51,52,60,77,87,119,120, 123, 125, 149, 151, 161, 184, 188, 189 85 (Base Defence) Group 52, 59, 60, 84,91,92,94,100,106,107,115, 120, 123, 125, 132, 142, 143, 155, 156, 161, 167, 170, 189 100 (Bomber Support) Group 117, 121, 123 'X' Group 13, 15 'Z' Group 9,12,13,19 Wings/Administrative Sectors 15 Wing/Sector 16,28,33,50,87, 106

16 Wmg/Sector 16,37,43,50,93, 106 17 (RCAF) Wing/Sector 16, 51, 106 18 Wing/Sector 51,106 19 Wing/Sector 51, 58, 106 20 Wing/Sector 51, 60, 77,106,140, 143 21 Wing/Sector 59,106 22 Wing/Sector 60, 106 23 Wing/Sector 60, 77 24 Wing/Sector 60, 106 25 Wing/Sector 60, 106

AirfieldslWings (Operational) 34 (Photo-Reconnaisance) Wing 18,50,89, 100, 120,123, 140, 143, 168, 176, 177, 188 35 (Reconnaissance) Wing 16,46, 91, 120, 123, 181, 188 38 (Airborne Forces) Wing 19 39 (Reconnaissance) Wing 16,70, 91, 120, 123, 147, 184, 188 121 AirfieldlWing 12, 13, 16, 17, 19, 20,43,50,60,62,63,65,80,82, 87,106,119,120,139,145,148, 158,162,165,167,181,188 122 Airfield/Wing 12, 13, 16, 17, 19, 33,50,53,55,58,61,62,65,68, 76,77,87,92,93,94,97,98,106, 107,108,115,120,150,163,167, 178,-179,180,182,186,188 123 Airfield/Wing 12, 13, 17, 19,50, 60,61,77,85,87,106,113,114, 120, 145, 168, 170, 181; 188, 189 124 Airfield/Wing 9,12,13,16,17, 19,20,26,37,46,50,65,66,69, 87,90,98, 104, 106, 112, 113, 120, 139, 145, 148, 149, 158, 162, 170,174,181,188 125 Airfield/Wing 12, 16, 17, 19,20, 30,31,50,61,62,64,69,78,87, 104, 106, 120, 180, 186, 188 126 (RCAF) Airfield/Wing 16, 17, 19,20,39,47,50,51,54,55,57, 80,84,87,89,102,104,106,120, 138, 140, 141, 142, 143, 151, 157, 167,179,180,182,188 127 (RCAF) Airfield/Wing 16, 17, 19,20,27,28,29,30,32,33,38, 39,50,51,57,60,68,70,80,92, 102,106, 120, 157, 158, 164, 177, 180, 185, 188 128 Airfield 16, 19,50,131 129 Airfield/Wing 16, 19, 50, 87, 99, 106,120, 167, 181, 188 130 Airfield 16, 19,50,60,77,87 131 Airfield/Wing 16,20,50,51,75, 87,102,106,116,120,170,171, 178,184,189 132 Airfield/Wing 50, 51, 57, 65, 68, 77,87,89, 106, 120, 161, 162, 170, 178, 179, 189 133 Airfield/Wing 50, 51, 54, 85, 87, 88,96,98,106,107,120,138, 161,173,178,179,181,185,189 134 Airfield/Wing 50, 51, 62, 65, 69, 75,84,87,93,106,120,144,146, 170,184,189

