What happened today?

19th December 1941

In Alexandria harbour, Italian human torpedos attack the British Mediterranean Fleet, severely damaging the battleships Queen Elizabeth and Valiant. Both ships sink upright in the shallow water and are eventually repaired and put back into service. At the time this is a severe blow to the operations of the British Navy in the Med.

The Italian human torpedo was a two man midget submarine, nicknamed the Miaile (Pig) by it's crews, due to it's poor handling characteristics. It was designed to enter defended or shallow harbours where the crew would attach the warhead onto a ships hull. The British so liked the idea they developed their own version of the human torpedo called the "Chariot".

In Germany, Adolf Hitler appoints himself Commander in Chief of the Army, following Field Marshal Walter von Brauschitsch's resignation on the 7th of December. Von Brauschitch resigned following a heart attack brought on by the strain between himself and Hitler, who had already put pressure on him to resign, and had been increasingly undermining his authority in strategic planning.

In the United States, the government passes an amendment to the Selective Service Act, requiring all men, aged between 18 and 64 to register for service. The amendment also requires all men between the ages of 18 and 44, to be liable for conscription.

19th December 1942

Field Marshal Erich von Manstein's forces, attempting to relieve the besieged 6th Army in Stalingrad, manage to fight within 35 miles of the German defensive line. Despite constant appeals for General Friedrich von Paulus to allow the 6th Army to attempt a breakout and link up with his forces, Hitler refuses to allow any retreat from the city. Eventaully the relief effort has to be abandoned due to increasing attacks by the Russians, which force the relief troops back to their starting point.

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In starting and waging war, it is not right that matters, but victory - Adolf Hitler

 

At 2.25 a.m. II. SS panzerkorps launcehd it's first assault against Bütgenbach. Half tracks of III. Abt. Ss Pz Gr. 26 moved towards US positions searching for a weak spot, but most of them became bogged down in the muddy ground and only three succeeded in driving along the road leading into Dom Bütgenbach. There were caught up in a bombardment by 155mm howitzers and they had to be abandoned, their crewmembers returned safely to Büllingen. The 12th Ss continued to build up strength during the nigh tas the elements withdrawn from around the Krinkelt and Rocherath area were reorganized, while the as yet un-committed elements came forward, having removed themselves from the mud and traffic jams along the roadway. SS Pz. Regiment 12 with it's I. Abt. came in from Rotheeeeeerath, Krinkelt and it's II Abt., the army Pz jagd Abt. 560 also arrived was in process of reorganising into a new Kampfgruppe Kühlmann for an all out attack along Rollbahn C from Büllingen to Dom Bütgenbach.....
Kampfgruppe Peiper was in the thick of things and by morning Priess had brought I. Ss Panzer korps HQ forward to Holzheim and Mohnke his 1 SS Pz Div. HQ to Wanne. Priess could see now that his best chance of moving westward lay with Peiper and he therefore ordered the whole 1 SS Pz,. Div. to back the kampfgruppe efforts. The second grouping was Kampfgruppe Sandig traveling on Rollbahn D, closing to Stavelot and came to a stop in front of the US occupied town while to the south Kampfgruppe Hansen wa still held up near Poteau by the 7th Armored division command. Hansen was ordered to sidengage and resume the advance along his assigned Rollbahn E through Logbierme and Wanne, which for much of the way looked hardly more than a cross country track.......have fun in the mud boys !
2nd SS and 9th SS continue their move gradually to the west part of their forces being engaged in the battles against the St. Vith salient.....
German night fighters play their roles of naight intruder and ground attack. 5 Night Fighters are lost, 1 Bf 110G-4 of 4./NJG 1 and 1 He 219A-0 of 1./NJG 1 are lost to Mosquito night fighters....

E

 

19th December 1934

Japan denounces the Washington and London naval treaties of 1922 and 1930, which sought to restrict the size and tonnage of her navy.

20th December 1941

First air battle for the American Volunteer Group, better known as the “Flying Tigers”. Commanded by General Claire Chennault, the group consists of volunteer pilots assisting the Chinese in their fight against the Japanese. Flying Curtis P-40 Warhawks, in their first action, the group manages to shoot down 9 Japanese bombers to the loss of only one of their own.

20th December 1943

In the Mediterranean theatre, all RAF, US, French and Italian air forces are united under one command. Called the Allied Air Force, Mediterranean, it’s appointed Commander in Chief, is Air Chief Marshall Sir Arthur Tedder, with General Spaatz of the US forces as his deputy.

