MN989

MN581

MN691

JR500

MP136

MN379

MP152

MN765

F/O Monson

F/O Henderson

F/O Porritt

F/O Rassentui

F/O Johns

F/O Laurence

F/O Brown R.

W/O Gray

F/O Stitt

Details of Sortie or Flight

The target for this raid by nine aircraft of 440 Squadron and nine from our own, was the village of Habloville through which retreating enemy columns would have to pass. 1000 lb .025 tail fused bombs were used in this raid in which 440 Squadron attacked from the northwest, while our Squadron came in from the north at 10,000 feet to lay waste the northern part of the village. Vast columns of dust were created over the target, but no definite results were observed.

The air over the target area was filled with a swarm of aircraft of all descriptions, all engaged in attacks on various forms of ground targets. We joined in the mad melee and searched for movement on the roads in that area. An amazing number of vehicles were seen in the area immediately south of Habloville , but each one was marked with a large red cross on the top. Our pilots dived again and again only to pull up in frustration as a red cross was discerned on the target. 

One of the crowning points of the whole show was this instance.  F/O Johns was flying (with his No. 2) at 3000 feet searching the roads at map reference U163243. F/O Johns then made a tight circle to port losing sight of the target for possibly ten seconds in the turn. By the time he had his sights on the target two large Red Crosses were plainly visible on the top of the vehicle ( a 60 cwt. truck) and a soldier was seen leaping off the rear end. After a very brief hesitation, F/O Johns fired one short burst which damaged the truck. Rocket Tiffies were everywhere, firing rockets into orchards and buildings, sometimes with very effective results.  Thunderbolts were busily straffing small villages and hedgerows, while our Squadron, which apparently arrived a half hour too late for the big show, had pitifully little to blaze away at. The roads were littered with burned-out vehicles which indicated that someone had been caught unawares. Very little flak was even seen throughout the mission and all aircraft and pilots returned safely.

MN665

MN869

MN969

JR506

MP136

MN796

MN870

MN375

F/L Burton

F/O Stelter

F/O Hogg

F/O Laycock

F/O Smith R.

F/O Burgess

F/O Smith I.

F/O Bernhart

F/L Fiset

Details of Sortie or Flight

For the second show of the day, our Squadron was offered the job of doing a little low-level attack in the "Falaise Gap". The offer was snapped up with alacrity and at 17:05 our ten aircraft, under leadership of F/L Burton, were airborne. The mission was to carry out an armed recce over the roads in the area Flers-Athis-Conde-Sur-Noireau. As soon as the Squadron reached Flers, it was broken up into three separate groups for the low-level searches.

Red Section, led by F/L Burton, combed the road from Flers to Athis and slightly eastward. The Section claimed  a three ton truck as a flamer at T905254 and F/l Burton saw his fire strike a light tank on the edge of the orchard at T883227. As he was breaking to port following this last attack, his aircraft MN555 was struck simultaneously on the trailing edge of both mainplanes by flak (40mm). A chunk of wing and flap about 10 inches each way, was knocked out of each mainplane about three feet from the wing root. One side of the fuselage was sprayed by shrapnel, and the monocoque also damaged. Red section returned safely to base.

Blue Section, led by F/O Johns, covered the main road from Flers to Conde-Sur-Noireau and the area east as far as Athis. At T866242, F/O Johns spotted a light armoured scout car and orbitted to port to attack the vehicle. On the dive, the target could not be found and F/O Johns and his No.2 followed the river northeast from this point. Blue 3 and 4 continued on up the road to Conde-Sur-Noireau without success. F/O Smith as Blue 3, fired one burst at a man seen running into the woods at T864285 when he heard his No.2 F/O Bernhart call over the R/T and say "I've been hit in the cockpit, we had better get home." F/O Bernhart flew his disabled back and landed safely despite a blown port tire. Investigation of the aircraft disclosed a number of shrapnel holes in the port mainplane, main petrol tank and gun bays as well as a damage to the port wheel.

In the meantime F/O Johns and F/O Burgess found a troop-carrier at T887279 and attacked it, causing severe damage to the vehicle and its large number of occupants, about 30. Shortly afterwards, F/O Johns spotted a flak post of three guns at T918295 busily engaged on firing at Red Section to the east. F/O Johns and F/O Burgess attacked the post from the north and scored heavily on two of the gun pits, putting them out of action. The third gun however, was on the bit and Typhoon JR506 flown by F/O Johns went skittering sideways through the air from the smashing impact of one shell against the engine and one in the rudder. F/O Johns immediately rammed all available power and made a very gradual climbing turn to head for home. He found he had no rudder control and his elevators locked so that he only had a maximum 1/2 " movement of the control column possible. The aircraft was landed at base and narrowly averted a groundloop. F/O Burgess escorted the cripple home. Investigation disclosed the fact that a 20mm HE had struck the rudder and cut the control cables. The metal fairings had blown out and jammed the elevators. Another bullet hit the forward cylinder head to starboard and put that cylinder out of action. A third slug had bored its way through the leading edge of the port mainplane  and gone out the upper surface of the aileron. Other minor damage to the skin was caused by shrapnel. 

F/L Fiset and F/O Smith: Yellow Section, explored the area and found two small armoured scout cars at T898275. Strikes were claimed on both vehicles. Three aircraft, category A.C. resulted from the show.