Mosquito: Menacing the Reich: Combat Action in the Twin-engine Wooden Wonder of World War II (58 page)

103
Weather over Belgium and eastern France was 0/10ths to 4/10ths thin cloud while Holland and the Ruhr were cloudless.

104
Mosquito spoof attacks on Cologne, Frankfurt and Kassel were identified for what they were because to the German defences they were apparently flying without H2S. As the bomber stream was clearly recognised from the start, 246 twin- and single- engined night fighters were sent up to engage the heavies. British jamming of the first interception of the bomber stream in the area south of Bonn was successful but from there on in the bomber stream was hit repeatedly and the majority of the losses occurred in the Giessen-Fulda-Bamberg area. A staggering 82 bombers were lost en route to and near the target.

105
At Nürnburg there was 10/10ths cloud at 1,600 to 12,000ft but the cloud veiled at 16,000ft with generally good altitude visibility.

106
See
At First Sight; A Factual and anecdotal account of No.627 Squadron RAF
. Researched and compiled by Alan B. Webb. 1991. Sixty-four Lancasters and 31 Halifaxes (11.9 per cent of the force dispatched) were lost (and ten bombers crash-landed in England); the worst Bomber Command loss of the war. Marshallsay and Ranshaw were promoted to Pilot Officers in May 1944 and they were both awarded the DFC in October 1944.

107
See
At First Sight; A Factual and anecdotal account of No.627 Squadron RAF.
Researched and compiled by Alan B. Webb. 1991.

108
22 Mosquitoes of 5 and 8 Groups were despatched. Some 196 aircraft of 4 and 8 Group meanwhile, attacked rail yards at Ottignies in Belgium.

109
When 627 Squadron flew four early ‘Window’ and five marking sorties. The first visual marker, Squadron Leader E. F. ‘Rocky’ Nelles, dived DZ477/K from 5,000 to 400ft to mark the target.

110
The Brunswick raid was not successful. The initial marking by 617 Squadron Mosquitoes was accurate but many of the main force of Lancasters did not bomb these, partly because of a thin layer of cloud, which hampered visibility, and partly because of faulty communications between the various bomber controllers. Many bombs were dropped in the centre of the city but the rest of the force bombed reserve H2S-aimed TIs, which were well to the south. Damage caused was not extensive. Sir Arthur Harris had sanctioned the release of the Mosquitoes to 617 Squadron and insisted they could be retained only if Munich was hit heavily on 24/25 April. Bombing by the 234 Lancasters and the marking plan by the Mosquitoes went well and accurate bombing fell in the centre of Munich. While no award of the Victoria Cross was ever made for a Mosquito sortie, Leonard Cheshire’s contribution to the success of the Munich operation, when he led four Mosquitoes of the Marking Force in 5 Group, was mentioned in his VC citation on 8 September 1944. The crews who took part were: Cheshire and Pat Kelly; Squadron Leader Dave Shannon DSO and Len Sumpter; Flight Lieutenant Terry Kearns and Flight Lieutenant Hone Barclay, and Flight Lieutenant Gerry Fawke and Flight Lieutenant Tom Bennett. The four aircraft flew to Manston on the Kent coast to begin the operation. Once over the target they proved highly successful, Cheshire diving from 12,000 to 3,000ft and then flying repeatedly over the city at little more than 700ft, coming under fire for 12 minutes before leaving the area. Shannon dived from 15,000 to 4,000ft but his markers hung up, while the fourth Mosquito got four spot flares away.

111
During the week in which these early low-level marking efforts against German targets were taking place, Bill Hickox and ‘Benny’ Goodman were suddenly called to the CO’s office. They were trying desperately to fathom what they could have done wrong when they were ushered in to Roy Elliott’s presence. He got up from his chair, grinned broadly and announced that they had each been awarded the DFC. This was a proud moment for them, particularly since these were the first DFCs awarded to members of 627 Squadron.

112
‘Benny’ Goodman and Bill Hickox were awarded the DFC on 21 April 1944 and bars to their DFC followed on 13 October 1944.

113
Saint-Smith and Heath were on their second tours after flying together on 460 Squadron, during which they each received the DFM.

114
See
At First Sight; A Factual and anecdotal account of No.627 Squadron RAF
. Researched and compiled by Alan B. Webb. 1991.

115
Mailly actually accommodated a
Panzer
regiment HQ, 3
Panzer
battalions belonging to regiments on the Eastern Front and elements of two more as well as the permanent training school staff.

