FlyPast - 2018-01

FRE E R AF CE NTE NARY POSTE R Britain’s Top-Selling Aviation Monthly

RAF 100

A CENTURY OF VALOUR IN THE AIR

LIGHTNINGS IN COLOUR COLD WAR

1918

TANK BUSTING HURRICANES

2018

74 SQUADRON IN THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN WORLD WAR 2

DESERT WAR

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JANUARY 2018 £4.70 CAN $9.99 AUS $11.75

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Welcome

T

here is something rather sad about a once active aeroplane without its wings. Having had the essence of its existence removed, it becomes essentially redundant, instead being used for a multitude of purposes, or is simply scrapped. However, I was fortunate to see one such aircraft that, despite being wingless and somewhat battered, had lost none of its poise and presence. In fact, there was even a sense that her dignity had increased. The subject was Gloster Sea Gladiator N5520 Faith, a representative of the type that was used by the Hal Far Fighter Flight which defended Malta during the siege of 1940. Three of the biplanes – named Faith, Hope and Charity – possibly by an unknown Maltese newspaper – succeeded in capturing the public imagination. Now suspended from the roof of the National War Museum at St Elmo’s Fort, Valletta in Malta, Faith forms part of a World War Two-themed exhibition. It felt as if history exuded from the very fabric of this venerable machine. Walking around it within the necessarily rather confined display space, I could not help thinking of the critical events in which Faith was involved; of how the aircraft was taken aloft time and time again to successfully counter seemingly impossible odds, until a well-deserved retirement in 1943 when she was gifted to the people of Malta. Some years ago she was refurbished

Deputy Editor Steve Beebee

Contributing Editor Ken Ellis

EDITORIAL: Editor – Chris Gilson Deputy Editor – Steve Beebee Contributing Editors - Ken Ellis and Dave Unwin Group Editor - Nigel Price General enquiries to: Editor’s Secretary: Johanna Buckley FlyPast, PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincs, PE9 1XQ, UK Tel: 01780 755131 Fax: 01780 757261 E-mail: [email protected] www.flypast.com DESIGN: Art Editor – Mike Carr

Group Editor Nigel Price

Art Editor Mike Carr

Advertising Manager Alison Sanders

PRODUCTION: Production Editor – Sue Blunt Deputy Production Editor – Carol Randall Sub Editor - Norman Wells Production Manager – Janet Watkins ADVERTISING AND COMMERCIAL: Commercial Director – Ann Saundry Group Advertisement Manager – Brodie Baxter Advertisement Manager – Alison Sanders E-mail: [email protected] Sales Executive - Paige Hayward Ad Production Manager – Debi McGowan Ad Production Controller - Cheryl Thornburn E-mail: [email protected] Group Marketing Manager – Martin Steele Marketing Manager – Shaun Binnington

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by staff at what was then RAF Luqa, Malta (now the island’s airport). This made her ‘presentable’, but the spirit of this machine remains the same. I’m lucky enough to have seen some wonderful aircraft at close hand in this job, all with their own incredible stories, but I think the significance of this one has affected me the most. As the sole Sea Gladiator survivor flown during that crucial period in the island’s history, N5520 remains a symbol of unbeaten and unbowed defiance. In the same period Faith’s pilots were defending the Maltese archipelago, the early exchanges of the Battle of Britain were beginning more than a thousand miles away. Inside this issue you can read about 74 Squadron, during that momentous period, as part of our new RAF 100 series. We’ll be running a number of themed features over the next 12 months to celebrate the service’s centenary, and I hope you’ll agree that this is a compelling subject to start with. Look out for our RAF 100 special section in future issues. As always, enjoy your magazine.

Chris Gilson Editor

Below Gloster Sea Gladiator ‘Faith’ on display at the National War Museum in Valletta, Malta. KEY

MANAGING DIRECTOR/PUBLISHER: Adrian Cox EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN: Richard Cox SUBSCRIPTIONS / MAIL ORDER: Manager – Liz Ward PO Box 300, Stamford, Lincs, PE9 1NA, UK Tel: 01780 480404 Fax: 01780 757812 E-mail: Subscriptions: [email protected] E-mail: Mail Order: [email protected] Readers in USA can place subscriptions by visiting www.flypast.com or by calling toll free 800-4283003 or fax 757-428-6253 or by writing to FlyPast, 3330 Pacific Ave, Ste 500, Virginia Beach, VA23451-9828. SMALL PRINT: While every care is taken with submissions, the Publisher cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage incurred. All items submitted for publication are subject to our terms and conditions. These are regularly updated without prior notice and are downloadable from www.keypublishing.com We are unable to guarantee the bonafides of any of our advertisers. Readers are strongly recommended to take their own precautions before parting with any information or item of value, including, but not limited to, money, manuscripts, photographs or personal information in response to any advertisements within this publication. The entire contents of FlyPast is © Copyright 2017. No part of it can be reproduced in any form or stored on any form of retrieval system without the prior permission of the publisher.

FlyPast (ISSN 0262-6950), January, is published monthly by Key Publishing Ltd, PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincs, PE9 1XQ, UK and distributed in the USA by UKP Worldwide, 3390 Rand Road, South Plainfield, NJ 07080. Periodicals postage paid at Rahway, NJ and at additional mailing offices. Periodicals Postage Paid at Piscataway, NJ and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to FlyPast, Key Publishing Ltd, C/O 3390 Rand Road, South Plainfield NJ 07080. DISTRIBUTED BY: Seymour Distribution Ltd, 2 Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PP Tel: 020 7429 4000 Fax: 020 7429 4001 PRINTED BY: Warners (Midland) plc, The Maltings, Bourne, Lincs. PE10 9PH PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY: Key Publishing Ltd, address as Editorial

Printed in England ISSN 0262-6950

Britain’s top-selling aviation monthly

Features 22

32

Clash over Russia

Heinkel crews faced stiff opposition at the start of Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of Russia. Mikhail Timin describes the action.

Black Widow

46

Tank-busting

54

Stormbird down

Warren E Thompson relates the exploits of the USAAF’s top-scoring P-61 Black Widow unit.

In North Africa, cannon-armed Hurricanes took a heavy toll of Rommel’s Panzers, as Andrew Thomas explains.

Garry L Fry examines the circumstances surrounding the first USAAF victory over a Messerschmitt Me 262 jet.

82 98

MiG-17 warbird

Luigino Caliaro talks to two pilots who share a passion for the MiG-17.

Arctic Misadventure

Andrew Thomas details an attack on German-held ports in July 1941 that proved very costly to the Royal Navy.

Contents January 2018

No.438

Front Cover

An archive image of Avro Vulcan prototype VX770. Our series of articles celebrating the RAF’s centenary begins on page 65. KEY This page, main image: English Electric Lightning XR728 of the Lightning Preservation Group performs for the crowds at Bruntingthorpe on November 4. NEIL HUTCHINSON

22 Clash over Russia

32 Black Widow

46 Tank-busting

News 110 Thunderflash

Babak Taghvaee looks back on the long service life of Greek RF-84Fs, including encounters with RAF Lightnings.

118 Battle in the East

Terry Leversedge profiles Sqn Ldr Thomas Watson, a fighter pilot turned master bomber.

Regulars

• First flight for ‘razorback’ Mustang • Harpoon to be restored • Polish Skytrain saved in Canada • Bentwaters unveils A-10 • ‘Black Mike’ moved to Cosford • Hustler is repainted in US

38

From The Workshop – Airframe Assemblies

Darren Harbar interviews Steve Vizard, the boss of the Isle of Wight-based warbird restoration specialists.

86

92

94

Museums

A visit to the fascinating Italian Air Force Museum on the shores of Lake Bracciano.

What’s New

The latest books, clothing and other aviation merchandise receive the FlyPast verdict.

From The Workshop – Project Vanguard

Max Waldron describes the preparation of a Lightning for a new lease of life as a display airframe.

102 Glory Days – Vulcan

We present some archive images of the legendary V-bomber during its early days in service.

104 Pilot’s Perspective

FlyPast’s resident warbird pilot Dave Unwin describes what the Bücker Bestmann is like to fly.

114 Glory Days – Lightning

A portfolio of previously unseen colour pictures of another Cold War classic, the English Electric Lightning.

122 Finals

Vought Corsair.

FREE WITH THIS ISSUE Double-sided poster featuring aircraft of the Royal Air Force.

1918

2018

RAF 100

We mark the Royal Air Force’s centenary year with a series of features celebrating the service’s history and achievements.

66

A subscription to FlyPast would make a great gift this Christmas. See pages 60 and 61 for details or visit www.flypast.com to find out more about our digital packages.

70

Tiger Squadron

Tony Clay reflects on the crucial role played by Spitfire-equipped 74 Squadron during the pivotal summer of 1940.

In Profile

Andy Hay artwork of a Spitfire flown by a Polish ace in the Battle of Britain.

76

Lockheed Tristar

Sqn Ldr Bob Tuxford AFC describes his role in introducing the threeengined Tristar to RAF service.

NEWS THE LATEST IN AVIATION HERITAGE

BBMF Spitfire returns to Coningsby in new colours The RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Supermarine Spitfire LF.IXe MK356 has been painted in a new scheme following its recent overhaul by The Spitfire Company at Biggin Hill. The fighter now represents 92 Squadron’s EN152/QJ-3, which operated in Tunisia during April and May 1943. Flt Lt (later Sqn Ldr) Neville Duke was among the pilots to fly this machine. He went on to become the highest-scoring Allied fighter ace of the Mediterranean theatre, with 27 confirmed victories. The BBMF’s aircraft was returned to its base at Coningsby, Lincs, on November 8 in the hands of Flt Lt Andy Preece.

Spitfire IX MK356 in its new livery at Biggin Hill. ROBIN J BROOKS

Lancaster’s arrival marks Avro museum anniversary Staff at the Avro Heritage Museum (AHM) at Woodford, Greater Manchester, celebrated the attraction’s second anniversary on November 13. Following the closure of the BAE Systems’ manufacturing facility at the airfield in 2011, the site was earmarked for housing development. Volunteers from the Heritage Centre, which had been set up 20 years previously, successfully lobbied BAE and created the museum.

Martin Willoughby’s replica of the front fuselage of Avro Lancaster R5868 S-for-Sugar is now on loan to AHM (the real S-for-Sugar can be seen at Hendon). The cockpit of Martin’s replica will soon be open to the public. Next year the museum will also be exhibiting a display to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Dambusters raid and the part played by Woodford in modifying and preparing the Lancasters involved. www.avroheritagemuseum.co.uk

The Mustang airborne for the first time since 1946.

‘Razorback’ Mustang makes first flight in over 70 years Texas Flying Legends Museum’s North American P-51C Mustang 43-24907 got airborne on October 16 for the first time since 1946. The Mustang took off from Bemidji, Minnesota following a three-year restoration by AirCorps Aviation. The museum’s chief pilot Warren Pietsch was at the controls for its successful maiden flight. The P-51C is the third Mustang restoration completed by AirCorps since 2011. The fighter has been painted to represent 42-103585 Lope’s Hope 3rd, North American P-51C Mustang 43-24907 ‘Lope’s Hope 3rd’ is prepared for flight from Bemidji, Minnesota. BOTH AIRCORPS AVIATION

Martin Willoughby’s Lancaster R5868 replica arriving at Woodford on October 30. AVRO HERITAGE MUSEUM

6 FLYPAST January 2018

the wartime mount of Lt Donald S Lopez who flew a total of 101 missions and is credited with shooting down five Japanese fighters (all but one scored while flying a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk). Don became a test pilot after the war and retired in 1964 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He later became the deputy director of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. He died in 2008. www.texasflyinglegends.org www. aircorpsaviation.com WITH THANKS TO CHUCK CRAVENS-AIRCORPS AVIATION

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Retired Lockheed Orion Prototype Mosquito to fly again in Australia restoration wins award

Lockheed AP-3C Orion A9-753 during the handover ceremony on November 3. PHIL BUCKLEY

Australia’s Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) is to restore Lockheed AP-3C Orion A9-753 to flying condition. Built as 160753 and delivered to the RAAF in May 1978, the aircraft was upgraded to AP-3C standard in 2011 and has been used in local and overseas operations, including the search for missing Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 Flight MH370. It arrived at its current home, Albion Park, Illawarra, New South Wales, in December 2016, where it has been maintained by Airbus personnel. HARS has now obtained the necessary

approval to operate the aircraft, which was officially conveyed at a handover ceremony on November 3 this year. HARS intends to fly the Orion as a salute to all personnel who undertook maritime missions with the RAAF. The society already operates a World War Two-era Consolidated Catalina flying boat, and has four SP2H Neptunes in its fleet, one of which is currently airworthy. The addition of the Orion will add to its component of veteran maritime aircraft – all are likely to be available for airshows in and around Australia in the near future. www.hars.org.au PHIL BUCKLEY

The skills of staff at London Colney’s de Havilland Aircraft Museum have been recognised with an Engineering Heritage Award from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. The award was made for the team’s restoration of Mosquito prototype W4050, which is now the star attraction at the museum. “This is a very prestigious honour and it demonstrates the significance of the collection we have at the museum,” said curator Alistair Hodgson. “The Mosquito pioneered

construction techniques that are still in use today, and the award affirms the status of the aircraft as one of the UK’s foremost engineering achievements.” The prototype was built at Salisbury Hall, Hertfordshire, where the museum is now based, and made its maiden flight from Hatfield on November 25, 1940 in the hands of Geoffrey de Havilland Jr. Initially coded E0234 it acquired the military serial number W4050 on December 10 of that year. www.dehavillandmuseum.co.uk

Mosquito W4050 is a star attraction at the de Havilland Aircraft Museum. WITH THANKS TO PETER JEFFERY

‘Memphis Belle’ goes undercover for final restoration Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress 41-24485 Memphis Belle is currently being repainted at the National Museum of the USAF in Dayton, Ohio. The attraction’s regular Behind the Scenes tours of the Restoration

Hangar were temporarily suspended from November 3, allowing staff to fully focus their attention on refurbishing the famous bomber. The former USAAF 324th Bomb Squadron aircraft will be revealed to the public

on Thursday, May 17 next year. Three days of events are planned around the unveiling, during which time Memphis Belle will be positioned on the runway behind the museum, alongside World War Two

military vehicles and costumed reenactors. An historic aircraft fly-in will be held, with a concert featuring the music of wartime composer Glenn Miller on the Friday. www.nationalmuseum.af.mil

A recent view of B-17F ‘Memphis Belle’ in the National Museum of the USAF’s Restoration Hangar. KEN LAROCK-USAF

January 2018 FLYPAST 7

NEWS THE LATEST IN AVIATION HERITAGE

Phantoms on the move and on display shoot at RNAS Yeovilton on October 26. The event was organised by Threshold Aero in aid of the Fly Navy Heritage Trust. The jet received its striking 892 NAS paint scheme in 2014, having previously been a ‘gate guardian’ at Leuchars. Finally, staff at the Castle Air Museum in Atwater, California, have recently added new markings to the attraction’s USAF Thunderbirds-schemed McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom 66-0289. The jet now represents McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom XV582 ‘Black Mike’ arriving at Cosford in October. CROWN COPYRIGHT VIA RAFM

McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom XV582 ‘Black Mike’ has been delivered by road to RAF Museum Cosford, in preparation for the RAF Cosford Air Show on June 10, 2018. The airframe, now owned by GJD Services, has been the subject of a campaign by aviation enthusiasts to restore it to exhibition standard. David Butterfield, from the British Phantom Aviation Group, said: “We are extremely proud and honoured to participate with ‘Black Mike’ at the airshow. Our hardworking team of volunteers has shown outstanding knowledge, skills and FG.1 XV586 on ‘night patrol’ at Yeovilton. STEVE BUCKBY

8 FLYPAST January 2018

aptitude to make the move from Leuchars [in Scotland] happen. We look forward to working with Cosford over the coming months and we are certain that the aircraft will be a great attraction within the RAF100 static display.” Air Show Operations Manager Peter Reoch said: “Phantoms played a critical role in defending the UK’s airspace during the Cold War. Therefore, having an example of the type was essential for the airshow’s RAF100 exhibition. It will be the first of many aircraft transported by road to Cosford over the coming months

Castle Air Museum’s F-4E Phantom 66-0289 in its new markings. TONY SACKETOS

specifically for display at the event.” Another Phantom in the public eye recently was FG.1 XV586, the star attraction at a night photography

‘Thunderbird 5’, as flown with the display team by local veteran Capt Steve Dwelle. www.cosfordairshow.co.uk

Various prewar aircraft engines from a significant collection

FOR SALE:

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AER0-MODELLING Reference

Title

Subtitle

Author

Format

Subject

Publisher

Published

Pages

Condition

£ Price

1

AERO MODELLER ANNUAL 1959-60

VARIOUS

HARDBACK

AERO MODELLING

MODEL AERONAUTICAL PRESS LTD

1959

160

FAIR

5.00

2

AERO MODELLER ANNUAL 1963-64

VARIOUS

HARDBACK

AERO MODELLING

MODEL AERONAUTICAL PRESS LTD

1963

160

GOOD

5.00

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

AERO MODELLER ANNUAL 1964-65

VARIOUS

AERO MODELLER ANNUAL 1965-66

VARIOUS

AERO MODELLER ANNUAL 1968-69

VARIOUS

AERO MODELLER ANNUAL 1969-70

VARIOUS

AERO MODELLER ANNUAL 1970-71

VARIOUS

AERO MODELLER ANNUAL 1971-72

VARIOUS

AERO MODELLER ANNUAL 1972-73

VARIOUS

AERO MODELLER ANNUAL 1973-74

VARIOUS

AERO MODELLER ANNUAL 1974-75

VARIOUS

AERO MODELLER ANNUAL 1975-76

VARIOUS

AERO MODELLER ANNUAL 1977-78

VARIOUS

AERO MODELLER ANNUAL 1978-79

VARIOUS

AN ABC OF MODEL AIRCRAFT CONSTRUCTION

C RUSHBROOKE

DURATION FLYING MODELS

F ELLIS

FLYING AND IMPROVING SCALE MODEL AIRPLANES

W MCCOMBS

HARDBACK HARDBACK HARDBACK HARDBACK HARDBACK HARDBACK HARDBACK HARDBACK HARDBACK SOFTBACK SOFTBACK SOFTBACK SOFTBACK SOFTBACK SOFTBACK

AERO MODELLING AERO MODELLING AERO MODELLING AERO MODELLING AERO MODELLING AERO MODELLING AERO MODELLING AERO MODELLING AERO MODELLING AERO MODELLING AERO MODELLING AERO MODELLING AERO MODELLING AERO MODELLING AERO MODELLING

MODEL AERONAUTICAL PRESS LTD MODEL AERONAUTICAL PRESS LTD MODEL & ALLIED PUBLICATIONS LTD MODEL & ALLIED PUBLICATIONS LTD MODEL & ALLIED PUBLICATIONS LTD MODEL & ALLIED PUBLICATIONS LTD MODEL & ALLIED PUBLICATIONS LTD MODEL & ALLIED PUBLICATIONS LTD MODEL & ALLIED PUBLICATIONS LTD MODEL & ALLIED PUBLICATIONS LTD MODEL & ALLIED PUBLICATIONS LTD MODEL & ALLIED PUBLICATIONS LTD HARBOROUGH JOHN HAMILTON LTD. MODEL AIRPLANE NEWS

1964 1965 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1977 1978 1943 N/K 1977

160 160 128 128 128 128 144 144 144 144 144 144 80 72 120

GOOD GOOD GOOD VERY GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD FAIR FAIR FAIR

5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 10.00 95.00 15.00

18

FLYING MODELS, RUBBER, CO2, ELECTRIC & MICRO RADIO CONTROL

TIPS & TECHNIQUES FOR BEGINNER & EXPERT, BOOK 2

D ROSS

SOFTBACK

AERO MODELLING

AVIATION PUBLISHERS

1998

240

GOOD

5.00

19

FROG MODEL AIRCRAFT 1932-1976

THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE FLYING AIRCRAFT & THE PLASTIC KITS

R LINES / L HELLSTROM

HARDBACK

AERO MODELLING

NEW CAVENDISH

1989

272

GOOD

30.00

UK Postage & Packing Postage to all UK addresses £5.00 Overseas Delivery Charges Postal charges are made at cost price to The Aviation Bookshop. We are unable to detail exact postal charges as orders are treated individually and the applicable charge is calculated accordingly.

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p009_FP_Jan18_ad.indd 1

NEW!

NEW RELEASE SIGNED COPIES AVAILABLE JAVELIN BOYS by Steve Bond The Gloster Javelin was the UK’s first line of night and all-weather air defence both at home and in RAF Germany. In the 1950s, when it replaced the Meteor and Venom, this revolutionary bomber/interceptor became the focus of many great stories told here in terrific detail. Here, author Steve Bond has interviewed a number of veterans, all with captivating tales of their time on the ai rcraft. Alongside their anecdotes is a detailed history of this unusual aircraft, accompanied by photography never seen before in print.

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14/11/2017 14:28

NEWS THE LATEST IN AVIATION HERITAGE

Repaint complete on museum’s Hustler Staff and volunteers at Grissom Air Museum near Peru, Indiana, have finished repainting Convair TB-58A Hustler 55-0663. It was built as a YB-58A prototype

in 1959 and the machine is now the world’s oldest Hustler. Having originally been used for armaments trials, it was later taken on by NASA to perform sonic boom testing. It then flew with

the 305th Bomb Wing at Grissom (then known as Bunker Hill) following modifications to TB-58A trainer status. A cockpit fire appeared to have ended the jet’s ‘career’ in 1969, but fortunately

it was retained at Grissom as a ‘gate guardian’. It was later installed as one of the first exhibits at the museum. www.grissomairmuseum.com

Newly painted Convair TB-58A Hustler 55-0663 gleams in the sun at Grissom Air Museum. TONY SACKETOS

SBNT and Flyingraphics Starfighter to be donate to Mosquito project refurbished in Spain

A group from SBNT and Flyingraphics with Mosquito HJ711. WITH THANKS TO TOM SULLIVAN

The Facebook group ‘Spitfire, Britain’s National Treasure’ (SBNT) has raised money through the sales of a Spitfire T-shirt designed and produced by Flyingraphics, featuring the photographic work of Rose Atkinson, for the restoration of de Havilland Mosquito NF.II HJ711. For every shirt sold, £5 was added to the fundraising efforts of the group, which is led by Ady Shaw and Andrew Perkins. Ady and Flyingraphics’ 10 FLYPAST January 2018

Scott Sullivan were pleased to hand over a cheque to Mosquito owner Tony Agar and his colleague Elaine Wilcox during a recent visit to East Kirkby’s Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre where the aircraft is now based (see From The Workshop, last issue). The SBNT group is continuing its fundraising efforts and always welcomes new members. Visit Facebook/SpitfireBritainsNationalTreas ure or www.flyingraphics.com

Lockheed F-104G Starfighter 33643 ‘FG-643’, a former Hellenic Air Force machine, has been transported from Greece to Torrejón, Spain, for restoration. It left Agrinion on October 5 by road and arrived at its new home, the headquarters of Spanish Air Force unit Ala 12, four days later. The jet was originally operated by the Spanish at Torrejón and Ala 12 will restore it in the markings it wore at the time – serial number C.8-12, and the 104 Escuadrón code ‘104-22’. It was one of 18 F-104Gs operated in Spain. On retirement in the early 1970s they were sold to Greece and Turkey. Built by Canadair and first flown on November 30, 1964, it was handed over to the USAF on January 27, 1965

for transfer to Spain. It officially became C.8-12 on June 6, 1965, when it arrived by ship at Rota. It joined 161 Escuadrón (part of Ala 16) at Torrejón on July 25, 1965, by which time it had accumulated just 16 flight hours. It was recoded ‘161-22’ in 1965, then ‘104-22’ when the unit was renumbered as 104 Escuadrón on November 29, 1967. In 1968 it was recoded again as ‘104-12’ and on May 31, 1971, it joined 122 Escuadrón (under Ala 12). Withdrawn from use on May 31, 1972, it still had only 676 flight hours, and was handed over to Greece via the USAF on June 14, 1972. It was based at Araxos until retirement in 1991, and was in storage at Agrinion by 2001. KEY-DAVE ALLPORT

Lockheed F-104G Starfighter 33643 is unloaded at Torrejón on October 9. SPANISH AIR FORCE VIA DAVE ALLPORT

www.flypast.com

Pearl Harbor Sikorsky to be restored in Virginia

The National Air and Space Museum’s Sikorsky JRS-1 is on show in Virginia.

Staff at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F UdvarHazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, are to carry out conservation and restoration work on the attraction’s Sikorsky JRS-1. The amphibious seaplane is the military version of the S-43 Baby

Clipper, and was stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, the day of the Japanese attack. The 1938-built machine was among those sent out in search of the enemy fleet – at the time it wore a silver paint scheme, with black on the bottom surface, green on the tail surfaces and a red band around the fuselage.

The Horten Ho 229 V3 prototype is on temporary display. BOTH TONY SACKETOS

A few days after the attack, ground crew repainted the aircraft blue, but due to being stored outside for many years, the colours have faded, revealing the original scheme beneath. The aircraft is now under cover and awaiting further work. Meanwhile, the attraction has placed its

unique Horten Ho 229 V3 on temporary display. The Luftwaffe prototype will later be returned to the museum’s restoration facility. Only three of the experimental jets were built – V3 was undergoing final assembly in Germany when captured by the Americans in 1945. www.airandspace.si.edu

Lodestar completed for Swedish museum display Lockheed Lodestar SE-BZE on display at the Arlanda Aircraft Collection. LENNART BERNS

German colours for Tornado prototype

Panavia Tornado GR.1/P03 XX947 has been restored in Luftwaffe colours at Baarlo in the Netherlands. The jet was the third Tornado prototype and arrived in the Netherlands in 2016. It had previously been in RAF livery but now has the German code 98+08 on its fuselage. It will be used as a ‘gate guardian’. ROGER SOUPART

Lockheed Lodestar SE-BZE has been put on display at the Arlanda Aircraft Collection near Stockholm, Sweden, after many years of work by skilled volunteers. The aircraft was built in 1943 in Burbank, California for the USAAF and was later used by the Norwegian government. After passing through the hands of various owners it was imported into Sweden in 1954. Initially serving with Airtaco, it was used to deliver newspapers and fly passengers, and was acquired by domestic airline Linjeflyg (later incorporated within national carrier SAS) in 1957. Swedair

became its new owner from 1958, mostly using it for testing navigational and landing aids. The Lodestar made its final flight in 1966, landing at Arlanda. It was stored for four decades before the Arlanda Aircraft Collection began restoration work. A team led by Lasse Blixt has returned the classic airliner to the colours it wore when flying with Swedair. Due to a lack of space, the outer wings have not been reattached, but the interior has been completely refurbished, and includes passenger seats and cockpit instrumentation. The interior is accessible to visitors. LENNART BERNS January 2018 FLYPAST 11

NEWS THE LATEST IN AVIATION HERITAGE

Stallion 51 look back on a stellar year

Mustangs belonging to Florida’s Stallion 51.

US flight training school and warbird experience specialists Stallion 51 have been looking back on a successful 2017, filled with adventure, awards and anniversaries. The year started with Lee Lauderback, president and chief

pilot of Stallion 51, becoming a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots – an exclusive group of exceptional airmen, such as R A ‘Bob’ Hoover and ‘Hoot’ Gibson, who nominated Lee for the honour. April marked Stallion 51’s 30th anniversary, commemorated by inviting

almost 200 of its North American Mustang graduates to a homecoming before and during the annual Sun ’n Fun airshow in Lakeland, Florida. Seventeen of the graduates brought their Mustangs to help celebrate Stallion’s three decades of aviation excellence, flying in formation during

the show. At the same event, Lee was honoured with the FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot award for his 50 years of safe flight operations and his many contributions to aviation safety. In the summer, Lee was asked to fly Mustang P-51B Berlin Express to Duxford for July’s Flying Legends Air Show. The epic 5,470-mile aviation adventure started in Texas and took in Greenland, Iceland and Scotland before arriving at its final destination. A total of eight legs were flown in seven days. This historic Atlantic crossing was followed by millions of enthusiasts via social media. Stallion 51 certainly had a memorable year. Those visiting its Kissimmee, Florida, base can book a passenger flight in one of its dualcockpit, dual-control Mustangs. Each experience includes the opportunity to take control and steer the P-51 around the sky. For more information see: www.stallion51.com

Wellington crew remembered Phantom restored for in Belgium

briefings

A plaque was unveiled at Tildonk near Leuven, Belgium, recently in memory of the crew of Vickers Wellington III X3798 of 156 Squadron, which crashed there on August 12, 1942. The aircraft was returning from a raid on Mainz, Germany, when it was intercepted by an enemy night-fighter and shot down in flames over Belgium. Three crew members, Flt Sgt F J D’Arcy, Flt Sgt J B T Weaver, and Flt Sgt E K Morrison (RCAF), successfully baled out and spent the rest of the war as prisoners. Pilot Flt Sgt F V Harker and wireless operator Plt Off C Lenover (RCAF) perished in the crash, and were buried at Tildonk cemetery with full military honours.

12 FLYPAST January 2018

display in Spain

McDonnell Douglas RF-4C Phantom CR12-55/12-64 has been restored to static display condition at Torrejón, Madrid. The jet was taken on charge by the Spanish Air Force’s 123 Escuadrón in 1995 to reinforce its reconnaissance fleet. Ala 12 operated 18 RF-4Cs between 1978 and 2002, and 12-64 has been put on display near its headquarters. ROBERTO YÁÑEZ

The new memorial plaque at Tildonk in Belgium. HENDRIK BAELE

The memorial ceremony was attended by Ken Morrison’s daughter who flew in from Canada. Also among those present were Olivier Nicoloff, the Canadian Ambassador to Belgium, representatives of the British and Belgian military and many local people. WITH THANKS TO HENDRIK BAELE

PZL Mielec-built Antonov An-2R LV-GWW has been acquired by Alberto Pol in Argentina. It’s only the second An-2 to be based in the country after Alberto’s previous aircraft, CX-CAP, was destroyed in a 2010 crash, and originally flew with Aeroflot. It was moved to Uruguay in May and assembled by staff at Aerotecno’s workshop. ESTEBAN BREA

The South Dakota Air and Space Museum at Ellsworth AFB has been preparing a HGM-25A Titan missile (pictured) for public display. It’s expected to have been completed by the time FlyPast is published. The museum has also honoured the late Lt Col Grove Rathbun by adding his name to the nose of A-7 Corsair II 74-1739. PHOTO-TONY SACKETOS

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14/11/2017 14:30

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Bentwaters unveils refurbished A-10 Thunderbolt Bentwaters Cold War Museum (BCWM) held events recently to celebrate both the 10th anniversary of the opening of the museum and to unveil its Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt 80-0219, which now wears the colours of the 509th TFS, 81st TFW. Veterans and special guests previewed the aircraft on September 10, with 700 people attending the exhibition when it opened to the public seven days later. Several veterans from earlier eras also visited, included Harry Eckes, now president of the Bentwaters Aviation Society (BAS), who served

as a pilot of the 91st FIS in 1954. There were several speeches, and a presentation of new artwork by Matthew Emeny, titled Thunderbolts Over Bentwaters. The painting has been purchased and donated to the Suffolk-based museum by BAS member Jack Baker. The public event included visits to the Bentwaters control tower, classic cars, military vehicles and re-enactors, plus a display of photos and videos covering the attraction’s history, and the A-10’s recovery from Alconbury and subsequent renovation. www.bcwm.org.uk WITH THANKS TO SIMON GLADAS

Veterans gather in front of A-10 Thunderbolt 80-0219 at Bentwaters Cold War Museum. BOTH SIMON PARKER

The A-10 in its new colour scheme at Bentwaters.

