Mosquito: Menacing the Reich: Combat Action in the Twin-engine Wooden Wonder of World War II (36 page)

Tsetses were again in action on 5 December when Bill Sise led thirty-four Mosquitoes in an attack on merchantmen in Nord Gullen. On the 7th, twenty-one Mosquitoes and forty Beaufighters, escorted by three ‘Finger Fours’ of Mustang IIIs of 315 (Polish) Squadron flying to the rear, set out to attack a convoy in Ålesund harbour. Landfall was made as briefed but Squadron Leader Barnes
DFC
led them further up the coast, towards Gossen airfield, whereupon they were jumped by approximately twenty-five Fw 190s and Bf 109Gs. They dived through the middle of the Mosquitoes and attacked singly and in pairs. The Mustangs shot down four fighters and two more collided. A Mustang and a Beaufighter were lost. Flying Officer Wallace G. Woodcock adds:

I was fairly lucky in most of my strikes. However, there was a problem sometimes for us, because we had to leave the formation when near the target to climb to 5,000ft while the others stayed low. For instance, on 7 December, a formation of about ninety aircraft (the entire Banff Mossie Wing, plus the Beaufighter Wing from Dallachy) was sent to prang a large convoy holed up in Ålesund harbour. We had a very ambitious leader, but even I, a mere pilot, could see our landfall was spot on target. Nevertheless he turned north and led us up the coast for about 60 miles until we were near a
Luftwaffe
airfield, when we were jumped. The four Mark XVIIIs, flying at 5,000ft above the rest, were jumped first. Bill Cosman and K.C. Wing (both Canadians) and Brian Beathe (a South African) went down. I was able to chase an Me 109 off Brian’s tail, then I went down and strafed the airfield, but was jumped later. However, I made it back to Sumburgh in the Shetlands (I think I was still taking evasive action, even then!). Bill and K.C. didn’t make it. In the Ops Room at Sumburgh the leader was claiming we were jumped at Ålesund. We soon disillusioned him on that point!

On 12 December the Mosquitoes were escorted to Gossen again, but no fighters were seen. The following day 30 year old, Australian Wing Commander Richard Atkinson
DSO DFC
, CO of 235 Squadron, who a few days earlier been awarded a bar to his DFC, led an attack by eighteen Mosquitoes of 235, 248 and 143 Squadrons, against German shipping in Eidsfjord on the Norwegian coast. Six Mustangs of 315 Squadron escorted them and an Air-Sea Rescue Warwick also accompanied the operation. At 12.21 the Mosquitoes began taking off. Making landfall near Utvaer Light, a tall red tower protruding from the rocks just after 14.00 hours. While outriders searched along the inner Leads the remaining aircraft flew outside the Leads. At 15.07 hours Norwegian Lieutenant Stensrud sent a radio message, ‘Target in Eidsfjord’. The Mosquitoes swept in towards the daunting mountain terrain gaining height turning towards Eidsfjord. D/S
Falkenfels
was the only merchantman in convoy Al-1097 together with two escorts Vp. 5503 and Vp. 5110 on watch. The eighteen Mosquitoes went down in sections led by Atkinson. Projectiles of all calibre streamed towards them from the flak ships and shore batteries and shells enveloped the formation. As Atkinson and his 20 year-old navigator Flying Officer Valentine ‘Val’ Upton
RAFVR
thundered towards the target German gun crews at the fortress at Furuneset got his Mosquito in their sights and began firing. Suddenly Flying Officer Harold Corbin
CGM
of 248 Squadron saw an explosion in front of him and knew that Atkinson’s aircraft had received a hit. Corbin tells how, ‘I followed “Dickie” down, directly behind him slightly to starboard. Tracer passed us and kept coming. Suddenly there was a burst and it ripped off his starboard wing. Fragments embedded themselves into our aircraft as I continued looking through the sights. Our Mosquito juddered from the blast. Atkinson’s aircraft just spiralled in.’