20th December 1944

In Greece, British tanks and armoured cars, supported by infantry, break the siege of Kifissia RAF base. The base had been surrounded by armed members of ELAS, (the Greek National Liberation Army), the military wing of Greece’s communist party.

21st December 1936



First flight of the Junkers Ju-88 prototype. Conceived as a high speed medium bomber in early 1936, Ju-88 V1, flown by Flugkapitan Kindermann, made her maiden flight at Dessau. By the time war broke out, the design had been modified to carry 4 crewmen, and a bomb load of 1500kg, as well as the capacity for dive bombing attacks.

One of the first units equipped with the Ju-88 was the Luftwaffe test unit, commanded by Hauptmann Pohl, Erprobungskommando 88. In August 1939, the unit was re-designated I/KG 25 and then later I/KG 30 in September ’39. The units’ first operation flying the Ju-88 was an attack against Royal Navy warships anchored in the Firth of Forth on the 26th September 1939.

By the end of the war, over 15,000 Ju-88’s had been built, in almost 60 variants, from bombers and nightfighters, to reconnaissance versions and torpedo bombers, with, at wars end, even the earlier variants being utilised, as the “bomb” in the Mistel composite aircraft weapon. Only the British Mosquito, and Beaufighter aircraft can compare with the Ju-88’s versatility during the war.

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"I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

 

22nd December1941

The US President, Franklin D Roosevelt, and the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, meet at the Arcadia Conference, in Washington. The talks reaffirm the “Germany First” strategic priority and establish the Combined Chiefs-of-Staff to direct the Allies’ military actions. Agreement is also reached regarding the build up of US forces in Great Britain in preparation for future military action in Europe.

22nd December 1944

Generaloberst Heinz Kokott, commander of the German 26th Volksgrenadier Division, which had been given the task of besieging Bastogne by General Heinrich von Luttwitz, commander of the XLVIIth Panzer Corps, sends a message to the Brigadier-General A. C. McAuliffe, Acting commander of the encircled 101st Airborne Division, demanding the surrender of the surrounded US forces. The Brigadier-General returns the demand for surrender, with his famous one word reply, “Nuts!”.

23rd December 1937



First flight of the production version of the Vickers Wellington twin-engined bomber. Designed to meet a 1932 requirement, the Vickers Wellington bomber first flew with the RAF in October 1938, with No. 9 Squadron. At the beginning of WW2, 6 RAF squadrons were equipped with the Wellington. Despite it’s ability to absorb punishment, the Wellington suffered heavy losses in daylight bombing raids early in the war, and was transferred to night bombing duties in 1940. On the 1st of April 1941, a Wellington bomber dropped the RAF’s first 4000lb bomb. Various versions of the Wellington were produced throughout the war, serving with both the RAF and Fleet Air Arm/Coastal Command, where they were employed on anti-submarine and anti-mine duties. A total of 11,460 Wellingtons were produced.

23rd December 1939

The first contingent of Canadian troops lands in England. Numbering only 7,500. this marks the beginning of the deployment of Canadian troops into the European theatre.

23rd December 1941

Wake Island falls to the Japanese. Having defeated the first Japanese assault on the island, the US garrison is subjected to a second assault from the carriers, Hiryu and Soryu, backed up by two cruisers and two destroyers, The air garrison’s last (of 12) USMC Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat fighters is shot down, but not before dispatching two Zero fighters in the mean time. Japanese dive-bombers then proceed to destroy the islands defence batteries one by one. Overwhelmed by the Japanese invasion forces, the defiant garrison is finally forced to surrender.

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"Chamberlain seemed such a nice old gentleman that I thought I would give him my autograph."
Adolf Hitler.

 

25th December 1941

Hong Kong surrenders to the Japanese invaders.

26th – 28th December 1941

Britain launches Operation Archery. In a commando attack against the Norwegian island of Vaagso, a British force of 800 men, from No’s 2,3,4, and 6 Commando, after fierce house to house fighting with the German defenders, succeed in destroying 15,000 tons of shipping, warehouses, dock installations and fish oil processing facilities.
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This raid and others like it, reinforce Hitler’s view that Great Britain is planning to invade Norway. Hitler orders reinforcements to be sent into Norway.