Heritage flypast marks RCAF jet anniversary The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) celebrated more than 70 years of jet fighter operations with a special Heritage Flight at Airshow London in Ontario on September 22. The flight paired McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet 188734 with Vampire Aviation’s de Havilland Vampire T.55 N593RH (painted as WR016). The former was flown by 425 Tactical Fighter Squadron’s Capt Matthew ‘Glib’ Kutryk, with Jerry Conley flying the Vampire. The distinctive, twin-boomed fighter

Vampire T.55 N593RH ‘Vampy’ (top) flying with CF-18 Hornet 188734 ‘Canada 150’.

briefings

ANDREW CLINE

14 FLYPAST January 2018

Elfan ap Rees, the chairman of Weston-superMare’s Helicopter Museum has received The Award for Aviation Journalism from The Honorary Company of Air Pilots. The citation notes that “we owe to Elfan the preservation of what remains of Britain’s illustrious helicopter heritage, which he has built over 40 years into a unique and world-class museum.”

previously flew with the Swiss Air Force, and is today painted in RAF markings with Suez Crisis stripes. Named Vampy, it is one of four Vampires operated by Jerry. The British-designed type entered RCAF service in 1946, flying with 410 and 421 Squadrons, as well as several reserve units. It was the air force’s first operational jet fighter – three Gloster Meteors had previously been used for testing. The Hornet has been in service with the RCAF since 1982. ANDREW CLINE

Fokker 100 ZP-CFL has been converted into a restaurant, bar and flight crew trainer in Loma Grande, some 34 miles from Paraguay’s capital, Asunción. The airliner previously flew with Sol del Paraguay, and is today situated in the grounds of Hotel del Rancho. It continues to wear most of its service livery. HOTEL DEL RANCHO VIA ROGER SOUPART

www.flypast.com

Support needed to convert airliner into classroom

Fokker F-27 Friendship G-BCDN at the City of Norwich Aviation Museum. WITH THANKS TO THOMAS EMMS

The City of Norwich Aviation Museum is hoping to raise £2,500 to restore Fokker F-27 Friendship G-BCDN and convert its interior into a classroom. The museum plans to repaint the aircraft into its former Air Anglia colours and strip out the cabin before transforming it into an educational space for younger visitors. Details about the airliner’s history will also be displayed on the rear bulkhead. Staff are currently

Whirlwind refurbished for Spanish display Westland Whirlwind Mk.2 ZD1B19/803-01 has been restored to static display condition in time for the 25th anniversary of Spanish Air Force unit Ala 48. The helicopter was on view during celebrations at Cuatro Vientos air base in Madrid on September 30. One of four Whirlwinds used for search and rescue duties by 803 Escuadrón

from Getafe, it entered service in December 1962 and was withdrawn in April 1970. It was then sent to the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Aeronáuticos (ETSIA – Superior Technical School of Aeronautics Engineering) to be used as an instructional airframe, and was later passed on to Spain’s Museo del Aire. ROBERTO YÁÑEZ Westland Whirlwind ZD1B-19/803-01 on display at Cuatro Vientos on September 30. ROBERTO YÁÑEZ

investigating whether the front cargo door can be opened as a wheelchair accessible entrance. The F-27, which arrived at the museum in April, originally served with All Nippon Airways in Japan as JA8615 before flying with Limburg Airlines in the Netherlands as PH-OGA. It joined Air Anglia’s fleet in 1974. All donations received will directly support the work on the aircraft. www. justgiving.com/crowdfunding/bcdn

New training themed display in Lelystad

The Aviodrome museum has reorganised part of its display hall at Lelystad in the Netherlands. The attraction has created a ‘wall of fame’ for its training aircraft, a Fokker S-11, a de Havilland Tiger Moth and a North American Harvard. All three formerly served as trainers for Dutch military and civilian pilots. ROGER SOUPART

A memorial to all RFC and RAF units that flew from Fowlmere, Cambs, was unveiled on October 20 at Manor Farm, the site of the former airfield. Around 50 guests attended the ceremony. The new monument stands alongside that dedicated to the USAAF’s 339th FG which was based there from 1944 to 1945. WITH THANKS TO LESLIE PRICE

The 76-year-old sister of a World War Two airman was recently able to visit a memorial dedicated to him for the first time. Phyllis Height was only 18 months old when Maurice Cooke’s Vickers Wellington (N2749) crashed near Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, in July 1942. A memorial dedicated to its six crew was erected in the town in 1986. PHOTO-JOHN EVANS January 2018 FLYPAST 15

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‘Just Jane’ winter servicing begins Avro Lancaster B.VII NX611 Just Jane made its final public taxi run of 2017 on September 28. The bomber, which is gradually being returned to airworthiness,

is to undergo further restoration over the winter months at its base, East Kirkby’s Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre. The focus will initially be on the

tail fin and rudders, and inboard engines, followed by inspection of the undercarriage support beams and starboard wing trailing edge. All engines are to be serviced, with

one unit (No.2) being removed and replaced. A hydraulic tank connection ‘weep’ will be repaired, along with several other secondary tasks. www.lincsaviation.co.uk ‘Just Jane’ during a night photography shoot at East Kirkby on September 28. JAMIE EWAN

Montana event marks Neptune retirement

briefings

Neptune Aviation staged a public event at Missoula, Montana on September 30 to mark the retirement of its fleet of Lockheed P-2 Neptune water-bombers. As these were the last of the type to see operational service, the Missoula event also celebrated the Neptune’s impressive 70-year career. Initially the US Navy’s principal maritime patrol aircraft during the early years of the Cold War, they have served as tankers and water-bombers for the last 48 years. Six of Neptune’s seven airworthy P-2s were gathered at Missoula. N96278 flew twice to perform water drops in front

16 FLYPAST January 2018

of the crowd followed by several fast and low flypasts. Four of the aircraft (N96278, N9855F, N410NA and N1386C) later departed in rapid succession. They returned for the last-ever flypast by a quartet of P-2s, followed by a series of spirited individual passes. Five of the fleet are being offered to museums and two will be retained by the company for airshow appearances. N1386C will continue to give waterbombing demonstrations while N410NA is to be restored to its earlier US Navy configuration and operated as a warbird. www.neptuneaviation.com KEITH GASKELL

A new underground station was opened in Santiago, Chile, on November 2, featuring restored Cessna T-37 J-396 suspended from the ceiling. Cerrillos Station has the Cessna as the focal point of an aviation-themed display. The jet is backed by a mural named El Sueño de Volar (The Dream of Flying) painted by José Yutronic. ÁLVARO ROMERO

Neptune N96278 ‘05’ performs a waterbombing demonstration at Missoula. KEITH GASKELL

Campaign group Panshanger Community Aerodrome (PCA) has raised £10,000 to support its bid to save Panshanger airfield near Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. The aerodrome was used by training units during World War Two, and became a popular flying club in peacetime. It closed in September 2014, following the expiry of a lease, with the site earmarked for development. Since then campaigners have been attempting to reinstate the airfield. Launching Project Phoenix in September, PCA has now reached the first crowdfunding milestone. Its initial aim is to showcase the strong support for the historic aerodrome from local and aviation communities. www.project-phoenix.org.uk

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14/11/2017 14:33

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Polish Skytrain is saved in Canada Douglas C-47A Skytrain 42-92139 (CFTES) is being restored to static display condition in Winnipeg, Canada. The aircraft, used post-war as an airliner by Trans-Canada Airways, had been in storage with the RCAF’s 17 Wing for many years. The unit’s heritage

officer Capt Gordon Crossley undertook some research into the machine’s history and discovered it had been used by the Polish Air Force during World War Two to transport exiled Polish government officials. The Skytrain had been earmarked for

scrapping, and although the wings have already been removed from the fuselage, it will now be saved. Its provenance was brought to the attention of Poland’s present government which is keen to have it returned to Europe after it has been restored.

Volunteers are currently painting the nose section and applying roundels in time for a ceremony at the base in the presence of Polish officials early next year. The aircraft now carries the name Spirit of Ostra Brama. WITH THANKS TO PAUL COLLINS

The fuselage of Douglas C-47A Skytrain 4292139 ‘Spirit of Ostra Brama’ in Winnipeg. COURTESY PAUL COLLINS

Historic Chipmunk to fly again next year

briefings

DHC-1 Chipmunk WB549 (G-BAPB), the first Chipmunk built in the UK, will return to the skies next spring. Displayed at the 1949 Farnborough Air Show in the hands of de Havilland test pilot Pat Fillingham, ’549’s use as a trials aircraft was followed by a long period with the Empire Test Pilots’ School at Farnborough before joining the civil register in 1973. Now owned by Roger Brookhouse, it has been extensively rebuilt by Touchdown Engineering at Old Buckenham, Norfolk. The aircraft will be operated by Bicester-based Finest Hour Experiences and will be available to the public for air experience

18 FLYPAST January 2018

flights. “Placing her with Finest Hour provides the perfect future for this historic machine,” said Roger. “Its pilots are of the highest calibre and its ground crew display a passion for both their aeroplanes and customer care. WB549 will be in the best possible hands.” Chris Thompson, Finest Hour’s chief pilot, adds: “We’re delighted to be taking custody of this special aeroplane and look forward to offering the opportunity for many former air cadets [among others] to re-live their first aviation experience in the Chipmunk. We’re growing a fleet of unique and historically significant aeroplanes, all of which

will be operated from the wonderful setting that is Bicester Heritage.”

New light has been shed on the history of Short Sunderland T9044 after relatives of former 210 Squadron air gunner Henry ‘Jack’ Hillyer visited the Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre where parts of the flying boat are preserved. Jack’s logbook lists several ‘ops’ not previously recorded. The aircraft sank in a gale on November 12, 1940. VIA JOHN EVANS

The graves of pilot Lt Leonard Cameron Kidd MC and observer 2nd Lt Fenton Ellis Stanley Phillips MC were rededicated with full military honours in a service on October 12 at the Caterpillar Valley Cemetery in France. Both graves had previously been marked as ‘A British Airman of the Great War’. The airmen were killed on October 12, 1916, exactly 101 years previously, while flying from La Houssoye in a 3 Squadron RFC Morane Parasol reconnaissance aircraft. For a century their whereabouts remained unconfirmed, but research by Lt Cdr Steve St Amant, a retired Royal Canadian Navy officer, has revealed that the two plots at the cemetery do indeed belong to Lt Kidd and 2nd Lt Phillips. RAF

DHC Chipmunk WB549 will fly from Bicester next year. COURTESY CHRIS THOMPSON

www.finesthourexperiences.co.uk WITH THANKS TO CHRIS THOMPSON

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14/11/2017 14:38

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Harpoon to be returned to the sky in Utah The Vintage Aviation Museum at Woods Cross, Utah, recently acquired Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon 37276 (formerly N7272C). The aircraft is currently in storage at Johnson County Airport in Buffalo, Wyoming, along with several

other dormant machines. A team from the museum visited the site and is now working on the aircraft’s twin rudders at its base, near Salt Lake City. They’re hoping to prepare the Harpoon for a ferry flight to Utah in 2018. Subject to funding, extensive restoration work will

then continue at the museum. After being withdrawn from US Navy service in 1954, the Harpoon was stored at Litchfield Park, Arizona, until acquired by John Rosenthal in August 1957. The aircraft passed through the hands of several civilian

owners and ended its flying days as a crop-sprayer. It is believed to have been grounded for at least ten years. Those wishing to donate to the project can do so via the attraction’s website: www.vintageaviationmuseum.com

Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon 37276 is to be restored by the Vintage Aviation Museum. COURTESY VAM

Bristol Freighter begins journey to UK Bristol Type 170 Freighter NZ5911 is pictured in Singapore on November 7. It will soon be transported to the UK and will eventually be placed on display at Aerospace Bristol. The museum will keep enthusiasts updated with its progress via: aerospacebristol.org/freighter PAUL McSWEENEY VIA AEROSPACE BRISTOL

Yorkshire Meteor moved indoors for winter

briefings

Gloster Meteor NF.14 WS788 has been moved under cover at Elvington’s Yorkshire Air Museum so that restoration can continue over the winter. The Armstrong Whitworth-built jet is to be stripped and repainted, among other tasks. The canopy has been removed so that new glazing can be fitted. GRAHAM BUCKLE

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The Argentine Air Force held an event at Paraná, Entre Ríos, on October 26 to mark 40 years of the Learjet 35A in service. All airmen who died in the line of duty were remembered, and two flypasts were performed by 35A T-26. Learjets flew in the 1982 Falklands War – one was shot down by HMS Exeter, killing five crew. ESTEBAN BREA

We salute you AM Sir Peter Bairsto KBE CB AFC – Cold War fighter pilot and leader of 43 Squadron’s aerobatic team, later Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Strike Command – died on October 24, aged 91; Wg Cdr ‘Bill’ Beaumont OBE AE – baled out of a 355 Squadron Liberator over Burma and later commanded 3608 Auxiliary Squadron as a fighter controller – on September 26, aged 92; Sqn Ldr Philip Brentnall DFC – flew 30 Lancaster ‘ops’ before a distinguished career with BOAC and British Airways – on October 4; Ronnie Buckland DFC – pilot who brought a crippled Halifax home despite being wounded, and went on to complete 36 ‘ops’ – on September 25, aged 94; Sqn Ldr Noel ‘Red’ Dunningham – flew Meteors, Canberras and Victors during the Cold War during a remarkable 32-year RAF career (see November issue) – in October, aged 95; AVM David Emmerson CBE AFC – flew Nimrods and commanded 206 Squadron during the Falklands conflict – on October 28, aged 78; AVM D E ‘Ted’ Hawkins CB CBE DFC* – Catalina pilot who sank an Italian U-boat; later in charge of a Shackleton squadron before commanding Tengah and Lyneham – on October 23, aged 97; Flt Lt Philip A Loweth – flew Hawker Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain with 249 Squadron – on September 7, aged 96; Flt Lt Geoff Packham – flew 550 Squadron Lancasters and was shot down over Holland, becoming a POW at Stalag Luft 1; later a CAA flight inspector – on October 17, aged 95; Sqn Ldr Stuart Nigel Rose – one of The Few who flew 602 Squadron Spitfires in the Battle of Britain – on September 10, aged 99; Flt Lt Ron Smyth DFC AE – flew Blenheims and Hurricanes during the Battle of Britain, later a Spitfire photo-reconnaissance pilot with 541 Squadron – on October 26, aged 98.

Cessna 320D Skyknight N4173T, a long-time resident at Turweston in Northamptonshire has been sold to a new owner in Nigeria. The 1965-built aircraft is pictured at Turweston shortly before its departure to Africa in early November. The US-registered machine was scheduled to fly to its new home via Spain. PAUL J MORTON

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14/11/2017 14:40

Operation Barbarossa

T h e F i r s t d ay

Head He TO

Above

A He 111P-2 of 7/KG 55, June 1941. © IGOR ZLOBIN 2017 Below

He 111s of KG 55 taking off on the morning of June 22, 1941.

P

lanning was meticulous: the invasion of the Soviet Union – Operation Barbarossa – was the summation of all of Germany’s extensive military experience and success. The plan was to be conducted over a vast area and every element of it was

subjected to minute scrutiny. The massive war machine was due to roll eastwards on June 26, 1941. Examples of this organisation were the two principal panzerschtrasse – tank routes – selected for the German Army Group South’s armoured and motorised units. The more northerly route ran east via Vladimir, Volodymyr-Volynsky and Lutsk; the other in the south also ran east and linked Sokal, Radziechów and Dubno. The

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command of Luftflotte 4 assigned units of V Air Corps, headquartered in the small Polish town of Zamość, 30 miles (50km) from the Soviet frontier, to support the offensive. Chiefs at V Air Corps apparently believed the Air Force of the Kiev Special Military District was mainly deployed on airfields south of the Sokal-

RadziechówBrody-Tarnopol route. These bases were where the Soviet fighters were expected to concentrate and so were prioritised during the first part of the operation. This led to the assignment of rather meagre forces – all bomber – to tackle the airfields near Kovel, Lutsk and Dubno: Kampfgeschwader (KG) 54 with 74 Junkers Ju 88s, and III Gruppe of KG 55 (III/KG 55) with 25 Heinkel He 111s. Under the command of the experienced Hauptmann (Hptm) Heinrich Wittmer, III/ KG 55 left Gleiwitz prior to June

18, 1941 and arrived at Klemensów airfield to prepare for operations. Stationed near the southern panzerschtrasse, along which the 11th Panzer Division of the XXXXVIII Panzer Corps planned to advance, was the Soviet 46th Fighter Regiment. As of early summer 1941, the 46th was in rather good shape. Throughout 1940, the crews had flown 3,331hrs 20mins; an average of 50 flying hours per pilot. Training activities included monthly live firing at both towed drogues and ground targets, and simulated air-toair combats. This achievement was a source of satisfaction for the newly appointed Regiment Commander Major I D Podgorny, and Deputy Regiment Commander J I Geibo, also recently transferred to his post. The leaders of the 46th were combat hardened. Major Podgorny had participated in the SovietJapanese Battles of Khalkhin Gol in 1939. Captain Geibo had flown more

the Great Patriotic War 1941 - 1945

eaD

HAUPTMANN HEINRICH WITTMER WAS ASTOUNDED AT THE OPPOSITION CAPTAIN JOSEPH GEIBO HURLED AT HIS HEINKELS. MIKHAIL TIMIN DESCRIBES AN INTENSE BATTLE ON THE FIRST DAY OF BARBAROSSA

than 200 combat sorties during the Khalkhin Gol conflict and the Winter War with Finland from November 1939 to March 1940, and was credited with several victories. The leader of the 3rd Squadron, Captain N M Zverev, and Deputy Squadron Leader Senior Lieutenant (Sr Lt) S L Maksimenko, had fought in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). By June 22, 1941 all units of the regiment had been redeployed to Mlynów airfield in Poland, as construction of a concrete runway had begun at Dubno in Western Ukraine 290 miles away.

Above

Polikarpov I-153 ‘Red 63’ of the 46th Fighter Regiment, Mlynów, June 22, 1941. © A KAZAKOV 2017 Left centre

Deputy Regiment Commander Captain Joseph Ivanovich Geibo. Left

Oberstleutnant Heinrich Wittmer.

OBSOLETE EQUIPMENT

The 46th Regiment’s weak point was its equipment. The 1st and 2nd Squadrons flew obsolete Polikarpov I-16 Type 5 and Type 10 ‘Ratas’. These squat monoplanes were no match for the Messerschmitt Bf 109F-1s or ’F-2s they would face. During the summer of 1940 the regiment was to have received the modern Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-1 fighter, under the Workers

and Peasants Red Army Air Force Re-Equipment Plan. Delays in finalising the prototypes and launching mass manufacture at Aviation Factory No.1 meant that the new monoplanes never arrived. Instead of the MiGs, the 3rd and 4th Squadrons of the 46th were equipped in summer 1940 with Polikarpov I-153 biplanes.

As of June 22, 1941, there were 29 I-16s and 18 I-153s at Mlynów. Another eight I-153s were left in Dubno for flight commander training. Apart from the combat aircraft, the regiment had other Polikarpov types – two I-15bis ‘Chaika’ fighter biplanes, five UTI-4 biplane trainers, seven UT-1 monoplane trainers and four U-2 liaison types.

“The 1st and 2nd Squadrons flew obsolete Polikarpov I-16 ‘Ratas’. These squat monoplanes were no match for the Messerschmitt Bf 109F-1s or ’F-2s that they would face” January 2018 FLYPAST 23

Operation Barbarossa

Above

Commander of the 46th Fighter Regiment Major Ivan Dmitriyevich Podgorny.

T h e F i r s t d ay

“Directive No.1 was inconsistent. In particular, it stated that Soviet pilots should not ‘respond to provocations’ and might attack solely in response to fire from the German side” On the morning that Barbarossa was to be unleashed, the 46th was not fully manned having lost a dozen experienced pilots to newly established units in May and June. However, this did not reduce combat effectiveness, as of the remaining 64 pilots, 48 had been serving with the regiment for over a year. There were only 16 ‘newbies’ who had arrived from flying schools not long before.

UNDERMANNED SQUADRONS

Hptm Wittmer of III/KG 55 was facing serious problems fulfilling the set task. According to the received orders, he was to simultaneously strike at five airfields: Dubno, Mlynów, Brody, Rachin (under construction on the northeast edge of Dubno) and Adamy. On the morning on June 22, Wittmer had only 20 crews at his disposal and to be able to attack 24 FLYPAST January 2018

all the assigned targets, he split his undermanned squadrons into small groups – pairs or fours. This was a very dangerous strategy, but he did not have much choice; it was a calculated risk. Each of the He 111s was equipped to strafe grounded aircraft and carried 32 SD-50 110lb (50kg) fragmentation bombs. Some of the bombers were fitted with MG-FF cannons. Reconnaissance inaccuracies meant that the Luftwaffe regarded Dubno and Rachin airfields as operational, whereas they were under construction. This error brought about an unnecessary dispersion of forces. The die was cast. Between 02:50 and 03:15 hours Berlin time, the Gruppe began to get airborne. The operations record book (Kriegstagebuch – KTB) of III/KG 55 detailed the plan: “It was expected that 17 aircraft of the Gruppe would depart. Due to technical reasons, two failed to takeoff; one returned because of engine

troubles. Targets: Dubno, Mlynów, Brody, and Rachin airfields. Attack time: 03:50 to 04:20. Flight altitude: treetop. Attack mode: In fours or pairs...” So, III Gruppe’s sortie was not as envisaged from the very beginning: only 14 aircraft took part.

DIRECTIVE NO.1

Barbarossa became a reality in the skies over Mlynów on June 22 when the first Luftwaffe aircraft approached, according to Geibo’s memoirs at approximately 04:20. (This article will continue using Moscow time, Berlin was one hour behind.) All the units of the Kiev Special Military District Air Force were alerted between 03:00 and 04:00 as soon as the district headquarters received the text of Directive No.1. Thus, crews managed to prepare for operations before the first raids. As early as June 15, on the order of the District Air Force Commander

the Great Patriotic War 1941 - 1945

the war, such instructions proved fatal for several Red Army Air Force units, as their aircraft were destroyed on the ground and several pilots were shot down. A few commanders of different rank took the responsibility to give direct orders to fend off the Luftwaffe. Among them was Colonel I A Zykanov, of the 14th Combined Air Division. Zykanov was a distinguished combat leader and an experienced pilot. Thanks to his resoluteness and composure, the first assaults by the Luftwaffe on the division’s airfields were successfully repelled. Orders were given to shoot down German aircraft as soon as air observation, information and liaison posts reported them crossing the Soviet frontier. Zykanov’s firm decision saved the 46th Fighter Regiment from a surprise attack at the last minute. Geibo remembered: “’If any German aircraft appear, shoot them down!’ Something clicked in the telephone receiver, and the conversation broke off. ‘How is it – shoot them down?’ I asked worriedly. ‘Comrade Colonel, please repeat! Do you really mean that we must shoot them down instead of driving them out?’”

PROTECTING THE MOTHERLAND

General E S Ptukhin, aircraft had been dispersed on airfields. However, it would be inaccurate to say that the Kiev district was at a state of maximum readiness. As issued by the People’s Commissariat of Defense, Directive No.1 was inconsistent. In particular, it stated that Soviet pilots should not “respond to provocations” and might attack solely in response to fire from the German side. On the first day of

Geibo not only assumed full responsibility for what happened but personally led the alert flight to intercept the Germans. He promptly grasped the situation, and held off the first strike by engaging the Luftwaffe bombers en route. “In front of me there were four twinengined bombers with black crosses painted on their wings... ‘Attacking; provide cover!’ I signalled to my group. In a quick manoeuvre, I set the cross-hairs of the aiming sight on the

lead German aircraft... “Then I pulled the trigger of the ShKAS machine guns. Tracer bullets ripped the fuselage of the enemy aircraft; it lurched somewhat reluctantly, winged over and swooped down. Bright flames shot up from the place where it fell, and a column of black smoke began to creep up into the sky. I glanced at the clock. It was 4:20 in the morning …” According to an extract from the regiment’s operations record book, Geibo was credited with a victory over the He 111. Furthermore, he remembers that after he disengaged, other pilots took on the Germans and dispatched another two of them. According to regimental documents, alert flight leader Sr Lt Simon Lavrovich Maksimenko also shot down an He 111. Geibo gave orders to provide cover for Mlynów and Dubno. A fighter group, led by Sr Lt I I Ivanov set out to protect Dubno. The regiment’s operations record book noted a combat involving Ivanov and lieutenants Yuryev and Kondranin: “At 04:55 at an altitude of 1,500m to 2,000m, on a mission sortie to cover Dubno airfield, the pilots noticed three He 111s, which were going to carry out bombing. The fighters performed nose-down pitching to attack the He 111s from behind and opened fire. “Upon running out ammunition, Sr Lt Ivanov rammed an He 111 through. The German aircraft fell at a distance of 5km from Dubno. Ivanov was killed while protecting the Motherland. The mission of providing cover for the airfield is complete. The He 111s left westward. The used-up ammunition totalled 1,500 ShKAS shells. Sr Lt Ivan Ivanovich Ivanov

Left

Polikarpov I-6 ‘Red 19’ of the 46th Fighter Regiment, Mlynów, June 22, 1941. © A KAZAKOV 2017 Left to right

Commander of the 14th Combined Air Division Colonel Ivan Alekseyevich Zykanov. Deputy Squadron Leader Sr Lt Simon Lavrovich Maksimenko. Hero of the Soviet Union: Ivan Ivanovich Ivanov. Below

An He 111 of 7/KG 55 which force-landed in June or July 1941 in the Ukraine. It featured a 20mm MG-FF cannon in the nose blister for strafing raids.

January 2018 FLYPAST 25

Operation Barbarossa

T h e F i r s t d ay According to indirect data, it was the pilots of 8 Staffel who stood out above the others. Staffel leader Hptm Knorr’s logbook contains an entry regarding his sortie in He 111 ‘G1+ES’ which left Klemensow at 04:06 and attacked at 05:14. Crews of the 92nd were alerted at 04:35, but Regiment Commander Major Yachmenev received different instructions from Major General Shevchenko from those given by Colonel Zykanov to Captain Geibo. Situation Report No.1 of the 6th Army Air Force Headquarters gives a dry account of the regiment’s experiences during the first raid: “At 05:00, a group of fighters [probably a mistake in reporting; the airfield was attacked by the He 111s - Author] appeared over Brody... They delivered two attacks on the aircraft located on the airfield. As a result, two I-153s, a U-2, and the field photo laboratory were burnt

Above

Luftwaffe reconnaissance photograph of Dubno and Rachin airfields in 1944. Right

Aerial photograph of Mlynów airfield after the raids on June 22, 1941.

was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously).” The ramming was witnessed by many of Ivanov’s comrades-in-arms who were, at that time, in transit from Dubno to Mlynów. Other pilots of the 46th Fighter Regiment acted in a courageous manner. As a result, German bombers failed to hit either the aircraft or the hangars at Mlynów.

CLAIM AND COUNTER CLAIM

Losses inflicted on III/KG55 were considerable, fully confirming the claims of Soviet pilots. Two He 111P2s of the 7 Staffel failed to return: 2140 ‘G1+KR’ and 1410 ‘G1+MR’ with the loss of all five on each. Three more were damaged to a greater or lesser extent; one was burnt out after landing. Tactical raids on Brody and Adamy helped to take the sting out of an otherwise disastrous debut. According to III/KG55 documents: “The attack on Brody airfield proved surprisingly successful. The bombs were dropped on the closely spaced aircraft. A lot of burning aircraft were noticed. “At Rachin airfield, the bombs were dropped on spots where aircraft were 26 FLYPAST January 2018

concentrated and on groups of closely spaced trucks. In total, over 50 enemy fighters and other aircraft were destroyed. [Rachin was under construction and the vehicles were probably away from the site and being looked after by the engineers. The aircraft losses almost certainly relate to the strike on Adamy.] “Defence data: There are a lot of fighters in the target area. Fire from ground and anti-aircraft guns [is] sporadic. Victories scored: Two fighters were shot down using onboard weapons. Weather conditions: Scattered clouds. “Approximately 100 aircraft were found on a large field north of Złoczew. Approximately 80 aircraft were detected at a field north of Brody-Kamenka motor road. The field was attacked as an alternate target. The bombs hit the target well. A Red fighter biplane appeared; on account of insufficient speed, it failed to overtake the He 111s…”

EFFICIENT RAID

The raid on the 92nd Fighter Regiment at Brody was deemed extremely efficient by the Germans.

down. Two persons were killed; six persons were wounded. “At 05:05, a squadron took off to counter the enemy aircraft. In the air-to-air combat, two He 111s were shot down. One of our aircraft did not come back to the home airfield; another one made a forced landing near Radziechów. The aircraft is damaged but the pilot is intact...” Inconsistent instructions from the superior command brought about the death of an experienced pilot, veteran of the Battles of Khalkhin Gol and the Winter War; Lt Alexey Grigoryevich Kuzmenko. He tried to compel the German to land by manoeuvring his aircraft, but was shot down by the He 111’s gunners. It was sheer luck that the 92nd escaped with such small losses. Despite the triumphant reports

the Great Patriotic War 1941 - 1945

“Tracer bullets ripped the fuselage of the enemy aircraft; it lurched somewhat reluctantly, winged over, and swooped down. Bright flames shot up from the place where it fell” lodged by German crews, the number of aircraft destroyed at Brody was minimal. The two Heinkels mentioned in the situation report are open to doubt given that the intercepting I-153s failed to overtake the bombers. However, the regiment can probably be credited with He 111P-2 1494 ‘G1+KS’ of 8/KG 55 piloted by Oberleutnant Fahrholz, which had its undercarriage shot through in the combat. During an attempt to land back at Klemensow two crewmen were injured and the Heinkel was written off. The raid on Adamy proved the most successful of all. Four fighters of the 23rd Fighter Regiment, 15th Combined Air Division, were burnt out and another 12 damaged. This was no recompense for III/ KG 55’s performance: out of the 14 departed He 111s, two failed to return; two more were written off, another two were damaged and some crew members were injured. The alleged destruction of 50 Soviet aircraft on the airfields as stated in the KTB seems an obvious attempt to ‘sweeten’ the disappointing defeat and the heavy losses suffered

by the Gruppe. Hauptmann Wittmer’s personal courage could not be doubted, since he took part in the sortie. Faced with limited resources, the German commander had done his best to make up for the morning failures over Mlynów.

INTERLUDE

While the crews of III/KG 55 were preparing for the next sortie, other units of the V Air Corps were operating in small groups over Soviet airfields. Between 09:30 and 10:00, a flight of four German bombers made a successful attack on Mlynów. An I-16 and a Polikarpov R-Zet (or R-Z) were destroyed and others damaged but later repaired. Several pilots of the 46th Fighter Regiment tried to repel the raid: Deputy Leader of the 2nd Squadron Captain V M Kiselev, Lieutenants G A Lysenko and I S Babenko were shot down and killed and Junior Lieutenant (J/Lt) N P Kozinets was injured. Most probably, they fell victim to 5 Staffel of II/JG3, led by Hptm Lothar Keller. These units claimed five victories near Brody and

Dubno. Despite these troubles, the 46th Fighter Regiments commander remained calm. The regiment confidently defended the airfield and continued to patrol the Dubno– Mlynów region. At the same time, heavy losses on the ground were avoided, and damaged aircraft were promptly repaired. Furthermore, a vital reserve force was permanently maintained.

Above

A Heinkel He 111 of KG 55 over Mlynów on the morning on June 22, 1941.

WITTMER’S RETURN

By 15:30, the headquarters of III/ KG 55 was gearing up for a new offensive. Led by Hptm Wittmer, 18 He 111s departed for the sole target: Mlynów. The Gruppe’s operations record book takes up the story: “At 15:45 the Gruppe, in close formation, attacked the airfield from an altitude of 1,000m. Half of the bombs were dropped on taxying aircraft and those at take-off position. A quarter of the bombs were dropped on concentration [aircraft dispersal] sites on the eastern edge of the field. As far as we could observe, the concentration sites were still occupied with aircraft. January 2018 FLYPAST 27

Operation Barbarossa

T h e F i r s t d ay

“Negating the Germans’ triumphant reports, the pilots of the 46th Fighter Regiment managed again to provide cover for their airfield and to prevent the enemy from bombing” Above

Framed by a biplane, an I-16 Type 5 amid the carnage at Mlynów airfield. The marking ‘H’ (Cyrillic N) stands for ‘Nelyotniy’ (‘nonairworthy’); such aircraft were used solely for ground training. Right

Ground crew cleaning up at Mlynów airfield after the attack on June 22.

