A Very Unusual Air War
Page 20
Spitfire VII BS229 Self Comparative v IX −45
Spitfire VC 372 Self Comparative v VII −50
7th Spitfire VC 372 Self Test dive brakes −50
Spitfire VC 372 Self Test dive brakes −25
9th Spitfire XIV RB179 Self Air test −15
13th Typhoon 512 Self Comparative v Tempest −30
Tempest 737 Self Comparative v Typhoon −45
14th Tempest 737 Self Beat-up −20
15th Spitfire VII BS229 Self Test dive flaps −35
16th Tempest 737 Self Comparative v Typhoon −55
Oxford V3791 Self To Wakely −10
Oxford V3791 Self To base −15
17th Spitfire AB169 Self Air test −30
18th FW 190 PM679 Self Comparative v. Spitfire XIV −35
19th FW 190 PM679 Self Air test −10
22nd Tempest 737 Self Guns and camera −40
25th Spitfire MH415 Self Rate of roll −35
Tempest 737 Self Rate of roll 1–05
Spitfire 179 Self Rate of roll −25
GRAND TOTAL TO DATE 959 hours 30 mins 3–30 10–20
60–00 885–40 16–15
1 March: This was my first flight in a B25, known in the RAF as the Mitchell. A twin-engined light bomber with a fair turn of speed and good bomb-carrying capacity, 208 had been equipped with a 75mm gun, taking the length of the fuselage and loaded from a position at the rear. It was intended for use as a tank buster. Before it could prove its worth, it was overtaken by the use of rockets. When fired from the Mitchell the recoil was almost enough to stall the aircraft.
F/Lt ‘Cappy’ Lane was an Australian, seconded to AFDU almost entirely for Mitchell trials. He remained in England after the war; a qualified solicitor, he became an assistant to the Public Prosecutor at Scotland Yard. He was one of those who attended my farewell party in 1948.
4 March: Great care had to be taken when changing from main to drop tanks on the Typhoon. Wrong action could produce an air lock, causing the engine to cut out. It was sometimes difficult to effect a restart. I did not enjoy these tests or fancy the possibility of having to force-land a Tiffie with a dead engine.
5 March: I do not remember that there were any remarkable differences between a Mk VII and a Mk IX. At the higher altitudes, the extra wing area of the VII may have given a better turning circle.
7 March: With four 20mm cannons, the VC was essentially a ground attack machine so it made sense to reduce speed in the dive. The dive brakes were flap-like panels on top and bottom of the wings, which could be extended in the dive.
19 March: During my flight on the 18th, I was still not happy with the BMW 810 engine of the 190 so, after adjustments, I carried out an air test. Shortly after take-off the engine died and I was lucky enough to be able to force-land successfully on the airfield.
Summary for:- March 1944 1. Spitfire V 2–35
Unit:- AFDU Wittering 2. Spitfire VII 1–20
Date:- 6/4/44 3. Spitfire IX 1–00
Signature:- H.L. Thorne 4. Typhoon 2–35
5. Tempest 4–05
6. Spitfire XIV −40
7. FW190 −45
8. Oxford −25
9. Mitchell −35
Signed T.S. Wade S/Ldr
O/C Flying AFDU
YEAR 1944 AIRCRAFT Pilot or 1st Pilot 2nd Pilot, Pupil or Pass. DUTY (Including Results and Remarks) Flying Time Passenger