30th – 31st December 1942

Battle of the Barents Sea. The German pocket battleship Lutzow, heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper, and several destroyers attack the Allied convoy JW-51B. Although outnumbered, the British defenders use superior tactics, and the knowledge that the Germans are under orders to avoid sustaining serious damage, to survive the attack. The German force loses one destroyer and the British lose one with another seriously damaged, but the convoy manages to get through. The outcome of the battle outrages Adolf Hitler, who believes that the German High Seas Fleet is tying down a huge amount of much needed manpower and resources for very little effect.

24th – 29th December 1943

The commanders for the liberation of Europe are announced.

They are:

General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander
Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder, Deputy Supreme Commander
General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson, Supreme Allied Commander, Mediterranean
Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay, Allied Naval Commander-in-Chief
Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh Mallory, Allied Air Commander-in-Chief
General Sir Bernard Montgomery, Commander-in-Chief of British Armies

26th December 1943

Battle of the North Cape. The German battleship Scharnhorst is sunk during an attack against the allied convoys JW-55B and RA-55A. The convoys are under the protection of the British Home Fleet’s battle squadron, led by admiral Fraser in the battleship HMS Duke of York. During a running battle with the British warships, the Scharnhorst’s radar and fire control are destroyed, her speed is reduced until finally she is sunk by numerous torpedo strikes. Only 36 of her 1900 crew survive.



24th December 1944



The world’s first jet bomber attack occurs when German twin-engined Arado 234B bombers raid factories and marshalling yards in Belgium. The world's first turbo-jet powered bomber, the Arado 234 Blitz (Lightning) was originally conceived as a twin engined high speed reconnaisance aircraft. The Ar234-B2, bomber version, could carry up to 4,400lbs of bombs. A four engined version, the Ar 234C, was developed but failked to see squadron service before the end of the war.

26th December 1944

The US 1st and 3rd Armies launch massive counterattacks against the north and south of the German “bulge” into the Ardennes. The US 3rd Army’s 4th Armoured Division breaks through the German lines to relieve Bastogne. In Germany, Adolf Hitler is informed by his generals that Antwerp can no longer be reached by his forces.

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"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza."
Dave Barry

 

Actually on 18 December 1944 I./KG 51 reported 20 Me 262 sorties against ground targets between 07.44 and 8.18 hours.

Many new battles appeared between December 22-25th in the Ardenne, let's slow down a bit and discuss what happened !

E

 

Loved the BoB painting Kai--do you know who the artist is? Possibly Robert Taylor, Dale Galleon or Trudgeon?

 

1st January 1942

During the Arcadia Conference held in Washington, 26 Allied nations sign the United Nations Declaration, which pledges to follow the Atlantic Charter principles. These principles include an agreement for all the member nations to direct their full resources against the Axis powers and not to make separate peace agreements or treaties with them.

1st January 1944

Erwin Rommel assumes command of Army Group B, covering northern France, Belgium, and Holland.

General Mark Clark assumes command of the US 5th and 7th Armies in Italy.

1st January 1945

On the Eastern Front, the Russian 2nd and 4th Ukrainian Armies begin a major offensive against Army Group Centre in Czechoslovakia. The region contains the last foreign industrial resources under the control of Germany. The Russians field over 850,000 men, almost 10,000 guns, 600 tanks, and 1400 combat aircraft, against the German forces which total 550,000 men, 5000 guns, and 700 planes. Despite heavy German resistance, the Russian forces make good progress.

On the Western Front, the Luftwaffe launches "Operation Bodenplatte". their last major operation of the war. Every available combat aircraft is dispatched to attack the Allied airfields in France, Belgium, and Holland. The attack comes as a great surprise to the Allied air forces, who had considered the Luftwaffe almost finished. At Eindhoven airfield alone, almost 60 RAF aircraft are damaged or destroyed.

2nd January 1941

President Franklin D Roosevelt announces that the US will produce 200 new cargo ships, called "Liberty" ships, to be used to transport vital supplies and materiel to the European theatre. Eventually, Liberty ships will serve in all theatres of the war, transporting vital supplies, men and war material to wherever it's needed.

2nd January 1942

In the Philipines, US and Filipino forces led by General Douglas MacArthur begin preparing defensive positions on the Bataan Peninsula and the island of Corregidor. Japanese forces have cpatured Manila. The general is fully aware of Japan's naval and air superiority, and that re-inforcements will not be forthcoming, but has decalred his intentions to resist the Japanese as hard as possible.

2nd January 1944

In North Africa, General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed Commander in Chief of all Free French forces in the region.