“Details: Results were not observed because of severe attacks by fighters. An I-16 fighter was shot down. The crew witnessed its falling. Weather conditions: Good; with patchy clouds. Ammunition used up: 576 SD-50s. “Losses: The aircraft of Gefreiter Ganz is missing; it was fired at by the fighters after the bomb dropping and left in the downward direction. Its further fate could not be observed because of severe attacks by fighters. Uffz Parr was wounded.” 28 FLYPAST January 2018

CRAFTIER COMBAT

Although the report attempts to provide excuses, it is obvious that the Germans again were accorded a ‘warm welcome’ over Mlynów. A group of Soviet fighters, led by Captain Geibo, was already airborne and began to engage the bombers. Geibo described the atmosphere of the battle: “After 13:00, another group of German bombers heading for Zdolbunov appeared within the field of view at an altitude of approximately 800m. Three of our flights and I took

off to intercept the enemy. “As soon as we approached them I noticed two groups, with nine aircraft in each. In the right echelon the Junkers crews noticed us as well and assumed close formation at once, to be ready for defence. It is known that the closer is the formation, the closer (and thus, the more efficient) is the air gunners’ fire... “I led the seven fighters to carry out an up-sun attack simultaneously, with our entire strength. I was figuring out how to do it in a craftier manner. We had to first disturb the formation of the Junkers, to disperse them, and then to shoot them down one by one. It meant that first and foremost we had to shoot down the leader. In the first morning battle, I had managed to do it. But what was going to happen in this one? “I signalled to the fighters to begin attack simultaneously, all at once; each of them had to select the target for himself. Then I dashed at the lead aircraft. Soon I set the crosshairs on it. I saw bursts of counterfire. Then I pulled the trigger. “The blazing trace of my fire went to the target. I expected the Junkers to be banking. However, it kept the course as if it were protected by some charm. The distance was rapidly decreasing; I had to break off!

the Great Patriotic War 1941 - 1945

“I made a steep and deep turn out to the left and got ready to engage again. But suddenly I felt a sharp pain in the thigh.” On the Soviet side, J/Lt I M Tsibulko shot down He 111P-2 1385 ‘G1+CT’ of 9/KG 55, killing all five on board. Another aircraft of 9 Staffel, piloted by Lt Bermadinger, was damaged. Negating the Germans’ triumphant reports, the pilots of the 46th Fighter Regiment managed again to provide cover for their airfield and to prevent the enemy from bombing. We should, however, praise the composure of the German crews who were operating without escort. Shooting down an He 111 and damaging another was achieved for the loss of Lt Tsibulko’s I-16; he baled out and suffered burns. As noted above in his own words,

Captain Geibo, having inflicted damage on another He 111, was injured but with some difficulty landed his crippled aircraft back at base.

RETREAT

At this point on June 21, 1941, military hostilities over Mlynów airfield and the cities of Dubno and Mlynów came to an end. So, what did the opponents achieve at the end of the first day of the war? Although they had the theoretical

advantage of delivering a surprise strike, III/KG 55 and other units of the Luftwaffe’s V Air Corps failed to destroy the Soviet air units at Mlynów. Nearly all the attacks were repelled by Soviet pilots, with considerable losses inflicted on the enemy. The Gruppe lost five He 111s and another three were damaged; this was a third of the aircraft available on the morning on June 22. Three entire crews (15 men) were killed or reported missing in action and several men were wounded. That left just 15 crews for the following day. For the sake of fairness, the German crews were operating under difficult conditions. Their targets were 60 to 75 miles from the frontier, and they had no fighter cover for about an hour over hostile territory. Reconnaissance inaccuracies and the tactically incompetent organisation of the first sortie led to considerable losses.

Hauptmann Wittmer was undoubtedly a courageous warrior and an excellent commander but, on the day in question, he had to face an opponent that was equal to him. Nevertheless, Wittmer’s perseverance paid off: at 19:30 Commander of the Southwestern Front Air Force, General Lt Ptukhin, authorised evacuation of the 46th Fighter Regiment from Mlynów to Garnovka. Riding down its Panzerschtrasse, the 11th Panzer Division rapidly broke through to Dubno and destroyed abandoned aircraft at the airfield.

RECKONING

At the end of the day, the 46th Fighter Regiment boasted five air victories over the He 111s; all of which were confirmed. One of these probably fell to J/Lt K K Kobyzev, the only pilot to have claimed two victories during the first air battles. He was awarded the highest decoration of the USSR, the Order of Lenin. Of the Soviet losses from among 34 combat-worthy fighters, 11 aircraft – a third – were lost before evening fell. Of them, two I-16s and two I-153s were destroyed on the ground by bombs. Six were shot down during air-to-air combats and one was damaged and abandoned during the retreat. Four pilots were killed or reported missing in action; three were wounded. The 46th was among the few Red Army Air Force units whose pilots not only provided reliable cover for their home airfield and sustained minimum casualties during bombing raids but also inflicted heavy losses on the enemy on June 22, 1941. That was due to the personal courage and heroism of such pilots as Ivan Ivanovich Ivanov, Ivan Mefodyevich Tsibulko, Konstantin Konstantinovich Kobyzev, and Simon Lavrovich Maksimenko, who were ready to hold off the enemy’s attacks at the cost of their own lives. The Commander of the 14th Combined Air Division Colonel I A Zykanov and the division headquarters provided guidance for aggressive combat from the first minutes of the war. Special mention should be made of the outstanding leadership abilities and personal courage of Joseph Ivanovich Geibo, who led his unit’s fight and undoubtedly inspired the young pilots of the 46th.

Left

Polikarpov I-15bis ‘White 24’ of the 46th Fighter Regiment, Mlynów, June 22, 1941. © A KAZAKOV 2017 Below

Wreckage of an I-16 at Mlynów. ALL VIA AUTHOR

January 2018 FLYPAST 29

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32 FLYPAST January 2018

WORLD WAR 2 P-61 BLACK WIDOW

T

hanks to the Ardennes campaign – famed as the ‘Battle of the Bulge’ – the pilots of the 422nd Night Fighter Squadron (NFS) became the top scorers on the huge but highly capable Northrop P-61 Black Widow. Germany’s last-ditch offensive of December 1944 may have taken the Allies by surprise, but the fierce fighting in bitter wintry conditions provided plenty of ‘trade’ for the all-weather predators to take their total of victories to 43. That figure included five ‘aces’. The 422nd NFS received its first P-61s at Scorton, near Catterick in Yorkshire, on May 23, 1944. The Pacific theatre had seen the first use of the new type, the 6th NFS taking delivery on May 3. The top-scoring unit in the Pacific was the 418th NFS, with 18 ‘kills’. As well as the 422nd, the Ninth Air Force stationed a second P-61 unit in Britain, the 425th NFS, based initially at Charmy Down, Somerset. To help with the

introduction of the Black Widow, the 425th moved to Scorton in early June 1944. The first task was to intercept V-1 flying-bombs – the Americans referring to them as ‘buzz bombs’. Both units managed to shoot down five of the terror weapons over the Channel. The 422nd also flew a few missions into France, claiming victories over two Junkers Ju 88s and a Dornier Do 217. The 422nd and 425th deployed to airfields in France in July and August 1944 respectively, and on September 16 the P-61s of the 422nd settled into Juzaines airfield, near Florennes, Belgium, their home until April 1945.

20MM BARRAGE

Black Widow pilot Lt Herman Ernst and his radar operator (R/O), Lt Edward Kopsel, took off on a mission on November 27, 1944 for a defensive patrol between the front lines and the Rhine. “Our GCI [ground-controlled interception] notified a ‘bogie’

below us at 20 miles away,” recalled Ernst. “I immediately dropped the nose into a full power shallow dive, dropping down to 3,500ft, and it didn’t take long to set up about 2½ miles from the target – and by that time we had it locked on our radar. “We closed the distance to about 1,400ft away and 15° above until we had a gap of 800 feet between us. At that point we could get a positive identification, and it was a Messerschmitt Me 110. “He was flying at 200mph on a course of 200° at 3,700ft. He lined up perfectly and at that point I fired a two-second burst with my 20mm [cannon]. I observed solid strikes on the fuselage and wings as I continued to close to 600ft. I fired another quick burst and hit his port engine and wing root. “An explosion followed immediately and all of a sudden there were pieces of German aircraft flying all over the place. By this time the entire wing was on fire and the ship wallowed for a few seconds, rolled over on its port

WARREN E THOMPSON RELATES THE EXPLOITS OF THE 422ND NFS, THE TOP-SCORING BLACK WIDOW UNIT IN THE USAAF

Below left

The firepower of the Black Widow was best seen in the dark: four 0.50in machine guns in the top of the turret and four 20mm cannon in the belly. JOHN MYERS

WORLD WAR 2 P-61 BLACK WIDOW

Right

Lt Col Oris Johnson in the cockpit of his P-61A, ‘No Love! No Nothing!’. JOHN ANDERSON

side and went down through the overcast. “This was a dangerous situation for us, because the overcast was at about 3,000ft. I was not familiar with the terrain in the area, so it would have been foolish to follow to pursue the suspected kill. Fortunately, we did get a confirmation from ground troops that were in the area. They claimed that the Me 110 came through the overcast in a fiery ball

immediately started violent evasive action which made it necessary to close to 400ft. “I fired a few rounds of 20mm which set both wings at the root on fire. I imagine both fuel tanks were hit, and the ship went into a tight spiral turn and exploded when it hit the ground. There were no parachutes observed. It totally amazed me what our 20mm could do to any aircraft!”

STARLESS NIGHT

Above

Caught in a blizzard, 1st Lt Paul Smith’s ‘Lady Gen’ showing an impressive mission tally. PAUL SMITH Below

Heavy snow in December 1944 at the 422nd’s base near Florennes. RAYMOND ANDERSON

which it made it easy for them to spot.” Ernst remembered another kill on the night of December 17. “Our assignment was to patrol the area between VII Corps front lines and the Rhine. As of this time, we had one V-1 and the Me 110 to our credit. “Soon after arriving in our area, GCI told us they had a bogie at 12 miles distance and it didn’t take long to narrow the gap to one mile. We dropped down lower and found out it was a Junkers Ju 87. It

Lt Robert Elmore and his R/O, Lt Leonard Mapes, got airborne on December 16. “We were patrolling the First Army front area about 01:00 hours and it was a black night, overcast, and not a star to be seen,” Elmore recalled. “We were at 5,000ft, under control of GCI ‘Marmite’. “I first noticed activity on the ground from the brilliant searchlights that began to appear all horizontal to the ground, shining west. At that time, Marmite started reporting many targets in our area. Suddenly an aircraft passed directly overhead going in the opposite direction. Our radar

controller vectored us onto a target and Lt Mapes immediately found it on his scope, and he directed me until I got a visual contact. “We closed in directly below and identified it as a Ju 88. We dropped back and got directly behind and fired a short burst of 20mm cannon fire. The Ju 88 went into a diving turn as we saw two parachutes open. “We were at the end of our operating limits and had to return to base.”

MEMORABLE CHRISTMAS

Between December 22 and 27, the aircrew of the 422nd scored 11 kills – prior to which 1st Lt John Anderson and R/O 2nd Lt James Mogan had two victories and one V-1 shoot down. They had a memorable Christmas, scoring on the 24th and 25th. Anderson said: “Taking off in P-61A 5543 to patrol the breakthrough area between the Meuse and the German border, after 30 minutes of patrolling, GCI vectored our aircraft onto a bogie. “I noticed navigation lights in the distance and a few minutes later

“‘I noticed navigation lights in the distance and a few minutes later our contact was secured at three miles, and from that point on my radar observer took over the interception.’”

of the engine, debris causing damage to his aircraft. The bandit fell off to port while losing altitude rapidly. I continued a port orbit and quickly saw it explode as it hit the ground. The combat terminated at 23:00 and no parachutes were seen to open.”

Above

‘Borrowed Time’, the Black Widow usually assigned to Lt Herman Ernst, at Scorton. Behind are Mosquitos of 604 Squadron. JOHN ANDERSON Left

Black Widow ‘Double Trouble’, flown by Lt Robert Bolinder. Left

our contact was secured at three miles, and from that point on, my radar observer took over the interception. Closing to 800ft, with target at 12 o’clock and 50°, we got a positive identification on it… a Ju 88, flying on a course of 200° at 5,000ft. “Airspeed was 170mph and at that point he started taking hard evasive action. I fired two quick bursts of 20mm from 500ft and got good hits on the right wing at its roots. Suddenly, the guns jammed whereupon I tried to drive the pilot into the ground. “After a few minutes of tailing him, my guns were suddenly unjammed. I stayed on him down till 500ft and fired another quick burst. Strikes were obtained on his right engine which had started to smoke. I fired a couple more bursts until my ammo ran out. “Still the aircraft would not explode, although debris was falling off and his navigation lights went out. The Ju 88 was last seen below 1,500ft and no explosion was seen. No parachutes were seen, so the crew must have gone in with the aircraft.” On Christmas night the same crew was still trying to intercept Luftwaffe intruders. The main reason the hunting was so good was because the Allied day fighters had full control of the skies. At 21:11 Anderson and his R/O took off in their regular Black

Left to right: John Anderson and his R/O, James Mogan, and Robert Elmore with his R/O, Leonard Mapes. JOHN ANDERSON

Widow, 42-5543, for a defensive patrol between of the V Corps area between the bomb line and Rhine. GCI informed Anderson of a bogie about 20 miles distant, headed west. When the gap got down to three miles, the R/O took over the pursuit and, closing to 800ft, they identified a Ju 88. Anderson took up the story: “Pulling up to dead astern, I opened fire at 600ft. The first burst obtained strikes along its right wing root causing the Ju 88 to fly in a gentle port turn. The second burst of 20mm exploded the right engine, splattering oil on the canopy of our aircraft. “I continued firing and the final burst caught the left wing, outboard

NO LOVE, NO NOTHING

The CO of the 422nd was Lt Col Oris B Johnson, and his regular R/O was Captain James A Montgomery. Johnson built the squadron to be the best and their tenure in Belgium turned out to be the most productive period for all the USAAF night-fighter squadrons. Occasionally the unit came faceto-face with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, considered by many to be the best fighter in the European theatre – only three were shot down by 422nd NFS Black Widows. Johnson described an encounter with a ’190: “We were flying night patrol in our assigned P-61, January 2018 FLYPAST 35

WORLD WAR 2 P-61 BLACK WIDOW No Love! No Nothing! This mission happened at the end of October 1944 and it proved to be the last kills we would make before the Battle of the Bulge started. “We were to fly a twilight patrol over enemy lines near Aachen. At precisely 18:05, GCI checked in and informed us of several enemy aircraft approaching from the east at 4,000ft. I dropped down from 10,000ft to investigate, but saw no aircraft and immediately returned to our original altitude.

“By this time our P-61 was too low and was taking light, friendly, ground fire. I pulled out and returned to base, and on inspection there were several holes in our aircraft. This encounter was one of only a few where Black Widows came face-to-face with German aircraft during the day.”

A German night intruder flying in significant numbers at the time was the Ju 188 – the 422nd shooting down six of them, all during the

then the target made a hard port turn. I took the chance with a 60° deflection shot which hit the canopy area and exploded in the Ju 188’s cockpit. The aircraft shuddered and straightened. Taking a 30° deflection shot this time, the rounds impacted all over the starboard wing root, causing a fire. “The ’188 went into a gentle climb for a few seconds than fell off on the damaged wing. The altitude of the fight had deteriorated, so the enemy went right in and exploded. In our

Battle of the Bulge. Pilot 1st Lt Paul Smith and R/O 1st Lt Robert Tierney were flying a routine patrol over the area between the Meuse and St Vith-Monschau on the night of December 26 in their usual P-61A Lady Gen. Smith remembered the mission: “Forty minutes into the patrol, GCI picked up an intruder at 7,000ft. We closed rapidly and overshot our quarry. The bogie was identified as a Ju 188, but the element of surprise was no longer available. “The enemy pilot took violent evasive action, with directional flight changing every few seconds. It peeled off, dove, weaved and changed altitude numerous times. I was closing and able to stay close, and it was just a matter of time. “I finally got as close as 500ft;

mission report we added that the Ju 188 was fitted with bomb racks that were empty.” Lady Gen’s mission was not over yet: GCI sent them up to 17,000ft, and when they were close enough for a positive identification the ‘quarry’ turned out to be a B-17. Immediately afterwards they went back into normal patrol. GCI handed them another intruder: this time he was at 9,000ft, which was much more suspicious. They came in too fast and overshot, but recovered and got a positive identification – another Ju 188, also fitted with bomb racks. Turning back around, Smith closed to 500ft. He tried a slight deflection shot that went wide. The enemy pilot immediately peeled off to starboard and made ‘split-Ss’ to port.

ONE-EIGHT-EIGHTS

Right

A P-61 based in France with traces of ‘Invasion Stripes’ on the tail boom. GARRY PAPE

Right centre

Armourers prepare to load the 20mm cannon rounds. WARREN BODIE Below right

Three P-61s of the 422nd: ‘Jukin’ Judy’ in the lead, ‘Lovely Lady’ in the far distance and ‘Husslin’ Hussey’ on the left. GARRY PAPE

“Minutes later GCI notified us again that they were picking up multiple bogies at 5,000ft. I dropped down again and this time my eyes locked onto a very unusual sight: three Fw 190s loaded with bombs! They had a heading of 270°, flying a straight and level course with an airspeed of 250mph. This was an unusual encounter with German aircraft during daytime. “I peeled off and headed right into them, and seconds later two of the Fw 190s broke off and scattered. The P-61’s focus was on the leader. The closure slowed at 1,000ft. Dead astern, I opened fire with two brief bursts of 20mm. These strikes were observed on the leader’s right wing as it drifted into a slow turn to the left. “Our range had closed down to 500ft. I increased pressure on the firing button, letting go with a long five-second burst. This time it was point blank as hits were observed all over the Fw 190’s fuselage and engine. These proved to be fatal. “Black smoke billowed out of the engine and the aircraft fell off into a vertical dive. At 2,000ft the pilot tried to pull out before hitting the ground. His efforts were useless as the ’190 went straight in, a massive explosion following the impact.

Over several minutes, the dogfight bounced back and forth between 9,000ft and 500ft. Visuals were gained and lost three times. Smith recalled: “In a slight dive the Black Widow was able to get off a short burst which found its mark. I noticed the first rounds impacted on the fuselage, causing it to start burning. I followed through with a longer burst fired from about 300ft dead astern. “My second burst hit the right engine which exploded, and the right wing broke off outboard of the engine. In an uncontrollable spiral, the enemy fighter hit the ground, exploding violently.” Smith and Tierney had made two kills in a matter of two hours, their fourth and fifth victories – the pair had become aces.

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE

After the 422nd had been on operations for at least six months, they had only received one replacement aircraft – and at one time during the ‘Bulge’ the squadron only had around five ready to fly. So ‘downed’ Black Widows were cannibalised to keep the remaining few flying. If the P-61s had been able to maintain a 90% in-service rate during those critical weeks, the enemy would have paid a very high price in manpower and equipment. Fortunately, the 422nd managed a lot of sorties around Christmas. Many pilots attributed this to the mechanics working long hours to keep the aircraft ready to go. There were so many ‘probables’ claimed that the outcome for the

422nd could have been much more impressive. The undercast common during those winter days made it impossible for pilots to follow their quarries down as they disappeared into the clouds. The Ninth Air Force paid tribute to the 422nd in a special bulletin: “For outstanding performance of duty in action against the enemy in the Ardennes on the night of December 16/17, 1944. On each of these nights the 422nd NFS exerted maximum efforts in countering the enemy’s attacking force and, despite extremely adverse weather conditions, succeeded in destroying five enemy aircraft each night. “In addition, and above their normal role in intercepting and destroying enemy aircraft, the 422nd NFS attacked marshalling yards, road and rail networks, mortar emplacements, transports and locomotives on intruder missions, thereby effectively continuing the air effort to isolate the battlefield to cover a full 24 hours each day. “The valiant efforts and unprecedented accomplishment of the unit on each of these occasions made a major contribution in denying the enemy his objectives and constituted an illustrious chapter in the history of the United States Army Air Force.”

Above

Lt Herman Ernst at the helm of his P-61, ‘Borrowed Time’. HERMAN ERNST

Left

Turretless Black Widows on the ramp at Northrop’s plant at Hawthorne, California. GARRY PAPE

January 2018 FLYPAST 37

FROM THE WORKSHOP AIRFRAME ASSEMBLIES

A Kit ‘Much from little’ should be the motto of warbird specialists Airframe Assemblies. Darren Harbar spoke to boss Steve Vizard about the team’s metalwork triumphs.

A

longside the lush green runway at Sandown aerodrome on the Isle of Wight the workshop of Airframe Assemblies continues the traditions of the region’s aviation heritage. The company is undoubtedly one of the most important in UK vintage aircraft manufacturing. The dedicated team of metal fettling experts has faithfully restored and produced a long list of Spitfire parts, from full fuselages to replacement rudder pedals. Work is not restricted to Spitfires; over the years the firm, which now employs 22 people, has created components for more than 20 different types. This includes Messerschmitt Bf 109 projects and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) Lancaster. As specialist metal workers, Airframe Assemblies does not bring aircraft up to the stage of flight, i.e. fitting out systems or installing components, but supplies major and minor metal parts for restorers to progress their projects.

Restoration by replacement Steve Vizard, who set up the company in the mid-1980s, explained how it came into being.

“Back in the day I was recovering parts from crash sites around my local area, and then further afield in other Battle of Britain counties. “We were recovering Hurricanes, Dorniers and Messerschmitts and, of course, Spitfires from various locations and that led to me making contact with some of the early Spitfire restorers. In those days, that was the like of warbird legend Steve Atkins, who together with Guy Black had set up a facility near Hastings [Aero Vintage – AV]. “Following a meeting with Steve and Guy, I got talking to them about Spitfires and the parts they had and what my group had recovered from the ground. There was mutual interest and I ended up working for Steve at AV. “There I had an apprenticeship of sorts and got to learn the ropes and meet a wide range of people, such as [airframe restoration specialist] Craig Charleston. I also met others who were considering the remanufacturing of metal aircraft parts. “This opened the door for what I call ‘restoration by replacement of parts where necessary’ and that had never been done before. In time, this led me to set up Airframe

Assemblies and about then, the mid-1980s, the well-known Charles Church appeared on the warbird scene. “We were lucky enough to get in contact with engineer Dick Melton who was running the workshop at Roundwood Farm, Micheldever in Hants, for Charles. We got orders through Charles for four sets of cowlings, four rudders, four elevators, four of everything! “I think he’s one of the unsung heroes of the restoration world, and we all owe him a great debt for what he began. [Charles was killed in a Spitfire crash on July 1, 1989 near Blackbushe.] “Shortly after this, we became one of the contractors for the recently formed Historic Flying at Audley End, who again were restoring multiples of Spitfires. We still undertake work for them to this day, alongside the sister company, the Duxford-based Aircraft Restoration Company.

Ideal location “We started to branch out and were making parts for some of the aeroplanes being restored by Retrotec at Hastings, culminating in the initial work on the Aero

Vintage Hawker biplane fleet. From Charles Church’s Spitfires, our next project was to build the complete back end of flight simulation creator and warbird collector Rudy Frasca’s Spitfire FR.XVIII [TP280] and we’ve grown from there. “At the beginning, we were operating from a converted cowshed on the Isle of Wight with just two part-timers. We chose to locate the business here as the area is steeped in aviation manufacturing history. There was a pool of expertise from companies like Westland Aerostructures (formally Saunders-Roe) and Pilatus Britten-Norman. To this day, we are surrounded by other specialist machining and treatment concerns that can fulfil tasks beyond our in-house capabilities, which makes the location ideal. “From our ‘cowshed’ we progressed into a larger unit on the other side of Sandown, before moving to yet bigger facilities closer to the aerodrome where we are now. About five years ago, we moved into this brand-new hangar, built for us, and it has room around it for us to expand if required.”

“At the beginning, we were operating from a converted cowshed on the Isle of Wight with just two part-timers. We chose to locate the business here as the area is steeped in aviation manufacturing history” 38 FLYPAST January 2018

The complexity of the construction inside a Spitfire fuselage can be seen in this lengthways image.

January 2018 FLYPAST 39

FROM THE WORKSHOP AIRFRAME ASSEMBLIES

Above

the structure. This was the BBMF spares airframe, Mk.XVI TB382 – more on this later. Alongside the wing jigs is racking containing square-section metal tubes. These are mated inside each other to form Spitfire wing spars – only Airframe Assemblies is certified to produce these – and Steve said all the BBMF Spitfires are flying with spars made in Sandown. A further 30 or so flying Spitfires have Airframe Assemblies spars, so that’s quite some claim to fame. Furthermore, during the past

The rudder pedal from a Spitfire proudly bearing the Supermarine name. Right

Each part is carefully machined to technical drawings using modern techniques. This is a freshly-machined hinge assembly. Below right

The arrestor hook assembly of Seafire Mk.XV SR462. Far right

When completed, SR462 will be the second Seafire Mk.XV flying, the other being PR503 in America.

Jigs and spars With 14,000 sq ft now available to the team, the space is well utilised. Steve walked around the facility to highlight some of the current projects. He started at the wing jigs, where three of the hallmark elliptical structures were being worked on. Steve pointed out a finished port wing for enthusiast Mark Bennett’s Spitfire IX LZ842 (G-CGZU) awaiting delivery to warbird operator Peter Monk’s Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar. There it will join the fighter’s fuselage, also an Airframe Assemblies restoration. The reconstruction of the starboard

40 FLYPAST January 2018

wing of LZ842 is well advanced. Adjacent in the jigs was a starboard wing for Spitfire XVI TB885, based at Peter’s hangar, and a less advanced example for a future project. Wings for the Anglia Aircraft Restorations Hawker Tempest II MW763 (G-TEMT) were in the process of having major components removed in preparation for restoration to airworthy standard. Steve explained that jigs were being produced for these wings. A single Spitfire wing, still bearing an RAF roundel, had some skins taken off to allow inspection of

“Out of the world population of around 60 airworthy Spitfires, Airframe Assemblies over the past 30-plus years created parts for almost 50 of them” 30-plus years, the company has created parts for almost 50 of the world’s airworthy 60-odd airworthy Spitfires.

Two-seaters There are two Spitfire fuselage jigs, both occupied with on-going projects. Each jig has a list showing the host of airframes that have passed through them over the years. I counted 21 serial numbers! Slightly more advanced of the two projects is Spitfire IX EN570 (LN-AOA) a two-seater for Norwegian Flying Aces. This will sport the Grace-style canopy arrangement with a low-level sliding Perspex. This machine rolled off the Castle Bromwich production line in the Midlands during 1943 and served with 611 Squadron at Biggin Hill, coded ‘FY-J’. In the hands of Flt Lt Vernon A Lancaster, EN570 was credited with shooting down a Bf 109 on May 17, 1943 and a FockeWulf Fw 190 on the 30th. The Spitfire was shot down over the Pas-de-Calais region, France,

on June 11 with Fg Off G R Lindsay at the controls. The circumstances are unclear, but it is reported that he was shot down by a Fw 190 of Jagdgeschwader 26, flown by ‘ace’ Adolf ‘Addi’ Glunz – his 33rd of 71 victories. Recovered from woodland near Lucheux, the Spitfire’s remains passed to Airframe Assemblies and were UK registered as G-CISP. The current owners registered the project in Norway in April 2016. The fuselage was looking substantially complete during my visit. Alongside the Norwegian Mk. IX sits another two-seater, which is owned by Peter Monk. This will have the Vickers standard bubble rear canopy once it’s finished. The airframe was in a part-skinned condition, giving a great view of the Spitfire construction techniques.

Pablo’s Seafire A very exciting restoration was almost ready to leave the workshop. Seafire XV SR462 (G-TGVP) is owned by Tim Percy whose father – Lt Cdr Terence

Gerard Vaughan ‘Pablo’ Percy DSC – flew this aircraft during his time in the Fleet Air Arm. Lt Cdr Percy died in January 2015 and ‘his’ Seafire will be a poignant tribute to him; its registration letters reflecting his initials. Airframe Assemblies has produced Seafire parts in the past, but G-TGVP is the first complete Seafire to have passed through its fuselage jigs. It has presented some challenges as it had been de-navalised when it was sold to Burma. This involved the removal of such parts as the arrester hook and other associated fittings. Thankfully, some of the hook’s internal structure had been retained during the conversion, so Airframe Assemblies had something to work with when reverting to its original Seafire status. Steve explained: “There were thankfully all the fixings that were attached to the frames, so using photographs and a few drawings, we were able to rebuild the internal structure where the [arrester] hook

shaft would be attached to. “There were no drawings for the hook shaft itself, so we had to use photos to piece that together and then we had to find the drawings. That was fun as the hook was a navy part, and not a Supermarine standard item. We had to source the part number and drawings in order to faithfully remanufacture the hook.” Inside the fuselage, the strengthened frames and floor are testament to the engineering required in response to the extreme forces produced by the Seafire engaging a wire. VictorPapa was built by Westland at Yeovil in 1944 and delivered to the Fleet Air Arm in March the following year. It was one of 20 surplus examples bought back by Vickers in 1951 and modified for sale to the Burmese Air Force as UB414. It was shipped in late 1952 to Mingaladon, Rangoon. After being retired the Seafire was mounted on a plinth and remained in the open until 1994 when it was taken

January 2018 FLYPAST 41

FROM THE WORKSHOP AIRFRAME ASSEMBLIES

42 FLYPAST January 2018

down and prepared for sale, along with another Mk. XV, PR503. In 1998 UB414 was sold to a syndicate in the USA and moved to Missouri in May of the next year. There it was surveyed for rebuild by engineer Jim Cooper and his team. PR503 was chosen for restoration – it is now airworthy

in the US (see last issue) – and SR462 was put on the back burner. Tim Percy had discovered that his father had flown this machine, so he set about acquiring and bringing it to the UK for restoration to flight. With the fuselage completed it will begin the process of having systems and the Rolls-Royce Griffon fitted over the next year. This process will be carried out by Old Warden-based Kennet Aviation.

When time allows I mentioned Spitfire XVI TB382 earlier. Built in late 1944 at Castle Bromwich, it was issued to Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, on January 19, 1945 where 6 Maintenance Unit fitted it out for service. Its first allocation was to 602 Squadron based at Ludham in Norfolk, where it wore the codes ‘LO-Z’. It was flown by Raymond Baxter, a pilot with the unit, later to gain fame as a television presenter. During its time with 602 Squadron, TB382 completed at least 20 dive-

Clockwise from above

Both wings for Hawker Tempest II MW763 were having major components removed, prior to restoration to an airworthy standard. The partially completed fuselage of Spitfire Mk.XVI TB382. Full restoration on this airframe will begin when time allows. The high-quality of the restoration work carried out by Airframe Assemblies is apparent here in this re-built component awaiting fitting. A Spitfire bulkhead awaits restoration in the workshop.

bombing and armed recce sorties. In April 1945, TB382 moved to nearby Coltishall, Norfolk, and spent its career moving around a variety of units until it was retired in 1955. It became a display airframe with stints at Thornaby, Yorkshire, from 1955, Middleton St George, Durham, from 1956 and Ely, Cambs, from 1964. In 1967 TB382 was moved to Henlow, Bedfordshire, where the fighter had a Rolls-Royce Merlin 266 installed and a borrowed three-bladed Rotol propeller (from Sea Hurricane Z7015) fitted, so it could be taxied during the filming of Battle of Britain. TB382 was transferred to the RAF Exhibition Flight in 1969, based initially at Bicester, and later Abingdon, both in Oxfordshire. It became a popular exhibit, being moved by road to airshows and events across the UK. Mk.XVI TE311 was also used in this manner. The Exhibition Flight passed both Spitfires to BBMF in 1999

to be used for spares recovery. When inspected TE311 was deemed restorable and it was flown again on October 19, 2012, joining the BBMF fleet. Having been denuded of parts, the hulk of TB382 was exchanged with Airframe Assemblies (in return for TE311’s wings) to be totally restored. While both wings are substantially complete – TB382 does not have a tail, control surfaces, engine bearers or indeed an engine – but these are things the company can easily rectify. Restoration will start when time allows.