Lieutenant Dymek (USAAF) and Flight Sergeant Harvey in their respective Mosquitoes hit the anti-aircraft positions with rockets, machine gun and cannon fire, causing many casualties. Lieutenant Stensrud circled to take photographs but owing to increased intensity of flak he was unable to. It was not only anti-aircraft fire that caused damage to the Mosquitoes. As he pressed home his attack Flying Officer Angus McIntosh of 248 Squadron encountered a Mallard duck which damaged his port mainplane. As the Mosquitoes set course back to Banff, led by Wing Commander Maurice, in Eidsfjord the
Falkenfels
was left burning. The bodies of Atkinson and his navigator, Flying Officer Val Upton were never recovered. The remaining Mosquitoes landed at Banff at 16.46 hours. Dick Atkinson’s wife Joan, who was lodging at ‘Distillery Cottage’ near the Mosquito base, heard the aircraft return that evening and did not hear the usual low flying over the house. She had an overwhelming feeling that her husband was not there, so she was waiting in dread for the knock on the door, which came about an hour later.
¹⁹⁶

On the 16th the Mosquitoes winkled out a merchantman and its escort, lurking in Kraakhellesund and made two attacks, the first in line astern! Two of the Mosquitoes were shot down. On 19 December Mustangs escorted them to Sulen, Norway, but again no fighters appeared. On Boxing Day twelve FB.VIs of 235 Squadron led by Squadron Leader Norman ‘Jacko’ Jackson-Smith, with two outriders from 333 (Norwegian) Squadron attacked two motor boats at Leirvik harbour, about 70 miles up the Sogne Fjord, with machine guns and cannon. One was left on fire, the other smoking heavily. Light flak was experienced from ships and heavy flak from the harbour area. One of the Mosquitoes was crewed by Flying Officer Bill Clayton-Graham
DFC
and Flying Officer ‘Ginger’ Webster, which was hit as Clayton-Graham recalls:

After attacking the nearest ship I went on to attack the second ship, when I was hit in the port engine. One ship was left sinking, the other on fire. Our strike force totalled twelve aircraft. As I broke off the second attack, smoke was pouring from my port engine, which I feathered and I flew round the headland to go down the fjord and out to sea, having climbed to 1,000ft. Heavy flak burst around me in the fjord and then I saw fighters in line astern flying with me about 1,000ft above and slightly astern to my right; about twenty-four of them. As they peeled off to attack I turned into them and attacked with machine-guns (my cannon were spent), which forced about twelve of them (Me 109s and Fw 190s) to dive past my nose and through my line of fire. I saw one hit well and truly and I must have tickled quite a few others. I was not hit but was a sitting duck with only one engine. I turned back on course out to sea, dived onto the wave-tops with the good engine at full throttle and awaited the second attack, which never came. They had all gone on to attack another aircraft flown by my good friend, Flying Officer Jim Fletcher, whom they shot down. One enemy fighter was reported by the Norwegian underground to have been shot down.

Our strike leader, Squadron Leader ‘Jacko’ Jackson-Smith, who had seen my predicament but had lost sight of me, called me up and told me to fire a Very light so that he could come and escort me. I replied, “Not bloody likely, they’ll see me, too”, and pressed on! About 20 miles out to sea, I called up the patrolling Air-Sea Rescue Warwick, which carried a lifeboat. He homed in on me (I was doing about 170 mph) and escorted me back the 300-odd miles over the North Sea to Banff. The Mossie handled beautifully and I made a safe wheels-down landing. A piece of shrapnel was found, which had cut a coolant pipe in my port engine. A change of underpants and several pints of beer were the only repairs needed by me.