135 Airfield/Wing 50, 51, 58, 60, 76, 77,78,79,87,106,120,131,143, 145,170,185,188,189 136 Airfield/Wing 50, 51, 61, 68, 77, 87,97,100,106,110,120,146, 150, 154, 167, 168, 170 137 AirfieldlWing 49,117,120,148, 188 138 Airfield/Wing 49, 120, 169, 188 139 Airfield/Wing 49, 120, 127, 148, 149, 188 140 Airfield/Wing 49,59,72,73,75, 120, 123, 168, 169, 188 141 Airfield/Wing 59, 84, 106, 120, 189 142 Airfield/Wing 59, 120, 143, 189 143 (RCAF) Airfield/Wing 59, 60, 87,9~ 100, 103, 106, 120, 12~ 155, 166, 188 144 (RCAF) Airfield/Wing 30, 60, 81,86,87,96,101,106,119,120, 132, 140, 156, 162, 164, 165, 172, 175, 177, 181, 183, 184, 187, 188 145 Airfield/Wing 60, 70, 78, 87, 97, 106,120,138,142,151,154,155, 184, 185, 186, 187, 189 146 Airfield/Wing 60, 77, 87, 97, 98, 100, 106, 120, 164, 165, 168, 181, 186, 189 147 Airfield/Wing 60,100, 106, 120, 189 148 Airfield/Wing 60, 106, 120, 168, 189 149 Airfield/Wing 60 150 Airfield/Wing 60, 91, 106, 115, 116, 120, 144, 161

Squadrons 1 Squadron 15,60 2 Squadron 15, 18, 19,29,45,46,50, 53,60,68,69,70,77,78,91,113, 116,120,131,163,164,165,168, 169, 174, 175, 181, 182, 185, 186 3 Squadron 60, 91, 115, 116, 144, 158 4 Squadron 15,18, 19,29,50,55, 61,77,89,91, 107, 120, 172, 181 16 Squadron 14, 18,32,50,76,78, 86,89,120,131,140,143,145, 146, 168 17 Squadron 55 19 Squadron 13, 19,20,23,30,32, 38,40,46,47,50,53,61,62,64, 65,68,71,75,78,85,94,95,98, 102, Ill, 120, 140, 143, 150, 154, 159,161,171,172,175,178,179, 187 21 Squadron 15, 17,21,22,32,33, 49,54,58,61,65,69,70,72,73, 74,75,77,81,86,94,95,102, 103, 105,106, 120, 161, 163, 168, 171,172,175,179,180 26 Squadron13, 14,98, 120, 127, 140,143,158,165,167,176,177, 182, 186 29 Squadron 60, 100, 120, 132, 138, 142,145,147,165,167,172,184 0

33 Squadron 121, 140, 188 41 Squadron 121 56 Squadron 59, 66, 91, 104, 110, 115,120 63 Squadron 19,50,55,56,58,60, 98,120,127,131,133,140,143, 145, 146, 164, 165, 179, 180 64 Squadron 34, 121 65 Squadron 19,20,22,25,26,28, 29,32,37,38,50,53,55,58,61, 62,68,71,76,78,86,92,93,94, 98,99,101,107,108,109,120, 143, 146, 150, 151, 154, 159, 161, 166, 167, 178, 179, 180, 182, 18~ 186 66 Squadron 50, 51,53,68,70,71, 77,84, Ill, 115, 116, 161, 162, 163,174,175 68 Squadron 121 69 Squadron 100, 120, 154, 155, 161, 163 73 Squadron 62 74 Squadron 121, 188 80 Squadron 121, 170, 181, 188 88 Squadron 13, 17,23,24,25,26, 2~ 28,34,36, 39,41,42,4~5~ 58,71,85,89, 100,115, 127, 133, 174,175 91 Squadron 60, 94, 110, 120, 161 96 Squadron 14, 121 98 Squadron 15, 17,21,22,33,35, 38,42,49,54,58,62,65,69,77, 81,84,91,93,94, 103, 148, 149, 155, 156, 157, 158, 160 107 Squadron 17,21,22,23,24,26, 27,29,39,41,42,49,58,62,69, 80,86,94,96,100,104,105,106, 107,120,143,146,169 III Squadron 60, 96 118 Squadron 59 122 Squadron 19,20,22,23,24,28, 33,37,38,46,47,50,53,54,55, 58,61,62,64,65,68,76,89,92, 93,94,95,99, 102, 103, 107, 108, 110, Ill, 116, 120, 132, 133,140, 143,166,167,168,178,179,182, 183 124 Squadron 15,94, 120, 123,156 125 Squadron 121, 181 126 Squadron 121 127 Squadron 121, 188 129 Squadron 14,32,50,53,54,85, 88,96,97,120,124,128,132, 133, 138, 142, 150, 152, 154, 159, 161,166,167,171,173,174,175, 185, 186 130 Squadron 59, 121, 174, 179 131 Squadron 121, 155 132 Squadron 13, 19,20,24,26,40, 45,46,50,53,56,57,58,59,62, 64,86,96,97,98,99, Ill, 116, 118,120,142,157,168,169,176, 177,180 137 Squadron 43, 75, 121, 150 140 Squadron 18,27,50,55,69,89, 119, 120, 127, 133 145 Squadron 178

