- Thread starter
-
- #281
Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules
WESTERN FRONT: A force consisting of H.M.S. Revenge, cruisers, destroyers and motor torpedo boats, working in conjunction with heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force, bombarded the port of Cherbourg on the night of the l0th-llth October. The co-ordination of the attack was excellent, the lighting of fires in the target area and the illumination of Cape de la Hague by flares for fixing purposes occurring at exactly the right moment. One hundred and twenty rounds of 15 inch and 800 rounds of 4.7 inch shell were fired and very heavy fires were started. It would appear that the shore defences at first mistook the bombardment for part of the air attack as the only response to shells falling was a marked intensification of anti-aircraft fire, including flaming onions and multi-coloured tracers of all descriptions. After the bombardment had ceased a battery of heavy guns (estimated up to 13-15inch) to the east of the town opened fire. Salvoes fell close to the ships for a period of 30 minutes and up to a range of about 36,000 yards. The fire was so accurate that it was thought that some form of R.D.F. was used for ranging. No casualties or damage were sustained by H.M. Ships."The Minister has once again specified the wishes of the Luftwaffe staff leaders that we issue formal denials in all cases where the English claim to have hit military targets, unless the English have hit the corresponding mock installations. ... the Luftwaffe has repeatedly raised objections to the use of expressions like "air pirates" or "night pirates," but on the other hand the Reich Chancellery desires that these expressions be used: Therefore the Wehrmacht High Command [the OKW] should take up the matter with the Fuhrer."
Hitler had postponed Operation 'Sealion' until the spring of 1941. The operation will never receive the go-ahead."The Führer has decided that until next spring the preparations for 'SEELOEWE" are to be continued with the sole intention of maintaining political and military pressure on England . . Should the projected landing be resumed in spring or early summer, orders will be given for new preparations. In the meantime, it is necessary to shape conditions in the military sphere to suit a final invasion."
As the main battles over Kent were dying off, another raid of 25 Bf109s crossed over Dover at about 1530 hours and was met by the Spitfires of RAF No. 66 Squadron, still weary from the last engagements. The Bf 109s got to the center of London in spite of the spirited opposition."During all of our operations the radio communications traffic of the British fighter pilots were being intercepted. On one occasion an interesting conversation took place between ground control and a British fighter formation when ground control said: 'Attack the German bomber formations!' The English formation leader shouted back: 'There are no bomber formations here!' Ground control: 'But bombs have been dropped!' Formation leader: 'I see only Me 109s but they can't drop bombs!' Word quickly got around, though, that the bombs were being dropped by the Me 109 units with the result that air combat was resumed."
Not to be outdone by No. 312 Squadron, P/O J.K.Ross of RAF No. 17 Squadron was shot down and wounded by British A.A. fire over the Chatham area. He baled out of his stricken Hurricane I (P3536) at 1350 hours."At 1950 hours a Blenheim (crew Sgt Roberts and Sgt Mallett) ordered on searchlight co-operation by vectors. Bombs observed in Grantham area. At 2030 hours and enemy aircraft was sighted at 13,000 feet. Pilot followed him down to 3,000 feet and engaged him at about 500 yards range. Blenheim experienced inaccurate return fire. After firing 2.368 rounds, the enemy aircraft's starboard engine appeared to pack up and he disappeared in cloud layer. There was considerable AA activity and searchlight co-operation but it was of no assistance. The weather was extremely good. Unfortunately the enemy aircraft has not been confirmed and must therefore rank as damaged."
Sgt Michael Gibson (b. 1906), Royal Engineers, and 2nd Lt Campbell (see yesterday's entry), after a night of very dangerous work, were both killed by a bomb they were trying to defuse. (George Cross)."reduced the British plutocracy to fear and terror."
During the night large raids appeared over London, Liverpool and the Midlands with further raids on Sheffield, South Wales and Lancashire. Mines were dropped in the Thames Estuary and off Swansea. PMs were dropped in the Sutton and Silverdale Roads, Maybury Road, Bellfield Avenue areas. One of the mines fell at the end of Strathmore Avenue, Beverley High Road, near the River Hull, bringing extensive damage to hundreds of houses and many casualties, two of which proved fatal. The effects of blast can be strange - a man who was getting dressed in his upstairs bedroom, found himself being lifted up to the ceiling and then thrown on to the bed which was by now in the front room downstairs. The blast had stripped him of his garments."F/L F.J. Howell dived to decide what it was and even after making sure that it was a Ju 88 with a big cross, was surprised to see the rear gunner signaling with smoke cartridges. Both pilots (F/L Howell and P/O S.J. Hill) attacked in turn and after an unusual chase above and below the tree-tops the enemy aircraft hit the ground and blew up near Lymington."
The Luftwaffe attacked the airfield at Montrose (Scotland) in the late afternoon by four He111s of the KG 26 based in Norway. During the low-level attack, machine gun bullets bounced off the High Street and bombs rained down on the air station. Five men were killed and 21 wounded and extensive damage was done to buildings and aircraft. Defences were caught off guard by the low-level attack and the Hurricanes of RAF No. 111 Squadron were destroyed on the ground. Other towns in Angus and Fife were also hit, with bombs dropped on Cellardyke and Arbroath."We had two artists in the squadron now. John Parker, who was already established as the keeper and illustrator of our unofficial Squadron diary, and Sergeant Mudry, one of three newly acquired Polish pilots... Parker and Mudry decorated the walls of our mess with exciting drawings in coloured chalk of near-nude chorus girls and caricatures of aerial battles in which 79 Squadron always came off badly. Of the girls, one magnificent specimen with much leg and what we call an air-cooled chest, wore only a short pair of black French knickers, attached by drawing pins to the wall. A visiting VIP of high rank fell into the trap and through unendurable curiosity, casually lifted the knickers, to be confronted with a card bearing the message: 'You have a dirty mind. Put 2s 6d in the beer kitty.' "