January 2018 FLYPAST 43

FROM THE WORKSHOP AIRFRAME ASSEMBLIES

“The Germans don’t seem to be able to produce Bf 109-formed fuselage frame sections...but it does counter the fact that most ’Spits’ fly with German-made Hoffman propeller blades!” Above

An unusual view of a Spitfire fuselage, showing the fasteners keeping the metal in place. Behind is two-seat Mk.IX EN570, which will eventually pass to Norwegian Flying Aces. Left

The starboard wing of Spitfire Mk.IX LX842 is nearly finished. Below

The stripped-down wing of Mk.XVI TB382. ALL DARREN HARBAR

Benchwork There’s a hive of activity around the benches, which occupy the workshop’s ground floor, and even more movement upstairs on the mezzanine. Members of the team were busy forming a sheet of metal to create a belly skin for a Spitfire as I looked around. It was fascinating to watch them pushing and pulling the sheet back and forth to create the curves of the fuselage. Every so often, an original belly skin was placed over the new one to check the form was accurate. In the mezzanine, Steve showed the rudder for the Anglia Aircraft Restorations Tempest II, which was on a workbench. Nearby was a tailplane and rudder under construction for a static Spitfire V that Airframe Assemblies is building for an overseas museum. To the side of the benches were

44 FLYPAST January 2018

wooden forming moulds used to create the metal ‘D skins’ for the Spitfire’s leading edges. Steve explained that the moulds are universal for Spitfire wings and they had clearly been used for many years. A large engine cowling for the BBMF Lancaster, PA474, was instantly recognisable. The team produced new cowlings for PA474 when it suffered an engine fire in 2015. Airframe Assemblies has been commissioned to make cowlings for the other engines and Steve noted that each one is slightly different, making the job an interesting challenge. Among the stash of parts in store are a set of Bf 109 fuselage sections. Airframe Assemblies has worked closely with Messerschmitt specialist Craig Charleston for many years and has developed a

good reputation for this work. Through Craig, sets have been manufactured for ’109 projects in Germany. Steve laughed: “The Germans don’t seem to be able to produce Bf 109-formed fuselage frame sections, so the customers

have to come to Craig and us, which is rather ironic, but it does counter the fact that most ’Spits’ fly with [German-made] Hoffman propeller blades!” The future is very bright for Airframe Assemblies as its skills are world respected. It holds a British Civil Aviation Authority A8-21 (formerly A2) approval rating for manufacturing. This makes it one of very few companies that can produce and supply items

such as wings, fuselages and other components to foreign customers. The Sandown craftsmen have proven time and time again that their skills are essential for warbirds and new projects. www.airframes.co.uk

Airbritain_fp.indd 1

10/11/2017 14:50

WORLD WAR 2 HURRI-BOMBERS

TANK-BUSTERS

Above

Hurricane IIds HV663 and HW313 taking off from Gabès on April 6, 1943. 6 SQUADRON RECORDS

Bottom right

A shattered Panzer III – many others met the same fate during the desert battles in which 6 Sqn participated between 1942 and 1943. AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

H

aving given up its Lysanders, Egyptian-based 6 Squadron was left with just a single Hurricane I in the spring of 1942. Having assumed command, Sqn Ldr Roger Porteous wondered just how much worse it could get. Further indignity followed for what was one of the RAF’s most senior units. Based at Landing Ground (LG) 224 in the Western Desert with detachments at other rudimentary airstrips, the squadron was used as a servicing and overhaul outfit, with its pilots carrying out test and

46 FLYPAST January 2018

ferry flights. Thankfully, the prospects for 6 were about to change. At this time, Hurricane IIds were being shipped to the Middle East for use in the anti-tank role. The variant was equipped with a pair of 40mm Vickers Type S cannon underwing, each with 15 rounds, plus two 0.303in Browning machine guns within the wings. This armament, low-level operations and the draggy tropical filter under the nose, compromised the Hurricane’s speed. This fell by as much as 50mph (80km) to 288mph. To the relief of everyone on the unit, 6 Squadron was to re-equip with the tank-busting Hurricanes. Flt Lt Hank Simpson led the advance party to Shandur in Egypt for an intensive five

weeks training that included live firing against captured enemy tanks. The cannon proved to be a viable weapon, but the recoil of the 40mm guns tended to pitch the nose down. The unit’s South African second in command, Flt Lt Donald WestonBurt, recalled: “If the IId fired its first pair of 40mm [shells] at 1,000 yards, two more pairs could be got away accurately before breaking off. It is no exaggeration to say that any good pilot could guarantee to hit his target with one or more pairs on each attack.”

DAILY ACTION

Training complete, 6 Squadron moved to Gambut in Libya, on June 4. The unit’s firepower was much in

IN THE NORTH AFRICAN CAMPAIGN CANNON-ARMED HURRICANES TOOK A HEAVY TOLL OF ROMMEL’S PANZERS, AS ANDREW THOMAS DESCRIBES demand as Rommel’s assault on the Gazala-Bir Hakeim line had opened on May 26. With Sqn Ldr Hayter leading in BN860, Flt Lt ‘Pip’ Hillier in BN797, Plt Off Walter in BN861 and Plt Off Peterson in BN842, the first ‘op’ took place on June 7, but was aborted. Early the following afternoon Porteous in BN841 led an attack on a road convoy west of Bir Hakeim, leaving two tanks and a couple of trucks destroyed. The CO claimed one tank and a lorry. Canadian Flt Lt ‘Hank’ Simpson, in BN861, was wounded in the chest while leading an attack on tanks near Bir Hakeim in support of the Free French Brigade. Simpson continued to

score further hits before his Hurricane was struck again by flak. After flying blind for a short period, he baled out at just 500ft. He was awarded an immediate DFC. On recovering from his injuries, he returned to the fray three months later. The squadron was in action daily, hitting five tanks, five trucks and an anti-tank gun on June 15 alone, albeit for the loss of Plt Off Lee. Three days later 6’s Hurricanes went after a column of enemy armour advancing on Sidi Rezegh and hit 18 tanks and other vehicles. Strikes were carried out at extremely low level and Hillier’s aircraft struck the tank he was attacking, losing his tailwheel and part of his

rudder. He returned safely despite the damage. Hillier became the first antitank ‘ace’, ending with at least nine destroyed. The Allied retreat continued and Tobruk fell on the 21st – a massive blow to British morale. Six Hurricanes, led by the CO, hit a convoy of 14 trucks and a tank on July 14. The unit diary noting dryly: “It was a pretty poor show as one truck got away. When last seen it was bounding across the desert touching the ground every two or three hundred yards!”

HOLDING THE LINE

The Eighth Army moved back to El Alamein where

January 2018 FLYPAST 47

WORLD WAR 2 HURRI-BOMBERS

were halted – in the days leading up to it, 6’s Hurricanes had attacked at least nine tanks. That day the promoted Sqn Ldr Weston-Burt led a formation of six against enemy armour and he personally hit a trio of Mk.III tanks. F/Sgt Kurt Levine, who later received a DFM, bagged an eight-wheeled armoured car. Levine recalled life at this time: “We lived rather rough, like the army. The dug-out tent tended to be safer in bombing and strafing attacks. Water was rationed and

Above

Hurricane IId BP188 of 6 Squadron over Egypt in mid-1942. 6 SQUADRON RECORDS

Right

Sqn Ldr Donald WestonBurt (left) briefing a group of 6 Squadron pilots during the Battle of Alamein. 6 SQUADRON RECORDS

Right centre

Major ‘Johnny’ Blaauw led 7 Squadron SAAF during their successful tank-busting period. VIA M SCHOEMANN

Below right

One of 7 Squadron SAAF’s Hurricane IIs, used for training alongside the unit’s Mk.IIds. AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

“Strikes were carried out at extremely low level and Hillier struck the tank he was attacking, losing his tailwheel and part of his rudder. He returned safely despite the damage” it turned and stood its ground. The Hurricanes of 6 Squadron continued to stage daily sweeps. Typical was that on July 13 when Hillier’s shells struck a Panzer II and three Mk.IIIs. The following day, several Italian M-13 tanks and armoured cars were hit. Such actions continued in a similar vein throughout the month. By the end of August, No.6 had claimed 26 tanks, 31 armoured halftrack troop carriers and many other types of vehicle destroyed. Rommel’s final offensive in Egypt began on the last day of the month in what became the Battle of Alam el Halfa. By September 3 the Axis forces

48 FLYPAST January 2018

the diet was mainly bully beef, tinned potatoes, pickles, hardtack [a hard biscuit], jam and tea. A good evening snack was to fry the hardtack in butter and eat it warm with jam. Washing was a luxury.”

SOUTH AFRICAN COMRADES

The success of 6’s operations identified the need for reinforcement. On September 17 part of 7 Squadron South African Air Force (SAAF) arrived at Shandur to begin training on the Hurricane IId. In command was Major J P D ‘Johnny’ Blaauw who had only taken up the post the day before. Blaauw reorganised his unit with ‘A’ Flight under Capt Harold Kirby panic whenever they appeared.” Also contributing on the 24th was 7 Squadron SAAF with Major Blaauw and lieutenants Barry Wiggett, ‘Spud’ Kelly and Aubrey Rosholt each destroying a tank. On October 26, Wiggett, newly elevated to captain, and lieutenants Alexander and Taylor successfully attacked a group of 25 tanks. Alan Alexander’s BN971 was hit by flak and force landed near Lake Maghra. He was eventually picked up by an armoured car unit and returned safely to base.

Above

Named ‘Our John’, Hurricane IId BN795 served with 6 Squadron in Tunisia. It had been presented by the family of Wg Cdr John Gillan. 6 SQUADRON RECORDS

Left

Hurricane IId KW704 of 6 Squadron in late 1942. VIA M GOODMAN

BREAKOUT

and ‘B’ Flight coming under Capt Gray. The South Africans were declared operational on October 21. Throughout September, 6 Squadron remained busy. On the 28th, Fg Off Jimmy Carswell in BN961 hit two lorries and a gun

position, while the next day Fg Off Morrison-Bell in BP188 led an attack that destroyed three armoured cars atop an escarpment. At 21:40 hours on October 23, the crucial Battle of El Alamein began. Joined by the South Africans, the Hurricanes of 6 Squadron flew their first sortie of the battle from LG 89 at 10:30 the following morning. During that day 16 tanks were destroyed, three being ‘brewed’ by Weston-Burt alone. This was 6’s most successful day in the tankbusting role and the claims were almost all against captured ‘Honey’ (M3 Stuart) and Crusader tanks. A German prisoner of war gave an indication of 6’s effectiveness reportedly saying that of his company of 12 tanks attacked by the Hurricanes, six were knocked out and left burning and the others were all hit. He concluded: “The appearance of British ‘tank-busters’ came as a great surprise and caused

After intense fighting Operation Supercharge – the breakout – began on November 2 with 6 Squadron being particularly successful. For example, on the 3rd Weston-Burt hit two tanks and four transport vehicles and Carswell, attacking though a barrage of fire, shot up a Panzer IV and a brace of armoured cars. The South Africans were also active when early in the afternoon Major Blaauw led lieutenants George, Turner and Taylor against packed traffic on the coast road near El Daba. Upon their return Wiggett, George, Rosholt and Reyneke took off on a second sortie. On both occasions targets were attacked with great success. The next day, November 4, Axis resistance broke and the race across the desert began. During the rout the two tank-busting Hurricane squadrons claimed 39 tanks, 42 field guns and numerous other vehicles destroyed. As a consequence of this spectacular achievement, 6 Squadron was nicknamed the ‘Flying Can Openers’ and an emblem showing a canopener with wings was painted on January 2018 FLYPAST 49

WORLD WAR 2 HURRI-BOMBERS

“We lived rather rough, like the army. The dug-out tent tended to be safer in bombing and strafing attacks. Water was rationed... Washing was a luxury”

CLOSING THE RING

Enemy forces withdrawing from Libya eventually reached the security of the rugged Tunisian border and the Mareth Line. This was a system of fortifications built by the French before the war against possible attack by the Italians in Libya. With steep 70ft banks, the Mareth was reputed to be the most difficult military defence line to breach in North Africa.

Above

Fg Off D W Jones leaning on the barrel of the 40mm cannon of his Hurricane IId. VIA M GOODMAN

Right

Fg Off Howard Clark was killed during the heavy fighting over Tunisia in late March 1943. VIA ALASTAIR GOODRUM

the nose of its aircraft. This tradition continued on to its Eurofighter Typhoons in the present day. In December the squadrons left Egypt to re-equip with standard Hurricane IIcs for shipping patrols. In January 1943 Sqn Ldr WestonBurt took command of 6 and at the end of the month he led the unit back into the desert southeast of Tobruk. In late February it enthusiastically began re-equipping with the Mk.IId once again.

50 FLYPAST January 2018

Checked in the north at Kasserine, Rommel turned his armour south and on March 6, 1943, flung it against Montgomery’s Eighth Army at Medenine in Tunisia. The assault failed, costing no fewer than 52 tanks. Meanwhile 6 Squadron had moved to Castel Benito near Tripoli returning to action on the 10th when a dozen Hurricanes were thrown in to support General Philippe Leclerc’s Free French force that had crossed the Sahara from French Equatorial Africa and had been attacked by a powerful German armoured force. In three separate strikes near Zamlet el Hadid 6 Squadron destroyed half a dozen precious tanks and over 20 armoured and soft-skinned vehicles. Flak was fierce and the CO returned with his wing main spar almost severed. This was Rommel’s last throw of the dice and in mid-March the Allied armies began to close the ring. Progress on the northern front was slow at first, but in the south a spectacular victory was achieved by breaching the Mareth Line and here air power played a key part. Moving forward with the action, 6 Squadron arrived at Senem

the Djebel Tebaga Gap on March 23. Shortly after 10:00 a dozen 6 Squadron Hurricanes engaged tanks in the El Hamma area in the face of fierce ground fire. F/Sgt Frank Harris was shot down and killed while damage forced W/O Mercer into a high-speed crash landing. Flying HV597 Carswell hit two half-tracks and several trucks before he too was badly shot up. Seven more Hurricanes set out at 17:05, again after tanks in the El Hamma area and encountered fighters and heavy ground fire. Walker and Day were both shot down, each crash-landing safely and returning. Action around El Hamma continued unabated on the 25th. The pilots of 6 Squadron went out after tanks once more with ten aircraft taking off at 12:45. So intense was the ground fire that just four returned. Flying officers Zillessen and T I Peterson were among those that went down, but by some miracle they both survived unhurt.

in southern Tunisia by March 17 to support the assault on the formidable defences that began on the 20th. Although highly effective, the Hurricanes continued to be highly vulnerable to enemy ground fire. In a little over three hours on the 22nd, the Hurricanes of 6 Squadron destroyed nine tanks and a dozen other vehicles. When the enemy attempted a counterattack, despite the heavy rain 13 Hurricanes took off at 13:25 after tanks south of El Hamma and claimed nine destroyed.

Fg Off D W Jones, an American, was shot down by a Messerschmitt Bf 109 and slightly wounded. Fg Off Bluett and Plt Off Freeland were also brought down by the ’109s from II Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 77. In late afternoon six Bf 109s caught Fg Off Morgan who had to force land in the hills northwest of El Hamma where he narrowly escaped capture by Italian troops.

TURNING POINT

The call went up to support the New Zealand Division’s thrust on

The turning point came on the 26th when the New Zealanders and the Eighth Armoured Brigade broke through the gap between Djebel Tebaga and Djebel Melab with heavy air support. In midafternoon, Curtiss Kittyhawks from 3 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force and 250 Squadron RAF escorted 11 Hurricanes of 6 Squadron while they struck at enemy tanks in the area, bringing the unit’s total to 32.

FEWER TARGETS

Left

A wartime air-to-air view of a cannonarmed Hawker Hurricane.

Above

After its successful tank-busting activities at El Alamein, Egypt, 6 Squadron’s Hurricanes were decorated with a winged can opener badge. AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

Above left

F/Sgt Frank Harris was buried next to his aircraft in Tunisia. He was later re-buried at Sfax War Cemetery. AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

On April 3, 1943 the unit moved further forward to Gabès, in Tunisia. After a brief rest, 6 Squadron continued operations, but targets were by now noticeably fewer. During the early hours of the January 2018 FLYPAST 51

WORLD WAR 2 HURRI-BOMBERS

BALKAN REPRISE A rocket-equipped Hurricane IV of 6 Squadron at Araxos, Greece, in October 1944. 6 SQUADRON RECORDS

The Hurricane IVs of 6 Squadron settled into Grottaglie, near Taranto, Italy, in February 1944. From there it flew anti-shipping sorties over the Adriatic and ground attacks in support of Tito’s partisans in Yugoslavia. In mid-December a detachment of half a dozen Hurricanes was sent to Nikšic in Montenegro from where strikes were made on targets around Danilovgrad and Spuž where they destroyed a vital rail bridge. On December 18 the Hurricanes reprised the ‘Flying Can Opener’ role when the unit hit a group of the much-feared Tiger tanks, destroying one and damaging two others. The operation was successfully repeated the following day, but after this Balkan encore, 6 Squadron’s tank-busting days were finally over.

“Axis resistance broke and the race across the desert began. During the rout the two tank-busting Hurricane squadrons were able to claim 39 tanks, 42 field guns and numerous other vehicles destroyed” Below

Sqn Ldr Weston-Burt with his pilots and groundcrew in front of a Hurricane in early 1943. VIA TONY HANCOCK

6th, the Eighth Army opened its assault on the Wadi Akarit line and the ‘Flying Can Openers’ were out in force at 12:25, when 13 of them took off on a tank hunt. Again, the unit suffered heavily: Fg Off Peterson, F/Sgt Hastings and Fg Off Zillessen were all shot down. The next day Axis troops began to retreat and the British entered Mezzouna. Eleven of 6’s Hurricane IIds took off at 18:00 to engage tanks near Skhira, but the light flak again proved deadly and six were

52 FLYPAST January 2018

shot down. Fg Off B L Thornton (BP308), F/Sgt R Veal (BP193) and Plt Off J M Freeland (HW359) all returned to service but Fg Off Howard Clark (KW704), F/Sgt Eric Hastings (HV560) and Fg Off Walter (HW651) were killed. During the night of April 20 the ‘Hermann Göring’ and 10th Panzer Divisions moved forward towards Medjez el Bab and eventually surrendered. The much-depleted 6 Squadron had been reinforced by the arrival of six more Mk.IIds flown

by pilots from 134 Squadron. Claims for 6 Squadron during the Battle of the Mareth Line included 148 tanks hit, of which 47 were destroyed, as were nearly 200 other vehicles. Seven DFCs were awarded to its pilots and Sqn Ldr WestonBurt received an immediate DSO. There were a few more tank-busting attacks but the enemy in Tunisia was finished and surrendered on May 13. The Hurricanes of 6 Squadron had helped to play a big part in the victory.

Osprey_fp.indd 1

10/11/2017 14:49

WORLD WAR 2 EIGHTH AIR FORCE

Jet Kill Garry L Fry examines both sides of the story of the first Messerschmitt Me 262 to be brought down by the USAAF Below

Major Joseph Myers, leader of ‘Surtax Blue’ flight on August 28, 1944 and credited with the first Me 262 victory.

D

ating back to the mid-16th century, Sawston Hall in Cambridgeshire had been transformed into the headquarters of the USAAF’s 66th Fighter Wing. From within these historic walls 2nd Lt Frederic ‘Fred’ Edwin Bolgert was sent news of his first combat assignment in 1944 and he was delighted with it. He was destined for the 78th Fighter Group (FG) at

Thunderbolt ‘MX-E’ being flown by Major Richard Hewitt in July 1944. On the August 28, 1944 mission, it was piloted by 2nd Lt Howard S Scholz. GEORGE LETZTER COLLECTION

Looking southeast from the location of the present-day Imperial War Museum, Thunderbolts of the 82nd FS taking off en masse from Duxford’s grass.

Duxford, less than three miles southwest of Sawston Hall. Station 357 – the USAAF name for RAF Duxford – was not your ordinary muddy Eighth Air Force fighter field with prefab wood and iron shacks thrown up by recent construction in East Anglia. Known as ‘DX’, it was a beautiful, manicured pre-war permanent RAF Sector Station which had become famous for the part it had played in the Battle of Britain. Pilots lived in brick-built steam-heated officers’ club rooms and dined on linen-covered tables. If one had to fight a war, this was the best way to do it in England. Bolgert arrived on June 24 as a replacement for the pilots ending their first combat

54 FLYPAST January 2018

tours in the 78th FG, which was one of the three 1942 ‘pioneer’ USAAF outfits in England. He got off to a good start by volunteering for any extra flying that was available. This resulted in finishing his first, 69-mission tour of 270 combat hours on August 11, in record time. Fred loved to fly fighters and applying his mechanical engineer’s mind to combat problems.

Down in a field

In the late afternoon of August 28, a second mission – at group strength, 47 aircraft – took off from Duxford at 16:49 hours. Led by Major William H Julian, of the 83rd Fighter Squadron (FS), it was a fighter-bomber sweep of targets behind the lines in the Aulnoye and

Lens area of Belgium. The P-47 Thunderbolts were to attack enemy trains, railyards and road transport. Bolgert was flying as an element leader in Major Joseph Myers’ flight, call-sign Surtax Blue. The quartet comprised: Myers – Blue 1, his wingman 2nd Lt Wayne L Coleman – Blue 2, and Bolgert – Blue 3 with his wingman, 2nd Lt Manford O Croy Jr – Blue 4. They were to provide top cover, while the others carried out low-level bombing and strafing. Major Myers wrote in his combat report: “While stooging around at 19:15 hours west of Brussels at 11,000ft, I caught sight of what appeared to be a B-26 [Marauder], flying at about 500ft and heading in a southerly direction and going very

fast. I immediately started down to investigate and, although diving at 45° at 450mph IAS [indicated airspeed], I was no more than holding my own in regard to the unidentified aircraft. “When approximately 5,000ft above and very nearly directly over the aircraft, I could see that it was not a B-26, although it had the general overall plan of the B-26. It was painted a slate blue colour, with a long-rounded nose, but I did not see any guns sticking out anyplace. It bore no markings. “The unidentified plane must have seen me at this time, because he started evasive action, which consisted of small changes of direction not exceeding 90° of turn. The radius of turn was very great

and although I was diving at around 450 IAS, I had very little trouble cutting him off and causing him to again change direction. “He made no effort to climb or turn more than 90° at any time. I closed to within 2,000ft above and directly astern and had full power on in a 45° dive in an effort to close. At this distance I could readily see the similarity between the aircraft and the recognition plates of the Messerschmitt Me 262. “With full power on and the advantage of altitude I gradually started closing on the E/A [enemy aircraft], and drew up to within 500 yards astern and was about to open fire when the E/A cut his throttle and crash landed in a ploughed field. He hit the ground just as I fired,

WORLD WAR 2 EIGHTH AIR FORCE ‘Surtax Blue 1’ - Major Joseph Myers P-47D-27-RE 42-27339 ‘MX-S’

Wayne Coleman flew 325318 ‘MX-P’ on August 28, 1944; it is illustrated post-D-Day with full ‘Invasion Stripes’.

From Canton, Ohio, Myers completed a 200-hour first tour flying P-38J Lightnings with the 55th FG at Nuthampstead, Herts. He joined the 78th FG on August 2, 1944, becoming acting CO of the 82nd FS six days later. He became squadron ops officer on October 1 and went to the 82nd HQ on December 3. He returned to the 55th FG on February 21, 1945. Myers remained in the USAF and retired as a brigadier general in 1970.

‘Surtax Blue 2’ - 2nd Lt Wayne Coleman P-47D-20-RA 43-25318 ‘MX-P’ This machine was built at Evansville, Indiana – most P-47s originated at Farmingdale, New York – and was normally assigned to 2nd Lt James L Mattern. From Tupman, California, Wayne Coleman joined the 78th FG’s 82nd FS on July 29, 1944. He was promoted to first lieutenant in October 1944 and captain in April 1945. Post-war he studied for a degree in engineering and worked for Rockwell International from 1959 to 1985.

‘Surtax Blue 3’ – Lt Col Fred Bolgert P-47D-20-RE 42-75204 ‘MX-L’ Fairly new to the 82nd FS, this Thunderbolt flew its first mission on July 26, 1944. From Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Fred Bolgert was assigned to the 78th FG’s 82nd FS on June 27, 1944. He was promoted to first lieutenant in September 1944 and returned to the USA on November 13, 1944. He flew 69 missions in 270 combat hours. Fred remained in the USAF and retired as a lieutenant colonel. After the USAF, he used his mechanical engineering experience while working for the Kohler Corporation at, Kohler, Wisconsin between 1980 and 1984. He passed away at 88 in 2010.

“The E/A was burning brightly, giving off great clouds of black smoke. There were no propellers on the plane or on the ground near it. I claim one Me 262 destroyed, shared with Lt M O Croy Jr” 56 FLYPAST January 2018

First Lt Warren V Van Dyk with ‘his’ P-47 ‘Queen Mu’ ‘MX-M’, wearing ‘Invasion Stripes’. On August 28, 1944 this machine was flown by 2nd Lt Manford O Croy Jr.

so I continued firing until within 100 yards of him, observing many strikes around the cockpit and jet units. He skidded over several fields, came to a stop and caught fire. The pilot immediately hopped out and started to run. “The rest of my flight came over and strafed the plane and No.4 man [Croy] hit the pilot running away from the plane. The E/A was burning brightly, giving off great clouds of black smoke. There were no propellers on the plane or on the ground near it. I claim one Me 262 destroyed, shared with Lt M O Croy Jr.”

Ground or air?

On September 22, 1944, headquarters 8th Fighter Command confirmed the kill. This historic report is particularly interesting because there is a designation of ‘Grd’ after the aircraft type to show it as a ground victory. But someone has pencilled out the ‘Grd’ suffix to the kill type, thus making it an aerial victory. The report was submitted by Colonel Laurence K Callahan and approved by Brig Gen Francis H Griswold. Did they decide it was an aerial kill because Major Myers fired at

long range (500 yards) just as the jet touched the ground? Recently, the last survivor of this event Captain Wayne Coleman, aged 94, told the author he had not strafed the grounded jet with the rest of Surtax Blue flight that day, because he had remained at a higher altitude as a top cover. Coleman shot down three FockeWulf Fw 190s on September 9, 1944. He joined the ranks of the ‘jet slayers’ on March 31, 1945 with an Me 262 victory near Stendal, Germany. By VE-Day – May 8, 1945 – the 78th FG was among the top Eighth Air Force Me 262 victors with claims of 13 destroyed, two ‘probable’ and three damaged. The 78th had also accounted for two Arado Ar 234 jet bombers destroyed.

1999. Lauer discussed his war service with Fred, who was fluent in German and could translate Rony’s letters. Lauer was called into military service in 1938, and after basic military instruction, trained to be an engine mechanic. In the late summer of 1939 he was selected for pilot conversion and received operational instruction on multiengined Junkers Ju 52s, Heinkel He 111s and Dornier Do 17s. Upon completion, he served as a pilot at a school for radio operators. In late 1941 he was assigned to Königsberg, on the Baltic Sea, flying Ju 86

Playing dead

Luftwaffe pilot, Oberfeldwebel Hieronymus ‘Rony’ Lauer was tracked down by Fred Bolgert in July 1996 and they carried on a correspondence until Second Lt Wayne L Coleman, wingman to Major Myers.

Major Joseph Myers’ assigned P-47 227339 ‘MX-S’ at Bassingbourn in November 1944. Duxford was having a pierced steel planking runway laid at this time. USAF

WORLD WAR 2 EIGHTH AIR FORCE ‘Surtax Blue 4’ – 2nd Lt Manford O Croy Jr P-47D-11-RE 42-75551 ‘MX-M’ An old razor-back trooper that had been in the 82nd FS prior to July 1944 was normally assigned to 1st Lt Warren V Van Dyk and bore his Queen Mu nose art. After getting married, Croy arrived from Seattle, Washington and came to the 82nd FS on July 29, 1944. He rose to first lieutenant on October 10, 1944 and to captain in April 1945. He was killed in action on April 16, 1945 strafing the airfield at Straubing, Germany, in a P-51 Mustang.

Gifted Me262

Me 262A-1a 111711 during testing from Wright Field. USAF

Test pilot Hans Fay took Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a 111711 for a sortie from Hessental – where it had been assembled – on March 31, 1945. Instead of returning, he landed the jet at Rhein-Main airfield, Frankfurt, and defected. The prize was shipped to the USA and re-assembled at Wright Field, Ohio – the present-day Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. It was flown again on August 29, 1945 and was evaluated until an engine caught fire on August 20, 1946 and it crashed. The pilot baled out successfully.

Me 262A-1a 501232 is preserved at the National Museum of the USAF at Wright-Patterson, Ohio. It wears similar colours to those carried by Lauer’s machine on August 28, 1944. NMUSAF

transports to the Russian Front. He was transferred to Kampfgeschwader (KG) 30 in the winter of 1942 for conversion to Ju 88s and took part in many missions in the Mediterranean and against shipping in the English Channel in 1943. He was transferred to the Me 262 programme in the spring of 1944 and assigned to the specialist Kommando Schenck unit. Flying Me 262A-2as of the 3rd Staffel of KG(J) 51, Lauer was based in turn at Châteaudun, Étampes, Juvincourt, in France and then to Chièvres, Belgium. Lauer had completed six bombing missions in the Me 262A-2a before his fateful August 28 flight. On that day he was on a ferry flight from St Astier in France to Chièvres in ‘9K+GL’. He’d had a malfunction with the jet’s troublesome landing gear and had to force it down, using

the compressed air system. On his next sortie out of Chièvres, the undercarriage would not fully retract. Returning south to base with this serious handicap, Lauer quickly decided to crash land the Messerschmitt when he sighted the P-47s coming after him. Just as Major Myers opened fire, Lauer put the Me 262 on the ground, sliding on its belly across several fields. He jumped out and ran, throwing himself to the ground faking death when the Americans strafed him and his aircraft.

In retreat

Unharmed, Lauer rejoined his unit. On September 1 Luftwaffe I and III Gruppen, KG(J) 51 moved to the Volkel and Eindhoven in Holland from where they attacked British positions around Antwerp. RAF Bomber Command raids forced Below

Left to right: 2nd Lts Wayne Coleman, Manford Croy and Wilbur Coss Jr of 82nd FS, in front of P-47 226020 of the 83rd FS.

58 FLYPAST January 2018

Obfw Rony Lauer, second left, with his Ju 88 bomber crew, 1943. RONY LAUER VIA FRED BOLGERT Right

Oberfeldwebel ‘Rony’ Lauer in 1943 while flying Ju 88. RONY LAUER VIA FRED BOLGERT

Postscript

In the 1990s Fred Bolgert, who had retired from the USAF as a lieutenant colonel, made a nostalgic search to locate his colleagues of the famous mission that brought down an Me 262. Captain Manford Croy had been killed in action on April 16, 1945. Fred located his 82nd FS flight commander, Joseph Myers, in January 1996. By then a USAF brigadier general, Myers did not wish to talk about this victory and passed away in 2001. The author remains grateful for the assistance of Lt Col Fred Bolgert, who passed away in 2010, and to Captain Wayne Coleman for his gracious support with this feature.

Second Lt Fred Bolgert, who tracked down Obfw ‘Rony’ Lauer in the 1990s.

the jets to move again to Rheine, Hörstel and Hopsten in Germany, where they remained until March 1945. Kommando Schenk settled in at Rheine and became part of I Gruppe of KG(J) 51 on September 5. Lauer continued flying Me 262s until October 2 when he got into a fight with P-47s of the 365th FG’s 386th FS near Düsseldorf. His jet, 170069 ‘9K+NL’ suddenly ran out of fuel and he was again forced to attempt a crash landing, being too low to parachute. Unfortunately, this time the jet’s wing clipped the ground and it cartwheeled before exploding. Lauer’s luck held, and he was only slightly injured in his head and back. Captain Valmore J Beaudrault of the 386th was given credit for an unconfirmed victory. Lauer was discharged from the Luftwaffe in July 1945. His brother had been killed in July 1941 on the Russian front and his sister, a

nurse, had died in an accident, near Warsaw, Poland. In 1948 he was accepted for training as a locomotive operator on routes in the Kassel, Frankfurt and Hannover areas. Lauer joined a veteran’s pilot association in 1956 and attended yearly reunions, often on Luftwaffe bases. He was selected as a teacher in 1960 and retired in 1983.