In New Guinea, forces of the US 6th Army land at Saidor on the north coast, as part of Operation Dexterity. These forces manage to cut off a large contingent of Japanese troops from their main base at Madang, 55 miles away. The loss of Saidor, a major supply depot for the Japanese army, results in over 20,000 japanese troops being caught between US and Australian forces, with tehir only escape route through dense, inpenetrable jungle.

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"If a man does his best, what else is there?"
- General George S. Patton (1885-1945)

 

Hauptmann Heinz Rökker of 2./NJG 2 shot down a RAF bomber near Giessen and Hauptmann Alfons Köster of IV./NJG 3 shot another RAF bomber for the only claims of the Luftwaffe nf force on January 1/2 1944.

Bodenplatte, the ultimate waste of materials and men. Though perceived as a great raid little or no recon duties were performed before hand. Wind and snow driven lands and hill tops camouflaged most known features to the German crews as they took off and attacked selected airfields and targets. Several day fighter gruppen gettting lost en-route to their pre-assigned positions and therefore attacked airfields that were already under German air attack thus causing more confusion in the thick and twisted skies. Aided by German night fighters flying Ju 88G's the German day fighters were given the direction only of which the airfileds were to come into view.
Losses were extreme and are still in much contention as numbers vary greatly to losses and to German clims of a/c destroyed on the ground and in the air.
For example : Losses to German JG's are
JG 1 18 kia
JG 2 23 kia
JG 3 10 kia, attacked Eindhoven with what seems to be the only real success.....
JG 4 16 kia, 6 captured, got lost
JG 6 17 kia, 6 captured
JG 11 21 kia, 4 captured, attacked 352nd FG and were slaughtered over Asch by the P-51's.
JG 26 12 kia, 8 captured
JG 27 11 kia, 3 captured
JG 53 10 kia, 4 captured
JG 54 7 kia, 5 captured
JG 77 6 kia, 4 captured
SG units 3 kia, 1 captured
NJG's leading the day units. 14 kia, 3 captured / this figures vary.....
KG (J) 51 19 kia, 4 captured, attacks with Me 262's in aid of Bodenplatte, ground targets. Figures vary as well.
Roughly 170 kia, 67 captured, 18+ wounded / these last quotes really vary from Allied as well as German losses listings.

January 2/3 1945, IV./NJG 6 comes into contact with RAF bombers and claims 4 Lancasters in the areas of Stuttgart south to Luxembourg.
Oberleutnant Kurt Welter of 10./NJG 11 flying Me 262A-1a claims 1 Mosquito at night.

E

 

more on Bodenplatte.....

From the KTB OKW 1944/45 states that 193 German a/c were shot down......ah nope !
Also from the KTB 500 Allied a/c were destroyed on the ground. I haven't confirmed numbers but mostly likely 350 plus !

From Freibur Germany, another sources state German losses at 158 kia, 53 captured, 19 wounded/
281 German a/c shot down and an additional 35 with 60% or less damage due to crash lands in German held territory or back to base with varying degrees of damage to wings, engine, cockpit, tail, etc.......
Here is another example of air to air combat where the following occured.
JG 1 claimed 8 Spitfires
JG 3 claimed 3 Tempests, 1 B-17 and 4 Spitfires
II./JG 4 claimed 1 Auster
I./JG 6 claimed 1 Typhoon
JG 11 claimed 5 P-47's, 4 P-51's, 1 Typhoon and 1 ? The JG 11 unit was slaughtered so their claims are most probably bogus for the most part.
JG 26 claimed 5 spitfires and 1 P-47
JG 27 claimed 2 Spitfires and 1 Auster
JG 53 claimed 1 spitfire and 2 P-47's, 1 Auster
II./JG 77 1 unknown ?

E

 

3rd January 1942

General Sir Archibald Wavell, takes charge of the new American, British, Dutch, and Australian command (A.B.D.A.), with responsibility for military operations against the Japanese invasion forces in the Phillipines, Malaya, Burma and the Dutch East Indies. Three deputy commanders are appointed to assist General Wavell with his new command, General H. ter Poorten, a Dutch officer, for the land forces, Admiral Thomas Hart, C-in-C, of the US Asiatic Fleet, for the naval forces, and Air-Marshal Sir Richard Peirse for the air forces.

3rd January 1943

In the Mediterranean, British “Chariot” human torpedoes, carry out “Operation Principle”, an attack on shipping in Palermo harbour.

