Adlerangriff. Mission 32: 18th August

[Thaine]

Squadron: No.501 Squadron
Squadron code: "SD"
Pilot name: Thaine
Date: 18th Aug 1940,
Time: 12:30
Base: Gravesend
Type: Hawker Hurricane Mk Ia
Marking: T for Toc
Serial number: P3208

Synopsis:

No scramble this time. Takeoff for a patrol. 501 was called out first to welcome the hun, once again. I was assigned second position in Red section, wingman to Wing Commander Osprey. We took of from Gravesend and headed east north of the coast. Eventually swinging south towards Dover.
Not long after Bonkin spotted contacts ahead. A group of 4 slightly higher than us and a large group following them. Fighters to sweep clean the airspace so the bombers can pass. We turned behind the first group of enemies, clearly visible due to the contrails. Red 1 called me to break, I followed and looked back to see a 109 appearing top speed out of nowhere. He was probably to fast and could not land any hits, but I went into a spin loosing precious energy and situational awarness, not to speak about my section leader.
I continued to circle northwest of Deal and slowly gained altitude again. Finally went behind one 109 that must have seen me. He dove for the deck and I didn't follow but instead headed for the bombers. I was hoping to make contact with 501 again once reaching our target. Contrails indicated fierce dogfights almost everywhere. I reached the second group and went in for the attack. I pelted the fuselage of a He-111 back to front but without gaining any critical hits. Although the top gunner might have gotten a hell of a shock if he survived my attack. I'll will never know.
I turned around for another go to get the Bomber down but this time I was attacked by myself. Several contacts approaching me from my six. I broke away and saw at least 2-3 109 zipping past behind me. I reported my situation to Squadron leader Osprey and when I looked back the second time, a 110 closed in on my six, not more than 200yds away. I pulled the hurricane into a steep turn on the verge of stalling, my vision blurred and colors seemed to vanish from sight.
My opponent must have been one of the inexperienced kind, for he tried to stay behind my. Jesus don't they tell the fresh recruits over in France that the 110 is no match with the Hurricane when turning and that his advantage is speed? A few seconds after it was me that was closing in on his six. He pulled up and I fired my first bursts but did not hit. My crate snapped to the right from a partial stall but I could recover it immediately. The 110 got some distance and now a second one appeared joining the fight.
I stayed with the first one and after he tried to escape into the sun a second time I pulled the trigger, spitting bullets into his general direction and was able to damage his right engine. A second Hurricane had arrived, Robo from 501, and now the advantage was definitely on our side again. I did not take very long and the second 110 was streaming from both engines with Robo in it's pursuit. I concentrated on the first one and followed him into his climbs, turns and dives. He finally turned some 200yds in front of me and I opened up on him landing hits on top of his canopy and wing root. He dove away and I received impacts by myself but couldn't see from who. When the situation cleared itself the 110 was gone. I discovered smoke rising north of my position and made a low pass. It was an aeroplane crash-site that emitted the smoke, and I'm rather certain it was the 110. I hereby claim it as destroyed.
After that I returned to Gravesend and landed without further incidents.


Claims:
Destroyed 1x BF-110
Damaged 1x HE-111

Pilot: OK
A/C:OK

[Gromic]

Squadron: No. 64 Squadron
Squadron Code: SH
Pilot Name: Gromic
Type: Spitfire Ia 100 octane
Marking: Q for Queen
Date: 18 Aug 1940
Base: Kenley



Claims:
Confirmed: 0
Probable: 1 HE-111
Damaged: 2 Bf-109

Losses:
AC: practically new
Pilot: ok

[Midge]

Squadron: No.615"County of Surrey"Squadron
Squadron code: KW
Pilot name: Midge
Date: 18th August 1940
Time: 1200hrs'ish
Base: Kenley
Type: Hawker hurricane MK1[100oct]
Marking: C for[a right one] Charlie
Serial no: P2564

Knowing that I wasn't on standby till Midday the following day,i headed uptown for a few jars and a show.Well I had the jars,enlivened by a bottle of 12yr old malt and the dubious charms of a fine looking barmaid by the name of slack Sarah"oh hum any port in a storm" but missed the shows,and awoke the next morning with a bloody hideous hangover and a strange urge to scratch around the gentlemans region.
Everything was a bit of a rush ,milk train to Croyden where I met a few ruff looking types from No.111Squadron,looking a bit green around the gills and much talk of the lack of a good source of piano's?
Lucklily the Adj had organised a bus for the chaps coming back from leave,and I arrived at Kenley well before breakfast was over.

