MN870

JR500

MN352

MP136

MB310

MN401

MN869

MN989

F/L Scharff

F/O Laurence

F/O Johns

F/O Monson

F/O Stitt

F/O Smith R.

F/O Porritt

F/O Brown J.

F/O Laycock M.P.

Details of Sortie or Flight

Once again the three squadrons of the Wing were sent out against the same target with W/C Judd leading. The target was the large area between the road and river just Northeast of Clair Tison (U066437). Apparently the attack was used simply as a softening up punch in preparation of a ground attack. Shortly after take-off, F/O Monson was forced to return to base , after jettisoning his bombs in the Channel, because of a broken hydraulic line. He landed without the use of flaps

The remaining aircraft of the Squadron dropped their 500 lb bombs in the target area in a dive from 9000 feet to 4000 feet from East to west. A small amount of light flak was fired but none of our aircraft were damaged. The flight to and the target was made in the formation of sections of three line aircraft. This formation is used to save space on Wing shows and finds little favour with the average pilot  who claim it is much  too unwieldy and does not provide protection against any attack. All aircraft returned safely to base.

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Webmaster's Note:

(1) The plus ( + ) signs is my attempt to reproduce the hand drawn depiction of the formation  which was penciled in beside the above mission entry. Each ( + )  sign represents an aircraft.

MN870

MN379

MN569

MN581

MN665

MN869

MN310

MN765

F/L Fiset

F/O Bernhart

F/O Brown R.

F/O Smith

F/L Burton

F/O Stelter

F/O Hogg

F/O Moen

F/O Swingler

Details of Sortie or Flight

F/L Fiset was in command of the Squadron as it carried 500 lb bombs with nose instantaneous and .025 tail fusing, into the air against an enemy infantry and M.T. position at 877383, four miles north of Conde-Sur-Noireau. Due to the close proximity of the target to our own bomb line, the target was to be marked by red smoke. No smoke appeared and the Squadron went on to attack the alternative target in the Bois de St Clair, at (T995400). The attack was made from 10,000 feet down to 3,000 feet and all bombs struck the southern part of the wood on the east side of the road at that point. A large red flash, possibly from exploding petrol was seen as a result of the bombing at 994406. Over the target area the enemy wasted a goodly amount of heavy flak, much too close for comfort, was fired at us from the vicinity of Conde-Sur-Noireau. Mission successful, all aircraft returned safely to base.

MN870

JR500

MN796

MN352

MN985

MN401

MN310

MN869

F/L Scharff

F/O Bernhart

F/O Johns

W/O Gray

F/O Monson

F/O Henderson

F/O Porritt

F/O Rassenti

F/O Smith R.

Details of Sortie or Flight

This job turned out to be the Christmas package of the day. The enemy were reported to have dug in at Jean Blanc, and created what promised to be a very troublesome foremost defended locality. Our Squadron, led by F/L Scharff, took-off at 19:15 hours carrying 500 lb bombs to blast this foremost defended locality into submission. The heavy haze had dissipated somewhat by this time and the target was quite easily approached from the northwest at 6,000 feet.  

An almost vertical dive was carried out from the southeast right down to 1000 feet. All bombs landed where they were aimed for  and the entire west half of the village seemed to rise into the air. F/L Scharff led the boys back in a beautiful straffing attack from the southwest at 1,000 feet right down to the tree tops. All fields, bushes, and roads leading into the village of Jean Blanc from this direction were viciously sprayed with cannon fire.

At this point our own artillery dropped more red smoke shells on the northwest corner of the target so we roared in again with cannon talking! This time the attack was pressed home until some of the aircraft were in danger of being hit by ricochets as they zoomed over the town. A small orchard at the northwest corner of the town was sprayed unmercifully in this attack and the Jerries glimpsed in there,  had to be a long, long way down in their silt trenches to escape it. A large wooden house at the edge of the orchard was burning furiously and the entire village was choked in a mantle of smoke and dust.

In the last attack the pilots turned away in a steep turn between the centred church and the adjacent buildings. In this case to say that the mission was successful is a gross understatement even if written with a Capital "S". All aircraft and all jubilant pilots returned safely to base, feeling that close support was rendered to our armies.