Launched from the British submarines Thunderbolt and Trooper, of the five Chariots involved in the operation only two manage to successfully penetrate the Italian anti-submarine defences. Of the three that failed, one Chariot operated by Sub. Lt Stevens and Leading Seaman Carter, fails to find the entrance to the harbour after 5 hours, with Carter’s oxygen running out due to a failure of his breathing equipment, the crew abandon the mission and are subsequently rescued by the British submarine Unruffled, the designated rescue sub for the operation; one Chariot suffers an explosion in it’s battery compartment, with one of it’s crew drowning and the other being taken prisoner; and the driver of the third unsuccessful Chariot has his “wet” suit ripped open on an anti-submarine net and, suffering from severe seasickness, is dropped ashore by his No.2 who attempts to navigate the craft alone. Finding the task too difficult, the Chariot is abandoned and the crewman returns to the shore to find his mate, but to no avail. He is then captured by the Italians.

Of the two successful Chariots, one manages to plant a charge on the Italian cruiser Ulpio Traiano, recently built and just being fitted out, and the other Chariot crew manage to plant a charge on the 8,500 ton transport Viminale. The cruiser is sunk and the transport damaged by the charges. One Chariot is abandoned by her crew in the harbour and the other crew attempt to break out through the harbour’s anti-submarine defences, but without success. Both crews are captured by the Italians. Of the ten men involved in the operation, two are safely rescued, two are dead, and the other six, captured and imprisoned until the end of the war.

3rd January 1944

“Pappy” Boyington, top scoring USMC ace, is shot down over the Pacific, by a Japanese Zero piloted by Captain Masajiro Kawato. “Pappy” and his wingman had attacked a flight of 10 Zero’s when they were bounced by a further 20 Japanese fighters. “Pappy’, famous commander of the Black Sheep Squadron, is rescued by a Japanese submarine (after being strafed by Japanese fighters whilst in his life raft) and spends the remainder of WW2 as a P.O.W. Upon his return to the US, he is presented with the Congressional Medal of Honour by President Harry Truman. The medal had been awarded to him, by President Roosevelt, while he was listed as MIA. During his combat career with the Black Sheep Squadron, and the “Flying Tigers” in China, Boyington was credited with the destruction of 28 Japanese aircraft.

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"Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever."
- Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821)

"If a man does his best, what else is there?"
- General George S. Patton (1885-1945)

 

4th January 1944

RAF and USAAF aircraft begin carrying out “Operation Carpetbagger”, the delivery of supplies, equipment and personnel to support resistance movements in Denmark, Norway, France, and the Low Countries, prior to the Allied invasion of Europe.

The majority of “Carpetbagger” missions were carried out from January to September 1944, with a reduced level of missions continuing (mostly to Denmark and Norway) through until almost the end of the war.

As an example of the importance of the “Carpetbagger” missions flown by Allied aircraft, from Jan ’44 to Sept ’44, the USAAF 801st/492nd Bomb group alone, carried out over 2000 missions, delivering over 660 agents, 18,500 containers of supplies and weapons, and over 10,000 separate supply packages, to the resistance in the occupied countries, with the majority going to northern France.

5th January 1941

In a continuance of “Operation Compass”, originally begun on the 9th of December 1940 as a “Five Day” raid against the Italian positions in Egypt, troops from the 6th Australian Division capture the Italian strongpoint of Bardia, on the Egyptian/Libyan border.

After the initial successes of the operation, which were beyond the wildest expectations of the British generals, permission had been granted for the two divisions under General Richard O’Connor, to continue the attack against the enemy force, the 10 Divisions of the Italian 10th Army.

By the end of the ten week long operation, General O’Connor’s forces will have advanced over 500 miles, and captured over 130,000 Italians, including seven generals, at a cost of 550 men missing or killed and 1,300 wounded.

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This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But, it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. - Winston Churchill

In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies. - Winston Churchill

 

Must have been one of the most succesful operations versus losses in WW2!

 

8th January 1943

The commander of the Soviet Don Front, Marshal Timoshenko, sends a demand to von Paulus, the commander of the German 6th Army, for the immediate surrender of all the German forces trapped in the Stalingrad pocket. Following Hitler’s demands that the battle of Stalingrad must be fought to the last man, the demand for surrender is rejected outright.

9th January 1941

First flight of the Avro Lancaster prototype. Destined to be one of the most outstanding bombers of WW2, the Avro Lancaster grew out of the ill-fated Avro Manchester project.



