RAF Form 540 Pre-Campaign Mission Sunday 1st December

RAF From 540. Flight reports from the 2nd Battle of Britain Campaign. Only ACG RAF can post

Moderators: Board of Directors, Administration Staff, Skin Team, Treasurers

User avatar
Gromic
Pilot Officer
Pilot Officer
Posts: 1650
Joined: Sat Jul 14, 2012 6:24 pm

Re: RAF Form 540 Pre-Campaign Mission Sunday 1st December

Post by Gromic » Thu Dec 05, 2013 1:44 pm

Mission date: 1st Dec 2013
Aerodrome: Rochester
Aeroplane: Spitfire MKIIa / SH-Q

The minute hand on the clock clears 05:40. Medium cloud fields with a base around 6000 feet slowly wallow overhead our aerodrome. An occasional, mild gust of wind traverses underneath, joining the puffs on their way to wherever the sky may take them. Waiting in the open cockpit I check my battery status and sniff the clear, cool morning air. Chaps left and right of me going through the same, pre-warmup checks in their aircraft. The canopy of SH-I is closed as usual. Pink1 swears to his secluded privacy these early morning hours, the muffled, disturbing sounds emanating behind the shut windshield confirming to all, that he’s not asleep. Must be another one of those leg cramps he’s having.

05:51. Chain home channeled through squadron command blurts on the R/T. 64 squadron, scramble all available a/c, vector 090° towards Manston bay , ceiling angels 23, standby for further orders. Activity around Calais airspace. Jerry’s awake. Get ‘em up. The early bird gets the hun!

Two minutes later I pull the canopy close to subdue the deafening roar of almost a dozen MKIIa merlin engines fluctuating revs along the runway boundary, in a quick attempt to get temperatures up. 60° oil check, radiator full open check, gyro course 200° set check, altimeter set and caged, check. Group pink pulls up first past the runway apron in a vic. I release brakes, pull out of my bin and carefully twist towards the waiting 3 spitfires of group white in front of me. I reach the runway 30 seconds before a blast of dust and grass blow through my tri-bladed prop as group pink throttle up and take to the air along the yellow markers of the Rochester strip.

We are quick to join. I give the go as Red2 pulls up on my starboard wing and we are off in a screaming race downfield. Fighting the torque, I slowly increase right rudder and trim the spitfire elevator heavy as she gains speed in the roll, my parachute dampening the shuddering of the undercarriage along the uneven ground. In 20 seconds it is over as she takes to the sky, practically by herself. Red2 confirms gear up as we shoot into the heavens as a pair and quickly follow group pink into a climbing left handed orbit above the aerodrome. I can see the spitfires of groups white and blue following up behind us. Having reached angels one point five, pink leader levels out and heads towards Manston bay in a steep grab for altitude, 9 spitfires following him in the charge.

5 Minutes later, 4 groups of spitfires from 64 squadron break angels 13 on an easterly course. We are still grabbing altitude like mad, engines running high. I can see Gravesend below my port wing. Fitting name for what we are about to partake in. I block out the thought. “Pink flight” I bark, this is group red. We are moving to your 3, over”. I get confirmation from pink1. SH-Q and SH-W move towards the outside right of the squadron. I check my six and see Red2 lagging slightly behind. “come on Red2, pace up will you” trying to direct my wingman through the r/t “sorry Red1, I’m running hot trying to stay up. She’s had better days”. I instinctively throttle back to give Red2 a chance to catch up and cool down, departing from the main flight but keeping them well within sight. Red2 catches up and we carry on towards Manston, slightly lower and a half mile behind the main group.

At angels 23 we level out, managing to reform with the rest of the squadron that is now just shy of the Manston aerodrome. Everyone is pulling contrails now. Red2’s temperatures have returned to normal. An overcast of clouds bloom around, peaks as high as 20,000 ft. The occasional break allowing us to glance the surface, far below. 64 Squadron veers slowly left above the white overcast, loitering in a wide circle, looking for anything suspicious. 2 minutes ago RAF command contacted SH-I of pink flight, reporting hurricanes from 501 and 615 squadron engaging 110’s near the Manston bay. They must have escorts but so far none have been seen. The skys are clear of anything not wearing 64 designation markings. We are on edge scanning everything within visual range. Now feet wet, 5 miles north of Manston, we turn south and descend as a group towards Manston bay, ever increasing speed.