Below

Sharing Myers’ Me 262 kill was 2nd Lt Manford O Croy Jr. ALL AUTHOR’S COLLECTION, UNLESS NOTED

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A striking head-on view of Avro Vulcan prototype VX770. KEY COLLECTION

p064_FP_Jan18_ad.indd 1

14/11/2017 14:55

RAF 100 1918

2018

FLYPAST MARKS THE ROYAL AIR FORCE’S CENTENARY YEAR WITH A SERIES OF FEATURES CELEBRATING THE HISTORY AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE SERVICE

66

TIGER SQUADRON

70

IN PROFILE

75

LOCKHEED TRISTAR

During the summer of 1940, the RAF’s Spitfire-equipped 74 ‘Tiger’ Squadron was in the thick of the action. We reflect on the unit’s crucial role in a campaign that proved pivotal to the course of the war. Andy Hay artwork of a 74 Squadron Spitfire flown by a Polish ace in the Battle of Britain. Sqn Ldr Bob Tuxford AFC describes his role in introducing the three-engined Tristar to RAF service. Below

An archive view of Avro Vulcan prototype VX770. It made its first flight on August 30, 1952 in the hands of Roly Falk. KEY

January 2018 FLYPAST 65

1918

2018

NO MAN THEY FEARED

TONY CLAY OUTLINES 74 ‘TIGER’ SQUADRON’S BATTLE OF BRITAIN

Below

Arming a 74 Squadron Spitfire at Hornchurch, 1939. VIA AUTHOR

I

f I were to mention the names Gunn, Scott or Young, the reader would be forgiven for replying ‘Who?’ But if I’d said Bader, Doe or Lacey, there would be a different reaction. Gunn, Scott and Young were three of the dozen aircrew that made the ultimate sacrifice during the latter half of 1940 while serving with 74 ‘Tiger’ Squadron during the Battle of Britain. A long-needed rest period began on May 28, 1940 when the pilots of 74 flew their Spitfires north to Leconfield, Yorkshire. It was a time to lick wounds and count the cost of the actions the Tigers had participated in over the previous weeks. They had fought over Dunkirk during the evacuation when the oftquoted ‘Where was the RAF?’ was uttered by army and navy personnel on the beaches. The answer was simple; the RAF was there, but often at heights of 25,000ft (7,620m). Add this to RAF fighters’ limited endurance over the combat zone and the question can be forgiven. (The Luftwaffe would suffer from the same problems a few months later when

operating over southern England) During the evacuation, within a period of a week 74 claimed 16 enemy aircraft confirmed destroyed and ten ‘probables’ with three damaged. Despite this reasonably high success rate, it came at a cost with one pilot killed and three shot down and captured.

CHANGING A BULB

Brighter news arrived on June 1 when South African Adolph Gysbert ‘Sailor’ Malan was awarded the DFC. His calmness under intense pressure was soon to become his signature trait which was greatly admired, especially by those new to the squadron. His laconic report of shooting down a Heinkel He 111 on the afternoon of May 24 illustrates his character: “I was leading four of ‘Yellow’ section on offensive patrol, Dunkirk-CalaisBoulogne. “Spotted anti-aircraft fire at 12,000ft over Dunkirk when at 500ft. Climbed in line astern and saw three ‘vics’ of enemy bombers. Intercepted second vic at 12,000ft and passed through. Attacked starboard flank in

echelon port from astern as Me 109s and ’110s were observed above and into sun turning into us. “Delivered three one-second bursts at both engine and starboard side of an He 111 from 250 to 150 yards. I was then hit by return fire on starboard main plane and fuselage which severed electrical leads near my seat and extinguished [the] reflector sight. “As I broke off I observed a Me 110 coming up on my starboard quarter and a Me 109 coming in from astern. I executed some very steep turns into the sun and lost sight of the two fighters. I changed the bulb in my reflector sight, but it failed to function, and I concluded the wiring had been cut. “By now the battle had gone out of sight and I did not have the petrol to give chase. Whilst climbing into the sun I observed the crew of the He 111 I had taken shot at take to their parachutes with the aircraft gradually losing height on zig-zag course.”

“I executed some very steep turns into the sun and lost sight of the two fighters. I changed the bulb in my reflector sight, but it failed to function, and I concluded the wiring had been cut” 66 FLYPAST January 2018

BATTLE OF BRITAIN

TWO IN A NIGHT

After a mixed week of rest and additional training, 74 returned to its base at Hornchurch, Essex. From June 5 to August 14 both Rochford, Essex, and Manston, Kent, were used by 74 as forward operating bases. On the night of June 5/6 about 30 Luftwaffe bombers were seen approaching the coast. Patrols were ordered but the enemy proved elusive. On the 13th Malan flew down to Farnborough, Hampshire, to participate in a flying trial against a captured Bf 109. More night raids were flown by the Germans and a number of pilots offered to attempt interceptions. Leading by example, Malan took off on the night of June 18/19 from Rochford in Spitfire I K9953 at 0020hrs to intercept a raid on Southend. With the aid of searchlights Malan positioned behind an He 111 at 8,000ft whose crew had not seen him approach from astern. He opened fire at 200 yards (182m) observing hits all over the fuselage. Malan continued to close the range

100 YEARS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE

to 50 yards before finally breaking off, oil from the damaged aircraft covering his windscreen. The He 111 was last seen spiralling away. It was later confirmed as destroyed, crashing on a beach, killing the entire crew. Almost immediately another He 111 was seen coned in searchlights and Malan fired two five-second bursts with slight deflection as the enemy turned to port. The rounds found their mark and peppered the whole airframe. A parachute was seen to open just before the Heinkel burst into flames and crashed near Chelmsford, Essex. Malan officially became the first RAF pilot from any unit to shoot down two aircraft in one night. At the end of June, King George VI visited Hornchurch to confer Malan’s DFC as well as to award decorations to ‘Al’ Deere and Johnny Allen of 54 Squadron.

ENTERING THE FRAY

The start of July saw 74 lose Sgt J R B White who was killed when his Spitfire was hit by lightning and

crashed in flames near Margate, Kent. He had joined the Tigers just nine days before. The Germans were still predominately attacking by night, but on the 6th two He 111s were caught in daylight and taken on by Flt Lt W E G ‘Tink’ Measures and Plt Off Derek Dowding. Measures claimed one of the Heinkels, but Dowding could only call a probable after losing sight of his quarry in cloud. Dowding had joined the Tigers in early 1939 and soon acquired the nickname ‘Scruffy’ due to his untidy appearance. Considering he was the son of the Commander-in-Chief Fighter Command it was a surprising revelation, but this delightful character soon endeared himself to everyone on the squadron. Over the next few days 74 added another He 111 and two Bf 109s to its tally with one of the latter force landing at Elham, Kent, with its uninjured pilot taken prisoner. July 10 was the first official day of the Battle of Britain, and the Tigers entered the fray early on that showery morning while on patrol over

Above left

Aircrew of 74 Squadron await the scramble at Rochford, complete with Lloyd Loom chairs. VIA AUTHOR

January 2018 FLYPAST 67

1918

Above

Spitfire Is of 74 Squadron at Hornchurch, 1939. VIA AIUTHOR

Above right

One of 74 Squadron’s Spitfires is recovered from the Thames. VIA AUTHOR

Below

Ground crew ‘walking’ the wing tips of a 74 Squadron Spitfire at Hornchurch, 1939. VIA AUTHOR

2018

“...the first confirmed enemy to be destroyed during this opening phase of the battle went to Fg Off John Mungo-Park who set the starboard engine of a Do 17 on fire and watched as it lazily turned over on to its back and dived into the sea” Deal and Dover. The eight Spitfires sighted and turned to intercept 20 Dornier Do 17s escorted by a mixed force of 80 Bf 109s and ’110s. Within moments of 74 turning into the attack, a whirling dogfight filled the sky. Measures badly damaged a Bf 110 and Do 17 and saw two Luftwaffe aircraft collide at close quarters. Plt Off Peter St John damaged a Me 109 while Plt Off Peter Stevenson crippled two Do 17s. The credit for the first confirmed enemy to be destroyed during this opening phase of the battle went to Fg Off John Mungo-Park who set the starboard engine of a Do 17 on fire and watched as it lazily turned over on to its back and dived into the sea. The squadron suffered no casualties during this first encounter but Plt Off Don Cobden took defensive fire from

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a Do 17, which riddled his Spitfire with bullet holes. After turning away steeply and engaging emergency boost, he evaded any more damage and made an emergency landing at Manston. By mid-morning ‘Red’ and ‘Yellow’ sections were again in action, intercepting a lone Do 17 suspected of being on a photo-reconnaissance mission being escorted by 30 Bf 109s. Flt Lt Johnny Freeborn immediately dispatched one of the escorts from 50 yards while Stevenson destroyed another. On the first morning of the battle the Tigers were credited with three claimed as destroyed and at least ten damaged.

SPORADIC CONTACT

Two days later, 74 was back in action with ‘Red’ section on patrol 15 miles (24km) north of Margate. Antiaircraft fire alerted them to a lone He

111 bombing a ship. Malan carried out a firing pass, which silenced the gunners, and then Flt Sgt Tony Mould and Stevenson delivered the knockout blow, sending the bomber crashing into the sea. The week continued with very changeable weather that restricted the Luftwaffe’s ability to launch further attacks. During this lull an experienced Fleet Air Arm pilot by the name of Flt Lt Piers Kelly was posted in to the squadron along with another replacement pilot Plt Off H R Gunn. On July 19 a dozen aircraft were scrambled from Manston to an interception over Dover but arrived shortly after the bombers had released their warload. Malan and Stevenson quickly noted a lone Hurricane in a tight turning fight with two ’109s and dived down to assist. Both Messerschmitts were badly damaged

BATTLE OF BRITAIN

100 YEARS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE

Left centre

A relaxed Flt Lt John Freeborn. VIA AUTHOR Left

Flt Lt John Freeborn on the wing of his Spitfire during a lull in the fighting. VIA AUTHOR

and recorded as probables. Although contact was made sporadically over the next week or so, it wasn’t until the 28th that the next major engagement took place. Twelve aircraft were scrambled at 1350hrs and ordered to intercept the incoming raid over Dover. They were instructed to attack the escorts and leave the bombers to the Hurricanes. Visibility was good and 36 Bf 109s of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51) were sighted at 18,000ft. The dogfights resulted in nine claims as destroyed and three damaged. While it was an overwhelming victory for 74, it came at a price. Plt Off J H R Young, was shot down and killed over the Goodwin Sands in P9547. Although wounded in the leg, Flt Sgt Mould managed to bale out of his blazing P9336 and land safely.

BITTER TASTE

Considering the success 74 had enjoyed up to this point, the end of July was going to leave a bitter taste. On July 31 both ‘A’ and ‘B’ Flights

were scrambled from Manston to intercept the growing number of hostile raids. ‘A’ Flight didn’t make contact with the enemy, but at 18,000ft ‘B’ Flight spotted a group of 15 Bf 109s 2,000ft above them and turned, still climbing, to engage them. The Germans had obviously seen the Spitfires at the same time as they too turned and dived into the attack. Blue 3, Sgt Fred Eley flying P9398, was hit almost immediately, bursting into flames and crashing just outside Folkestone harbour. Moments later Blue 2, Gunn flying P9379, turned onto the tail of one of the ’109s. He did not see the second German fighter creep up from behind and open fire at close range, shooting him down and ending his life. Piers Kelly, in R6983, was hit by a cannon shell that entered the port side of the upper fuel tank, blowing the top armour clean off. Evading his pursuers and ankle deep in petrol, he landed safely back at Manston. Later in the day Supermarine test pilot Jeffrey Quill surveyed Kelly’s Spitfire and was

quite proud of how much damage the ‘Spit’ could take and still fly. ‘Green’ section had managed to turn hard and evade the majority of ’109s and climbed to around 23,000ft. Suddenly the sky seemed clear and no further contact was made. Sgt W M Skinner, as Green 3, had become detached from the rest of his unit during the turning climb and spotted a vic of three Bf 109s 5,000ft below him. He dived down shooting at the leader as he passed. It was last seen going down in a shallow dive before he lost sight of it. The day ended up very much in the German’s favour with 74 losing two pilots and only able to claim a probable. Brighter news reached the squadron however with Sailor Malan awarded a bar to his DFC and Johnny Freeborn a DFC of his own. Since hostilities began 74’s score stood at 30 confirmed destroyed and 19 unconfirmed.

Left

Pilots and mascots at Biggin Hill, 1940. VIA AUTHOR

BREEZY AND SNEEZY

August 5 saw two Polish pilots arrive and join the Tigers. Their names proved troublesome, if downright impossible, to pronounce. So, Flt Lt S Brzezina immediately became ‘Breezy’ and Fg Off Henryk Szczesny, ‘Sneezy’. These two pilots became an elite within an elite. Mad and keen Tigers, they went on to command Polish squadrons as typical headstrong, fearless leaders. Szczesny described his time with the unit: “In August 1940 I was posted to 74 Squadron, the Tigers, the CO [was] Sailor Malan. My knowledge of England was nil, but flying spirit and bloodthirsty killing in revenge of Poland, very high indeed. (Continued on page 72). January 2018 FLYPAST 69

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TIGER POLAND’S

ANDY HAY ARTWORK OF AN RAF SPITFIRE FLOWN BY A POLISH ACE IN THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN

Artwork

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I K9871 ‘ZP-O’ of 74 Squadron flown by Fg Off Henryk Szczesny from Hornchurch in August 1940. ANDY HAY-2017

F

g Off Henryk Szczęsny of 74 ‘Tiger’ Squadron downed a Dornier Do 17 on August 13, 1940, while at the controls of our subject, Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I K9871. In his combat report the Polish pilot wrote: “I saw three Do 17s in front of me. One of the machines was out of formation and I attacked it from astern. At this point it dropped several bombs in the sea. I got a good burst in from very close range and it started to dive towards the sea. He tried to land

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there, but as he flattened out he burst into flames and toppled straight into the water.” Born on March 27, 1909, Henryk joined the Polish Air Force in 1931 and eventually made his way to Britain after Poland fell to the German invaders. After converting to Spitfires at Aston Down he joined 74 Squadron at Hornchurch on August 5, 1940. His Commonwealth colleagues nicknamed him ‘Sneezy’ because they couldn’t pronounce his name. After shooting down the Dornier, Henryk claimed

several more ‘kills’ that year, including a Bf 109 on December 1. He later flew with other units, including 317 ‘Wilno’ Polish Fighter Squadron, with which his score increased. Henryk was taken prisoner in 1943 after baling out over France. He stayed in the post-war RAF after being liberated in 1945, and retired with the rank of squadron leader in 1965. He died on July 25, 1996.

IN PROFILE - SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE

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burst when he suddenly burst into flames and was obscured by heavy smoke. This was now at 4,000ft one mile north of Cap Gris Nez. I did not watch him go in but flew back as quickly as I could. I did not see the engagements of the rest of the squadron. “I have strongly advised pilots in the squadron not to follow ’109s on the half roll and dive because in most

Above

Recovering Fred Eley’s body from Folkestone harbour. VIA AUTHOR Right

Sgt Fred Eley, killed in Spitfire P9398 on July 31, 1940. VIA AUTHOR Below, left to right

Flt Sgt Tony Mould perches on the trailing edge of 74 Squadron Spitfire IIA P8388 ‘Black Vanities’ at Gravesend in 1941. VIA AUTHOR Sqn Ldr ‘Droguer’ White, 74’s CO up until August 1940. VIA AUTHOR ‘Sailor’ Malan with his dog, Peter, and Plt Off Harbourne Stephen behind. VIA AUTHOR

I could not care about the R/T, always off, only looking in the sky when airborne for Hitler’s swastikas.” If Szczesny’s narrative seems a little familiar, it may be that this mentality from the Polish pilots was nicely highlighted with a touch of humour in the 1969 film Battle of Britain.

NEW BOSS

On August 8, the CO, Sqn Ldr Laurie White, was posted to HQ Fighter Command and Malan was promoted to lead the squadron. It was not long before he was put to the test. Three days later there was a change in the Luftwaffe’s tactics with attacks switched from Channel shipping to the airfields of 11 Group. At 0749hrs the Tigers were scrambled from Manston on the first of at least four combat sorties that day.

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Twelve Spitfires rushed to climb to the designated 20,000ft over Dover where they surprised eight ’109s. Malan’s combat report takes up the story: “I was Dysoe Leader, [Dysoe was the squadron callsign] when we set off to intercept ‘bandits’ approaching Dover at a reported height of 13,000ft. I climbed to 20,000ft and then turned down sun towards Dover. I ordered the squadron to attack. “Some of the enemy adopted the usual German fighter evasive tactics, i.e. a quick half roll and dive. On this occasion, as the air seemed clear, I followed one down and overtook him after he had dived 2,000ft, opening fire at 200 yards range with some deflection. “He levelled out at about 12,000ft when I gave him a two-second

cases we are outnumbered and there is generally at least one layer of enemy fighters some thousands of feet above. It was found that even at high altitude there was no difficulty in overtaking an enemy on the dive apart from the physical strain imposed on the human body when pulling out.” Not only was the strain on the pilot hard but the strain on the aircraft was also very evident. After one particular

BATTLE OF BRITAIN

100 YEARS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE

combat a Spitfire reached far too great a speed in a dive and when examined later by Flt Sgt Goddard it was found to have taken on inches of extra dihedral on the mainplane. The rivets had popped undone halfway around the fuselage immediately in front of the tail unit! Total claims for this combat amounted to eight destroyed, one probable and three damaged.

R6757, Plt Off Don Cobden was a well-liked New Zealander who before the war was also a fine international rugby player. Plt Off Denis Smith in R6962 was an experienced former transport pilot and had also fought in the Spanish Civil War. The fourth combat of the day started at 1356 when eight aircraft took off to patrol Hawkinge at 15,000ft. Around 30 Junkers Ju 87 ‘Stukas’ were sighted passing through cloud at 8,000ft with

45-plus aircraft. Once identified as Do 17s in four sections all in line astern, the Tigers went in and claimed seven destroyed, six probables and one damaged for no losses.

MANNOCK’S MEN

about 15 Bf 109s escorting them 2,000ft above. When ordered, the Tigers pounced and went for the fighters. A dogfight ensued and, by the end, four of the enemy were claimed as destroyed with one damaged. All of 74 returned to base safely. By the close of the day’s fighting, which soon became known as ‘Sailor’s August 11th’, 74 Squadron had claimed 23 destroyed, one probable and 14 damaged. The day’s top-scorer had been Plt Off Harbourne Stephen with five ‘kills’ and three damaged. A telegram arrived soon after from the Chief of the Air Staff: “A magnificent day’s fighting 74… This is the way to keep the measure of the ‘Boche’… Mannock started it, you keep it up…” [Major Edward Mannock, was flying with 74 Squadron for the majority of his 61 victories in World War One - ED.] The squadron was not called into action on August 12, which gave the hard-worked ground crews more time to patch up the Spitfires. At 0555hrs the following day 74 was back on patrol over Manston where they were directed onto an incoming raid of

discovered they had missed some of the fiercest fighting and heaviest raids to date. After a week at Wittering, 74 moved again to Kirton-in-Lindsey, Lincolnshire. It was probably at Kirton that Sailor wrote his first draft of Ten Rules for Air Fighting. He was teaching replacements that had recently joined the squadron. On September 3, one year to the day since hostilities had begun and exactly five years since 74 had reformed on Malta, Malan and Freeborn went to Buckingham Palace to receive their decorations. The squadron was on the move again on September 9, this time heading for Coltishall in preparation for rejoining the front line and using the time to hone air fighting tactics. It was at the Norfolk airfield that 74 re-equipped with Spitfire IIs. The new variant was essentially a Mk. I with a 1,175hp (876kW) Rolls-Royce Merlin XII. The reintroduction to the battle involved 74 flying down to Duxford on a daily basis and forming part of 3 Wing with 19 and 611 Squadrons. On September 11 at around

The second combat of August 11 took place from 0950 to 1045hrs and was for the most part a rerun of the first scramble of the day. Climbing out over Dover only Malan, Freeborn and W/O E Mayne made contact with the enemy, claiming one destroyed and four damaged. The rest of 74 had suffered radio problems during the sortie and returned to base with their ammunition bays still full. The third session started at 1145hrs when 11 aircraft took off to patrol ‘Convoy Booty’ about 12 miles east of Clacton on the Essex coast. It wasn’t long before 40 Bf 110s were spotted approaching the vessels from the east in tight formation. On sighting the approaching Spitfires, the Germans formed a defensive circle. Freeborn led the squadron down and dived into the middle of the twin-engined fighters, inflicting serious casualties. By the time the dogfight had finished, 74 had claimed 11 destroyed and five damaged. While this combat proved to be 74’s most successful of the day, it came at a cost. Two aircrew were killed. Flying

RESTED AND RETURNED

On August 14 the squadron withdrew north to Wittering, near Stamford, for a rest. After a few days of not flying everyone suffered a drop in morale, even more so when they

Above, left to right

Formal portrait of Fg Off W H Nelson of 74 Squadron in 1940. WWW.2IMAGES.COM

Flt Sgt Mould during the Battle of Britain. WWW.2IMAGES.COM

Back row: Freeborn, Draper, Franklin. Front row: MungoPark, Peter St John, summer 1940. VIA AUTHOR

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later ‘Red’ section came across a lone He 111 near Lowestoft and so began a cat-and-mouse chase in and out of cloud. The German bomber was last seen heading out over the North Sea with one engine smoking. The squadron played no part in the action of the famous September 15, being based within 12 Group’s area of operations. Local skirmishing was all well and good but many of the pilots were disappointed not to be involved

training. Both Spitfires crashed near Beccles with one hitting hard ground and disintegrating, while the other went into a flat spin and landed upside down more or less intact. Buckland was discovered hanging in his straps in the latter. He had been with 74 for less than two weeks.

BACK TO THE FRONT

The Germans postponed Operation Sealion – the invasion of Britain – but

Above

Crew room of 74 Squadron, 1940. From the left: Fg Off Szczesny, Flt Lt J C MungoPark, Flt Lt Freeborn. WWW.2IMAGES.COM

Right

Flt Lt H M Stephens chatting to Flt Lt J C Mungo-Park in his Spitfire, 1940. WWW.2IMAGES.COM

Right centre

A staged view of 74 Squadron pilots relaxing in their dispersal hut during in 1940. WWW.2IMAGES.COM

1630hrs eight of 74’s Spitfires joined their stablemates and flew an intercept over London at 20,000ft. The plan was for both 19 and 611 to tackle the fighters while 74 went after the bombers. A formation consisting of Ju 88s was soon spotted and a plan devised to tear into them head on. Before this could be implemented the Luftwaffe fighter escort was spotted, so Malan turned the squadron directly onto the bombers to make some sort of attack before inevitably mixing it with the Bf 109s. After this clash all of 74’s Spitfires returned to either Coltishall or Duxford. Freeborn was the only Tiger to claim a kill, putting a Dornier into a field at Dungeness.

CAT AND MOUSE

September 14 saw the Tigers heavily involved in the fighting, mainly with raids over East Anglia. The first call was at 1000hrs when Bf 110s were intercepted and set on fire. At 1346hrs during another intercept just off Great Yarmouth, a Ju 88 was found and Plt Off Bryan Draper half rolled onto it and blew its starboard engine off. He did not see it crash due to dense cloud. At 1500hrs there was another scramble to intercept a raid 5 miles north of Ipswich. They found only a solitary intruder, which was attacked, but could not be ‘confirmed’ as it dived away into cloud. Half an hour 74 FLYPAST January 2018

“As the New Zealander floated earthwards in a semi-conscious state, a German fighter turned towards him and sent a number of bullets his way” in the heavy combats of that pivotal day. (The 15th is celebrated as Battle of Britain Day.) Until the next phase of the battle began on October 1, contact with the enemy was limited. During one such encounter Sgt D H Ayers was shot down and killed while chasing a bandit off the coast at Southwold. He had baled out but had not been located after a search and it was not until the 4th that his body washed ashore. On another occasion the Tigers made an intercept off Great Yarmouth and although an He 111 was attacked, it turned tail and headed home, sporting a few more holes in its fuselage than it had when it took off. The same happened on October 5, although this time it was a Do 17 that left with a blazing engine after Sneezy had expended all his ammunition on it. It was claimed as destroyed. Tragedy occurred on October 9 when Plt Offs Hastings and Buckland were killed when they collided during

continued to apply the pressure with fighter and fighter-bomber sweeps. Number 74’s operations book entry for October 15 recorded: “...squadron moved from Coltishall to Biggin Hill... Should get back into our stride again.”

BATTLE OF BRITAIN When the Tigers arrived at ‘The Bump’ it soon become apparent that bomb damage at the station had been immense. The centre section of every H-block was destroyed, and the hangars were laid flat. Servicing of the aircraft was pretty much done in the open and the airfield was always in a constant state of repair. Due to the many bomb craters, the old practice of mass formation take-offs was halted. On at least one occasion the amount of equipment littering the airfield nearly led to a potentially fatal accident. A Spitfire came in a little too low and one of the oleo legs hit an excavator and sheared straight off. A textbook emergency landing was made with little damage to the rest of the airframe. The operational pace didn’t give 74 Squadron too much time to unpack as it was called to action over the Thames estuary just after arrival. Two Bf 109s were claimed destroyed during this action by Fg Off W H Nelson and Plt Off P C B St John. Two days later 60-plus Bf 109s were engaged over the Maidstone/ Gravesend area. Individual dogfights broke out with Malan targeting one fighter and watching as black smoke streamed from it before it went into a vertical dive. Plt Off B V Draper took on seven fighters sending one of them down in flames and St John claimed a third. Unfortunately, it was not a one-sided exchange. During this action Plt Off A L Ricalton flying Spitfire II P7360 was shot down and killed, crashing near Hollingbourne, Kent. While on patrol with 66 Squadron on October 20, a force of 30-plus enemy fighters was sighted coming up from the south flying at around 29,000ft. In the ensuing melee Flt Lt Mungo-Park hit one, which entered

100 YEARS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE

a spin down to 4,000ft where its tail detached. Plt Off Stephen attacked four Bf 109s and saw one of his targets break up and crash into a wood. Plt Off Draper claimed another, but he was hit in the radiator and had to initiate a forced landing. Sgt T B Kirk in P7370 saw large pieces of wing and fuselage falling away from his target, but he was in turn shot down. He died from his wounds nine months later.

TALLY HO!

In company with 92 Squadron on October 22, more fighter-on-fighter combat took place. Over Ashford, Kent, at 30,000ft (9,144m), the ‘Tally Ho!’ was called and both units dived into the fray. Malan and Mungo-Park both sent one plummeting into the sea. Plt Off St John was lost in this attack, his Mk. II P7431 crashing at South Nutfield, Surrey. Plt Off Bob Spurdle had a lucky escape when he had to leave P7364 in a hurry. As the New Zealander floated earthwards in a semi-conscious state, a German fighter turned towards him and sent a number of bullets his way. Fortunately for Spurdle his squadron was looking out for him and fellow ‘Kiwi’ Plt Off E W G Churches and Plt Off Stephen squashed the German’s intent of killing a ‘sitter’. They continued to circle Spurdle until he landed in a ploughed field - minus his boots. He had descended four miles and was extremely cold, but thankfully alive. He was soon being interviewed by the press once they got a whiff of the story. Vectored over Maidstone on October 27 at 30,000ft, 66 and 74 tackled a formation of approximately 30 Bf 109s that had cruised into the area 7,000ft below. Individual combats broke out with Stephen getting a

‘flamer’ and Nelson putting a ’109 into the ground two miles south of Rochester airfield. Plt Off P Chesters went one better and forced his victim to land at Penshurst airfield in Kent. Chesters promptly landed beside his victim to accept his surrender. [This was Bf 109E-4 3525 of 3/JG 52, operating from Coquilles in France, flown by Feldwebel Lothar Schieverhofer - ED.] Transferred just four days earlier from 611 Squadron, Sgt J A Scott was flying his first patrol during this combat when he was shot down and killed, becoming 74 Squadron’s last loss of the battle. Nobody had seen what happened to his Spitfire II P7526, which had left the factory just ten days earlier. It crashed to the ground, exploding at Dundas Farm, Elmsted near Ashford. The unit’s last combat in the momentous conflict took place on October 29. Three Bf 109s were claimed destroyed, along with three probables. The third probable was an He 111, a type that was a rare sight during this period; it was last observed diving away south of Dungeness. Officially, October 31 was determined as the last day of the Battle of Britain. Without doubt, 74 Squadron’s actions during the Battle of Britain, like so many other units involved, were its finest achievement and should be remembered as such. If the recently announced plans to add two further Eurofighter Typhoon squadrons to plug today’s capability gap goes ahead, it would be appropriate if the powers-that-be turned to the Tigers to fulfil this role.

Below

A Spitfire II of 74 Squadron in 1941. WWW.2IMAGES.COM

The author would like to thank Bob Cossey from the 74 `Tiger’ Association for his help and guidance in preparing this article.

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GLOBAL

Below right

Boscombe’s Phantom during trials with Tristar ZD950 on February 12, 1986. The author flew Hawk T.1 XX343 to observe.

REACH O

ne of the lessons of the Falklands conflict of 1982 gave rise to the use of what was then the largest aircraft to enter RAF service, the Lockheed Tristar. An Air Staff Requirement had been established for a tanker-transport to fulfil the demands for the South Atlantic ‘air bridge’ and to increase capacity for long-range deployment. Much of my time in 1982 had been spent on Ascension Island, piloting Victor K.2 tankers. I graduated from Empire Test Pilots’ School at Boscombe Down, Wiltshire, on December 8, 1983. The three-engined, widebodied Tristar was selected for the RAF requirement, with Marshall of Cambridge Engineering conducting the transformation from airliner to tanker-transport. (Lockheed called the type the TriStar – with a capital ‘S’ – and registered the name as a trademark, but the RAF designated it Tristar - ED.)

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By the time the first newlyconverted example came out of the shed at Cambridge, with my background in the air-to-air refuelling (AAR) task, I was in pole position for the role of Tristar Project Officer. By July 1985 when I joined the trials programme at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment, Boscombe Down, in July 1985, I was senior pilot on ‘B’ Squadron – the heavy aircraft test unit. I joined the programme in the very early stages of joint trials with the contractor, Marshall. Sharing the flight deck with a Marshall test pilot on November 28, 1985, I carried out the first of 36 trials spanning five months. These varied from as little as two hours, although the majority lasted

from four to six hours. Release-to-service flights followed, including tanker-and-receiver proving trials, as well as ‘hot and heavy’ tests, which were conducted in California. In this feature we focus on proving the Tristar in the AAR role.

