Battle of Britain campaign 2015 – Part Four 27th-30th Aug – “Hlabezulu” – South African Plt Off Michael Roland Hill becomes 266 Sqn’s first ace

With the overall situation delicately poised, as the RAF just managed to keep the Lufwaffe at bay, after the Sqns success on the 25^th Aug, it was inevitable that sooner or later their luck would change.

On 27^th the war was brought once more painfully back to the carefee minds of the pilots, mercifully it was not as bad as it could have been. The Sqn was vectored towards RAF Kenley and ordered to link up with 43 Hurricane Sqn and the newly formed 616 Spitfire Sqn. The enemy strength was estimated to be 175+ but the composition was not known thanks to the persistent cloud. Just as the Sqn approached Kenley Fg Off John Pattison called over the RT in a braad Antipodean accent “This is Yellow Leader, BANDITS! swarms of the sods!” A mixed force of Heinkel He111 and Junkers Ju87b Stuka dive bombers were approaching from the South. Undetected were the 100 or so Messerschmitt bf109 fighter escorts a few thousand feet above hidden in the cloud. As Yellow Section led the Sqn toward the bomber formation the 109’s broke cover and set on the unsuspecting Spitfires.

Harry Prowse – The second pilot from 266 Sqn killed in action (BoB Monument)

A bitter dogfight ensued as the pilots of 266 Sqn attempted to react. Pattison’s Spitfire was soon shot up and losing power after the glycol tank ruptured. Now a sitting duck he chose to bale for the second time in his life landing safely in a field amongst the freshly harvested hay bales. Wilkinson led Red Section to assist but not before the Sqns second most experienced pilot, Yellow 2 Plt Off Colin Logan was also shot down (also for the second time). His aircraft on fire he managed to crash land and jump out before the Spit burned out. South African Plt Off Michael Rowland Hill addressed the balance slightly shooting down one of the enemy but 2 more Spitfires were shot down before the Sqn broke off leaving the bombers to attack Kenley with impunity. Sgt Ronald Barraclough parachuted safely but Red 3 Plt Off Harry Arthur Robin Prowse was not so lucky. Possibly wounded by enemy fire he went down with his Spitfire crashing a short distance from the airfield. He was the Sqns 2^nd casualty.

30^th Aug – 2 Days later the Sqn had the opportunity to even the score when they intercepted a group of 25 Bf110’s about to strafe the Spitfire factory at Southampton. The Sqn was made up as follows:-

Sqn Ldr Wilkinson (2 kills) Red 1, Plt Off E Wells (1 kill) Red 2, Plt Off R Roach (rookie) Red 3

Flt Lt S Bazley (2 kills) Blue 1, Plt Off M Hill (4 kills) Blue 2, Sgt D Kingaby (4 kills) Blue 3

Sub Lt H Greenshields Yellow 1, Plt Off C Logan (2 kills) Yellow 2, Sgt A Eade (1 kill) Yellow 3

Fg Off N Burnett (4 kills) Green 1, Plt Off J Soden (4 kills) Green 2, Sgt R Barraclough (1 kill) Green 3

Plt Off Hill (obscured) and other pilots scramble

With no fighter escort, the Bf110’s had to break off their attack and form a defensive circle for mutual support. Wilkinson led Red section into the attack. Catching one of the bf110’s in his sights as it circled away he scored multiple hits. Instructing his rookie wingman to follow, Wilkinson displayed a masterclass of how to keep on your quarry’s tail eventually finishing off the 110 over the sea. All the other sections also registered successes as another Sqn #19 Spitfire also joined in. The toasts for the day back at the Jackdaw Inn however went to Plt Off Michael Roland Hill, a native of South Africa who on his 2^nd successive combat sortie shot down another enemy aircraft. With his score now confirmed on 5 he was the first official ace of 266 (Rhodesia) Sqn.

 

 

 

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Battle of Britain campaign 2015 – Part Three 23rd-26th Aug – 266 Sqn do their bit but overall situation begins to deteriorate

With 2 more Sqns destroyed the day before, the strain on the remaining pilots and Sqn’s was beginning to tell. 266 Sqn were required to step into the breach with increasing regularity.

On 25^th Aug, 266 Sqn and 3 other Sqns were vectored toward a 150+ enemy force approaching their home airfield of RAF Tangmere. Joining them were 43 Hurricane and 601 Hurricane from the same sector and 152 Spitfire Sqn from Middle Wallop.