“Red1, this is two. I’ve lost eyes on you. Where are you?” . I quickly glance the air around me and discover a single spitfire straggling behind two a/c of group pink. “check your 4 low”. I repeat again “check your 4 low”. Red2 doesn’t react initially. “Red2, this is one. I’ll give you a waggle, check your 4 low.” as I carefully roll back and forth in the horizontal plane. Red2 surprises me and waggles himself. At least I now know I’m eyeing SH-W behind the pink pair. I slowly start to pull up to Red2’s starboard wing, on my high 2 o’clock, 150 feet above me when Hell breaks loose!

Tally ho! The other three groups of 64 Squadron have now made out contacts far below. Immediately, wasting no time, they drop over their port wing and begin diving towards the unsuspecting hun below, themselves engaged with hurricanes of 501 and 615 squadrons. I immediately order Red2 to maintain altitude until I’ve reached him. Upon regaining formation, we swing through a left handed orbit at 16,000 feet over the invisible furball below us. We drop altitude in a spiral when I catch 5 aircraft in a knife fight at my low 12. Again, I order Red2 not to engage, keep his energy high and follow me closely. As group leader, getting my wingman home alive is my responsibility.

From above, with Red2 poised at my 5 o’clock in a sustained, medium dive, I pounce on a German 109 that, after having fired upon an unfortunate hurricane below, is just coming through the top of a steep, vertical climb. Jerry has blown all his energy in doing so. At the zenith he hangs, wobbles and drops over his port wing. We are still too far away to take an effective shot. I decide against wasting speed and do not wing over after him. No sooner has the wallowing 109 started his reverse drop when a second Messerschmitt (obviously his wingman) shoots up past the first, from left to right. He seems oblivious to our presence. At 315 mph, his angle off tail will also not allow me to get a good deflection shot so I continue level past his path. Red2 has other thoughts, smelling a chance and breaks to starboard after the zooming 109, which has now lost considerable energy. I watch Red2 as he closes and fires a burst into the hun, now just 100 feet ahead of him, sending visible chunks of metal plating into the ether. The 109 streams glycol and initiates a fast, negative g bunt which Red2 cannot follow. I bank quickly to starboard, initiate a low yo-yo and reverse my direction to port placing me slightly underneath the descending 109. “Red2! Do not follow him down. Stay up!” I call to my wingman. Now the hun levels out again in a futile attempt to regain his bearings. I am knocking on his door from 80 yards 10° off tail. 8 .303’s fire in unison and hit their mark. I see impact flashes walking along his fuselage from rear to front. The bastard belches black smoke and wings over to the right, diving out of our sight over Deal. I claim one probable.

I glance to the left and see Red2 on my 7 o’clock somewhat higher up and 120 yards behind me. He is following in a slow, right handed, level bank turn as we pick up speed again. “break break break, Red2 break hard right now!” A lone 109 catches my attention as it closes on Red2 from behind. Still 200 yards out, he is closing fast. SH-W breaks hard right. Jerry is no rookie and so continues onward knowing that he cannot catch a turning spitfire at that rate of closure but, he’s obviously also not intent on getting into a fight with 2 brits. “Red2, you are clear. He’s off” I give the all clear to my wingman and simultaneously bank left to keep my eye on the extending 109 who continues to head south towards the French coast. We break pursuit and turn north towards Manston at angels nine where we RTB 15 minutes later.

Claims
Destroyed: None
Probable: One Me109
Damaged: None

Lost
Pilot status: OK
Aeroplane status: Undamaged
Image
32 Squadron / USAAF 84 Squadron

User avatar
Dickie
Group Captain
Group Captain
ACG Board
contributor
Posts: 13837
Joined: Sat Jul 14, 2012 12:15 pm
Location: Gloucestershire, England
Contact:

Re: RAF Form 540 Pre-Campaign Mission Sunday 1st December

Post by Dickie » Thu Dec 05, 2013 2:33 pm

Great efforts lads and great to read.