151 Squadron 15, 120 164 Squadron 19,50,59,77,97, 101, 107, 110, 115, 116, 118, 120, 132, 133, 144, 146, 175 165 Squadron 24, 120 167 Squadron 15 168 Squadron 18, 19,24,26,33,45, 46,47,50,53,56,61,64,70,77, 81,89,95,120,128,131, 133, 145,146,163,172,174,175,176, 177 169 Squadron 15 170 Squadron 14, 18,19,25,26,33, 46,47,50,53,56,60,162 174 Squadron 13, 19,26,27,29,40, 43,50,53,56,61,62,63,71,73, 74,75,78,80,81,82,93,95,96, 119,120,128,157,162,166,171 175 Squadron 13, 19,22,27,37,43, 44,46,50,53,60,61,62,63,69, 70,80,81,82,83,97,100,114, 115,116,119,120,139,162,163 180 Squadron 17,22,32,33,35,49, 54,58,62,68,69,70,85,86,91, 100,101,103,120,148,149,155, 163,171,186,187 181 Squadron 9,15,19,24,25,26, 28,43,44,47,50,53,55,59,68, 69,90,98,113,115,120,131, 133, 142, 147, 148, 149, 162, 164, 165, 170, 174, 175, 184 182 Squadron 9, 13, 19,22,24,25, 26,28,37,38,43,50,53,56,57, 69,70,76,80,90,98,104,113, 115,120,145,146,147,148,161, 165, 166, 167, 170, 178 183 Squadron 15,53,60,84,87,97, 100,101,107,110,113,116,131, 133,140,143,150,158,159,161, 179,185 184 Squadron 13, 19,43,50,53,56, 57,59,61,62,70,77,99,103, 111,115,120,140,143,157,165, 167, 181 193 Squadron 53, 77, 85, 86, 98, 99, 103, 110, 115, 118, 119, 120, 154, 155,157,161,163,170,180,185, 186, 189 195 Squadron 46, 50, 63, 68 197 Squadron 60,81,85,97, 108, 115,120,138,142,158,166,167, 179,182,189 198 Squadron 53, 73, 75, 77, 78, 89, 100, 114, 115, 116, 118, 120, 136, 137, 142, 145, 146, 150, 159, 161, 163,168,169,171,174,175,176, 177, 188 222 Squadron 53, 58, 78, 84, 101, 120,128,131,145,146,150,154, 185, 186 226 Squadron 13, 17,26,41,42,46, 49,54,58,69,76,103,116,117, 120,148,149,169,170,174 229 Squadron 121, 176, 181, 184, 188 231 Squadron 18,46,47,50,60,64 234 Squadron 59, 121