Sqn Ldr Wilkinson elected to bring along a number of novice pilots and the 3 surviving pilots who had been shot down during the Sqns first encounter hoping that the large number of RAF fighters intercepting the raid would allow his pilots to gain some experience in a safer environment. However as they approached the enemy formation it became evident that the enemy fighter cover was strong.

266 Sqn pilots participating:-

Sqn Ldr R L Wilkinson – Red 1 (2 kills), Plt Off R H Thomas – Red 2, Plt Off W A Middleton – Red 3

Flt Lt S Bazley – Blue 1 (1 kill), Plt Off B E Tucker – Blue 2, Sgt A M MacGregor – Blue 3

Sub Lt H L Greenshields, – Yellow 1, Plt Off C Logan – Yellow 2 (1 kill), Sgt F B Hawley – Yellow 3

Fg Off J G Pattison – Green 1, Plt Off E W Cale – Green 2, Sgt R G V Barraclough – Green 3

266 and 152 Sqns attacked one fighter gruppe together providing mutual protection. They also had the advantage of height and surprise spotting the enemy aircraft before they were seen. The RT crackled into life then over the intercom came the familiar words from Wilkinson “Red Leader to Red Section, Bandits at Angels One Five, Tally Ho, Tally Ho”

Wiggy Middleton “chuffed to bits” after his 2 confirmed kills (BoB Monument)

Red 3, Plt Off William “Wiggy” Middleton, a New Zealander from Auckland struck first. Giving the Bf109 a burst from above and behind he saw it spin down and crash in the fields below. Blue 3 Sgt MacGregor and Yellow 3 Sgt Hawley also notched up a 109 each. Breaking through the fighter screen it was onto the bombers. 266 Sqn went after a Gruppe of 25 Ju88’s. Middleton was again on the mark firing a number of bursts into one of the bombers and following it through the cloud before finishing it off with the last of his ammunition.

Frederick Bernard Hawley, from grocers assistant to Sqn marksman (BoB monument)

Yellow 3 Sgt Frederick Bernard Hawley a Coventry Grocers assistant by trade also got his second kill when he fired a deflection burst into a Ju88. It half rolled and dived steeply thorough 10000ft with Hawley in hot pursuit. As it began to pull up, Hawley fired again forcing it to dive for safety once more. Following it down to 500ft he fired intermittently until the bomber impacted on the surface. None of the crew managed to bale out.

All told the Sqn claimed 10 of the enemy, 3 Bf109’s and 7 Ju88’s. A total of 23 were shot down by all sqns without loss. A shot in the arm for the entire Nation after the disaster of the 22^nd Aug when late in the day 2 Sqns were destroyed as the Luftwaffe began to tighten the noose. The overall situation may have looked serious but for now the pilots of 266 Sqn were having a ball.

Battle of Britain campaign 2015 – Part Two 20th-22nd Aug – 266 Sqn score freely during happy hour

As the battle continued the RAF were managing to hold their own but news that 2 Sqns had been destroyed defending Southend threatened to allow the Luftwaffe to regain the initiative.

266 Sqn were scrambled late in the day just one day after their previous heroics and over the English Channel they spotted a small force of 15 unescorted Heinkel He111 bombers heading towards Beachy Head. The pilots who participated in this attack were:-

Sqn Ldr R Wilkinson – Red 1, Plt Off R Trousdale – Red 2, Plt Off E Cale – Red 3

Flt Lt S Bazley – Blue 1, Plt Off M Hill – Blue 2, Sgt A MacGregor – Blue 3

Fg Off D Ashton – Yellow 1, Plt Off C Logan – Yellow 2, Sgt R Boswell – Yellow 3

Fg Off N Burnett – Green 1, Plt Off J. Soden – Green 2, Sgt A Eade – Green 3

Wilkinson detailed Yellow section to provide top cover in case enemy bandits appeared on the scene while he led the attack with Red section. Selecting a target he approached a Heinkel below from astern and when less than 150 yards gave the bomber a quick burst raking the fuselage and port wing. Large pieces broke off the engine which spluttered and then stopped, the bomber losing height banked for home but Wilkinson was directly behind and let rip with another burst of witheringly accurate, this time enough to send the bomber diving headlong into the sea and taking his “score” to 2. Blue Section had the greatest success of the day claiming 4 shot down 3 of which were at the expert hands of South African Plt Off Michael Rowland Hill.