Harold Corbin and Maurice Webb in Mosquito ‘N’ had been hit by flak, which had damaged one engine, causing a loss of glycol coolant. Corbin recounts:

Seeing the German fighters waiting for us as we came out of the fjord I risked full throttle, got down on the deck and hoped the damaged engine would last until we were out of danger and that no German would pick on us. We were lucky and finally out of danger, but the damaged motor, having done what was necessary was finished, so I feathered the prop and once again headed for home on one motor. Having got safely back to Banff I then misjudged the approach and realised that I was going to touch down in a field 100 yards short of the aerodrome boundary and runway. I was not unduly worried until just after touch down. I saw a stone wall at the aerodrome edge. Just as we hit this I switched off to avoid possible fire and selected ‘wheels up’ on the undercarriage to allow the wall to knock the wheels back up. I felt we might somersault otherwise and end upsidedown. Well, dear old ‘N’ hit the wall, flat on our belly, both props and wheels torn off but otherwise on an even keel. Maurice and I were trapped in the wreckage but within seconds Max Aitken had raced around the perimeter track in his station wagon and dragged us out. He then took us to the station hospital. We were only slightly injured and soon recovered, but when 248’s CO, Bill Sise
DSO DFC
, came to see us he said, “I’m giving you a rest. No more ops, but I want you to stay with the Squadron to help newcomers.” We then went off to an aircrew officer’s course at Hereford. After a month or so we returned to find the Squadron had suffered many losses during our absence. Bill Sise had been posted to 143 Squadron, many friends were gone and the biggest blow of all was that our dear, our beloved, Wing Commander Maurice Geudj had been lost.

On 9 January 1945 eighteen FB.VIs of 235 Squadron returned to Leirvik and attacked eight merchant ships in the harbour with cannons and machine-guns, as Flying Officer Bill Clayton-Graham
DFC
recalls:

We left three ships on fire. The Norwegian underground later reported one ship sunk at its moorings and four others severely damaged: One of the ships on fire had unloaded ammunition, which was stacked alongside the quay. Happily this did not go up during our attack. We had a fighter escort of twelve Mustangs, but they were not needed on this occasion.

Two days later there was more success when Flight Lieutenant N. Russell
DFC
shot down two Bf 109s and another Mosquito pilot claimed a Bf 109 during an anti-shipping strike in Flekke Fjord by fourteen Mosquitoes and eighteen Beaufighters. The Mosquitoes returned to Leirvik harbour on 15 January 1945 when a formation of thirteen strike Mosquitoes, one Tsetse and two 333 Squadron outriders, led by Wing Commander Maurice Guedj, now CO of 143 Squadron, were despatched. ‘Maury’ had survived a tour on long-range day Beaufighters with 248 Squadron and he got back on ops by threatening to resign his commission and join the Free French commandos. The Mosquitoes destroyed two merchantmen and an armed trawler and left them burning and sinking before they were jumped by about thirty Fw 190s of III./JG5. Tsetse ‘Z’ fired four shells at an Fw 190. Five enemy fighters were shot down but five Mosquitoes, including the one piloted by ‘Maury’ Guedj, were also lost. (Guedj was the most decorated Free French pilot and a Paris street was named after him). The rest fought their way back across the North Sea pursued for a time by nine fighters. This sudden rise in Banff Wing losses caused concern at Northwood. After this attack 248 Squadron’s short-range Tsetses were transferred south to North Coates in Lincolnshire to operate with a Torbeau squadron.

In February the Mosquitoes began to widen their horizons and, operating independently of the Beaufighters now, ranged far and wide over the Norwegian coast seeking specific targets. On 11 February delayed action bombs were dropped in a narrow fjord off Midgulen to roll ‘Dam Buster’ style down a 3,000ft cliff to explode among the ships in the harbour below. On 21 February 235 Squadron carried RPs for the first time when a 5,000-ton ship in Askevold Fjord was attacked. Taking part for the first time were spare aircrew from 603 Squadron, who had flown Beaufighters in the Middle East, led by Wing Commander Christopher N. Foxley-Norris
DSO
,who had flown Hurricanes on 3 Squadron in the Battle of Britain. During the first few days of March the installation of new Mk.IB tiered RP projector rails enabled long range drop-tanks to he carried in addition to the rocket projectiles. Nos. 235 and 248 Squadrons were now able to operate at an increased range but with a 50 or 100-gallon drop-tank and four RPs under each wing, the Mosquitoes tended to stagger on take-off!