MONTH DATE Type No. Dual Solo
April 4th Mustang III FZ107 Self Dives −50
5th Mustang III FZ107 Self Night flying test −30
13th Tempest JN737 Self Fuel consumption 1–00
Oxford V3791 Self To Cranfield −30
Oxford V3791 Self To base −40
15th Spitfire BS229 Self Bombing 1–10
Spitfire BS229 Self Bombing 1–00
17th Oxford V3791 Self F/Lt Roy Hussey Dual instruction −40
18th Spitfire VII BS229 Self Bombing −45
19th Spitfire VII BS229 Self Bombing 1–05
20th Spitfire VII BS229 Self IIL sight setting −30
Oxford V3791 S/Ldr Wade Self To Cranfield −40
Mustang III FZ107 Self To base −30
21st Hellcat ? Self Experience on type −30
22nd Mustang III FZ107 Self Climbs to 35,000ft −50
23rd Mustang III FZ107 Self Dives −35
Spitfire VII BS229 Self Bombing −35
Proctor DX220 Self F/O ‘Zip’ Zobell To Sutton Bridge −30
Proctor DX220 Self ‘Zip’ To base −30
26th Spitfire VII BS229 Self Bombing 1–05
Proctor DX220 Self F/Lt Hussey To Tangmere via Langley 1–30
Proctor DX220 Self To base 1–15
27th Spitfire XIV RB179 Self Tank dropping −30
Spitfire IX MH415 Self Cine gun – gyro gun sight −20
Spitfire IX JL359 Self Cine gun gyro gun sight −25
28th Firefly ? Self Local −45
Spitfire IX MH415 Self Target for gyro gun sight −25
30th Proctor BX220 Self Local −10
GRAND TOTAL TO DATE 979 hours 15 mins 3–30 10–20
60–00 905–25 16–15
13 April: Hooray! Hooray! I’m 24 today!
17 April: The memory of this young man will live with me always; Roy Hussey was young, tall, handsome and so full of life. After a few weeks with us, resting from operations, he was returned to a squadron, posted to Italy and, almost immediately shot down and killed.
21 April: Another first in my logbook, courtesy of NAFDU. The Hellcat was a descendant of the Grumman Martlet. With its powerful Wright double-row Cyclone radial engine, it proved a very formidable fighting machine. With the Corsair it transformed the position in the Far East against the Japanese.
23 April: On one of the Mustang trials, in company with a Spitfire XIV flown by Susie, we checked the operational ceiling and the maximum ceiling. We both reached somewhere in the region of 41,000 to 44,500 feet. At that height the cold was intense and we both went into steep dives to get down into warmer climes.
Flying the Mustang, I half rolled and pulled back into an almost vertical dive. An American test pilot had done this manoeuvre and was believed to have hit the sound barrier; he failed to recover from the dive and was killed. Forewarned, I started my pull-out in time but must have hit a speed close to 700 mph.
Sutton Bridge was one of the WREN Fleet Air Arm units, which manned the dive screens in and near The Wash bombing ranges. ‘Zip’ Zobel was a Canadian and many years later we made contact through his seeing a particular photograph in Aeroplane magazine. We corresponded until his death in the 1980s.
27 April: To extend the range of fighters in general and Spitfires in particular, they were fitted with external fuel tanks that could be jettisoned. The tanks were torpedo-shaped under each wing and/or shipped under the belly. The latter were shaped to follow the profile of the aircraft. We did tests to ensure that, when released, they fell clear and did not cause any engine cut.
MH415 is the Spitfire that survived the war and later was bought by Connie Edwards, a West Texas cattle rancher. After my daughter, Penny, who also lives in Texas, tracked him down, he invited us to pay him a visit in January 1998 to see MH415 and the other aircraft in his collection, ME 109s, Mustangs and others. I spent the day stroking my old plane and taking loads of photographs and was able to sit in the cockpit again. How the memories flooded back. The story of my trip was told in the Redditch local and British national daily papers in February 1998.
28 April: Firefly, another first for my logbook, courtesy of NAFDU. A Fleet Air Arm machine made by Fairey Aviation and powered by a Rolls-Royce Griffon engine, it was a powerful addition to our carrier-borne strike and reconnaissance force.
Target for gyro. The Gyro gunsight replaced the manually adjustable sight which provided a fixed red dot aiming point and which had been in use since the war started. The Gyro sight dot was pulled by the gyros in reaction to ‘G’ applied. It transformed the art of air fighting
by constant correction to deflection and turned ordinary shots (like me) into aces.