Flt Lt Sidney Bazley. Opened his account with a He111 on 20th Aug (BoB monument)

Blue Leader, Lancastrian sports car enthusiast Flt Lt Sidney Howarth Bazley claimed the other from a head on attack. At the end of the action 10 Heinkels had been shot down without loss. That night Wilkinson took the entire Sqn down to the local Jackdaw Inn for a celebratory evening of high jinks and carousing with the local ladies.

Bazley “rocking up” at the Jackdaw ready to party hard.

2 days later, on the 22^nd the Sqn was once more in action intercepting a Gruppe of Messerschmitt bf110’s who were reconnoitring the Isle Of Wight RDF station at Ventnor. Luckily for the Germans, the cloudy weather allowed them to break off and hide in the cloud after being set upon by Wilkinson and the boys. 3 of their number were not so fortunate and were added to the Sqns list of kills which now stood at 25.

John Flewelling Soden notched his 3rd (He111) and 4th (Bf110) kills on these 2 days. (BoB monument)

Plt Off John Flewelling Soden was among the RAF pilots with another kill to his name. He had shot down enemy aircraft in every one of his previous actions and now had 4 kills to his name, just 1 shy of ace status.

Battle of Britain campaign 2015 – Part One – 18th Aug – 266 Sqn opens account and avenges Flt Lt Nigel Bowen

After what seemed an interminable wait, 266 Sqn finally got off the mark on the 18th Aug but not before receiving a sharp lesson 3 days before.

On the 15th Aug, the Sqn was on patrol over the Sussex coast when they were vectored towards Beachy Head. At about 1000 hrs the crack Luftwaffe bf110 unit Erprobungsgruppe 210 led by Hptm Walter Rubensdörffer dived out of the sun onto the tails of the unsuspecting pilots of 266 Sqn. In a few seconds, 2 Spitfires were plummeting towards the sea. Fg Off John Pattison leading Green section in the rear (the most senior of the 5 New Zealanders in the unit) managed to bail out but landed before his parachute had had time to fully deploy. He was taken to nearby Eastbourne hospital for treatment. Plt Off Colin Logan also bailed out too low for his parachute to open but fortunately he landed in the sea and had a short swim back to the coast. Meanwhile Blue Section led by Flt Lt Nigel Bowen became separated from the rest of the Sqn and were overwhelmed. Bowen appeared to lose control of his Spitfire which smashed into the shingle at the bottom of the cliffs. He was killed instantly. His wingman Blue 3 Sgt MacGregor was also shot down but ditched in the sea and swam safely to shore. Then just as suddenly the enemy were gone leaving the remaining pilots to gaze in disbelief at the wreckage below them of their comrades aircraft. It was a salutary lesson for Sqn Ldr Wilkinson leading his Sqn into action for the first time and one that would drive him and the rest of the Sqn to seek swift revenge.

3 days later it was to come when on the 18th they joined 43 (Hurricane) Sqn, 64 (Spitfire) Sqn and 264 (Defiant) Sqn heading towards an enemy nearing RAF Kenley. The 60 German bombers (Do17’s and Ju88’s) had a small fighter escort of just 25 bf109’s thanks to the huge 1350+ number of enemy raiders that had attacked the previous day. The RAF fighters (less the Defiants) engaged the 109’s with a rare numerical superiority and attempted to draw them away from the bomber force.

Sqn Ldr Wilkinson – claimed his and his Sqn’s first kill today, a bf109

Sqn Ldr Rodney Wilkinson led Red section into engaging the 109’s while the rest of the Sqn made for the bombers. Wilkinson was clearly a man with a score to settle and before long he had gotten onto the tail of a 109. At 200 yards he let his quarry have it with a 10 second burst almost expending all his ammunition. The 109 suddenly lost power as the engine caught fire. Then in an instant the airplane exploded and was no more. 266 Sqn had its first kill. The 109’s were now being overwhelmed and after 4 more were shot down they broke off and made for home. The bombers meanwhile were being massacred. 23 of the original force were destroyed with 266 Sqn claiming 10.

Fg Off Norman Burnett – claimed a brace of Do17’s today

Notably Fg Off Norman Burnett and Plt Off John Soden both got a brace while Sgt Don Kingaby also shot one down bringing his tally for the war to 4. 266 Sqn was up and running.

Tonight, Wilkinson and his boys were the toast of the Rotherfield pubs. The Kings Arms, The Catts Inn, The George, The Harvest Moon and the Bicycle Arms all ran dry as copious pints of Harvey’s Best were guzzled down by the locals.