239 Squadron 13 245 Squadron 15, 19,20,25,29,39, 43,50,53,58,59,61,62,63,65, 70,73,75,76,80,81,82,83,84, 116,118,119,120,129,131,133, 140, 142,143,145,147,148,151, 161, 163, 166, 168, 169, 174, 178, 179 247 Squadron 13, 15, 19,24,25,26, 27,32,38,40,43,45,46,47,50, 53,61,64,65,66,69,70,71,76, 77,81,120,131,133,147,148, 149, 157, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 174 257 Squadron 60, 78, 80, 81, 85, 89, 97,98,99, 110, 115, 120, 155, 157,166,167,170,174,175,189 263 Squadron 34, 70, 108, 121, 165, 176 264 Squadron 59, 84,94, 100, 107, 120, 155, 156, 158, 160, 165, 167, 170, 175, 17~ 18~ 189 266 Squadron 32, 53, 70, 86, 89, 92, 104,108, Ill, 120, 131, 133, 139, 140, 142, 145, 146, 157, 189 268 Squadron 15, 18, 19,24,26,38, 47,53,65,69,77,78,81,91,98, 114,115,120,127,131,133,151, 159, 161, 162, 168, 169, 174, 175, 181, 188 274 Squadron 121, 164, 170, 181, 188 302(Polish) Squadron 20, 50, 53, 61,75,78,89,120,169,170 303(Polish) Squadron 15, 121, 176 305(Polish) Squadron 17,49, 76, 86, 89,91,94,95,99,100,106,115, 120, 143, 146, 156, 158, 164, 165 306(Polish) Squadron 42, 46, 50, 53,54,55,56,65,68,85,98,107, 110, Ill, 116, 120, 129, 138, 140, 142, 143, 145, 146, 152, 154, 166, 167, 172, 176, 177, 178, 179 308(Polish) Squadron 46, 50, 53, 55, 64,75,77, Ill, 112, 120, 163, 165 310(Czech) Squadron 50, 53, 65, 75, 107, Ill, 120, 138, 142, 144, 146, 166, 167, 184, 186 312(Czech) Squadron 50, 53, 75, 79, 84,85,93, Ill, 112, 120, 129, 143, 144, 146, 151, 154, 155, 156, 167 313(Czech) Squadron 50, 53, 62, 65, 75,8~93,94, Ill, 11~ 120 315(Polish) Squadron 20, 50, 53, 54,56,61,71,78,85,88,96, Ill, 115,120,129,138,142,145,146, 150,154,155,157,158,164,173, 175,179,182 317(Polish) Squadron 50, 53, 61, 71,102,110, Ill, 112, 116, 120, 140,143,155,157,170,171 320(Dutch) Squadron 17,26,28, 29,39,41,42,43,44,49,54,58, 69,76,81,84, 101, 120, 142, 143, 146, 148, 149, 156, 157, 158, 160, 171,179 322(Dutch) Squadron 60, 94, 110, 120, 161

329(French) Squadron 53, 60, 87, 97,100,105,120 331(Norwegian) Squadron 50,51, 53,57,61,66,68,70,76,97,102, 103,120,146,147,155, 161, 163, 170,171,178,179,187 332(Norwegian) Squadron 50, 51, 53,57,66,68,78,89,91,110, 120, 130, 138, 142, 146, 155, 159, 161,163,167,170,171,182,186, 187 340(French) Squadron 53, 60, 87, 94, 100, Ill, 119, 120, 155, 157, 161, 168, 171, 172, 182, 185, 186 341(French) Squadron 53, 58, 60, 87, 120, 154, 169, 175, 187 342(French) Squadron 17,22,23, 26,27,32,39,41,42,49,58,59, 64,68,70,71,77,94,101,120, 127,133,174 349(Belgian) Squadron 53, 78,79, 84,94,96,98,104, Ill, 116, 120, 131,133,138,142,143, 145, 146, 155,163,170 350(Belgian) Squadron 15,50,53, 58,68,78,79,121,145,151 400(RCAF) Squadron 14, 18, 19,22, 23,24,27,28,29,37,38,40,42, 47,50,58,61,70,75,107,120 401(RCAF) Squadron 19,20,24,37, 38,39,40,50,53,54,55,56,57, 58,61,62,63,68,71,78,80,81, 89,93,95,98,100,102,103,104, 114,115,116,118,120,138,140, 142, 1,43, 151, 154, 158, 161, 172, 175, 181, 183, 184, 186, 187 403(RCAF) Squadron 20, 27, 28, 29, 33,37,38,39,42,47,50,53,57, 58,59,65,69,75,78,89,96,100, 102, 103, 107, 110, 111, 116, 118, 120, 146, 147, 157, 163, 166, 167, 170,174,176,177,180,181,182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187 406(RCAF) Squadron 121 409(RCAF) Squadron 60, 100, 119, 120, 147, 154, 156, 158, 160, 165, 170, 171, 17~ 179, 180, 184 41O(RCAF) Squadron 60, 92, 100, 115, 120, 147, 156, 158, 160, 165, 167,170,178, 179,189 411(RCAF) Squadron 15, 19,20,24, 38,50,53,55,56,57,61,62,94, 98, 102, 103, 107, 110, Ill, 118, 120,138,141, 143,151, 154, 155, 171,181,182, 183,184,185,186, 187 412(RCAF) Squadron 13, 19,20,24, 25,39,47,50,53,54,55,58,59, 61,69,71,78,81,85,89,104, 105,112,120,130,138,142,151, 154, 155, 161, 165, 167, 169, 182, 183, 184 414(RCAF) Squadron 14, 18, 19,29, 32,33,37,38,45,46,47,50,53, 68,69,77,78,84,120,131,138, 142,151,154,159,161, 164, 165, 169, 176, 17~ 185, 18~ 188