Summary for:- April 1944 1. Spitfire VII, IX & XIV 7–50
Unit:- AFDU Wittering 2. Mustang III 3–15
Date:- 3/5/44 3. Tempest 1–00
Signature:- H.L. Thorne 4. Hellcat −30
5. Firefly −45
6. Oxford 2–30
7. Proctor 3–55
Signed T.S. Wade S/Ldr
O/C Flying AFDU
YEAR 1944 AIRCRAFT Pilot or 1st Pilot 2nd Pilot, Pupil or Pass. DUTY (Including Results and Remarks) Flying Time Passenger
MONTH DATE Type No. Dual Solo
May 1st Proctor DX220 Self F/Lt Hussey To Langley 1–00
Proctor DX220 Self To Gravesend −40
Proctor DX220 Self To base −50
3rd Fulmar ? Self Local −40
Mustang III FZ107 Self Air test & target −15
Mustang III FZ107 Self Comsumption above 25,000 feet 1–00
6th Spitfire VII BS229 Self Bombing with photos −50
Spitfire IX MH415 Self Bombing −45
7th Spitfire IX MH415 Self Bombing −30
Spitfire IX MH415 Self Bombing −30
Mustang III 858 Self Turning circles −35
8th Spitfire IX MH415 Self Bombing −55
Spitfire IX MH415 Self Bombing −40
10th Mustang III FZ107 Self Comparative turns −20
Mustang III 858 Self Comparative turns −20
11th Spitfire XIV RB179 Self To Pershore −30
Spitfire XIV RB179 Self To base −30
12th Spitfire IX BS552 Self Bombing −55
14th Spitfire VB AD318 Self Film RP (rocket projectile) −55
18th Spitfire IX JL359 Self Air test −15
Spitfire IX BS552 Self Bombing 1–00
20th Spitfire IX BS552 Self Bombing −30
22nd Spitfire IX JL359 Self Air test −10
Spitfire IX MH415 Self Bombing −55
Spitfire IX BS552 Self Tank dropping −10
Spitfire IX BS552 Self Tank dropping −15
Proctor DX220 Self Cpl ? To Desford −25
Proctor DX220 Self Cpl ? To Derby −15
Proctor DX220 Self Cpl ? To base −30
23rd Spitfire IX BS552 Self Tank dropping −10
24th Spitfire IX BS552 Self Bombing test −15
Spitfire IX MH415 Self 500lb bomb with photographs −45
Spitfire IX BS552 Self Bombing test −10
Spitfire IX BS552 Self Bombing −35
25th Spitfire IX BS552 Self Bombing −30
26th Tempest V EN757 Self Comparative v. Mustang −45
Spitfire IX BS552 Self Bombing −50
29th Spitfire IX BS552 Self Bombing −40
30th Spitfire IX BS552 Self Weather test −15
Spitfire IX BS552 Self Bombing −45
31st Spitfire IX MH415 Self Bombing −45
Spitfire IX BS552 Self Bombing −45
GRAND TOTAL TO DATE 1,003 hours 30 mins 3–30 10–20
60–00 929–40 16–15
3 May: First trip of the day. Another first flight in a Fleet Air Arm aircraft. The Fairey Fulmar was a smaller and faster version of the Fairey Battle and was used as an FAA carrier-based fighter.
11 May: The trip to Pershore was for the fitting of a modified radar set by RAE Malvern.
14 May: There was increasing interest in the use of rockets for ground attack. These were carried on rails under the aircraft wings. With a 6 lb. warhead, they proved a devastating weapon when fired against tanks and thin-skinned transport. They were used with great effect when fitted to the Typhoon and Tempest.
22 May: To Desford. A visit to my old EFTS (Elementary Flying Training School). A busy day, seven flights.
23 May: It didn’t take me long to drop the tank!
24 May: The most accurate way to drop a bomb from a fighter was in the steepest possible dive, sighting the gun sight at the target. The boys in the squadrons were nervous about this method, as there was a belief that the bomb would hit the aircraft or at least the propeller. To disprove this we fitted a camera in the fuselage, pointing sideways, behind the pilot’s head. The pilot, S/Ldr Wade, flew the bombing aircraft and I as his No. 2 maintained close formation, with a sighting spot painted on the wingtip, lined up with the bomb. While I maintained position, Wimpy dropped the bomb. Fortunately, our photographs proved that the bomb fell away clear of the aircraft; otherwise we would both have been blown to kingdom come!
29 May: These bombing runs were done from different starting heights, speeds and angles of dive to determine the most accurate methods. It proved best to start at 8,000 ft, over-fly the target until it reappeared behind the wing, perform a half-roll or stall turn into a dive at 70°, locate the target with the gunsight and release the bomb. At this point a Spitfire would reach a speed of nearly 500 mph, so recovery should commence immediately!