Battle of Britain campaign 2015 – Part One – Prologue 21st Jul – Rotherfield’s finest leads 266 Sqn

Its that time again! The 75th Anniversary of The Battle of Britain is upon us. After 2 years of ignominious defeats its time to redress the balance. So I am placing my faith in the hands of 266 (Rhodesia) Sqn in their Spitfires and led by none other than Rotherfield’s Sqn Leader Rodney Levett Wilkinson (a recent research discovery, the real story of whom I shall publish next month).

The Sqn will be operating out of RAF Tangmere in Sector 1 of 11 Group. It has a roster of 27 pilots who prior to the Battle have scored 5 kills. Below the “kill” leader board prior to commencement of the game at 0600 hrs 11th Aug.

Sgt D E Kingaby (Br) – 3 Kills

Flt Lt N G Bowen (Br) – 1 Kill

Plt Off R M Trousdale (NZ) – 1 Kill

Birthday trip to RAF Hendon and the Battle of Britain Hall.

Hurricane I/II and Spit Vb

Boulton Paul Defiant I in night fighter finish (Polish Sqn)

Heinkel He111H

Messerschmitt bf110G (Later night fighter model) An earlier version of this was flown by Walter Rubensdorffer shot down over Rotherfield 15 Aug 1940

Fiat Cr.42 Falco flown by the Italian CAI during the Battle of Britain and shot down over England in October ’40

Junkers Ju87D (Later model of the famous Ju87b) Stuka dive-bomber royally thrashed by the RAF in August 1940

Birthday trips don’t get much better than this, so after a few years of Steam trains and Vintage Formula One it was only a matter of time to revisit a museum last attended 15 years ago when I had my cats neutered……….nice!!!

Anyway I’m going to let the pictures do most of the talking here. Kudos to Wifey for humouring me especially as the trip across London involved not one but two lots of engineering works and a 3 hour each way journey. Love you Mrs B. Still it was worth it wasn’t it.

Obviously there are tons more on offer but memory space dictates that I’m limited to just putting up a selection so I’ve decided to go with some of the less common ones here that interest me. Now, feast those eyes on some serious aviation porn safe in the knowledge that there’s not a single filthy FIESELER STORCH in sight.

Battle of Britain campaign 2014 – 30th-31st Aug – ENGLAND SURRENDERS after torrid day of ignominious defeats

30th Aug – Cloudy – German Effort – Light – Luftwaffe continue raids against airfields and RDF stations as a prelude to imminent invasion. RAF stretched to breaking point and forced to use increasing numbers of inexperienced replacement pilots.  

Losses RAF 10, Luftwaffe 20

31st Aug – Clear becoming cloudy then clear again – German Effort – ALL OUT – German forces throw entire weight against RAF in dramatic decisive day.  RAF desperately attempt to stem the tide and bravely fight to the last but are swept away in the maelstrom of battle.  Mosley is released from internment and immediately sets up temporary administration. Churchill with a warrant out for his arrest flees to Welsh mountains promising to organise armed  resistance. German troops land unopposed on English soil and march triumphantly into London.  Subsequent events are recounted in the film “IT HAPPENED HERE”

Losses RAF 23, Luftwaffe 81

Game notes. – The third year and the third successive defeat  which although I managed to prolong the inevitable to a record setting 31st August in the end felt like an absolute humiliation as I lost no less than 25 VP’s in a single day ending up on minus 49 points.  I had played a much more cautious game which although compared to previous games kept me in the game seriously affected my offensive strategy meaning I was nearly always having to react to events as oppose be prepared for them. Critically I was never in a position to bring in many reinforcements. Just 1 Sqn infact. The continual Luftwaffe attention on RDF and airfields meant I was without almost half of my detection stations throughout the game and never able to accurately identify potential easy gruppen to hit.  The airfield damage meant that frequently too many sqns were out of action and I had only a handful to defend with. When I did take risks they progressively ended up in disaster with the worst being losing 3 Sqns destroyed and the raid inflicting heavy damage on an airfield full of fatigued Sqns and then the secondary raid also inflicting heavy damage, 15 VP’s lost in a single raid! Just about every thing that could go wrong did go wrong on the 31st with card draws and dice rolls turning up the worst possible results over and over and over and over and over again.  At the end I was throwing in inexperienced Green Hurricane Sqns and second line aircraft units with inevitable results.  I’m finding it hard not to take this result (especially todays) personally such was the thrashing I got today but as everyone who knows me knows, its not going to put me off and tomorrow I’ll be starting all over again!

P.S. What happened to 111 Sqn? Talk about damp squib all that research for next to no result, typical!  Next year I expect much better things.