416(RCAF) Squadron 70, Ill, 112, 113, 116, 120, 146, 157, 180, 183, 184, 185, 186 418(RCAF) Squadron Ill, 121 421(RCAF) Squadron 15,20,27,28, 29,32,33,37,38,39,40,41,42, 45,50,53,57,59,65,89,100, 103, Ill, 120, 143, 154, 157, 158, 162,163,176,177,180,182,183, 184, 185, 186, 187 430(RCAF) Squadron 18, 19,22,45, 46,50,53,54,70,78,90,120, 131,133,166,167,169, 171,172, 183, 184 438(RCAF) Squadron 59, 94, 95, 101,103,120,155,157,164,165, 180, 182 439(RCAF) Squadron 53, 59, 89, 100,115,119, f20, 163, 176, 177 440(RCAF) Squadron 59, 63, 100, 112, 113, 120, 132, 133, 138, 140, 142,157,177 441(RCAF) Squadron 53,60,86, 96,98,101,119,120,132,133, 140,157,162,163,172,175,186, 187 442(RCAF) Squadron 53, 60, 91, 96, 100, 103, 107, 120, 143, 162, 165, 172,175,177,181,182,183,184, 186, 187 443(RCAF) Squadron 53,60,92,93, 96, 101, 120, 13~ 14~ 143, 15~ 159,161,162,164,165,177,181, 183, 184 453(RAAF) Squadron 15,53,64,69, 76,77,91, Ill, 11~ 120, 132, 155, 164, 165, 180, 181, 182, 186, 187 456(RAAF) Squadron 147 464(RAAF) Squadron 15, 17,22,39, 40,49,53,55,58,61,65,69,72, 73,74,75,76,77,81,85,92,96, 98, 104, 118, 120, 127, 133, 157, 168,171,172,175 485(RNZAF) Squadron 53, 76, 106, 120, 131, 133, 143, 144, 145, 146, 155, 157, 185, 186 486(RNZAF) Squadron 60, 91,115, 120, 144 487(RNZAF) Squadron 15, 17,21, 39,40,49,54,55,56,58,61,69, 72,73,74,75,76,77,78,79,81, 84,85,86,101,120,155,157, 168 488(RNZAF) Squadron 60,100, 107, 120, 156, 165, 167, 170, 175, 179,184,189 501 Squadron 121,143,178,186 504 Squadron 14,32,70,76 575 Squadron 120, 165 601 Squadron 178 602 Squadron 19,20,23,24,28,33, 40,42,50,53,54,57,58,62,64, 78,97,104,120,143,151,154, 162, 163, 176, 177, 180, 181, 185, 186, 187