116
No.5 Group, which supplied nearly all the marker aircraft and the entire first wave, lost 14 of its 173 Lancasters. No.1 Group, which dispatched 173 Lancasters also, in the second wave of the attack and which were subjected to the greatest delay at Mailly, lost 28 bombers, including five out of 17 crews from 460 Squadron RAAF from Binbrook. Nos 12, 50 and 101 Squadrons each lost four crews. One Mosquito
Intruder
and one RCM Halifax were also shot down. Approximately 1,500 tons of bombs were dropped on Mailly and 114 barrack buildings, 47 transport sheds and workshops and some ammunition stores were hit. 218 Germans were killed or missing and 156 were wounded. 102 vehicles were destroyed, including 37 tanks. Damage to the buildings was German assessed as ‘80% destroyed, 20% worth repairing’. The only French civilian casualties in the village of Mailly nearby occurred when a Lancaster crashed into the house.

117
Both men were posthumously awarded the DFC on 15 August 1944.

118
Hugh Hay, who after three tours as a navigator, qualified as a pilot with the RCAF at the age of 29.

119
Bill Hickox has written that when the shattering news that their beloved leader, Roy Elliott, was being replaced, it was not by one of their own Flight Commanders, but by a stranger from HQ 5 Group, Wing Commander George W. Curry DFC. (Wing Commander Curry DSO* DFC* met his death during a Battle of Britain display some time after the war). Hickox’s loyalty was still with Don Bennett and 8 Group, so he was unhappy with this final take-over by 5 Group. Consequently, he took the opportunity of completing his second tour with a grand total of 81 operations and returned to 8 Group with a posting to the Mosquito Training Unit at Warboys. See
At First Sight; A Factual and anecdotal account of No.627 Squadron RAF.
Researched and compiled by Alan B. Webb. 1991.

120
The target was found by Flight Lieutenant Ronald Bartley DFC who after dropping his red spot fire 50-60 yards 245° from the Marking Point was followed by ‘Benny’ Goodman, who laid two further reds, which fell 200 yards 360° and could not easily be seen as they landed on the edge of a wood near the gun battery. Flight Lieutenant Douglas Peck DFC then backed up the original marker with two red spots, which were assessed as being 100 yards 240°. Finally, Flight Lieutenant John Thomson DFC RNZAF laid a green TI on the reds and this was assessed as being 300 yards 240° from the Marking Point. See
At First Sight; A Factual and anecdotal account of No.627 Squadron RAF
. Researched and compiled by Alan B. Webb. 1991.

Chapter 4

121
From June 1944 Mosquito night-fighters also used nitrous oxide injected with petrol, to give their engines added power to catch V-1s. During the first 10 days of operations in June 1943 with I./NJG1, which operated from Venlo and Münster, the He 219A-2 proved the only Luftwaffe pistonengined night-fighter capable of taking on the Mosquito on equal terms, the unit claiming 6 Mosquitoes destroyed (+ claims for 25 4-engined bombers). On the night of 12/13 December 1943 when the Krupp Works at Essen was the target and I./NJG1 claimed four aircraft destroyed. One of them was DZ354/D, a 105 Squadron Mosquito flown by Flying Officer Benjamin Frank Reynolds and Flying Officer John Douglas Phillips, which crashed near Herwijnen in Holland on the North bank of the Waal River. Both crew were later buried in the Herwijnen General cemetery. They were shot down and killed by Hauptmann Manfred Meurer flying a Uhu. On 21/22 January 1944
Eichenlaubträger
Hauptmann Manfred Meurer, Kommandeur I/NJG1 and his
Funker, Ritterkreuzträger
Oberfeldwebel Gerhard Scheibe were killed when their He 219A-0 ‘Owl’ was hit by debris from their 2nd victim and they crashed to their deaths 20 km E of Magdeburg. In less than two years Meurer had claimed 65 night victories, including 40 heavy bombers and two Mosquitoes in 130 sorties. Only 268
Uhus
were built, 195 of which were delivered to operational units between mid-1943 and late 1944. The majority went to I./NJG1 at Venlo and to NJGr10, a specialist anti-
Moskito Gruppe
at Werneuchen near Berlin.

122
DZ608.

123
Downey had enlisted in the RAFVR in November 1938 and when war had broken out he was called up in December 1939. Qualifying as a bomber pilot at 16 OTU he was posted to 83 Squadron, which was flying Hampdens at Finningley, Yorkshire. During December 1940-July 1941 he completed 32 ops before he was posted to instruct at 16 OTU (where he volunteered for 2 ops whilst with the unit). In 1941 he was awarded the DFM for saving his crew and his aircraft when his Hampden suffered an engine failure on take off. Joe married LACW Margaret Mary Monk in 1941 and in 1943 they had a son, Patrick. In 1942 Joe had volunteered for another tour and was posted to 218 Squadron, which was flying Stirlings and during November 1942-April 1943 he completed a further 23 ops.