No reports from:

Nitrous
McTavish

McTavish
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Nov 05, 2013 7:07 pm

Re: RAF Form 540 Pre-Campaign Mission Sunday 1st December

Post by McTavish » Fri Dec 06, 2013 2:20 pm

Mission date: 1st Dec 2013
Aerodrome: Rochester
Aeroplane: Spitfire IIa / SH-M / N3122

Synopsis:
Flew in the L/H position, No.3 slot of Blue flight. Contacts were spotted over Manston and we vectored to engage. Flight leader Identified an enemy singleton, a 109 and turned to merge. I trailed to cover as No.1 and No.2 went vertical with the 109. I chased up through the vertical manoeuvre and then perched r to cover as No.2 dived down to chase the 109. Very soon lost tally on both lead and No2, so extended NE of the fight. Got bounce by 2 109’s, pulled guns defence and rolled out to push quick attempt on a 109 passing into my now 1 O clock low.
Pulled too much lead as the 109 pulled up into the vertical…….
Mid Air collision……
Mrs McTavish not happy.

Claims
Destroyed:0
Probable:1
Damaged:0

Lost
Pilot status: KIA
Aeroplane status: Destroyed

Hypoxia
Posts: 140
Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2013 1:56 pm

Re: RAF Form 540 Pre-Campaign Mission Sunday 1st December

Post by Hypoxia » Fri Dec 06, 2013 2:43 pm

Well Tyrone, after reading all this rot it seems to me you may have been my assailant. Rumors of my demise are premature however as I am recovering from my burns in a full body cast under the care of several very friendly and "attentive" buxom English nurses. If you could be a good chap and drop off several pints....something German, not that English swill, then I may be good to go again on Sunday under a prisoner exchange program...

Congrats on your kill.

PS...I'm getting rudder pedals for Christmas.

User avatar
Tyrone
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Posts: 369
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 7:29 pm
Location: birmingham,England

Re: RAF Form 540 Pre-Campaign Mission Sunday 1st December

Post by Tyrone » Sat Dec 07, 2013 2:56 pm

Hypoxia wrote:Well Tyrone, after reading all this rot it seems to me you may have been my assailant. Rumors of my demise are premature however as I am recovering from my burns in a full body cast under the care of several very friendly and "attentive" buxom English nurses. If you could be a good chap and drop off several pints....something German, not that English swill, then I may be good to go again on Sunday under a prisoner exchange program...

Congrats on your kill.

PS...I'm getting rudder pedals for Christmas.
ahh so it was u Hypoxia I had to get u before u got your cannons into one of us same place next week please ;) S!

User avatar
Gromic
Pilot Officer
Pilot Officer
Posts: 1650
Joined: Sat Jul 14, 2012 6:24 pm

Re: RAF Form 540 Pre-Campaign Mission Sunday 1st December

Post by Gromic » Sat Dec 07, 2013 7:27 pm

Hypoxia wrote:PS...I'm getting rudder pedals for Christmas.
Which ones? I'm looking into getting a pair myself (rudders that is ya arsewipes) :lol:
Osprey, if we're blemishing the 540 thread pls. feel free to remove them.
Image
32 Squadron / USAAF 84 Squadron

Flick
Posts: 54
Joined: Thu Sep 26, 2013 9:25 pm
Location: Garden Of England

Re: RAF Form 540 Pre-Campaign Mission Sunday 1st December

Post by Flick » Sun Jan 19, 2014 8:18 pm

Mission date: *st Dec 2013
Aerodrome:
Aeroplane: Type / Code / Serial

Synopsis: (optional)

Claims 2 damaged
Destroyed:
Probable:
Damaged:

Lost
Pilot status: OK/ Crash Landed at Dunquirk caught boat to Deal
Aeroplane status: Lost
Life's too short to ride hard packed snow

Post Reply