I

604 Squadron 59, 100, 107, 120, 145,156,160,172,175,181,189 609 Squadron 66, 77, 78, 84, 100, 104,105,107, 113, 116, 118, 120, 130, 132, 133, 136, 168, 176, 177, 181, 182, 186, 188 610 Squadron 30, 121 611 Squadron 121, 159, 166 613 Squadron 15,49,59,63,64,71, 75,76,78,85,87,89,98, 104, 106, 110, Ill, 116, 120, 169 616 Squadron 14,30, 121, 155 652 Squadron 50, 120, 147, 177, 189 653 Squadron 50,120,181,188 658 Squadron 50,120,170,181,188 659 Squadron 50, 120, 181, 188 660 Squadron 50, 120, 189 661 Squadron 50, 120, 189 662 Squadron 50, 120, 146, 147, 188 808(FAA) Squadron 120, 133, 140, 143 885(FAA) Squadron 120, 131, 133, 140, 143, 164, 165 886(FAA) Squadron 120, 131, 133, 140, 143, 145, 146 897(FAA) Squadron 120, 140, 143 RCAF Units In Canada 14 Squadron, RCAF 60 III Squadron, RCAF 59 118 Squadron, RCAF 59 123 Squadron, RCAF 59 125 Squadron, RCAF 60 127 Squadron, RCAF 60 OTHER UNITS Armament Practice Camps 11 APC 52, 53 12 APC 52, 53 13 APC 52, 53 15 APC 52, 53 16 APC 19,52,53 17 APC 52, 53 18 APC 52, 53, 81 Air Spotting Pool (including 3 Naval Fighter Wing) 120, 121, 123,125,126,140,145,151,154, 174, 186, 189 Fighter Leader's School 21, 60, 100, 139 Specialised Low Attack Instructors School 10,20,21,60 Operational Training Units 52 OTU 21 59 OTU 20, 60, 139 Group Support Units 83 GSU 110 Repair and Salvage Units 410 RSU 112, 113, 174 RAF Servicing Commadoes 3205 Servicing Commando 141 3206 Servicing Commando 141

3207 Servicing Commando 3208 Servicing Commando 3209 Servicing Commando 3210 Servicing Commando

141 141 141 141

UNITED STATES ARMY AIR FORCE

US Eighth Air Force 21, 28, 33, 34, 35,49,57,58,86,89,96,123, 133, 135 VIII Bomber Command 121 VIII Fighter Command 86,121, 123, 124 4th Fighter Group 33, 62, 86, 133 US Ninth Air Force 45, 49, 57, 87, 118,120,121,123,125,133,145, 159, 181, 189 IX Tactical Air Command 121, 123, 125 XIX Tactical Air Command 121, 123, 125 IX Bomber Command 121, 123, 125 IX Fighter Command 121 IX Troop Carrier Command 121, 123, 125 PR Group 121 354th Fighter Group 121, 125 US Navy 120, 123, 125, 126 LUFTWAFFE

Luftflotte 3 134, 135, 145 Fliegerfiihrer West 189 II. Jagdkorps 189 II. Fliegerkorps 189 III. Flakkorps 134 IX. Fliegerkorps 189 X. Fliegerkorps 145, 189 2. Fliegerdivision 145, 189 8. Abteilung 189 AutkHirungsGruppe 123 189 4.(F)/123 151 IV/Fl.zieiG 1 109 Jagdgeschwader 1 21, 164 Stab./JG 1 179 I./JG 1 21, 165, 176, 183 II./JG 1 21, 155, 174, 181, 184, 186 III./JG 1 33, 141 Jagdgeschwader 2 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, 33,39, 102, 126, 138, 155, 180 Stab./JG 2131 I./JG 2 26, 104, 133, 141, ISS, 159, 162,164,169,176,179,184 II./JG 2 23, 24, 26, 33, 112, 141, 177,179,181 III./JG 2 61, 131, 132, 133, 141, 147, 155, 159, 164, 165, 173, 177,181 l./JG 2 22, 38, 39, 40 3./JG 2 24 4./JG 2 111 5./JG 2 23, 33, 107 6./JG 2 181 8./JG 2 32 9./JG 2 42