I was to fly as blue section with Baron in blue 1,Kev in blue 2 and me in in blue 3.Panta took off,shook out and made a sustained climb to 24000ft,north east of Manstone we saw contrails everywhere a major battle was going on,but the enemy 109's flew past us,the Skip told Panta to leave them and concentrate on the bombers.they were Ju88's and going at a fine lick,S/Ldr Spud called for full power and we gave chase,they seemed to be heading for the Kenley/Biggin hill area.Baron picked the middle of three formations and tasked Blue section with hitting the lefthand element.i gave one of the Ju88's a long burst watching him peelover and head for the ground,Baron also hit one hard causing it to burst into flames[confirmed by me].blue section pulled a hard left and attacked again with Baron destroying another and me shooting up a 4th,I heard Baron over the RT say he streaming and that as Kev had copped a packet I was Leader of the whole of blue flight---err me!Heading for the bombers again I ordered the whole of blue section to hit the buggers again but 300yrds out I received a burst,oil all over the shop and the aircraft shaking alarmingly,i dove for the ground hoping to find a nice flat field to land in when bang tracer all around me and everything went red,still diving I found a clear field landed,stopped and---everything went black.---mind you my bollocks also stopped itching!

Claims:

Destroyed: 1 Ju88
Probable: 0
Damaged: 1 Ju88

Losses:

Pilot: dead as
Aircraft: destroyed

[Bonkin]

Squadron: No.501 "County of Gloucester" Squadron
Squadron code: "SD"
Pilot name: Flying Officer Bonkin
Date: 18th August 1940 12:30
Base: RAF Gravesend
Type: Hawker Hurricane Ia
Marking: "Z for Zebra"
Serial number: P3803

Synopsis
Led blue section into what we thought were a mass of bombers but which turned out to be an advanced fighter sweep of 109’s. Jerry did a good job keeping us away from the bombers. Lost my number 3 as we merged, and then as I engaged with a 109 (which was closing at my six), I lost my number 2.

I managed to force the 109 to go past me and as he tried to zoom up I got some good hits which sent black smoke pouring out of him. The markings were ones I’d not seen before. I was sure it was a red heart and a “1 + 6” or “1 + 8”. Unfortunately the rotter had struck a luck hit to my engine though and I knew it would only be a matter of time before the engine seized.

Without my 2 and 3 I RT’d that I was going to make for Manston. I didn’t see what happened to the 109 I’d hit but I made a safe landing without further damage.

Managed to hitch a ride on an Anson back to Gravesend.

Claims
Destroyed: 0
Probable: 0
Damaged: 1 x Me109

Losses
Pilot: OK.
A/C: OK – just needs a replacement engine.

[Bully]

Squadron: No.501 "County of Gloucester" Squadron
Squadron code: "SD"
Pilot name: Bully
Date: 18th August 1940 12:30
Base: RAF Gravesend
Type: Hawker Hurricane Ia
Marking: "B for Beer"
Serial number: L2083

Followed Green leader in high altitude combat for about 5 minutes but we got separated after diving in for the bombers. Engaged with a 109 behind the bomber group and got involved in a turning V boom and zoom fight. Had no chance of catching the 109, but managed to evade him for a few minutes, before decided it was time to exit for the deck. The 109 had one go at me while I was heading earthwards, a few hits but nothing to stop me fighting. However the 109 made a second pass, failing to hit me seriously with any bullets, but did a fine job of taking my wing off with his aircraft. Spiraling down to earth, I pulled the cockpit back and jumped. I saw my aircraft hit the ground around Canterbury, and I made contact with the ground in the middle of a farmers field to the South East of Canterbury.

Claims
Nil

Losses
Aircraft: Destroyed
Pilot: OK

[Broadsword]

Squadron: No.501 "County of Gloucester" Squadron
Squadron Code: SD
Pilot Name: Broadsword
Date: 18th August 1940
Time: 1230 hrs.
Base: RAF Gravesend
Type: Hawker Hurricane 1a 100 Oct
Marking: E for Edward
Serial: P3582

"I have a bad feeling about this."

I don't recall which of us said it first, but the sentiment had been building through 501 all morning. We smiled and joked, indulged in a bit of banter, but nobody's heart really seemed to be in it today. Well, no matter - war doesn't wait for you to be in the right mood. For King and Country was what mattered, regardless of if you felt up to it or not. By the end of a restless morning I was honestly glad to strap into my bird, despite the tension gnawing at my gut.

I'd been assigned as Blue Three under Bonkin, with Bully as Blue Two. Never met a more solid, dependable pair of chaps, and on a different day I would have looked forward to learning a lot from them both. But I was jittery as a schoolgirl and didn't rate my chances of a successful learning experience.

I truly don't know whether Osprey thought we'd only get worse if we sat around waiting for the bell, or we were genuinely slated to take up a recon patrol, but either way the Boss had us firing our engines up within a couple of minutes. We were pretty much lined up on the active when the first contact reports started to come in. Instead of the usual 501 eagerness I could just hear Dave voicing his misgivings, and Robo trying rather unconvincingly to reassure him.