CANBERRA STEPPING STONE

Against the backdrop of the continued South Atlantic operations, the Tristar was expected to provide AAR as a priority for the Phantom fighters stationed in the Falkland Islands and Hercules transports engaged on the air bridge. Accordingly, the twin hoses of the Mk.17T hose drum unit (HDU) mounted under the tail would need to be operationally proven at an early stage. Six months before

REFUELLING

100 YEARS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE

THE TRISTAR CHANGED THE FACE OF RAF LONG-RANGE DEPLOYMENTS; SQN LDR BOB TUXFORD AFC DESCRIBES HIS ROLE IN INTRODUCING THE GIANT TO SERVICE my first flight in the Tristar K.1, a suitable airframe had to be found in which to make the initial assessments of the refuelling equipment. Ejection seat testbed Canberra B.2 WH876, ‘B’ Squadron, fortuitously had a nosemounted AAR probe. The generous speed range and endurance of the Canberra made it ideal. I flew WH876 against a Vickers VC10 K.3 tanker to establish its nominal refuelling envelope. On July 16, 1985, I was flying behind the recently rolled-out K.1 ZD950. Without the luxury of an observer (WH876 was configured as a single-seater) I used a throat mic and tape recorder to capture my thoughts. The hoses had been trailed for the first time only two days before so many parties were interested in how the Mk.17T HDU performed. Flow-field checks around the rear of the tanker presented no undue

concerns, although there was some apparent ‘jiggling’ of the hose and basket combination when fully extended. I braced myself for the first operational ‘prod’ against the Tristar. The first contacts appeared to be ‘soft’, with the basket pulling off the probe and the hose winding in slowly. After adjustments to the HDU motor settings to establish the correct drag

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Above

Hercules XV210 getting ready to tank from ZD950. Right

Formerly part of the British Airways fleet as G-BFCB, Tristar K.1 ZD949 sits inside the Marshall hangar at Cambridge soon after conversion, 1984. KEY COLLECTION

2018

characteristics of the basket, several successful contacts on both hoses were demonstrated. The way was paved for the next stage, undertaken by my colleagues on the fast jet test squadron next door. By October 1985, an ‘A’ Squadron pilot had completed the provisional Phantom receiver clearances. I flew alongside in a photo-chase Hawk to record the hose and basket behaviour.

TURBOFAN TO TURBOPROP

With the need to establish early on the capability of the probe-equipped Hercules C.1P to top up from the Tristar, my AAR experience was called upon once more. In early October 1985, I accompanied a Marshall crew on board Hercules XV210 to assist with its first receiver trials. The slower speed of the transport required specially adapted drogues to create the extra drag required to balance the hose and the HDU motor dynamics. The capabilities of the turboprop Hercules and jet tanker spawned complex and protracted trials. To give some idea of the intensity of the programme, I amassed nearly 28 hours flight time in the Hercules over seven consecutive refuelling sorties. During those I made a total of 185 ‘dry’ and 50 ‘wet’ contacts by day and a handful at night. Although there would be some caveats, the capability of the RAF’s new tanker to replenish the Hercules had been validated. As an addendum, on June 25, 1986, I flew the Victor K.2 against the Tristar K.1, on the fourth sortie to complete the type’s receiving clearances. I was able to pass the former V-bomber to take on fuel from the Tristar within the two-hour time frame allocated. 78 FLYPAST January 2018

ON THE RECEIVING END

The priority was to release the Tristar K.1 into service as soon as possible so that it could take up its role supporting the South Atlantic air bridge. Interest was also expressed in obtaining provisional receiver clearance while the trials aircraft was at Boscombe Down. I was briefed that this assessment had to be done in the most expeditious and timely manner – in just two sorties! This evaluation was slotted in before the intensive Hercules receiver trials. On April 8, 1986, I flew the Tristar against a VC10 K.3 over southwest England. It came as no surprise that the aircraft was a delight in both a tight echelon and in close line astern under the VC10. There was a superb field of vision and it is fair to say the Tristar was much easier to fly in a tight formation than any of the RAF’s four-jet receivers. The massive Rolls-Royce RB211524D triple-spool turbofans were surprisingly responsive, and precise fore and aft control was effortless using small power changes. Although some problems may have been anticipated with the high intake of the centrally-

mounted No.2 engine, this was only evidenced by a slight smell of fumes from the tanker’s jet wash when the Tristar was deliberately positioned above the normal refuelling position. Even though the overhead probe was positioned well to the righthand side in line with the co-pilot’s seated position, this lateral offset did not seem to make a successful contact appreciably more difficult. The probe and tip were well within the left-hand seat pilot’s peripheral vision. Twenty-two dry contacts were made. During a nominal wet contact, 17 tonnes of fuel was received into the Tristar’s tanks to prove the probe and fuel gallery components.

HEAVYWEIGHT

A second sortie was flown two days later, this time to address the high all-up weight handling characteristics of the Tristar as a receiver against both VC10 K.2 and K.3 variants. In each case, on joining the tanker the increase in inertia of the heavily-laden Tristar was evident. Controllability and the ability to fly in a stabilised close formation on the wing were not noticeably affected.

REFUELLING When moving fore and aft, greater anticipation of the power required was needed because of inertia effects. Whereas there was always excess power during the previous trial, it was apparent that on several occasions when dropping back, full throttle was needed more frequently to arrest the aircraft from falling further behind and enable it to close up once more. Once astern, the increased downwash from the heavy VC10 gave rise to an increase in noise level in the Tristar’s cockpit. A dry contact was made at 290

knots which was followed by a normal break. The next was made with a total uplift to 38.5 tonnes to fill the tanks to the full: the 27-minute contact that ensued was accomplished without undue difficulty. I observed that it was somewhat less stressful than a similar maximum on-load in a Victor K.2.

100 YEARS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE

SERVICE RECORD

I flew several more trials during the latter part of 1986 to clear the Tristar K.1 to dispense fuel to Tornado GR.1s, Nimrod MR.2s and VC10 K.2s and K.3s. By this stage, the newly re-formed 216 Squadron aircrews had been gaining experience with the C.2 passenger variant, conversions of former PanAm TriStar-500s. The first tanker had been handed over to 216 at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, in March 1986. Four years later, the squadron was embroiled in the first Gulf War.

Operations followed in the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, during which Tristar tankers and their crews distinguished themselves on many occasions. I was fortunate to fly one last time in 216 Squadron Tristar KC.1 ZD953 on June 15, 2013 when I joined its crew during the Queen’s flypast over Buckingham Palace.

Holding tight formation in line astern was a VC-10 K.3. By pure coincidence and as if laid on for my benefit, as we joined the circuit to land back at Brize Norton, we were directed to respond to an infringement of the UK Air Defence Region. Within minutes we were approaching the Irish Sea to rendezvous with a Lossiemouthbased 6 Squadron Typhoon, bristling with the latest generation of air-to-air missiles. In a nod to the many times that I had been similarly tasked within the tanker force, I was glued to the closed-circuit television at the flight engineer’s station as our ‘chick’ positioned astern the port HDU hose. After a flawless refuelling, he left in full afterburner. Ironically, I got to meet ZD953 again after its disposal and delivery to Bruntingthorpe on March 19, 2014 prior to the squadron’s final disbandment. By then a new widebody tanker-transport was in service, the Airbus Voyager, a version of the A330-200 airliner, operated by the AirTanker consortium. The retired Tristars were scattered around the dispersals alongside the RAF’s discarded VC10 tankers. Hopes are still circulating about the eventual use of the big Lockheeds, possibly for contract AAR or even as water bombers. Each time I see these superb tri-jets silhouetted against the Leicestershire sky, I reflect proudly and fondly on the part I played in the trials of this fine tanker which served the RAF for nearly three decades.

Left

Tristar K.1 ZD951 in the interim ‘hemp’ colour scheme. KEY COLLECTION

Below

Former British Airways Tristar K.1 ZD951 during a hookup with a pair of 11 Squadron Tornado F.3s: a trio of Jaguars await their turn. KEY COLLECTION

January 2018 FLYPAST 79

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WARBIRDS MiG-17

LIFE IN

THE

LUIGINO CALIARO TALKS TO TWO PILOTS WHO SHARE A PASSION FOR THE MIG-17

his thing is fast, truly fast. It’s also the most stable formation platform I’ve ever flown.” Former USAF pilot Jeff Kaney was summing up his MiG-17 Fresco. It was part of the ‘Black Diamonds’ and still wears the distinctive ‘Arctic’ camouflage also sported by that team’s Aero L-39 Albatros trainers. This machine, N6953X, is a Polish-built Lim-6bis dating from 1962. Jeff is the owner of Kaney Aerospace, a high-tech engineering enterprise headquartered as Rockford, Illinois. He explained how he took on a MiG: “After owning and operating an L-39 for over ten years, I had the need for speed, the need to challenge myself again. As a former USAF pilot, my experience

"T

Above

An air-to-air view of Jeff Kaney’s MiG-17, a Polishbuilt Lim-6bis. Right

The MiG during a display with a quartet of Aero L-39 Albatros trainers. ALL AUTHOR

82 FLYPAST January 2018

E FAST LANE with the [Northrop] T-38 Talon was always a wonderful memory. “I have really enjoyed the Russian design and sensibility, and was also looking for some history. The MiG-17 held some appeal and after some time, I decided to add one to my stable. As I started my search, one of the finest flying examples was [being offered] for sale by the Black Diamond team and brokered by my

good friend Nathan Jones at Code 1 Aviation at my hometown airport at Rockford. “His outstanding crew had a history [of] maintaining this MiG so that was an added benefit and comfort level. My plane had been built in the last year of production and has a very low time airframe and engine. Five-ThreeX-ray had been extensively overhauled and had a greatly updated cockpit featuring two VHF radios, GPS, Western-style updated instrument flight rules (IFR) instrumentation and an awesome smoke system. “I flew the MiG from Florida to my base in Rockford. Because it’s always

more fun to share, my best buddy and airshow wingman Paul Keppeler and I went to sunny Santa Fe, New Mexico, to spend some quality time at the Jet Warbird Training Center with Larry Salganek and his MiG-15. “Larry made flight training challenging and enjoyable. Although it can be hard to tell the MiG-15 and the -17 apart visually, they fly quite differently. There were a few times when I wondered what I had gotten myself into during the -15 training. I had been rated in Paul’s former Canadian CT-33, prior to my L-39 time. Coupled with my USAF experience, all came into play during training and day-to-day operations. Having had chance to fly the plane, I have to say that I loved it!”

January 2018 FLYPAST 83

WARBIRDS MiG-17

Right

The brightly coloured flying helmet usually worn by ‘Red 309’ owner Will Ward. Right centre

MiG-17 ‘Red 309’ is based at Detroit’s Willow Run Airport.

“It’s smooth, it’s powerful - hell it has an afterburner that really kicks you in the butt and propels you to the heavens like a homesick angel!”

Below right

A dynamic air-toair view of MiG-17 N406DM airborne in the US.

COLD WAR VETERAN

Shining black Fresco ‘Red 309’ (N406DM) is the property of Willliam ‘Will’ Ward, a Spirit Airlines captain based at Detroit, Michigan. Talking at Detroit’s

Willow Run Airport, where he bases his MiG, Will explained that he has spent his entire 25-year career in civil aviation and is now an Airbus captain with more than 22,000 flying hours. However, he has also been flying aerobatics for more than 30 years and over that time has flown numerous types, including the Sukhoi Su-29, Douglas A-26 Invader, Douglas DC-6, Lockheed F-104, Lockheed T-33, MiG-15, and MiG-21. “I kept my dream to fly a jet fighter alive,” he said, “and I managed to crown my ambition when I took possession of a MiG-17, an aircraft

84 FLYPAST January 2018

that I still fly today and display at airshows.” Unfortunately, little is known about Will’s MiG-17. He has established that it was built in China in 1957 as a Shenyang J-5. It could have served with the

North Vietnam Air Force and seen combat. It was imported into the USA in early 1988. Will purchased the MiG in 2001 and he is still in love with it: “Every time I sit in this cockpit I feel privileged to fly this Cold War machine. The MiG-17 is a relatively easy plane to fly, but things happen fast and you have to know your personal limits, especially if you have no military background.”

EVIL MISTRESS

Jeff Kaney talked of his experiences flying the Fresco: “In my first year of airshow flying I saw 550 knots indicated airspeed and the beast wasn’t even breathing hard. She is an evil mistress for sure.

“One has to remember that this is the first-generation supersonic swept-wing jet with an afterburner and was designed in the late 1950s. There are some quirks that need serious attention. The Klimov VK-1F, a Russian copy of the RollsRoyce Nene 10 turbojet, has a slooooow spool-up and a penchant for compressor stalls that make you keep one eye on the RPM and the other on the temperature gauge. “Like the L-39, the MiG has a bicycle-type brake lever on the stick that when combined with the rudders, adds hydraulic pressure to the side that you have pushed with your feet. If the rudders are centred, then both brakes get equal pressure. Once you start to push the rudder bar to one side or another, the

pressure is biased until at full travel, that brake gets all the pressure and the opposite side gets none. A free castering nosewheel makes all the magic happen. “The brakes are pneumatic and utilize nitrogen from an on-board supply, and have no anti-skid capability. With judicious use of the brakes, you can get five to six sorties prior to topping up the nitrogen.”

CLIMB ON BOARD

Jeff talked through a sortie in N6953X: “Flying this thing is a multi-discipline experience. Each segment contains unique idiosyncrasies that require rapt attention. “With full fuel, you need a handful of power to get her moving. Taxiing can be a bit tricky if you don’t have experience with the differential steering. The faster you taxi, the more stable it is. The brakes heat up quickly, but if you’re lucky you

won’t have to stop too many times before the end of the runway. “Lining-up is very important because of the steering system; you can easily find yourself overcorrecting the steering on take-off. At 100 to 105kts indicated you rotate the nose to about a 5° pitch, quickly push the stick forward to prevent the over-rotation tendency, and let her decide when to take off – that comes at about 115 to 125kts. “Once airborne, the

wings tend to rock a bit and everything is very mushy until about 210kts, then all of a sudden it’s a rocket and if you’re not careful, you will see 350 in a heartbeat. “Formation flying is precise requiring both a stable platform and ample power to stay in position, leaving the only excuse for being ‘out’ as my ham-fistedness. Because of the swept-wing design, stalls are very serious and so spins are prohibited. A rapid wing drop upon stall is an enlightening experience. “Joining overhead is the preferred method of approaching the aerodrome and initially is performed at 250 to 300kts indicated. Don’t forget to keep one eye on the nitrogen gauge. “During the break it’s only about a 2 to 3g pull as you need to plan for the final turn. If you pull too tight in the break, you might find yourself overshooting in the final turn unless you carry about 90% power. “The final turn is an exciting affair on its own; 150 is recommended and there you start to experience the sweep of the wings again. There is a serious overbanking tendency that can be a bit unnerving the first few

times. Once on final, the approach speed is 125 plus 1 knot per 100 litres of fuel remaining. That is usually about 130 to 135. “As is the case with all swept-wing airplanes, pitch is speed and power is glidepath control. It’s really kinda fun. If you roll out on final and you are 5 or 10kts fast, for example, you just pull the nose up, not a bit, but properly up, and the speed will quickly bleed off and your glidepath will hardly change at all.

“Lots of power is required on final, which is good considering the looooong spool-up time of the engine. Hopefully you checked the winds prior to departure because crosswinds are a serious affair, and this airplane is very susceptible to those. “Attempting to execute a normal flare and touchdown at landing speed may result in the aircraft ‘rolling off ’ away from the low wing due to the loss of aileron effectiveness relative to the rudder. This may result in the downwind wing striking the ground. “Upon touchdown, don’t forget there isn’t anti-skid control and you are moving quite fast. On a short runway, it’s important to promptly lower the nose. This is followed by a gentle application of brakes to a smooth firm operation, so as to not blow a tyre. “After reading this, one might wonder, with all the idiosyncrasies, why do I like it? Because there is nothing sweeter to fly. It is so stable in flight that hands-off straight and level is the norm. It’s smooth, it’s powerful – hell it has an afterburner that really kicks you in the butt and propels you to the heavens like a homesick angel.” The author thanks Will Ward and Jeff Kaney for their support and the information provided for this feature.

January 2018 FLYPAST 85

MUSEUMS ITALIAN AIR FORCE MUSEUM

Wreckage from the crash site of Major Francesco Baracca’s SPAD in the Troster Hangar.

Above

An aerial view of the museum.

86 FLYPAST January 2018

The SPAD S.VII of Italian ace Ernesto Cabruna.

waterfront On the

The Italian Air Force museum at Vigna di Valle is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2017. Chris Gilson paid a visit to this wonderful collection, which is a must-see for every aviation enthusiast.

N

estling in the Lazio region of Italy, 19 miles northwest of Rome, the ancient town of Bracciano is worth seeing in its own right. Picturesque and peaceful, it’s a popular tourist attraction with many coming to see its historic castle, soak up the slow-paced atmosphere of its streets, or just bask by the shores of Lake Bracciano, a stone’s throw away. Others, however, come to explore Il Museo Storico dell’ Aeronautica Militare di Vigna di Valle, which loosely translates to the Italian Air Force Museum. My guide for the day is Lt Col Adelio Roviti, a native of the town, who proudly took over the reins of the museum in July 2016. Covering 42,650sq ft (13,000sq m) and divided among four large hangars containing exhibits dedicated to Italian military aviation history, the site itself is brimming with history.

Aviation arrived at Lake Bracciano in 1904 when Mario Maurizio Moris of the Corps of Engineers began to conduct experiments using hot air balloons on the shore at Vigna di Valle. He was closely followed by two engineers, Gaetano Crocco and Ottavio Ricaldoni, who started working on hydroplanes. The first military base was established there in 1908 when the Italian semi-rigid airship N1, flown by Crocco, lifted off on October 31 on a flight to Rome. The base was initially used as an experimental station by the army, and was added to in 1918 with the construction of the Troster Hangar. The latter was taken from Austria as part of war reparations and reassembled in front of the lake, and is now the oldest facility of its type in Italy. Following the foundation of the Italian Air Force in 1923 a scaled-up version of

the existing building was created during the 1930s for use by seaplanes, and is now known as the Badoni Hangar. Vigna di Valle was selected as the prospective museum site in 1975, with the construction of additional buildings beginning in 1976. On May 24, 1977 the hangars officially opened to the public, and have been a popular visitor attraction ever since. When the base was redeveloped in 1976 a centre section, the Velo Hangar, was added to connect the two older structures. A fourth exhibition space, the Skema Hangar, was added in 1986, and expanded in 2009.

Starting at the beginning Tours of the museum start, fittingly, in the original Troster Hangar just off the main entrance hall. This section focuses on the

older exhibits, with the most elderly being balloon pioneer Colonel André-Jacques Garnerin’s unmanned hot air balloon, dating from 1804. The story behind this is fascinating; it was launched from the cathedral of NotreDame in Paris on December 16 as part of the festivities to mark the coronation of the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Unfortunately, the balloon (which took off lit up with thousands of torches on board) encountered a strong gust of wind, which blew out all the torches, and carried the balloon rapidly out of sight. After a remarkable 22 hours adrift, it reached Rome, where – in a deflated condition – it crashed at Tomba di Nerone, said to be the tomb of the Roman Emperor Nero. This caused a large ornamental crown to fall off the balloon’s basket, and relieved of this weight it ascended once more, making

January 2018 FLYPAST 87

MUSEUMS ITALIAN AIR FORCE MUSEUM

Nose detail of the museum’s Ansaldo SVA-5.

it as far as Bracciano where it landed in the lake. It was rescued by local fishermen and taken to the Vatican, where it remained for 170 years until 1975, when it was donated to the museum by the then pontiff Pope Paul VI. Another relic of early aviation on display is also of French design – a Blériot XI-2, which was the first aircraft in history to engage in aerial warfare, being involved in the Italian war with Libya. On October 23, 1911, it took off piloted by Captain Carlo Piazza on a reconnaissance flight. Two days later it was used on a bombing mission when Piazza tossed 4.4lb (2kg) Cipelli bombs over the side of the cockpit – no mean feat in such a fragile aircraft. The XI-2 is suspended from the roof as you enter the hall. Most people reading this will be aware of the famous Italian car maker Ferrari and its distinctive

The rare Macchi MC-202, of which only two survive.

88 FLYPAST January 2018

Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 in the Badoni Hangar. Note the ‘trademark’ Italian trimotor configuration.

prancing horse logo. This legendary emblem was carried on aircraft flown by the greatest Italian ace of all, Major Francesco Baracca, within the family’s coat of arms. Baracca scored 34 victories, flying both the SPAD S.VII and S.XIII, but was killed on June 19, 1918 by ground fire. The Cavallino Rampante (prancing

stallion) symbol was gifted to Enzo Ferrari by Baracca’s mother in the 1920s, and has graced the cars ever since. Two SPAD S.VIIs are on display, while wreckage from the count’s crash site is also included. Interestingly, as Col Roviti explains, almost all the engines have been removed from the aeroplanes on

display and mounted alongside them on stands. This is a great idea as it enables visitors to see a fundamental part of the aircraft that would normally be hidden under a cowling. There are other fascinating airframes on show, including the giant Caproni Ca.36, and as an illustrative guide to the progress of early Italian aviation, the Troster Hangar fulfils its purpose admirably.

Noteworthy in the Velo Hangar is the rare Caproni Camprini CC2, an early jet aircraft which first flew in 1940.

Above

The Balbo exhibition. The models in the background represent the formation of his first long-distance flight. Right

Largest of all the exhibits in the Badoni Hangar is the Fiat G-212 transport.

One of the prototypes on display is the stylish Aerfer Ariete, which was powered by a Rolls-Royce Derwent Mk.9 engine.

Ladies in red Larger than the Troster Hangar at 8,858sq ft (2,700sq m), the Velo Hangar is devoted to the inter-war years, during which Italy recorded some remarkable aviation achievements especially in the areas of polar flying, mass formations and racing seaplanes. The first part of this exhibition space is dedicated to General Umberto Nobile, an aviation pioneer who became famous for his work

on the development of airships. Between 1920 and 1930, Nobile oversaw much of the Italian dirigible programme involved with polar expeditions, and on May 12, 1926 is believed to have become the first pilot to reach the North Pole. A full-size replica of the cabin of the N1 Norge airship used in that ground-breaking flight is on display. The name Norge, meaning Norway, is a tribute to the Norwegian government whose funding helped finance the flight in conjunction with Roald Amundsen, the legendary polar explorer. Additionally, the museum houses

the Nobile Documentation Centre which holds mementos from his polar expeditions together with the General’s personal library and archive. Both the centre and its associated archives can be visited on appointment. Visitors to the Flying Legends Air Show (which takes place at Duxford every summer), will be familiar with the term ‘Balbo’ which conjures up images of the mass formation flying at the end of each day. The word comes from Italo Balbo, Minister of the Regia Aeronautica in 1928, who pioneered long-distance formation flying with his well-publicised trips over the Mediterranean. The first of these ground-breaking flights occurred between May 26 and June 2 that year, when 61 twin-engine Savoia-Marchetti S.55 and S.69 seaplanes carried out a round-trip from Orbetello in Italy via Spain. Balbo then went on to expand the concept during the 1930s, with further flights to Brazil and North America, effectively marking the start of modern air travel across long-distance routes. Balbo is commemorated in a section of the hall devoted to his formation concepts, where there is also a stunning model showing how the flights would have looked.

The centrepiece of the Velo Hangar has to be the visually striking arrangement of Macchi seaplanes designed in the late 1920s. All painted in a high-gloss red, these aircraft were part of a fleet housed at the seaplane base of Desenzano near Lake Garda that was dedicated to high-speed flight and promoting Italian aeronautical prowess in that field. This section of the Velo Hangar, which includes the Macchi M.39, M.67 and M.72 seaplanes, is possibly the highlight of the whole museum, with the centrepiece being the record-breaking M.72. This breathtaking design innovatively featured its radiators in its floats. It still holds the world record for a propeller-driven seaplane, having reached 440.7mph (709.2km/h) on October 23, 1934. Of interest too are the Fiat CR.32 and CR.42 biplane fighters which proved effective in air combat during the 1930s and early 1940s. The CR.32 rose to fame in the Spanish Civil War, while the CR.42 took part in the Battle of Britain during 1940, with the Italians supporting the Luftwaffe in its ultimately fruitless aim to break the RAF. The CR.42 on display is partially original and constructed from 60% original parts. Ironically, the only entirely original airframe remaining is displayed at Cosford’s RAF Museum after the aircraft was damaged in combat and force-landed at Orfordness, Suffolk.

The next generation It was during World War Two that various manufacturers in the now fascist republic produced some of the most interesting designs in Italian aviation history. Many of their creations, together with some relevant Allied aircraft used post-war by the Italian Air Force, are found in the Badoni Hangar,

January 2018 FLYPAST 89

MUSEUMS ITALIAN AIR FORCE MUSEUM On display in the Velo Hangar is the Macchi M.39.

An eye-catching Aermacchi MB.326 in the Skema Hangar.

The Fiat G-91 family is well-represented at the museum. This is the G-91T training variant.

providing a genuinely fascinating display. You can’t help but notice how bright this space is – natural light floods in through the fully glazed door and roof. This is not necessarily a good thing, as Col Roviti points out, as some of the fabric-covered aircraft, including the Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 have become more fragile as the sun dries out the dope. Measures are now in place to reverse any damage. The building has also retained some of the seaplane recovery gear built into the floor when it was constructed in the 1930s. However, this is now covered by a large metal plate by the main doors. Enthusiasts will instantly recognise the Spitfire Mk. IX, P-51D Mustang and C-47 Skytrain, but it’s the indigenous designs that are the most intriguing, particularly the Macchi MC.202 Folgore and MC.205 Veltro. Both are – like many Italian airframes of that era – exceptionally

aircraft here including one each of the Republic F-84 family: the F-84G Thunderjet, F-84F Thunderstreak and RF-84F Thunderflash. There are also single examples of North American’s F-86E and ’K Sabre variants – the former was built by Canadair and the latter by Fiat under licence in Italy. A solitary Lockheed F-104G Starfighter is also present. Those interested in British design will be drawn to a rare de Havilland Vampire NF.54, one of 14 delivered to Italy in 1953. It was intended that more would arrive, but the air force changed its mind and the F-86K Sabre took over the night fighting role instead, with the Vampires being rapidly phased out. As you would expect, Italy’s own designs dominate, with pride of place being given to the famous Fiat G.91 family. Examples of the G.91R, ’T and ’Y models are on show, together with a PAN variant specially developed for, and used

rare, with just two examples of the MC.202 in existence, the other being housed at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, America. Three giants tower above the other exhibits here. The CANT Z.506, the last of which was based at Vigna di Valle in 1965, Fiat’s impressive G.211 and the SIAI SM.82. The trio, together with the SM.79, also illustrate the Italian penchant for using a trimotor configuration. Directly off this area is the Skema Hangar, which houses aircraft used by the Italian Air Force from the 1950s until the present day. This contains an impressive array of types, not only from Italy, but also the United States and Great Britain, both of which supplied military aircraft to Italy in the post-war and Cold War eras. With 13,779sq ft (4,200sq m) of space, this is the largest and most recently added of the displays. There are several early American jet

by the famous Frecce Tricolori aerobatics team. The G.91 is widely seen as the design that put Italy’s post-war aviation industry back on the map, and was followed by equally capable jets, including Macchi’s MB.326, which is also displayed. There are some fascinating prototypes in the top gallery of the hall, including Aerfer’s Sagittario II and Ariete jets – the former being the first Italian jet to break the sound barrier on December 4, 1956. Both are, interestingly, powered by the Rolls-Royce Derwent Mk.9, the same tried and trusted design used on Britain’s Gloster Meteor NF.14 night-fighter. With over 80 aircraft and flying objects on display, the museum at Vigna di Valle truly does have something to satisfy the most ardent of aviation enthusiasts and provides a unique opportunity to see Italy’s contribution to aviation heritage in one location.

“Italy’s own designs dominate, with pride of place given to the famous Fiat G.91 family. It is widely seen as the design that put Italy’s post-war aviation industry back on the map” 90 FLYPAST January 2018

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JOB OPPORTUNITY Assistant Editor Would you like to play a big part in the growing success story of Aviation News? This could be your chance. As we gain more readers and plaudits from both enthusiasts and the aviation industry, we are now seeking an Assistant Editor to help us in the next stage of Aviation News’s development. Based at Key Publishing’s offices in Stamford, Lincolnshire, this is a full-time role. You will assist editor Dino Carrara in the writing, compilation and editing of articles on all aspects of aviation past, present and future as well as in sourcing top quality imagery and contributors. The successful candidate should also be bursting with ideas for interesting and exciting features. It is a challenging and demanding role, but the rewards include the chance to travel all over the world to cover the best aviation stories. You will need to be an aviation enthusiast who thinks nothing of spending a day by the fence of an airport or air base and will have travelled in pursuit of your interest. Ideally, you will already be an experienced The closing date is January 8, 2018.

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journalist with an understanding of regular production schedules within a small editorial team, though candidates without this background who can demonstrate excellent potential may be considered. This is an outstanding opportunity to join Europe’s foremost specialist aviation magazine publisher. Benefits include five weeks holiday per year plus a company pension scheme. To apply please send a full CV and a covering letter explaining why you think that you are the best person for the job to: Dino Carrara, Editor, Aviation News, PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1XQ or email: [email protected]

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14/11/2017 15:01

WHAT’S NEW NEW PRODUCT REVIEWS

book briefs Station XI – Call Up Carnaby, Gayna Wallis, Nu-Age, sbk, illus, 178pp, £9 – this story of RAF Carnaby (in Yorkshire) is based around numerous accounts of aircrews that needed the assistance of this small emergency landing ground. It also recounts the details of those who did not quite make it. Some had to ditch into the North Sea, while others had to bale out. The daily dramas and history of this important airfield have been captured by the author, partly to ensure that its contribution and sacrifices are not forgotten. The work of the ground crews and medics, so often overlooked, is also described here. www.carnabyairfieldmemorial.org

WK275 – The Restoration and Preservation of the last Supermarine Swift F4, Guy Ellis, Grub Street, hbk, illus, 160pp, £20 – this excellent account has clearly been a labour of love for all involved, and the fruits have been worth the considerable endeavour. Swift WK275, previously covered in FlyPast, is a unique survivor. Guy Ellis traces the heritage of this jet from its operational life through to its restoration by Jet Art Aviation, which is described in great detail with a plethora of images and drawings. The Swift is now on show with the Vulcan to the Sky Trust at Doncaster, a fine achievement by all involved in its preservation. www.grubstreet.co.uk

Essential museum guide www.crecy.co.uk

Local Collections of Britain, Ken Ellis, Crécy, hbk, illus, 416pp, £18.95 In a follow up to 2013’s Great Aviation Collections of Britain in which the author – FlyPast’s legendary Ken Ellis – analysed the country’s ‘national’ aviation museums, he now turns his attention to all the other significant aeronautical attractions in the UK. It is a quite astonishing undertaking, Ken somehow performing the work of ten and bringing together a wealth of information – much of it supported by superb photography. This exhaustive, comprehensive volume focuses on pure aviation museums – those dedicated entirely to aeronautical themes, excepting those such as IWM Duxford which have ‘national’ status. All the attractions covered are open regularly to the public, with no need to book, and are listed county by county, ideal if you are planning a visit to a certain area. The author examines the history of each entry, telling the story of its origins, background and aims. He also lists all exhibits and focuses on one or two of the more significant airframes. Some of the smaller collections have amazing stories to tell, such as the Martlesham Heath Control Tower Museum in Suffolk – the home of British flight testing – and Norfolk’s RAF Air Defence Radar Museum, devoted to the ‘magic eye’ of the Battle of Britain. Detailed and informative while being very easy to read and use, Local Collections of Britain is a don’tleave-home-without-it essential to anyone with a serious interest in visiting aircraft museums.

Fur-lined leather jackets www.meanandgreen.com Midlands-based company Mean And Green has recently launched an excellent new range of fur-lined flying jackets. Available in both adults and children’s sizes, the leather jackets are modelled on the famous World War Two versions worn by aircrew. The Mean And Green items comprise a soft, dark brown leather outer with a comfy acrylic fur lining. They not only provide plenty of warmth but have an authentic ‘period’ look to them. All sizes feature synthetic fur trim around the waist, cuffs and collar and come with two front pockets, one inner zipped pocket and a fulllength metal zip with vintage ‘brass effect’ pull. They also come supplied with two belt buckle adjustment straps at the waist and two on the collar. Adult jackets are available for £99, with sizes ranging from Small to 3XL, while smaller versions for children can be purchased for £75. Both practical and easy on the eye, these are a great addition to any aviation enthusiast’s winter wardrobe. Tel: 01902 423868

Towering achievement

Out Of The Blue: The Final Landing

All Along The Control Tower – A Photobook Volume Three, Theo and Frans Barten, Narwal, hbk, illus, 232pp, €37.50 Continuing their remarkable tour of surviving UK airfield control towers, the Dutch authors now present their third volume. This well illustrated book features another 56 towers, taking the overall tally to 174 across all three publications. The objective is to show the buildings in the state they are in today. Nearly all the airfields have gone but many towers remain, some still being used in various capacities, with others completely derelict. Some of them are listed buildings while others have been largely forgotten. This photographic survey is supported by the stories of how each was discovered (some require permission to visit), along with geographical co-ordinates to make them easy for enthusiasts to locate.