The original Manchester III prototype with the additional vertical tail just visible

The Manchester had been Avro’s answer to an Air Ministry request for a medium range twin-engined bomber. The aircaft was to be powered by two 1769 hp Rolls-Royce 24 cylinder Vulture engines, which were in effect, two 12 cylinder engines joined by a common crankshaft. Unfortunately, this particular engine configuration proved to be extremely troublesome and underpowered.

With Rolls-Royce firmly committed to the production of Merlin engines, the resources available to research cures for the troubled Vulture engine proved extremely limited, so Roy Chadwick and the design team at Avro set about redesigning the Manchester to accept four 1130 hp Merlin X engines, instead of the two Vulture engines.

First designated the Manchester III, the aircraft was later re-designated the Lancaster prototype, bringing into existence one of the most famous aircraft in history.

The first production Lancaster, L7527, was powered by four 1480 hp Merlins, and was test flown from Avro’s Woodford airfield, on the 31st of October 1941.


Second prototype of the Avro Lancaster, fitted with the retractable "Dustbin" mid-lower gun turret

The 3rd of March 1942, saw the Lancaster’s operational debut, when four aircraft of No. 44 Squadron, were sent to lay mines off Heligoland. All of the aircraft returned safely.

On the 10th/11th of March, the first Lancaster operation against a land target occurred, when two Lanc’s of No. 44 Squadron were included in the raid on the German city of Essen.

In all, the Lancaster would carry out over 156,000 missions during its wartime service. One of the most famous, being the attack on the Ruhr dams by 19 specially modified Lancasters of No. 617, led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson, carrying Barnes Wallis’s Bouncing Bomb. Eight of the Lancaster’s failed to return, with the loss of 53 aircrew killed, and three captured.

Over 7000 Lancaster’s were produced throughout the war, with only minor airframe and power plant modifications being carried out to basic design of the aircraft.

 

I do like the "looks" of Lancaster...Maybe it is because of all the war movies I saw in my youth with all the Lancs in them?!



Lancasters over Germany




http://www.cahs.com/torontochapter/MeetingMar01.htm

http://www.kayor.demon.co.uk/Art/Samples.html

 

And since we are talking about the good ole' Lanc.
RAF attacked München on 7./8. 1. 45 and NJG 6 sent up a pitiful force of Ju 88G-6's and Bf 110G-4's. NJG 6 climing 6 Lancasters, with RK winner Ofw. Günther Bahr climing 4 of them in his trusty Bf 110G-4.

E

 

I know what you mean Kai. To me there's always been something special about the Lanc, maybe for the same reason. The Dambusters film is one of my favourites.

Yep, it's always been Lancasters, followed by the old He 111, and then the B-17, as my favourite bombers, with the Ju52 a close 4th for favourite multi-engined aircraft.

There's definitely something impressive about hearing a multi-engined bomber flying overhead.

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"Flying is more than a sport and more than a job; flying is pure passion and desire, which fill a lifetime". Adolf Galland

 

Not from today in history but definately a Lanc story....26th April 1944:

Following a successful bombing raid on Shweinfurt,sergeant Jacksons Lancaster was attacked by a Focke Wolf 190 and fire broke out.

With the plane flying at 200mph at 20,000 feet, he clipped on a parachute and climbed out onto the wing. Holding on with one hand, he tried to extinguish the fire and as the flames died down he turned to crawl back but felt a searing pain in his legs and back as the fighter returned and opened fire. With both hands severely burnt he lost his grip and was swept from the wing, his damaged chute trailing behind.

Breaking an ankle on landing, he was paraded through a village where he was stoned by the inhabitants before receiving treatment for his many wounds.

Sergeant Jackson.VC. spent the rest of the war a POW incarcerated at Dulag-Luft, Germany.

He died in 1994 aged 74.

A lancaster at 20,000 ft, at 200mph??? James Bond 007 has something to live up to...

 

On looking at the vc site someone recommended on the forum yesterday, story differs slightly on Sergeant Jackson, there the story remains the same but doesnt quote the return of the enemy aircraft to shoot up the lanc again...

Thought that was not quite right, bullets from a FW190 in the back would tend to cut you up a bit...

My original post was taken from Monuments to courage by David Harvey quoted by the National ex prisoners of war scociety.

Memories obviously fade...

 

Hmmmmmmm, don't want to get off topic too much but can any English friends tell me if any Lancs or Hali's are still in flying condition ?

E