On 7 March forty Mosquitoes led by Wing Commander R.K. Orrock
DFC
,CO, 248 Squadron attacked eight self-propelled barges and a large merchantman with an escorting flak ship in the Kattegat with machine guns, cannon and rocket fire. A dozen P-51 Mustangs provided top cover and two Warwicks of 279 Squadron were in attendance to drop lifeboats to ditched crews if called upon. Orrock decided that the eight well-laden barges were the more important and he called for them to be attacked. Two Mosquitoes from 235 Squadron shot up the flak ship with machine guns and cannon fire and twenty-four more Mosquitoes of 235 and 248 Squadrons and fourteen aircraft from 143 Squadron attacked firing rocket projectiles. Four outriders came from 333 Squadron. All eight barges were destroyed. No enemy fighters showed but two of the Mosquitoes collided shortly after the attack.

On an armed reconnaissance in the Skagerrak and Kattegat five days later, eight Bf 109s intercepted the force of forty-four Mosquitoes and twelve Mustangs. The Mosquitoes shot down one of the enemy machines and another was claimed as a ‘probable’ for no loss to their number. On 17 March two ships lying in the inner harbour at Ålesund and four more just outside were repeatedly strafed by thirty-one FB.VIs of 235 Squadron after they had been led in overland south of the harbour by two Norwegian crews in 333 Squadron. Twelve Mustangs flew escort. Flak was heavy and two aircraft were lost but the Mosquitoes fired their cannon and RPs to deadly effect, leaving three of the ships sinking and three others crippled. One ship was holed thirty-two times with fourteen below the waterline and another thirty-seven times, thirty-one of them below the waterline.

On 21 March 235 and 143 Squadrons made short work of another ship at Sandshavn. Two days later nine Mosquitoes attacked a troopship, the 7,800-ton Rothenfels, at anchor at the end of Dalsfjord. The strike leader, Squadron Leader Robbie Read and one other were shot down. In the afternoon Wing Commander Foxley-Norris led another strike, attacking a motor vessel at Tetgenaes. On 24 March some crews in 404 ‘Buffalo’ Squadron RCAF arrived to convert to Mosquitoes while the remainder attacked merchantmen at Egersund using Beaufighters. Three days later a freight train near Naerbo was attacked. On 30 March a warehouse on Menstad quay full of chemicals and vessels at Porsgrunn-Skein harbour which the Germans used to evacuate troops from Norway came under attack by thirty-two rocket-firing FB.VIs led by Wing Commander A.H. Simmonds, CO of 235 Squadron. Eight more Mosquitoes who remained on station on the lookout for enemy fighters covered them. None appeared and the eight FB.VIs detailed as escorts provided accurate suppression fire against gun positions in the sides of the fjord. The attackers flew so low that they crested the wave tops. When Flight Lieutenant Clause and Flight Lieutenant Royce Turner went after a merchantman tied to the quay they could even see the Plimsol marks on one of the vessels. Clause scored hits with all the rockets aimed as one of the vessels and as he came off the target ‘three separate plumes of smoke were building up to a great height’. He then swooped down and sprayed a 4-gun battery on the side of the fjord with cannon. Two Mosquitoes, one crewed by Flight Lieutenant Bill Knowles and Flight Sergeant L. Thomas, which struck an overhead electric cable and crashed, failed to return. The attack had proved devastating with over 120 rocket projectiles holing three merchantmen. One merchantman was hit by twenty-eight rockets, another by thirty-nine and a thir vessel by more than sixty RPs. All of them sank and a fourth merchantman was badly damaged.