31 May: Hurrah!! I passed 1,000 hours today!
Summary for:- May 1944 1. Spitfire V, VII, IX, XIV 16–40
Unit:- AFDU Wittering 2. Mustang III 2–30
Date:- 3/6/44 3. Tempest −45
Signature:- H.L. Thorne 4. Fulmar −40
5. Proctor 3–40
Signed T.S.Wade S/Ldr
O/C Flying AFDU
YEAR 1944 AIRCRAFT Pilot or 1st Pilot 2nd Pilot, Pupil or Pass. DUTY (Including Results and Remarks) Flying Time Passenger
MONTH DATE Type No. Dual Solo
June 2nd Spitfire IX BS552 Self Bombing −40
3rd Spitfire XIV RB179 Self Bombing −30
4th Spitfire XIV RB179 Self Speed climb to 30,000 feet −30
5th Oxford V3791 Self Air test −10
7th Spitfire IX BS552 Self To Tangmere −50
Spitfire IX BS552 Self Duty, to base −50
9th Spitfire IX BS552 Self Local −15
10th Spitfire IX BS552 Self Bombing 1–00
11th Spitfire IX BS552 Self Bombing −55
12th Spitfire IX JL359 Self Air test −10
14th Spitfire IX JL359 Self Air test −20
15th Spitfire XIV RB179 Self Blind take-off −15
Spitfire VII BS229 Self Bombing −25
16th Spitfire V 372 Self Air test −15
17th Spitfire IX BS552 Self Bombing −35
Spitfire IX BS552 Self Bombing −30
18th Spitfire IX BS552 Self Bombing −35
Spitfire IX BS552 Self Bombing −50
19th Spitfire IX BS552 Self Bombing −20
20th Oxford V3791 Self WAAF To Catfoss 1–00
Oxford V3791 Self WAAF & F/Lt Hussey To base 1–00
24th FW 190 PM679 Self Air test. Pranged on take-off −05
Spitfire VII BS229 Self Air test −10
Spitfire IX BS552 Self Bombing −50
GRAND TOTAL TO DATE 1,016 hours 30 mins 3–30 10–20
60–00 942–40 16–15
5 June: From 12.00 hours until dawn on June 7th, covering D-Day (June 6th), the Normandy invasion, all non-combatant aircraft were grounded. At units like AFDU, potentially operational aircraft, our Hurricanes, all Marks of Spitfire and Mustang, Typhoon, Tempest, Boston and Mitchell, were painted with wide black and white stripes on wings and fuselage. It was not until the public announcements were made on the 6th that we knew for sure what was happening. Of course, we already had a good idea, as on the evening and well into the night, Estelle and I, with Mr and Mrs Walker, stood in the garden watching streams of aircraft passing over, all heading south. First came hundreds of troop-carrying Dakotas (DC3s) then the glider tugs and finally the Fortresses, Halifaxes and Lancaster heavy bombers. From before dawn on June 6th, from dozens of airfields in the South of England, the light bombers and fighters, the Spitfires, Typhoons and Tempests of the RAF and the Mustangs, Thunderbolts and Lightnings of the USAAF, flew in their thousands to maintain constant cover and absolute air supremacy over the beachheads. The constant drone of engines was incredible. It was a sight and sound that would never be forgott
en by those of us who witnessed it.
7 June: On D-Day plus one I was given permission to fly into the Active war zone. At Tangmere airfield I talked to pilots of the Canadian Wing, whose Mark IX Spitfires had been equipped with the new Gyro gunsight. In an encounter over the beachheads they shot down 10 out of 12 JU88s.
Both my outward and return flights took me across the Channel to witness the incredible sight of hundreds of ships and thousands of aircraft but I was under strict orders not to cross the French coast, so my dream of firing a few shots at an enemy aircraft was not to be realised. But I can say that I was there, saw it all and would certainly have bought the T-shirt!
9 June: A note regarding my flight on the 9th said it was a quick flip over Colley Weston to Easton on the Hill and our rented part of Chain Cottage. By then our host Fred Walker could be seen pushing Gill around the village, first in a pram and later in a pushchair, despite earlier misgivings about a baby on the premises. The Walkers were very upset when, in the spring of 1945, I was posted to Tangmere. At their request I posted a notice in the Officers’ Mess offering our rooms to any other couple who had a young baby. Estelle and I were amazed ten years later, back in Worcestershire, to meet the landlord of our local pub, the Neville Arms, and learn that he and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Hayden-Jones, had taken up the offer and spent two or three happy years there with their baby Jennifer.
19 June: Our continuous programme of bombing flights attempted to improve the method and accuracy of fighter dive-bombing. After take-off we usually flew to the Holbeach or Wainfleet bombing ranges in The Wash, the large bay on the East Coast. On towers at various points, facilities were set up to measure dive angles, release heights and accuracy of bomb drop.
This equipment was operated by WRENs of the Fleet Air Arm, under the command of a WREN officer, popularly known as a Queen Bee or Wasp, depending on their personality. It was a lonely spot and most weekends our chaps and the NAFDU pilots were invited over for dances and social evenings. Being a sedate old married man, I only attended once that I can remember but several of our pilots went often. Romances blossomed and I believe that our Canadian, F/Lt W. A. (Bill, but known as Otto) Waterton, married one of the WREN officers.