Tactical Strikes of World War II

DerAdlerIstGelandet said:

And I can find real and good beer anywhere in the world as well, and no matter where you find your Bud in the world it is crap!

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Extra Cold Guinness is GOOD beer.....!

Plan_D, dont forget my ongoing thread on "this day in the war".

If you see something worth posting, please do.

All those you mention are tactical strikes, Lucky. Any attack on a HQ is certainly a tactical attack. I'm not sure if any raids were made by the tactical forces against airfields to clear the sky for the strategic bombers; however there were diversions and 2 Group was used for sometime to divert the JagdWaffe back to German homeland...but that was a strategic call.
In the Channel Stop operations, the RAF dispatched Blenheims, Hurricane IIC and Spitfires to attack shipping...

The Hurricane IICs would attack the FlaK ships to keep the AA low while the Blenheims attacked the main targets and Spitfires flew top cover; the Hurricanes were IIC because they were cannon armed and more deadly. One thing that is very rarely mentioned is the RAF assault on German shipping during 1941-1942 ... the Germans were feeling it, and were trying frantically to find ways to stop it. The cost was high for 2 Group, however...and eventually it was all handed over to Fighter and Coastal Commands. I will continue with my French "adventure" for 2 Group later...I'm in college now, just in finished my assignment on AC single phase circuits ... and I will add anythin' syscom, when if I find it.

12th May, 1940 - 08.10 Hours, Wg. Cdr. B. E. Embry leads twelve Blenheims of 107 Sqdn. to the bridges at Maastricht. The Wehrmacht were already pouring over them, and bridges over Albert Canal had also been seized by aerial assault. Heavy flak was encountered fifteen miles from target; eleven aircraft were hit and Plt. Off. Thornton was shot down.
The formation then broke formation under the intense barrage and were pounced by Bf 109s that were laying in wait. Flg. Off. Rotherham was engaged and had to set down in Belgium. Flg. Off. Edwards and Plt. Off. Keedwell were shot down before the formation closed again for mutual protection. Two enemy fighters were claimed as probables, and the bridge damaged.

Next twelve aircraft of XV Sqdn. assault Maastricht to block the roads and destroy bridges over the Albert Canal. Hurricanes circled the target for protection but as the Blenheims closed on target at 09.15 they came under heavy fire and broke formation. Once again Bf 109s dived upon the formation of Hurricanes and Blenheims with deadly effect; six Blenheims were damaged and six were shot down; only two of those damaged were servicable - XV Sqdn. was practically wiped out.

110 Sqdn. were next; claiming damage to a bridge and one enemy fighter destroyed for two Blenheims destroyed, and eight damaged.

82 Sqdn. took off at 19.30 Hours to crater the road running along Albert Canal, all bombers returned and the road was damaged.

A.A.S.F Battles were also busy during the day against two bridges; but were halted by flak and fighters on all attempts.

The final raid of the day was from 21 Sqdn. Nine Blenheims bombed the road in Tongres at 20.40 hours, the target was hit but flak destroyed the tail section of Flt. Lt. Watsons' Blenheim (L8739) which crashed into the ground. The rest landed at RAF Wyton at 23.00 hours.

The day had cost 2 Group 12 Blenheims destroyed and many others unservicable.

13th May, 1940 - 2 Group flew no sorties, weather was unfavourable. The Wehrmacht crossed the Meuse at Dinant and Sedan; the French Army fell back under heavy bombardment from the Luftwaffe.

14th May, 1940

The day started with an Advanced Air Striking Force assault on the Meuse crossing at Sedan. This was followed by a request from the French to attack across the fifteen mile wide front at the Meuse; it led to disaster. 40 AASF machines were destroyed out of 71 despatched, the Luftwaffe fighters had a field day.

2 Group started the day despatching 82 Sqdn. in aid of the French 7th Army. They attacked the east road of Breda and railway leading to Tilburg. Flak upset their aim but the Blenheims hit crossroads and fell houses.

Next up was 21, 107 and 110 Sqdns. to attack Sedan after the disaster by the AASF. 28 crews were despatched with fighter escort. Six Blenheims of 107 Sqdn. attacked first at low level, all were hit by flak but survived. Then twelve of 110 Sqdn. attacked but were broken up by the flak, as they split the Luftwaffe piled in to shoot down five. 21 Sqdn. then went in to attack, after bombing the squadron was bounced by Bf 109s and a Blenheim was soon going down. As the Blenheims tried to reform; the Bf 109s kept pressure on and another Blenheim was soon tumbling down.
The final two Blenheims were still under attack, and the lead went down below the clouds (it did return to England suffering extensive damage, a lot said for the ruggedness of the Blenheim). The final Blenheim was piloted by Flg. Off. Sarll.

The gunner, Lightfoot, had an explosive shell in his shoulder. The hydraulics were shot away and the Blenheim was only running on 1.5 engines. The enemy fighters turned away; and the Blenheim made a self-confessed bad landing;

"How I returned to base I shall never know, but with a 109 to Lightfoot's credit, a very bad landing to mine, we made it to the green fields of Norfolk again."

The French forces were withdrawing in the Gembloux gap now, and the BEF had to withdraw to the west of the river Dyle; destroying its bridges. The British line had held throughout the day and the withdrawal was simply to maintain the line that had collapsed in the south.