ll./JG 2 33 12./JG 2 78, 96, 131 Jagdgeschwader 3 21, 42, 64, 180 Stab./JG 3 39 I./JG 3 42, 57, 58, 162 II./JG 3 39,40,42,45, 150, 162 III./JG 3138,141,150,172,176, 179 2./JG 3 47 5./JG 3 143 6./JG 3 40 8./JG 3 159 I./JG 5 141 II./JG 5 177 III./JG 7 159 Jagdgeschwader 11 21 I./JG 11 181, 183 II./JG 11 141 III./JG 11 141 10./JG 11 102, 105, 108, 109, 111 AlarmstaffeUJG 11 108 Jagdgeschwader 26 21, 23, 27, 28, 33,38,40,54,55,57,62,64,101, 102, 126, 138, 184 Stab./JG 26 33, 131 I./JG 26 24, 28, 78, 84, 93, 104, 141,159,168,176 II./JG 26 23,37,38,55,57,69, 101,141,165,166,169,176, 178,184, 185 III./JG 26 33, 38, 39, 40, 64, 101, 141,172, 181,186 3./JG 26 46, 102 4./JG 26 28, 33, 42, 57, 93, 107 5./JG 26 54, 55, 58, 64 6./JG 26 24, 45, 54, 64, 68 7./JG 26 41, 54, 74, 80 8./JG 26 28, 32, 33, 38, 40, 68 9./JG 26 45 10./JG 26 23, 29, 39, 164 ll./JG 26 27,40,64 Jagdgeschwader 27 21, 159, 184, 185, 186 I./JG 27 141, 155, 163, 164 III./JG 27 176, 183 IV.lJG 27140,141,144,166,174 2./JG 27 164 3./JG 27 23 12.1JG 27 144 7./JG 51 141,186 III./JG 53 141 Jagdgeschwader 54 21,171 III.lJG 54 24, 140, 141, 144, 145, 155,166,171,174,176,178, 181 Jagdgeschwader 101 70 Jagdgeschwader 103 70 Jagdgeschwader 105 68, 70 Jagdgeschwader 107 70 Kampfgeschwader 6 47, 57 Kampfgeschwader 26 109 Kampfgeschwader 30 108, 109 Kampfgeschwader 66 92 Kampfgeschwader 100 78, 92, 108 Kampfgeschwader 101 160 NAGr 13 185, 189 Stab./NJG 1 98

8./NJG 4 95, 103 III./SG 4 141, 155 I./SKG 10 57, 98 3./SKG 10 131, 141 I./ZG 1 131,138 II./ZG 1 38 2./ZG 1 138 8./ZG 1 26 ARMY UNITS British Commonwealth 21st Army Group 9, 12 First Canadian Army 16, 126, 135 Second British Army 16, 126, 135, 159, 188 I British Corps 147, 180 VIII British Corps 180, 182, 185 XXX British Corps 134, 147, 180 1st Airborne Division 147 3rd Division 134 7th Armoured Division 147, 149, 154,156, 158, 159 11th Armoured Division 187 50th Division 159 51st HigWand Division 147, 159, 174 6th Air Landing Brigade 134 United States US First Army 188 US V Corps 133, 135, 147, 154, 156, 157, 159 US XIX Corps 159 US 1st Division 157 US 82nd Airborne Division 133 US 101st Airborne Division 133 US 352nd Division 135 Germany Armee Gruppe B 149 Armee Gruppe G 134 Panzer Gruppe West 134, 147, 148, 149 I Armee 134 VII Armee 134 XV Armee 134 XIX Armee 134 I SS Panzer Korps 147, 149 II SS Panzer Korps 159 II Fallschirmjaeger Korps 134 2. Panzer Division 134, 135, 157 9. Panzer Division 134 11. Panzer Division 134 19. Panzer Division 134 21. Panzer Division 134, 147 116. Panzer Division 134 Panzer Lehr Division 134, 135, 154, 156 1. SS Panzer Division 'Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler' 134, 135 2. SS Panzer Division 'Das Reich' 134, 135 12. SS Panzer Division 'Hitlerjugend' 134, 135, 147 17. SS Panzer Grenadier Division 'Gotz von Berlichingen' 134, 135, 159

CLASSIC

PUBLICATIONS

Printed in England

www.classic-books.co.uk