124
Downey and Wellington’s Mosquito (MM125) was shot down at about 00.55 hours (continental time). Wellington was taken prisoner. On 23/24 September Modrow, now a
Ritterkreuzträger
and promoted to Hauptmann, the Staffelkapitän destroyed two heavies flying a He 219
Uhu
for his 30th and 31st victories. On 21/22 June 1944 Modrow destroyed four Lancasters flying a He 219
Uhu
. His final tally was 34 combat victories in 109 sorties.

125
Nabrich, Staffelkapitän of 3./NJG1, was killed in his vehicle during a strafing attack by RAF fighter-bombers on
Eichstrasse 54
from Handorf to Telgte on 27 November 1944, afterwhich Habicht crewed up with Hauptmann Alexander Graf Rességuier de Miremont. Feldwebel Fritz Habicht was WIA on 3/4 February 1945 when he and de Miremont baled out of He 219A-2 290070 G9+CH. Over the Ruhr they were pursuing a Lancaster coned by four searchlights but as they went to attack two of the searchlights suddenly moved and illuminated the
Uhu.
The Lancaster gunners set the He 219A-2 on fire while the nightfighter crew’s fire caused the Lancaster to go down near Roermond. Habicht jettisoned his canopy and his pilot ejected. Habicht’s ejection seat handle had been shot off in the attack but he nevertheless managed to get free of the aircraft and immediately pull the ripcord of his parachute. He had been hit in the shoulder and chest in the attack and he suffered worse injuries when he hit some tall trees. Habicht survived although his operational flying was over. He had been involved in 17 victories.

126
The Mosquito Log
by Alexander McKee. Souvenir Press. 1988.

127
Cassels and Woollard were later repatriated to Britain in a BOAC Mosquito from Bromma airport near Stockholm, on 28 September.

128
13
Tame Boar
crews were credited with 21 four-engined bomber kills.

129
in ML960.

130
After a week or so in the station hospital Russell was given leave and returned to Little Staughton. Having suffered quite severe burns to his wrists on leaving the aircraft, Barker was grounded until on 4/5 October, when on only their second trip together after the 28/29 June incident, Russell and Barker‘s Mosquito was hit by flak North of Luxembourg returning from an attack on a precision tool shop at Heilbronn. MM153 was beyond control, pitching and going down in a spin. Both men baled out over liberated Belgium near Verviers and they returned to 109 Squadron. Russell was then attached to the Mosquito Service Unit at Upwood, which brought his operational flying to an end.

131
To try to overcome the crisis caused by ‘Window’ in early July 1943 free-lance single-engined night-fighting was hastily introduced into
Nachtjagd
under the command of
Ritterkreuzträger
Oberst Hans-Joachim ‘Hajo’ Herrmann.
Geschwader Herrmann
was equipped with Fw 190s and Bf 109s thrown into the fray in
Wilde Sau
operations, a primitive form of night fighting in which the pilots tried to intercept and destroy the bombers over the target with the aid of searchlights and in the glare of fires burning below.

132
Müller took his score to 23 kills with four victories while in command of I./NJGr10.

133
On one occasion, at 0120 hours on 11 July, Krause received a severe hit and he was only able to save himself by baling out.

134
B.XVI MM147 of 692 Squadron, which crashed West of Granzow, 9 km NNW of Kyritz at 01.55 hours. Flight Lieutenant Burley DFC (KIA). Flight Lieutenant E. V. Saunders DFC baled out (PoW).

135
The Mosquito Log
by Alexander McKee. Souvenir Press. 1988. Krause, later
Kommandeur
of III./NJG11, claimed a Lancaster shot down on 4/5 November 1944 during a Bomber Command raid on Bochum. He survived the war despite three parachute jumps.

136
Unteroffizier Wittmann of 1./NJG10 claimed a Mosquito at Gardelegen-Berlin at about the same time as Strüning. It could be that both claims were for the same Mosquito, as only one FTR from the Berlin raid and no others were lost this night. The Germans buried Doddy Dodwell in the small cemetery at Laudin and later removed and reburied him in the cemetery at Heerstrasse in Berlin.

137
Squadron Leader C. R. Barrett DFC and Flying Officer E. S. Fogden of 608 Squadron (KIA) and Pilot Officer G. R. Thomas and Flying Officer J. H. Rosbottom of 692 Squadron (KIA) both crashed near Nauen.