"I've got a feeling I'm going to cop it today"

"No you won't, you'll come back."

"Well, I haven't got a cat in the cockpit today, so I'm happy," interjected Horus.

"I think it's good to have some pussy at hand, but, you know, not all the time," came the WingCo's reply. The laughter helped to ease our worries, but not for long.

Osprey led us in a northward loop over Southend and back to North Foreland, perhaps hoping that a bit of formation flying would settle our jangling nerves. Can't speak for anyone else but it didn't work on me. Our long slow arc towards Margate with not enough R/T chatter gave me far too much time to sweat.

We went feet dry west of Margate at Angels twenty, planning to patrol over Canterbury and back to Maidstone, but just then Bonkin spotted multiple contacts at our 11 o'clock, which quickly turned into four 109s passing northwards through our nine and towards our six. They were followed by a second group of four, and suddenly the sky was filled with the a dozen contrails as we all vied for position.

Having listened to the lectures often enough, I knew that my best chance for survival was to stick with Bonkin. We looped around their formation as we tried to gain a little more altitude, and then I followed as Bonks closed on a Jerry from behind. I was horribly aware of the other 109s circling just above us, and divided my time between scanning behind me and trying to keep my Section Leader in sight. Likewise, I tried to weave a little, but not so much that I dropped too far back from Bonks.

I watched, fascinated, as Bonkin's Hurricane spat out a stream of bullets but didn't have time to see if they hit the fleeing Boche fighter as I scanned my own behind once more. Arcing to the left to follow my leader I suddenly saw two orange flashes as tracer whizzed past my canopy, and then my elevators went dead.

I was desperately pulling back on the stick trying to make my bird turn away from the hailstorm of Jerry lead, but she stubbornly refused to do anything other than fly in a straight line. I had a moment of peace as I realised that whatever happened next was not in my hands, then the lights went out.



"It was an amazing sight, all those white trails looping across the sky and that. Then I saw a couple of Jerries do the dirty on one of our fine boys, and his plane rolled over and started to flutter down. It must have been two or three minutes before he hit the ground, but I never saw no parachute come out. Reckon he must have been killed straight away. Anyhow, Bob and I drove over quick as you like to see if there was anything to do, but that plane had buried isself in a deep crater next to the Stour, and it looked like all that was left was her nose." - Bill Bilburtson of Stodmarsh, as quoted in the Kentish Gazette. See picture below.




Losses:
Aircraft: Smushed
Pilot: Shot, burnt, probably stabbed by pointy things and poisoned by toxic fumes as well, then whammed at high speed into the instrument panel before being thunked from behind by the seat, fuselage and tail section of E for Edward. Wouldn't surprise me if my severed control cables had managed to wrap themselves round my neck as well. If not very probably dead then very actually dead.

[Binkitone]

Form 540
Squadron 64
Date: 18th August 1940
Aerodrome: Kenley
Base: Kenley
Aeroplane: Spitfire 1a (100oct) / SH-W Serial number: K9964

Synopsis;

While mid channel south of Dungeness, discovered a group of scattered two engine enemy bombers heading back to their base. Pointed my Spit towards an isolated straggler on my ten, checking my six, I then noticing high contacts, single engines, probably 109 escorts, they have already spotted me and were heading my way.
I immediately broke off my original intentions and turned about to bring them on my twelve, this was soon confirmed by their yellow nose, as one passed me close below on my right side.
I dive now in a northerly direction for Blighty at full speed, looking over my shoulder I could see at least two 109s on my tail closing fast (they had the energy advantage), instinctively I broke right in a tight turn, circling and changing direction several times, found this ineffective, as it appeared that each pursuer alternatively joined the attack.
After some time I took damage on the airframe, eventually finding my flying controls inoperative, decided rather than hit the drink, I rather hit the silk.
Floated down in tranquility to plunge in to a cold choppy water. I awoke in a daze, spluttering and choking lying on a bunk on board a trawler, surrounded by oil skin clad sailors muttering, "Thought you've were a gonner and drowned mate, as you look like you've swallowed half the English Channel."
Many thanks for my 'Irvin' and 'Mae West' working as you always hope.

Claims
Destroyed:0
Probable: 0
Damaged:0
Pilot status: Recovering.
A/C : Lost.

[Hollywood]

Squadron: No.615 "County of Surrey" Squadron
Squadron Code: KW
Pilot Name: Hollywood
Date: 18th August 1940
Time: 12.30hrs
Base: Kenley
Type: Hurricane I Rotol
Marking: F - Ferdinant


Claims:

Destroyed: 2 109's, 3 bombers
Pilot: OK
Aircraft: OK