Ian Cowie, Dim Jones and Chris Long, RAFBF, sbk, illus, £9.99 The third and final instalment of the Out Of The Blue series, like its predecessors, doesn’t disappoint, and is recommended for anyone who enjoys the lighter side of military history. It consists of the recollections of RAF pilots and ground crew, and is often sufficiently hilarious to make the reader laugh out loud. The incident involving a faulty handbrake on a BAe Jetstream is particularly amusing. Fittingly, all profits from the sale of this and the other books in the series go to the RAF Benevolent Fund, so every purchase supports a worthwhile cause. This highly enjoyable read should be in your Christmas stocking.

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Handmade aircraft models www.bravodeltamodels.com Bravo Delta Models specialises in hand-carved, kiln dried mahogany aircraft models. All are carefully hand-painted, receiving up to 35 coats each. These desktop models are museum quality works of art, designed to make a statement in any enthusiast’s home. The company can make any aircraft or ship, in any scale, to order. Among their current products is a 1:42 scale Eurofighter Typhoon (£465), as flown by 3 Squadron at Coningsby. Also being produced is a 1:40 scale BAe Harrier GR.3 (£485; illustrated), painted in the markings of XZ133, part of the HMS Hermes Air Group in the 1982 Falkland Islands conflict. They will soon be offering a 1:28 representation of North American P-51D Mustang Glamorous Glen III, as flown by Maj ‘Chuck’ Yeager, serving in the USAAF’s Eighth Air Force at Leiston, Suffolk, in November 1944. The aircraft was named after the fighter ace’s fiancée, Glennis Faye Dickhouse.

92 FLYPAST January 2018

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Junkers Ju 88 – The Early Years – Blitzkrieg to the Blitz, Chris Goss, Frontline, sbk, illus, £14.99 – designed as a fast bomber that could outrun the fighters of the era, the Junkers Ju 88 became one of Germany’s most versatile World War Two aircraft. Written by frequent FlyPast correspondent Chris Goss, this book features an unrivalled selection of archive images collected over many years. The operations of this famous aircraft are portrayed from the beginning of the war, through the Blitzkrieg and the Battle of France, to the Battle of Britain and into a training role. The author is a respected authority on Luftwaffe history, and his knowledge shines through in this publication. www.frontline-books.com

Lightning F.3 pewter model – and new merchandise www.staplesandvine.com A superb new 1:72 scale model of the English Electric Lightning F.3 is among the latest works from Staples and Vine (formerly Diverse Images). The aircraft featured, XR749, was one of the last F.3s to be built and this mark continued to operate in a training role until the Lightning was withdrawn from service in 1988. The aircraft is depicted as it appeared in October 1985 when assigned to the Lightning Training Flight at Binbrook, Lincolnshire, and carries the name of pilot Flt Lt Mike Hale. This was the year of the unit’s tenth anniversary and the barley and light aircraft grey scheme of that era was topped off with additional paintwork to mark the occasion. This consisted of a blue spine and fin, and on the latter a large white disc with the unit’s lion emblem in an equally bright blue, and the white code ‘DA’. In its earlier career with 11 Squadron, XR749, flown by Mike Hale, became famous for being the only NATO jet to overtake Concorde during a training exercise. In another training event in this jet he also managed to intercept a Lockheed U-2 at 66,000ft, a feat previously considered impossible. Limited to 25 pieces, each costing £179 plus delivery, the model comes on a base, with two optional crew figures available at £15 each. In addition to this, the Staples and Vine range of high quality t-shirts and mugs has expanded to feature fifty exclusive designs of aircraft and tanks, ranging from the Gloster Gladiator to the F-22 Raptor. Tanks featured include all the main wartime German battle tanks along with their British counterparts. The shirts cost £24.99, and mugs cost £12.50, plus delivery.

page turners Defi nitive History www.thehistorypress.co.uk The Royal Air Force Day By Day 1918-2018 – Air Cdre Graham Pitchfork, The History Press, hbk, illus, 424pp, £50 The previous edition of this valuable reference has been brought up to date to mark the centenary of the formation of the RAF in 1918. It is a diary of significant daily events, brilliantly compiled by author and regular FlyPast correspondent Graham Pitchfork, and provides a compelling and easy-to-use guide to the air force’s long history. It describes not only the great air battles and major events, but also the less celebrated but no less important activities and traditions of the ever-changing RAF. The experiences of air and ground personnel during war and peacetime are central to the book. The entries are generously illustrated in this hardback volume, which delivers a fascinating combination of the exceptional and the relatively routine. A considerable achievement by its author, this book has been published at the request of the RAF as part of the celebrations for its 100th anniversary.

Indian Air Force www.bloomsbury.com Spitfire Singh – A True Life of Relentless Adventure, Mike Edwards MBE, Bloomsbury, sbk, illus, 402pp, £12.99 Author Mike Edwards recounts the history of the Indian Air Force (IAF), and of how its personnel overcame prejudice and disparagement. The fledgling IAF met challenges with great determination. This is the story of Harjinder Singh and his band of men who against all odds made the vision of the IAF a reality. It is more than an account of aircraft and military actions. Above all it follows Harjinder’s journey, describing how he became a top-ranking officer. Spanning decades, it reflects on the air force’s many adventures from the scrublands of the North-West Frontier Province, the jungles of Burma, the UK on the eve of D-Day, to the corridors of power in an independent India. Be it the formidable Japanese, the powerful Germans or the resolute tribal warriors, none could break the spirit of these airborne Indians. It is a little-known story, well told.

Photographic Odyssey www.fighting-high-books.myshopify.com Slybirds - The 353rd Fighter Group, Graham Cross. Fighting High, hbk, illus, £29.95 This beautifully produced landscape format book tells the story of a UK-based USAAF Fighter Group (FG) during World War Two. It is largely a pictorial record with detailed and informative captions to each of the several hundred photographs. The 353rd FG was initially part of the Eighth Air Force, and began operations escorting long-range daylight bombing raids over Europe in June 1943. Initially flying Republic P-47 Thunderbolts, in October 1944 the Group converted to North American P-51 Mustangs. This book covers all aspects of its operations and constituent squadrons with an amazing wealth of images – including some real surprises, such as British-supplied Proctors and Oxfords in ‘star and bar’ markings. As well as being of interest to general readers, this is a very useful book for modellers seeking detailed archive pictures. ANDREW THOMAS January 2018 FLYPAST 93

FROM THE WORKSHOP ENGLISH ELECTRIC LIGHTNING

Project

Max Waldron describes the preparation of a Lightning for a new lease of life as a display airframe

Vanguard The centre and rear fuselage, ready for painting.

O

nce the vanguard of the UK air defence network, English Electric Lightning F.3 XP745 is now tucked away in a warehouse in Greenford, London. Appropriately, it is owned by removals and storage specialist Vanguard, a company founded in 1964, the year in which XP745 was built. The airframe has been out of the public eye for many years, but things are changing and XP745 is about to enter a far more prominent position of display after many years in the dark. Last on duty as a ‘gate guardian’ at the fighter control centre at RAF Boulmer in Northumberland, the Lightning was put up for disposal in November 1992 after 16 years on display. It was acquired by Vanguard and in April 1993 a team of engineers was sent north to Boulmer to ‘nut and bolt’ disassemble XP745 and move it to London. Carefully unloaded, XP745 was stored within the cavernous warehouse. Vanguard was not unfamiliar with classic jets, already proudly owning the first production Hawker Hunter, F.1 WT555, which first flew in May 1953. The Hunter has had spells on display at the top of a tower in

94 FLYPAST January 2018

Hunter F.1 WT555 is another classic jet owned by Vanguard.

the Vanguard complex on Western Avenue – the A40 main road. Also at Greenford is the cockpit of 1956-built Vampire T.11 XK632 which company chairman ‘Mac’ McCullagh purchased to save from the scrap heap.

High-speed distraction Having obtained the Lightning, Vanguard put a proposal forward to position the fighter on a specially designed and constructed triangular steel mount adjacent to the A40 in a ‘dive’ position. Ministry of Transport planners rejected this scheme on the grounds that passing motorists would see it and ‘duck’ or worse still, swerve. However, it was deemed acceptable to position XP745 in a ‘climb’ attitude. The paperwork was amended and full planning permission granted. The steel framework and foundations for this undertaking were estimated to cost £300,000. Vanguard is a leading specialist removals organisation, employing around 450 people. In the 1990s, business was in full steam and the

Lightning was put on the ‘back burner’. In mid-2016, Vanguard put forward a different project. The company’s new storage facility in Bristol will include a large glass-topped atrium, and the Lightning will be suspended inside from a steel frame.

Face lift After 20-plus years of storage the Lightning needed a face lift and some restoration work to prepare for display. Dave Blissett and the author, who had both been instrumental in the move of F.3 XR713 from Leuchars in Scotland to Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire, and its subsequent refurbishment, were contacted and asked to inspect XP745. Although the Lightning had been stripped internally of several ‘spare parts’, the airframe remained in remarkably good condition with

d

With the new windscreen already fitted, the replacement canopy is seen during installation.

January 2018 FLYPAST 95

FROM THE WORKSHOP ENGLISH ELECTRIC LIGHTNING Left

A view of the ejection seat mechanism. Right

Trying out ‘Spanner’ for size in the ejection seat and newly refurbished cockpit.

minimal corrosion. A number of items needed to be replaced but nothing too challenging to find. A plan was developed giving details of the type of work required and the length of time required to get XP745 ready for its new role: Project Vanguard was born. Since November 2016 the team has been travelling down to London and working towards getting XP745’s airframe repairs and corrosion areas sorted. The cockpit was removed and it took a great deal of effort to strip out all the wiring that had been left, resembling a massive bird’s nest. The whole cockpit was cleaned and sprayed. A mannequin – nicknamed ‘Spanner’ – has been dressed in period flying clothing and strapped to the restored ejection seat and mounted into the cockpit. One major item that was missing was the windscreen with only a simple Perspex panel fitted, and that had been letting water into the cockpit. Eventually a windscreen was loaned to make a pattern and

Paul Bradford of Vanguard found a company to make a brand new one. This was duly fitted and looks stunning. A new canopy was sourced and installed. As XP745 will be displayed in ‘flying’ pose, the undercarriage has been removed to reduce weight. Paul also had special trestles manufactured to ease the eventual painting process. These will also provide a sturdy support for the rear and forward sections as work progresses. All the corrosion has been treated and some newly manufactured panels installed. By the end of April 2017 the first phase had been completed. The airframe was being prepared for painting as this feature went to press. The scheme has been agreed, but it must be kept under wraps for now – there’s no doubt it will be worth the wait. The assembly and mounting of XP745 in the new Bristol facility is still some time away. Keep an eye on FlyPast for further updates as this exciting project reaches a satisfying conclusion.

Lightning F.3 XP745 on display at Boulmer in 29 Squadron colours in 1990. ALAN CURRY

English Electric Lightning F.3 XP745 Mar 18, 1964

First flown at Warton, Lancs.

May 20, 1965

Issued to 56 ‘Firebird’ Squadron at Wattisham, Suffolk, coded ‘J’.

Apr 20, 1970

Transferred to 29 Squadron, also at Wattisham; coded ‘H’.

Feb 4, 1975

Ferried to 60 Maintenance Unit, Leconfield, Yorks; completing a flying life of 1,886 hours. Spares reclamation programme begun.

Oct 1976

Moved by road to Boulmer, Northumberland, for display purposes; allocated the instructional airframe serial 8453M. Restored in 29 Squadron colours and unveiled at the station on December 14, 1976.

Nov 1992

Put up for disposal. Replaced on the gate at Boulmer by Phantom FGR.2 XV415.

Apr 1993

Moved to Vanguard at Greenford, London.

The Project Vanguard team in celebratory mood. ALL AUTHOR UNLESS NOTED

“The paint scheme has been agreed, but it must be kept under wraps for now – there’s no doubt it will be worth the wait” 96 FLYPAST January 2018

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16/11/2017 09:33

FLEET AIR ARM ATTACKING FINLAND

“H

itler leaped upon his largest friend” was how the novelist A P Herbert described Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. Across a front of 1,800 miles (2,896km), Panzer tanks spearheaded an assault comprising 4½ million men, which began in the early hours of June 22, 1941.

It became a political imperative for Britain to support the USSR in any way possible. The Royal Navy focused on the Scandinavian Arctic coast of the Barents Sea and the ports of Kirkenes, in northeast Norway, and Petsamo (now Pechanga), 40 miles further east in Finland, which were vital in sustaining the German assault on the Soviet harbour at Murmansk. Norway had fallen to the Germans in June 1940. The Wehrmacht invaded northern Finland on June 8, 1941 and three weeks later was in striking distance of Kirkenes and Petsamo. While the Finns had allied themselves with Germany against the Soviets, a British attack on Petsamo should have been preceded by a declaration of war, but British Prime Minister Winston Churchill took the decision to ignore this procedure.

FORCE P

So Operation EF began. On July 23 the carriers HMS Victorious and Furious, escorted by the cruisers HMS Devonshire and Suffolk and a destroyer screen, sailed as ‘Force P’ from Scapa Flow in Orkney for Seidesfjord in Iceland. After refuelling, the flotilla headed for the Barents Sea on the 26th.

Embarked in Victorious, a new ship not fully worked up, were the 21 Fairey Albacore torpedo bombers of the Fleet Air Arm’s 827 and 828 Squadrons, commanded by Lt Cdr Stewart-Moore and Lt L A Cubitt, and a dozen Fairey Fulmar two-seat fighters of Lt Cdr Grenfell’s 809 Squadron. Victorious would attack Kirkenes. The older and smaller Furious carried nine Albacores and nine Fairey Swordfish of 817 and 812 Squadrons,

led by Lt Cdrs Sanderson and Waters respectively. Lt Cdr Wroughton’s nine Fulmars of 800 Squadron provided escort while four Hawker Sea Hurricanes of 880 Squadron ‘A’ Flight, under Lt Cdr ‘Butch’ Judd, making the type’s operational debut, would defend the fleet while Furious struck shipping in Petsamo. Approaching Norway, the aircrews received a briefing, although notably the telegraphist/ air gunners (TAGs) were not included. Pilots and observers in Victorious were told that 827’s Albacores were to strike targets in Langefjord while those from 828 were to hit any shipping found in the Holmengraafjord and around

Renoy Island. The Fulmars were to defend the biplanes, but take no part in hitting surface targets. Aboard Furious, similar instructions were issued. Ominously, there was little accurate information about enemy defences. The main Luftwaffe fighter unit in northern Norway, Jagdgruppe zur besonderen Verwendung Petsamo (special-purpose fighter group), based at Kirkenes, controlled the Messerschmitt Bf 110-equipped

ARCTIC MISA 98 FLYPAST January 2018

Zerstorerstaffel Jagdgeschwader 77 (Z/JG 77) and 14/JG 77 flying a mix of Bf 109Es and ’Ts. Also based there was IV Gruppe (Stuka)/ Lehrgeschwader 1 (IV[St]LG 1 – (tactical development unit) with Junkers Ju 87 dive-bombers and 1 Staffel of Aufklärungsgruppe 124 – a reconnaissance unit with Ju 88s. Meanwhile, 5 Staffel of Kampfgeschwader 30 (5/KG 30), also flying Ju 88s, flew from Banak. The Stukas and the Ju 88s posed a genuine threat to the carriers.

PREPARING A TRAP

Aboard the carriers, aircraft were positioned and loaded, some with torpedoes, others with bombs. Many of the weapons carried chalked-on slogans from the groundcrew such as ‘From all at Plymouth Hoe’. In the early afternoon of July 30, in the perpetual daylight of an Arctic summer, as Force P reached the

flying-off position 80 miles northeast of Kirkenes, the cloud cover that had been present all morning dissipated. In the now clear skies a Dornier Do 18 flying-boat of 1 Staffel Küstenfliegergruppe 406 (1/KuFlGr 406 – naval co-operation unit) sighted the task force, its vital element of surprise lost. At 14:00 hours Victorious and Furious began launching their aircraft. The CO of 827 Squadron, Stewart-

Moore, the observer in Albacore N4330 flown by the unit’s senior pilot, Lt ‘Cocky’ Reed, set course for the coast north of Kirkenes at the head of his four flights. Off to port was 828 Squadron, both units flying sedately over the sea at between 100 and 200ft (30 to 60m). The escorting Fulmars flew higher and had some difficulty in seeing the biplanes owing to the brightness of the sun’s glare ahead of them. Their increased altitude may have further alerted the defences. On reaching the coast at the end of the Ribachi Peninsula the two Albacore squadrons turned towards the target, coming under very heavy ground fire from the start. In 827’s third flight was N4307, piloted by Lt Nigel Ball, whose TAG, Petty Officer (PO) Dickie Sweet, recalled: “We headed towards the coast at 500ft and we still pressed on, 828 Squadron off to port. As their aircraft flew into the entrance to the harbour the German gunners were firing down on them. It was a trap! “I can remember seeing some people wave at us as we flew over at 100ft before we dropped down into the harbour. There wasn’t any target – all I could see was one merchant ship. We had been told the harbour would be full.” The harbour contained just the gunnery training vessel Bremse and two small coasters. On board 828 Squadron’s N4327, flown by Lt Williamson, TAG PO Frank Smith remembered: “We’re flying up the fjord and the Germans are firing down, from the cliffs with

light ack-ack... At the end of the fjord there was a mountain that had to be climbed over and, on the other side, Kirkenes bay; and before anything can happen there were [Messerschmitt] 110s and Stukas all over the place.” Aircraft began falling all around the fjord as they were hit by flak or the Luftwaffe: in very short order, 828 lost five Albacores. Sub Lt Charles Howard, flying N4359, who ended up in Stalag Luft III at Zagan in Poland, recently recounted his experiences: “We launched our torpedo at a German ship in the harbour. As we turned to make our escape I heard a roar of cannon fire from below us, we were hit and the aircraft broke up around us. The next thing I knew we were in the fjord and swimming for the shore and into captivity.”

WITNESS TO CATASTROPHE

Even worse befell 827 Squadron, which lost six Albacores. Dickie Sweet, the TAG in N4307, watched as catastrophe overtook the raid: “By this time my pilot had got down to torpedo-dropping height. We shot upwards as the torpedo fell away. I was aware we were being shot at as the pilot made for the high ground, jinking around violently. We succeeded in evading the harbour defences. “As we approached the entrance to the fjord, high in the sky was a terrible circle of aircraft picking off our machines as they left the fjord... Our pilot headed for the far bank and banked, and stuck to that position.

SADVENTURE AN ATTACK ON THE GERMAN-HELD PORTS OF KIRKENES AND PETSAMO IN JULY 1941 PROVED VERY COSTLY TO THE ROYAL NAVY, AS ANDREW THOMAS EXPLAINS

Left

Flying from ‘Furious’, the Fulmars of 800 Squadron escorted the attack on Petsamo. VIA R C STURTIVANT

FLEET AIR ARM ATTACKING FINLAND

Right

HMS ‘Victorious’ in 1941. VIA C F SHORES Centre right

Albacore X9034 of 827 Squadron, 1941. 612 SQUADRON RECORDS

Below

Captured Fleet Air Arm aircrew after the raid, assembled at Malmi airfield on August 2. PENTTI MANNINEN VIA KARI STENMANN

“Lt Lee’s Albacore, N4250, was shot down by a Bf 109. Scrambling into their dinghy the crew paddled ashore and two days later made it through German lines to reach the Russians at Murmansk” Prendergast the observer called the direction of [attackers]... I used the gunsight to range the aircraft; an Me 109 would fill half my gunsight. When the wingspan filled my whole diameter I stopped firing. “Every time we evaded by turning at the right time. We evaded and, coming over the cliff, was a Junkers 87 – and he dropped and moved across our front and [we] shot it down. Beautiful! We continued to evade and returned to the ship.” The victim was ‘L1+EW’ of IV(St)/ LG 1, the only confirmed victory by an Albacore pilot. Sweet attributes their survival to the close harmony of the drills, particularly the evasion directed by Lt Prendergast. Albacore N4307 was the only one of its type to return to the ship unscathed. Attacked by a fighter, cannon shell ruptured the overload fuel tank in the cabin of the CO’s aircraft, N4330,

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fortunately without exploding. Stewart-Moore rammed his elbow into the breach to stem the flow of fuel despite being drenched himself. After return fire from Lt Reed, the pilot, and PO Jacky Lambert, the TAG, they claimed a Bf 110 probably destroyed and a Bf 109 damaged, while Sub Lt J S Bailey claimed another ’109 as a probable. The escorting Fulmars of 809 Squadron fared little better, orbiting at 4,000ft as the enemy aircraft appeared, including Ju 87s returning from a mission over the front lines. The unit’s CO claimed a Bf 110 while Sub Lt Cooper, in X8550, and Sub Lt Wilkinson thought they also might have got another. It is unclear which German pilots shot down individual Albacores, but Leutnant Felix-Maria Brandis of 1(Z)/JG 77 was credited with two while flying Bf 110 ‘LN+AR’ with

his gunner, Feldwebel Herbert Baus. Oberleutnant (Oblt) Max Franzisket of the same unit claimed two more. Oblts Karl-Friedrich Schloßstein and Karl-Friedrich Koch claimed one each. Schloßstein and his gunner, Gefreiter Gütsche, later had to ditch their Bf 110, ‘LN+DR’ (probably the victim of Reed and Lambert) and were rescued. The Bf 109 pilots of 14/JG 77 claimed seven Albacores. Two ‘Skuas’ and three ‘Hurricanes’ also noted as downed were actually misidentified Fulmars. As the battered remnant of the Kirkenes force withdrew to Victorious there was little evidence in the harbour to show for their sacrifice.

MEAGRE RESULTS

Furious launched its strike force to Petsamo at 14:00 – nine Albacores and nine Swordfish covered by halfa-dozen of 800’s Fulmars. Once

Sub Lt Gallichran and PO Black. A second ditched offshore but although the crew were seen in their dinghy they were not saved. On its torpedo run, Lt Lee’s Albacore, N4250, was shot down by a Bf 109. Scrambling into their dinghy the crew paddled ashore and two days later made it through German lines to reach the Russians at Murmansk. Mercifully, the Swordfish of 812 Squadron escaped unscathed and all returned safely to Furious. As at Kirkenes, the results were

again anticipation was shattered, with the harbour practically empty of shipping. However, flak was less intense and, with the Luftwaffe’s attention focused on Kirkenes, there were fewer fighters present. Those aircraft carrying bombs were able to damage shore installations and set at least one oil tank on fire. Messerschmitt Bf 109s from 14/ JG 77 then intervened and Fulmar X8624 went down with the loss of

meagre. The attack on Petsamo left two German soldiers and one seaman dead and four Finnish civilians wounded. A small Norwegian vessel, the Rodvaer, was sunk and oil storage tanks damaged, and the torpedo dropped from Swordfish L7644 by Sub Lt Heath destroyed a jetty.

RECKONING

In all, a dozen Albacores and four Fulmars were lost together with

44 aircrew, 17 of whom were killed; just three escaped. In his report, Konteradmiral Polarküste, the officer in command of the area, wrote: “Major attack on Kirkenes with 30 to 40 aircraft then secondary attack on Petsamo. “In Kirkenes no German vessel sunk, only minor damage. In Petsamo one Norwegian vessel sunk. 31 aircraft shot down: 25 by fighters, rest by flak. 17 aircrew saved. Orders from HMS Victorious found on aircrew.” Captured Fleet Air Arm personnel were assembled on Malmi airfield on August 2 and the following morning flown by Ju 52 to Germany. Having recovered, the surviving aircraft of Force P left the area with all speed to avoid a likely Luftwaffe attack, which in the event did not materialise. The following day, July 31, Dornier Do 18 ‘8L+DL’ of 3/KuFlGr 906 located the carriers,

but was intercepted and shot down by a pair of Sea Hurricanes flown by Lt Cdr Judd and Sub Lt Dickie Haworth. This first ‘kill’ by Sea Hurricanes marked the end of Operation EF. A diary entry for HMS Victorious dated August 8 mournfully recorded: “The remains of the squadron flew off the ‘Vic’ bound for Hatston [Orkneys] for a rescrub – and by God we need it.” More soberly, the Commanderin-Chief Home Fleet, Admiral Sir John Tovey, wrote afterwards: “The gallantry of the aircraft crews, who knew before leaving that their chance of surprise had gone, and that they were certain to face heavy odds, is beyond praise.” He added, with more than a hint of irony at this politically motivated venture: “I trust that the encouragement to the morale of our Allies was proportionately great.”

Left

Albacores of 817 Squadron, 1941. VIA R C STURTIVANT

Above

Graves of naval airmen in Tromsø cemetery include that of Leading Airman Dennis Corner of 828 Squadron, who was killed at Kirkenes. BENGT STANGVIK

Left

An Albacore on antisubmarine patrol over a task force. 612 SQUADRON RECORDS

January 2018 FLYPAST 101

Delta days GLORY DAYS PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORIES

When flying in its early white colour scheme, the Avro Vulcan was both a powerful and moving sight. We present some archive images of this famous bomber during its early days in service. Below

Scampton is the setting as 617 Squadron stages a ‘scramble’ for the benefit of the press in August 1960. The nearest aircraft is XH482, which was the aircraft of Wg Cdr George Bastard, whose name is also on the crew entrance door. He is seen here in beret, to the right of the nose wheel. This Vulcan had another eight years left, before being scrapped in September 1968 at RAF Waddington.

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Top

An earlier view of VX770 taken during 1953 when the aircraft was fitted with Armstrong Siddeley ASSa.6 Sapphire engines. Avro originally suggested the name Ottawa for the Type 698, while Albion was also a possibility, before Vulcan was decided upon. Above Above

One of the first units to be equipped with the new bomber was 83 Squadron, based at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire. Rolling away from the camera is B.1 XA904, which suffered a premature end on March 1, 1961 after it ran out of fuel and collapsed by the side of the runway at its home base.

Inside one of the servicing hangars at RAF Waddington, where one of 83 Squadron’s aircraft – possibly XA904 if the intake blank is to be believed – is being serviced. Note the missing rear of the cockpit roof, which was detachable.

Above left

A powerful image of the prototype Avro 698 VX770 getting airborne during the 1958 SBAC show at Farnborough. This aircraft, fitted with Rolls-Royce Conway engines later in its ‘career’, was sadly lost at RAF Syerston during a Battle of Britain air display on September 20, 1958.

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PILOT’S PERSPECTIVE BÜCKER BESTMANN

The crank handle.

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IN THE LOGBOOK

Best

for Both Dave Unwin samples the Luftwaffe’s Bestmann trainer, designed to benefit students and instructors

O

ne aspect of the Bestmann that really stands out is that although it was designed during the late 1930s as a trainer – it has side-by-side seating and an enclosed cockpit. I cannot think of any other training monoplane of the era that has this same configuration. The company, founded by German naval pilot Carl Clemens Bücker, is best known for the Jungmann and Jungmeister biplanes. Bücker established Svenska Aero AB (the original SAAB) in Sweden in 1921. It

was effectively a division of Heinkel, as Germany was banned from manufacturing warplanes under the Treaty of Versailles of 1919. Bücker teamed up with Swedish designer Anders J Andersson and the pair moved to Germany, to create Bücker Flugzeugbau in 1932. The prototype Bü 181 Bestmann had its maiden flight in February 1939 and the following year was adopted by the Luftwaffe as its basic trainer. The bulk of the 3,400 Bü 181s were built at Rangsdorf, south of Berlin, but in 1942 production was transferred to Fokker at

Schiphol, Amsterdam, where 708 were completed. During April 1937 the SAAB organisation was revived in Sweden. Two years later Andersson returned to his homeland and joined the SAAB design team. In 1945 his Safir light aircraft emerged, clearly showing its Bestmann lineage. The aircraft I’m about to fly is Sierra-Uniform, which maintains the Swedish connection; it was one of 125 built under licence by Hagglund & Söner AB between 1944 and 1946 for the Swedish Air Force as the Sk 25. At the time of writing it was owned by Peter Holloway who was most closely associated with his

Above left

The distinctive heavy canopy framing of the Bu 181. ALL DARREN HARBAR

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PILOT’S PERSPECTIVE BÜCKER BESTMANN

Fieseler Fi 156A-1 Storch G-STCH which he flew from 2006 until it was transferred to Germany a decade later. Over the years he has operated an impressive collection of classics, including a 1937 Jungmeister. Basing his aircraft at the Shuttleworth Collection’s Old Warden aerodrome Peter acquired 1945-built Bü 181B-1 G-GLSU in late 2006. This is the aircraft featured; Peter sold it in Germany in 2010, where sadly it was damaged in an accident in 2011 and has not flown since.

Power-to-weight Even if I didn’t know that the Bücker was German, I would have guessed it was. The Germans had a propensity for covering cockpits with multi-pane transparencies, and the Bestmann is no exception. The canopy consists of no less than 19 individual pieces of Perspex, supported by a relatively thick frame. As I moved in for the preflight, it occurred to me that the Bü 181 is quite a large aeroplane for only 105 ‘horses’. Peter had already intimated that it was somewhat underpowered, and I was beginning to see

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why. However, its power-to-weight ratio is not as poor as I’d initially suspected. With an empty weight of around 1,000lb (453kg) it is lighter than it looks, being constructed from an interesting combination of methods and materials. For example, although the 25ft 9in (7.85m) long oval-section fuselage may look as if it is mostly made of metal, this is deceiving. Only the forward section is metal – essentially welded chromemolybdenum steel tubing, covered with aluminium panels. The rear is a wooden monocoque affair attached to the steel tube section, while the fin and tailplane are plywoodcovered wood frames. The long (34ft 9in span) tapered wings are also wood. They are coated with ply from the leading edge to the rear spar and with fabric from the spar to the trailing edge. The ailerons, elevator, rudder and

flaps are all wooden frames wrapped in fabric. Narrow chord, Frise-type ailerons cover approximately 50% of the trailing edge, the remainder being the split flaps. These didn’t look as if they’d be especially effective, being neither particularly large nor offering a significant amount of deflection. Power is provided by a 105hp (78.3kW) Hirth HM 500A-1 aircooled inverted in-line four cylinder. As well as the standard fitting for a hand crank, Sierra-Uniform also has an electric starter. I was somewhat surprised by the additional weight and complexity added by the hand crank, as most engines of this horsepower and vintage are usually started by simply flipping the prop. The undercarriage is interesting – it has quite a narrow track but a relatively long wheelbase. It is reminiscent of one of the machines the Bestmann had been built to train pilots for – the legendary Messerschmitt Bf 109. Braking is by cableactuated drums. The pneumatic tailwheel fully castors, and should be locked for taxi, take-off and landing.

IN THE LOGBOOK

“For a taildragger the visibility over the nose is excellent, as the cowling slopes down. This enables the pilot to see everything except immediately in front on the right” Multi-National Bestmann Built in Germany and the Netherlands for the Luftwaffe, the Bü 181 Bestmann was also manufactured in Sweden between 1944 and 1946 for that nation’s air force (see the main text). From late 1944 the Czechoslovakian Zlin company began building the type at Otrokovice, but few were completed. Postwar, Zlin restarted production as the C.6 and C.106 for the Czech air force and as the Z.281 and Z.381 for government-run aero clubs. Czechoslovakian industrial links with Egypt extended to granting the country the rights to build the Bestmann. By 1952 the type was being produced at Heliopolis for the Egyptian Air Force as the Gomhouria (‘Republic’). As many as 300 were made at Heliopolis, with a variety of powerplants. There was an attempt to relaunch the design in the mid-1990s as the Aeropony, but only a handful were completed.

Instrument mixture Access to the cockpit is good. The large doors swing forward and can be latched open from inside the cockpit. The wing root walkway is sensibly sized and there are welllocated grab handles immediately aft of the cockpit and another above the instrument panel. On settling into my seat, the first thing I noticed is that the cockpit is very generously proportioned. It is remarkably spacious for an aircraft in this class. All the controls are easily reached, and the position of the seats and pedals can be

altered. The instrument panel is split into three sections, and carries an initially confusing mixture of imperial and metric instrumentation. The airspeed indicator (ASI) was certainly not standard, as it went up to 600km/h, although I suspected that ‘never-exceed’ speed was little more than half of that. Furthermore, the lowest number (80km/h) was still faster than the stall speed! Other gauges on the pilot’s side are a large compass, Luftwaffetype eight-day clock, a 1950s British turn and slip, a metric

The Hirth engine.

vertical speed indicator and an imperial altimeter. The other side of the cockpit carries another big compass – if one was inaccurate, how would you know which one was correct? In the centre of the panel are the tachometer and fuel gauges, fuel valve, primer, magneto selector, electrical switches and a combined gauge that shows oil temperature, oil pressure and fuel pressure. The fuel gauge is particularly noteworthy. To read the contents you gently rotate the large knob clockwise until resistance is felt, and then note the amount indicated. It is then wound back to 12 o’clock, where it is always to be left. The crank handle for the starter is between the seats, as is the

handbrake-type flap lever. It has three positions, ‘Ein’ (on), ‘Start’ and ‘Landung’ (landing). I familiarised myself with the primary controls. The stick is quite tall and has a good long throw for both the ailerons and elevators. There are toe brakes on the pilot’s side only. There is a large air vent in the roof and, unusually, a quarter-light in front of the pilot that can be opened in flight. Overall, it seemed to be – for the era – a comfortable, well thoughtout cockpit.

Beautifully balanced Having set the fuel valve to ‘reserve’ and wobbled the wobble pump until the fuel pressure needle moved, I gave the engine two

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PILOT’S PERSPECTIVE BÜCKER BESTMANN

Cockpit controls are well laid out and easy to find.

Bestmann - the Great Escaper During the early afternoon of August 31, 1944, Lancaster III NE112 M-for-Mike of 166 Squadron took off from Kirmington, Lincs, bound for Agenville, east of Abbeville, France. The Lancaster force-landed near to its target. Its two gunners were killed; two of the crew, including its Australian pilot, evaded. The remaining three were captured. One of these was the 25-year-old wireless operator, Fg Off Donald Henry Pleasance, who was released from Stalag Luft I, Barth, in 1945. Seventeen years later, Pleasance was again in a prisoner of war camp. This time he was on the set of the 1963-released movie The Great Escape, based on the mass get away from Stalag Luft III, Sagan, of March 24, 1944. By then a well-established film actor, this was his 26th feature film and one to which he could contribute a great deal of experience. Playing the character of Flt Lt Colin Blythe, he was ‘The Forger’, working closely with ‘The Scrounger’, Flt Lt Robert Hendley – James Garner. And what does this have to do with the Bestmann? Having escaped, Hendley and Blythe broke into a Luftwaffe base and stole a Bü 181, heading for the Swiss frontier. They never made it – in a forced landing the aircraft was wrecked and caught fire. Hendley was captured, the hapless Blythe was shot as he unwittingly stumbled towards the enemy. That Bestmann has never been identified – can anyone help? gentle squirts of primer and cracked the throttle. Accompanied by a somewhat ‘graunchy’ noise, vaguely reminiscent of a coffee grinder, the prop jerked around spasmodically and then dissolved into a blur as the engine fired. Having waited several minutes while the engine slowly warmed up I ensured that the tailwheel was locked and set off towards the active runway with the short, stubby exhausts emitting a satisfyingly crisp bark. For a taildragger the visibility over the nose is excellent, as the cowling slopes down. This enables the pilot to see everything except immediately in front on the right. The pre-take off checks are perfectly straightforward, and with the flaps set to ‘Start’ I carefully aligned the aircraft with the runway and smoothly opened the throttle. Accelerate it didn’t, but rather ‘gathered speed’ in a rather languid fashion. This impression was exacerbated by the terrible ASI, as for some considerable period the needle simply didn’t move! It is important to raise the tail as soon as the elevator is effective. On the plus side, there was absolutely

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no problem in keeping straight. Eventually, and after a somewhat protracted ground roll, the ASI came alive and the speed slowly rose to 85km/h (about 46kts). Finally, the needle slipped past 125km/h and I eased the Bestmann into a rather shallow climb. I could see immediately this was an aircraft in which you ‘fly the wing’. The Bestmann is certainly not overendowed in the power department, and thus far I had not been terribly impressed. However, as soon as I began to evaluate the handling I rapidly changed my mind. The Bücker marque has always had an enviable reputation for beautifully balanced controls, and this type is no exception. The ailerons and elevators are authoritative and felt very light and smooth. I tried some slightly steeper turns, and noted that even this elementary manoeuvre confirmed quite clearly that this machine enjoys crisp handling and very well co-ordinated controls.

No surprises I always like to know how an aircraft will behave on the slow side of the

speed range, so once we finally had the height I reduced power for a look at the stall. This produced no real surprises, as with the flaps set to any of the three positions the stall is quite benign. There is very little pre-stall buffet and I noted that the sink rate increased rapidly. The poor ASI made noting the stall speed almost impossible, but I would imagine it was around 75km/h. Easing the stick forward and adding power produced a recovery that was effective and immediate. Having retracted the flaps, I accelerated to 170km/h for a look at the stick-free stability. This I judged to be somewhat curious, as it has negative pitch stability, is just barely neutral in roll and slightly negative in yaw. However, as the Bestmann was intended to be an aerobatic trainer, I suppose the stability would have needed to be somewhat relaxed. I experimented with the trimmer, and found it to be both slightly fiddly and quite powerful. You don’t need to move it much. Overhead Old Warden I studied the windsock and was pleased to see it still favoured Runway 21 – landing

uphill to help slow us down. During the briefing Peter had emphasised two things. That close attention to speed control was imperative, and I must not come in too fast due to the relatively inefficient flaps. If I did have to go around, the lack of power dictated that I must make that decision early. Finally: no touchand-goes. Easing the speed back to 130km/h, I realised I’d have to go further downwind than I wanted to as the final approach needed to be fairly flat. I didn’t even have the option of side-slipping, as this is not allowed with the flaps down. Abeam the runway numbers I closed the throttle but continued downwind. Although I don’t usually select full flaps until I’m on final, the very flat glide convinced me that I needed them sooner than usual, and I extended them on base. Pitch trim changes with flap extension were negligible. I needed to keep the speed under control, so on final I maintained my aiming point with the stick, waited until it had decayed to 115km/h and then added just a suggestion of power. Despite the somewhat shallow approach angle and flat attitude, the view over the nose was good enough. On short final I began drawing off the small amount of power, and we crossed the hedge with the speed sinking towards 95. I then closed the throttle fully and ensured that it was firmly ‘on the stop’. Even a small amount of thrust would prolong the float. My close attention to the approach speed paid dividends - the Bestmann touched down gently in a three-pointer.

Best for both So, what were my impressions of this interesting piece of aviation history? Well, as I’m sure you’ve already concluded, although it has wonderful handling, good visibility and a comfortable cockpit, it could definitely use better flaps and a more powerful engine. In fairness, I imagine that 70-plus years ago the Bestmann would have been very popular with both students and instructors. Being an enclosed, flapped monoplane I think it was more representative of the aircraft the students would go on to fly operationally. The side-by-side seating must have benefited both students and instructors. I’m sure that they were also extremely grateful for the protection afforded by the fully enclosed cockpit, particularly during a northern European winter.

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824/17

COLD WAR 1946-1991 / GREEK WW2 DESERTER OR PATRIOT?

THUNDERFLASH

Flashes of

Babak Taghvaee looks back at the long service life of Greek RF-84Fs, including en

W

ith an extensive coastline from the Aegean to the Mediterranean Sea and a huge number of islands and islets, the territorial waters of Greece have always been challenging to protect. From the 1950s to the 1990s the land borders of the NATO member country faced the communist countries of Albania, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia to the north and Turkey to the east. Clearly, tactical reconnaissance has always been a vital asset to the Hellenic Air Force (HAF). For an incredible 35 years from 1956, tacrecce was the responsibility of a fleet of 34 Republic RF-84F Thunderflashes, which logged a total of 80,000 hours of flight. In 1953, technicians of the 335th Mira (squadron) of the 112th Ptérix (wing) experimentally installed

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cameras in the port tip-tanks of six straight-winged Republic F-84G Thunderjets. Satisfactory results led to 20 Lockheed RT-33As being delivered by the US under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program (MDAP) between 1954 and 1955. The converted F-84Gs became the first aircraft of the 348th Mira Taktikíc Anagnoríseos (MTA – tac-recce squadron) at Larissa on July 7, 1954. The RT-33As acted as a low-cost stopgap until the arrival of the more capable swept-wing RF-84F. As well as meeting national requirements, the RF-84Fs also served NATO by monitoring the Warsaw Pact countries of the Balkans, where the Soviet Union had troops stationed. Two dozen Thunderflashes were delivered between 1956 and 1958. Two former Royal Netherlands Air Force machines arrived in 1963, as

attrition replacements.

Multi-role ’Flashes

An agreement was signed in 1966 under the MDAP for eight surplus West German Air Force examples. These were handed over during the following year; two were cannibalised for their parts while the rest entered service with the 348th MTA. The first RF-84F mission left Larissa on August 6, 1956. The HAF’s Thunderflashes usually carried just three cameras for tac-recce despite a capability to take six. The jet was capable of night photography via a K-37 camera synchronised with photoflash cartridges, but due to limited instrument flying proficiency it was not used nocturnally. There were four 0.50in Browning M3 machine guns in the wing roots

of Thunder

uding encounters with RAF Lightnings in 1964 and the ’Flashes could also carry bombs. From the 1960s a pair of drop tanks was additionally fitted as standard. Each 348th MTA pilot was trained on T-33A ‘T-Birds’ at Larissa before starting conversion to the RF-84F. From day one of their instruction, they practised flying at low altitude to keep away from enemy radars. Pilots would climb to a suitable altitude for photography, and would stay there for just seconds.

Radio silence

Britain granted Cyprus independence on August 16, 1960 while maintaining sovereign bases at Dhekelia and Akrotiri. It was not long before ethnic clashes escalated between Greek (mostly settled in the south of the island) and Turkish (to the north) Cypriots. [From March

1963 a United Nations peacekeeping force was stationed on the island – ED.] In 1964 the HAF conducted a secret mission in support of the legitimate Cypriot government to detect military activities of the Turkish Cypriot militias. Six RF-84Fs of the 348th MTA were deployed to 115th Combat Group at Souda on Crete. According to Georgios Konteas, the 110th Combat Wing’s deputy commander at the time, HAF headquarters issued a directive at 0900 hours on the day of the operation. Efthimio Roulia, (348th MTA CO and mission leader), Theofanis Dimopoulos, Nikos Papadopoulos, Stavros Drania, Ioannis Printzios and George Papasis were selected to pilot the RF-84Fs. Technicians, cameras, film rolls and printing equipment – as well as spare

parts and ground support equipment – were sent ahead on-board Douglas C-47 Skytrains, departing Larissa at 1200. One hour later the two threeship formations of RF-84Fs took off. At Souda the pilots were briefed about the situation on Cyprus and were instructed to operate under full radio silence. This was to avoid confrontation with RAF English Electric Lightning interceptors from Akrotiri. Adding to the tension, the day after the deployment of the RF-84Fs, Turkish Air Force fighters regularly overflew Cyprus on their own recce operations.

Below

RF-84Fs at Larissa during the handover ceremony on August 6, 1956. F-84Gs can be seen in the background. ALL VIA AUTHOR

Lightning encounters

Each of the RF-84Fs carried different combinations of K-17C panoramic cameras for photography in low and medium altitude, K-38s for high altitude along with forward-

January 2018 FLYPAST 111

COLD WAR 1946-1991 / GREEK WW2 DESERTER OR PATRIOT?

THUNDERFLASH

An image of RF-84F 28732 captured by the K-17C camera on another Thunderflash. Thunderflash 28728 was among the world’s last three airworthy examples in March 1991. A trio of RF-84Fs – former Luftwaffe 37660 is leading with ex-USAF 11947 in the foreground. A Wright J65W-7 axialflow turbojet from a RF-84F.

pointing K-22As. According to the pilots, the K-38s were rarely used because the RF-84Fs flew at a maximum of 10,000ft (3,0448m). The first mission was carried out by five RF-84Fs, while the sixth stayed at Souda as reserve. Papadopoulos aborted due to a problem transferring fuel from the external tanks. Printzios was approached by two unknown interceptors, most likely from the Turkish Air

Force, while flying at 10,000ft to take images of Morphou in the northwest of the island. Jettisoning his tanks, he executed violent evasive manoeuvres and descended to low level. He landed at Rhodes to refuel. Tasked with photographing Kyrenia on the north coast, Roulia was approached by a pair of Lightning F.3s. He was ordered to leave the area but nevertheless continued. He finally aborted the mission when the Lightning pilots executed manoeuvres around his Thunderflash, their jet wash causing such turbulence it was impossible to take sharp images. Dimopoulos and Papasis were the last to reach Cyprus. They were tasked with taking pictures of St Hilarion castle in the Kyrenia mountain

gunnery range. Two Lightnings intercepted them about 15 miles (24km) off the west coast. The RAF jets flew either side and slightly behind the RF-84Fs and ordered them to leave Cypriot airspace. Again, the pilots ignored the warning and the British interceptors tried to harass them. Dimopoulos was affected by the Lightnings’ turbulence and aborted, but Papasis calmly ignored the aggressive circling and carried out his mission successfully. The recce missions over Cyprus were not carried out again due to the presence of the RAF Lightning crews. It was later discovered that the Turkish Air Force had a plan to bomb Souda to prevent further operations, but this was not carried out.

Disappointing RF-5

The Korean War-era RF-84F wasn’t a recce jet that HAF commanders planned to keep in service for a long time. Other NATO air forces, such as Germany, had replaced RF-84Fs with more capable Lockheed RF-104G Starfighters and planned to procure the export version of the 112 112 FLYPAST FLYPAST January January 2018 2018

“Nine HAF Thunderflashes are preserved as ‘gate guardians’ or museum exhibits. After 35 years of service, Greek RF-84Fs were the last operational examples of their type in the world”

Left

Three RF-4Es flanked by RF-84Fs after the recce Phantom was integrated into the 348th MTA. Below left

A formation of RF84Fs in the 1970s. Below

Thunderflashes 28728, 37683 and 52470 before the farewell flight on March 29, 1991. ANTONIOS MANOUSAKIS ARCHIVE

McDonnell RF-4C Phantom. Greece had similar intentions, replacing its Thunderflashes with more modern Northrop RF-5A Freedom Fighters and then RF-4Es. Deliveries of RF-5As started in October 1970 and a month later the F-84F Thunderstreaks of the 349th Mira were phased out. The unit changed role from fighter-bomber to recce. The primary role of the Northrops was to support the 348th MTA’s operations with a secondary role of ground attack and close air support. Despite being a more modern type, the RF-5A carried less capable cameras and had a smaller combat radius than that of the Thunderflash. In June 1974, the Greek government began negotiations with Washington

regarding a possible order of RF-4Es or the greatly improved Northrop RF-5E Tiger II. At that point, the HAF had 28 RF-84Fs, all on charge with the 348th MTA. Due to poor results in recce operations with RF-5As, the HAF changed the 349th’s role to fighter in April 1975, removing the tac-recce gear and even installing F-5A nose cones on all except five of the fleet. A contract was finally signed for the acquisition of eight RF-4Es two years later.

Retirement at last

By 1987 the number of operable RF-4Es had been reduced to five, while six Thunderflashes were also soldiering on. The Phantoms were merged with the RF-84Fs under the

banner of the 348th MTA in July 1987. Gradual retirement of the RF-84Fs began that year and some were cannibalised for their parts or were placed on the perimeter of Larissa to act as surface decoys. The venerable jets had largely been replaced by the RF-104Gs of the 335th Mira. One of the former Dutch Thunderflashes, 11253, was presented to the Netherlands National Military Museum. It was flown from Larissa to Volkel on July 29, 1988 to take part in the 35th anniversary celebrations of 306 Squadron. It was later painted in Dutch colours and put on display at Soesterberg. The last three RF-84Fs - 28728, 37683 and 52470 - were withdrawn from service during an official retirement ceremony at Larissa on March 29, 1991. Nine HAF Thunderflashes are preserved as ‘gate guardians’ or museum exhibits. After 35 years of service, Greek RF-84Fs were the last operational examples of their type in the world. The author would like to express his appreciation to Yannis Petridis, Lt Col Dimitrios Papadimitriou, Lt Col Stavros Antonopoulos, Major Lambros Tolias, Captain Alexandros Gioulekas and George Athanasiadis for their help and support in the preparation of this article. He is also indebted to the work of the late General G Mitsena.

January 2018 FLYPAST 113

GLORY DAYS PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORIES

LIGHTNINGS THE ENGLISH ELECTRIC LIGHTNING WAS A MUCH-REQUESTED PERFORMER AT AIR SHOWS BECAUSE OF ITS SLEEK LOOKS, AMAZING AGILITY IN THE AIR AND, OF COURSE, THE SHATTERING NOISE OF ITS TWO ROLLS-ROYCE AVON ENGINES. WE PRESENT SOME PREVIOUSLY UNSEEN IMAGES OF LIGHTNINGS ON DISPLAY DURING THE TYPE’S HEYDAY.

The distinctive flashes and crest of 23 Squadron adorn F.3 XP737 in this circa 1965 image taken at RAF Leuchars. It flew with the squadron until 1974, and was lost when serving with 5 Squadron in August 1979 after an undercarriage failure led to abandonment near RAF Valley.

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On the pan at Wattisham is F.3 XP756, which was with 29 Squadron at the time. The jet was another accident victim, being abandoned off Great Yarmouth after a reheat fire warning, while being flown by USAF exchange pilot Capt. Bill Povilus.

Clockwise from top left

Below

Wearing the colours of the Target Facilities Flight (TFF), based at RAF Wattisham, F.1 XM147 ‘C’ awaits its turn for display in this 1973 view. Behind is the tail of an 85 Squadron Canberra. This Lightning had a charmed life, being successfully repaired following major damage on at least two occasions. It ended its days in 1994 on Pendine Ranges near Tenby.

A view of 56 Squadron at Wattisham at a 1960s open day, with the bold red team markings of the unit highly visible in this line-up of F.1As. The colourful practice of individual squadron flashes was sadly discontinued a few years later.

The scene is an RAF Binbrook open day in 1968, and F.6 XS903 of 5 Squadron gleams for the photographer. The aircraft is fitted with over-wing fuel tanks and an array of weaponry is also visible. Note the immaculate white coveralls worn by the two airmen nearest the camera. One of the last Lightnings in active service was F.6 XR757, which spent most of its working life with 11 Squadron at RAF Binbrook. After its retirement in June 1988 it was scrapped, although the nose section is in private ownership near Grimsby. Following its first flight in the hands of English Electric test pilot Roland Beamont in December 1964, F.3 XP741 spent much of its life with 111 Squadron, whose nose flash and emblem the aircraft is wearing in this mid-1960s view at Wattisham.

January 2018 FLYPAST 115

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WORLD WAR 2 BATTLE IN THE EAST

QUIET

LEADER

TERRY LEVERSEDGE PROFILES SQN LDR THOMAS WATSON: FIGHTER PILOT TURNED MASTER BOMBER Right

Plt Off Watson volunteered to fly Hurricanes off HMS ‘Indomitable’ on January 27, 1942 to reinforce Singapore. VIA AUTHOR Far right

Plt Off T W Watson. VIA AUTHOR

Bottom right

A Buffalo of 453 Squadron RAAF, based at Kallang, Singapore, in January 1942. Watson flew a Buffalo out of Kallang during the retreat to Sumatra on February 10, 1942. VIA AUTHOR

C

anadian historian Hugh Halliday often refers to members of a ‘Lost Legion’ within the Royal Canadian Air Force of World War Two, men who served in the relative obscurity of other non-Canadian Commonwealth units. One of them was Thomas Watson. While reading Brian Cull’s Brewster Buffalos Over Singapore I came across a brief mention of Plt Off Thomas Watson and was prompted to find out more. Cull and Paul Sortehaug further detail his exploits in Hurricanes Over Singapore while Larry Milberry and Hugh Halliday have an excellent account of Watson’s wartime career in their The Royal Canadian Air Force at War 1939 to 1945 – and the Canadian Department of National Defence’s Directorate of History and Heritage has a copy of correspondence between Cull and Watson. Watson’s story reads more like something out of a novel, but what shines through is his quiet determination and leadership. Those qualities were ultimately recognised in the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC).

DEFENDING SINGAPORE

Thomas William Watson was from Whitehorse, in the Yukon, and he worked in branches of the Canadian Bank of Commerce. After a brief stint in the local militia, the ‘Rocky Mountain Rangers’, on October 24, 1940 he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). He graduated as a pilot on July 16, 1941 from 32 Service Flying Training School at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. In August 1941 he arrived overseas and after further training was posted to 43 Squadron, flying Hawker Hurricanes in Libya. Transferred to 232 Squadron at Seletar, he was part of the urgently bolstered defence of Singapore. Watson volunteered to fly one of

118 FLYPAST January 2018

48 Hurricanes off the carrier HMS Indomitable on January 27, 1942, precious reinforcements in what became fierce fighting against the Japanese. He wrote: “The Japanese Air Force was well equipped, disciplined and experienced. They far outnumbered our meagre force. However, I can think of no instance in Singapore where our pilots showed any lack of courage. The airfield was continually bombed, and we had to land between bomb craters. Usually an area was flagged off which indicated the landing strip.” In Brian Cull’s Hurricanes over Singapore, he describes a visit to the beleaguered pilots by war correspondent Ian Morrison, who wrote: “I went out to the civil airport at Kallang from which our few remaining Hurricanes were operating. There were six machines in commission. A seventh was having its wheels repaired and might be available for service later. “Never have I admired people more than I admired these boys. They were tired out. They had been flying infinitely longer hours than fighter pilots are supposed to fly. The strain was all too evident. “But they stuck grimly to their task... A young squadron leader was in charge. He cannot have been more than 23. The others were lolling about in easy chairs. They would have to go up in another half-hour or so. They were finding it difficult to relax. “The most phlegmatic was a Canadian pilot who sucked philosophically at his pipe [Tom Watson]. One of their number had not returned from that morning’s operations. There was an atmosphere of tremendous tension amongst that little group. I came away feeling that I had been amongst true heroes.”

LAST PLANE OUT

By February 10, 1942 the conflict was virtually over in Singapore and the RAF withdrew its few remaining fighters to Sumatra. As the Japanese forces drew closer, three Hurricanes were left on the airfield along with a battered Brewster Buffalo. Watson wrote to a friend in Whitehorse, saying: “Got out of Singapore on an old Brewster Buffalo. Had never flown one before, but it could fly, and I had no other way out. It was the last plane to leave Singapore and the ‘Japs’ were almost on the aerodrome when I took off. They were so close they were able to fire at me with their rifles.”

He elaborated further in Cull’s book that he had “some trouble with the throttle controls, particularly as pitch was controlled on the dashboard. Also, it took me a little bit of time to figure out how to raise the wheels. “We were an odd-looking lot, three Hurricanes and a Buffalo leaving a smoking Singapore behind us. We had no maps and I had no parachute. [As] the parachute was also your seat I was sitting pretty low in the cockpit. I believe one of the Hurricanes did not make it, and I became separated from them. “More by good luck than anything else, I found Pelembang [airfield] but it was socked in so I went on to ‘P2’ [Pelembang II, a satellite field]

and landed there. Personally, I was rather pleased but the Commanding Officer did not share my pleasure and reprimanded me for flying an airplane on which I had not officially been checked out.”

OUT OF THE FRYING PAN

At Pelembang, he participated in operations against great odds until February 16, when orders were given for the evacuation of Sumatra. Once again, Watson flew one of the last aircraft out of P2 with what was left of 232 Squadron to Tjililitan, on Java. Hopes that Java could stick it out until reinforcements arrived faded in early March. At

January 2018 FLYPAST 119

WORLD WAR 2 BATTLE IN THE EAST Tjililitan, 232 Squadron initially served alongside 242 Squadron, also with Hurricanes. The units quickly combined, under 242’s banner. Watson claimed two Japanese aircraft destroyed and two ‘probables’ in 30 sorties but was shot down twice in that period. On March 2, he was brought down for a third time: “Japanese forces were landing around Serang in Java near the Sunda Strait and I was asked to investigate. I believe it was Sandy Allen who went with me. My plane was acting up and must have been using a lot of fuel. There was no way I could get back, so I just strafed the Japanese until I was shot down... “I must have been hit eventually in the coolant system, my temperature gauges went off the clock, my motor conked out and,

Above

Fg Off Watson beside his 77 Squadron RAAF Kittyhawk at Upper Swan, Australia, in May 1942. VIA AUTHOR

while I was pretty low, I managed to crash land, wheels up, in a rice paddy not too far away from the Japanese.” More than 100 miles (160km) behind enemy lines, over the next three days, by a combination of both determination and good luck, Watson made it back to his squadron with the assistance of friendly natives and Dutch and Australian forces. While being returned to his airfield he was seriously injured in a car crash, suffering head injuries. He was taken to hospital and flown out to Perth, Australia, in the early morning of March 7. Watson wrote: “Have a terrible gash across my forehead and left eye. In fact, am lucky to be flying again. However, I’m safe and well.” Seconded to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), along with five Australian pilots who had also escaped from Java, Plt Off Watson helped to form the nucleus of 77 Squadron RAAF with Curtiss Kittyhawks. The unit moved from Darwin to New Guinea and

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Watson completed his tour with 77 Squadron. Promoted to flight lieutenant, he became an instructor with 2 Operational Training Unit (OTU) at Mildura, Victoria, flying a mixture of Kittyhawks and Supermarine Spitfires.

BOMBER CONVERT

Recalled to Canada in May 1944, Watson could have easily completed the remainder of the war in either staff or instructional duties. Instead, “in order to return to the Japanese war, which had become something personal with me, I had to convert to bombers”. By November 1944, Sqn Ldr Watson had completed multiengine training on Avro Ansons, North American Mitchells and Consolidated Liberators at 5 OTU in Boundary Bay, British Columbia. He was posted to the Liberatorequipped 159 Squadron RAF, at Digri, northeast India, noting that his crew “were all more than ten years younger than I”.

With 159 Squadron, he was both a flight commander and a master bomber, engaged on long 10 to 12-hour sorties. He led his flight on low-level attacks primarily on railway bridges on the Bangkok to Moulmein railway but also against shipping and other targets. He also flew resupply sorties to forces behind enemy lines and, posthostilities, drops to prisoner-of-war camps. In Earthquake McGoon, the memoir of RCAF navigator Fg Off William A Cosway of 159 Squadron, Watson is remembered: “Our ‘B’ Flight Commander was a former fighter pilot, good old Flt Lt Tommy Watson from Boundary Bay days...

Tommy, while always talking softly, looked like the quintessential fighter pilot, intent, fit, stocky, a scar down the left side of his face and a perennial cigar stuck in his mouth. And he flew his B-24 like he used to fly his fighters, sometimes to the distress of his crew.”

BRIDGE OVER THE KWAI

Cosway credits Watson as the master bomber during the raid that destroyed the famous ‘Bridge on the River Kwai’ on June 24, 1945. The official 159 Squadron history describes the attack: “This bridge with its secondary bypass bridge, on the line between Bangkok and the Burma Front on the Sittang

River front, presented a vital target. It was known to be well defended, with heavy and light AA [antiaircraft] and machine guns. “The plan was for 159 Squadron to attack the main bridge, 356 [Squadron, Liberator VIs] to attack the bypass bridge and 355 [Squadron, also with Liberators] to look after the ground defences: the first two at 500 feet and the latter at 4,000 to 5,000. “In addition, three aircraft from 159 were loaded up with 100lb fragmentation bombs and told to cruise around and look for any activity of AA and attack with a small stock of bombs on their own initiative.

“Using the master bomber technique, this was a completely successful raid. Hits on the main bridge were made early in the attack by Flt Lt Borthwick [RCAF] and by Fg Off Haycock [RNZAF]. As 159’s special target was successfully neutralised, the master bomber switched the remainder to the bypass bridge, which was destroyed before the arrival of 356 Squadron, detailed to attack later.”

OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE

Thomas Watson’s personal qualities and leadership were clearly recognised by many throughout the war. The citation for the award of his DFC, published in the London

Gazette for December 11, 1943, is a good summary of his exploits: “Sqn Ldr Watson has a fine operational record. “In the early stages of the fighting in the Far Eastern theatres he completed very many sorties flying in fighter aircraft, and was responsible for the destruction of at least two enemy aircraft. Three times this officer was shot down. On the last of these occasions he succeeded in escaping from Java just a few hours before the arrival of the enemy troops in the area. “Some two years later Sqn Ldr Watson converted to heavy bomber aircraft, in which type he has completed many attacks on various targets. On three separate occasions, vital bridges on the Bangkok to Singapore line were destroyed largely by accurate bombing and the repeatedly determined attacks of Sqn Ldr Watson. This officer has set an outstanding example of courage and tenacity.” After his release from active service in January 1946, he rejoined the Canadian Bank of Commerce at Kelowna in British Columbia. Sqn Ldr Thomas William Watson died in 1998. The bank’s website commemorates him: “This brave pilot typifies many other unheralded ‘quiet leaders’ who have served within the ranks of the RCAF.”

Above

A 5 OTU Liberator at Boundary Bay, British Columbia. COMOX AIR FORCE MUSEUM

Left to right

The Digri-based Liberators of 159 Squadron carried nose-art, including ‘Canadian Cutie’, ‘Yvonne Yippee’ and ‘Lady X’. RCAF

January 2018 FLYPAST 121

FINALS VOUGHT CORSAIR The Planes of Fame Air Museum’s Vought F4U-1A Corsair NX83782 is pictured shortly after sunrise at Apple Valley Airport, California, on October 14. The fighter was among participants at that weekend’s Apple Valley Airshow. This aircraft joined US Navy unit VF-84 in 1943 before transferring to VBF-14, a fighterbomber unit, the following year. It saw combat in the Pacific theatre and was withdrawn from military service on August 31, 1945. It was acquired by Planes of Fame in 1970. PHOTO-FRANK B MORMILLO

next 122 FLYPAST January 2018

In our next issue we continue our series of RAF-themed articles with a look at 185 Squadron. We also reflect on how the Bristol Blenheim fared in World War Two when employed as a night-fighter, and pay tribute to the men of RAF Bomber Command. The February issue will be in UK shops on January 2, or see page 60 for our latest money-saving subscription offers. * Overseas deliveries are likely to be after this date.

a Stunning new tribute to the Men oF raF boMber CoMMand

tiMe to go

by Mark Postlethwaite GAvA The crew of 460 Squadron Lancaster ED664 AR-A2 prepare to release the brakes and head for Berlin, autumn 1943. Single limited edition of just 200 fine art paper prints. Numbers 1-150 signed by the artist, £50. 30 Artist’s Proofs signed by the artist, £65. Remarques available on request. Overall size 71cm x 38cm (28″ x 15″) Image size 63cm x 29cm (25″ x 11″)

the original Painting iS now For Sale - 44" x 20" aCryliC on FrenCh linen £6500. The Artist writes, “Every October I try to leave a space in my schedule to paint an autumn scene as the low light and autumnal colours provide such inspiration for any artist. These scenes invariably end up as Bomber Command subjects as the bleak dispersals scattered around the English countryside fit the melancholy atmosphere perfectly" "Many Bomber Command veterans told me that their nerves and fears faded a little once they were inside the aircraft and doing their jobs; so it's this moment I've tried to capture in this painting as the brakes are released and seven young men leave the comforting safety of the English landscape to head off into the night, where death was waiting for so many of them. One of those veterans, Flight Engineer Ted Groom, flew much of his first tour in ED664 so this is my own small tribute to my old friend Ted and his crew."

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