Last year, I managed to get hold of a copy of Bob Doe’s autobiography. I did read it rather fleetingly at the time, but over the course of this week I’ve had another chance to read it, and have made some rather interesting discoveries. Just thought I’d post them up here for discussion…
1 – The book contains a copy of Bob’s combat report for 15th August 1940, where the enemy aircraft types are listed as ‘Jaguars’, Me109s and Me110s. Later in the report, the ‘Jaguars’ are described as having engines (plural) and a rear gunner. I’m presuming that this may refer to a Ju88, but I’ve never heard Ju88s referred to as ‘Jaguars’ before, can anyone shed any light on this?
2 – When describing a combat on the first of October, Bob describes a diving attack – “However, we were committed by then, so I carried on down in a steep dive knowing that a safe way to travel in such company, and partly pulled out at the bottom to have a shot at two bombers which to this day, I am convinced, were four engined Condors.” Again, I’ve never heard this before. Did Fw200 Condors take part in the Battle on 1st October 1940? If so, was this a one-off, or did they play any further part?
3 – When describing his time as CO of 10 (Indian) squadron – “Whilst at Risalpur, we found a Valetta in one of the old hangars, which we dragged out and got the engine working and flew it all round the place as an exhibition. It eventually finished up in a dry river bed, somewhere in the Punjab.” Hmm, I wonder if it’s still there…. 😉
By: Snapper - 20th May 2005 at 23:54
609 Squadron ORB
25/8/40. Squadron had a big teatime party with a Hundred-plus, mixed enemy force over Warmwell, and the Squadron Leader drew first blood, although none of the bombers (Ju.88’s) were intercepted. 609 Squadron pilots caused 11 casualties among their escorting Me’s at the expense of 2 Spitfire Aircraft, one of which was a “Write-Off” (Appendix H). F/O Ostazewski had a rough time, and landed slightly wounded in the arm and nastily battered on the head by his windscreen, but made a quick recovery. After securing 2 Jaguar’s Probable, P/O Tobin (American Pilot) experienced “G2 in an 18,000 feet dive, for, in his own words “I blacked out colder than a clam and realised I was too low to be of any good to my motor. I came home.” “Scalps” were as follows:
S/Ldr H.S. Darley. 1 Me.109 and 1 Me.110 Destroyed.
F/Lt F.J. Howell. 1 Me.110 Destroyed.
P/O Tobin. 2 Me.110’s Probable.
F/O J.C. Dundas. 1 Me.110 Probable.
P/O J.D. Bisdee. 1 Me.110 Damaged.
Sgt Feary. 1 Me.110 Destroyed.
F/Lt McArthur. 1 Me.110 Destroyed.
P/O Agazarian. 1 Me.110 (Shared with P/O Gaunt.)
P/O Curchin. 1 Me.109 Destroyed.
Tich Cloves Diary
25th Sept. Another raid on Swanage. Sqn Ldr Darley R6769 DO17 and 2 ME110’s damaged, Plt Off Ogilvie N3280 DO17 Probably Destroyed and one Damaged, Plt Off Miller X4107 HEIII Destroyed and given credit with another pilot of half of another, Plt Off Staples L1096 ME110 Probably Destroyed, Fg Off Dundas X4472 DO17 Destroyed, Flt Lt McArthur X4165 ME110 (Jaguar) Destroyed and DO17 Probably Destroyed, Plt Off Agazarian R6915 and Plt Off Curchin N3288 together HE111 Destroyed, Sgt Feary X4234 DO215 Damaged and Sgt Hughes–Rees L1008 DO215 Destroyed.
By: Ray Jade - 20th May 2005 at 18:36
Bf161 and 162 were developments of the early Bf110 platform. The 162 was a light bomber along the lines of the Ju88 but with a twin-tail.
It did not go into production, but was featured in propoganda under the spurious name ‘Jaguar’.
The ‘162’ designation, btw, was re-assigned to the He162 later in the war in a presumed effort to confuse he allies
By: DazDaMan - 20th May 2005 at 14:53
That image clearly says “Bf 162”, which I assume was some sort of developmental aircraft derived from the One-Ten.
http://www.luftarchiv.de/flugzeuge/messerschmitt/me162.htm
A-ha – derived from the One-Ten as a “schnellbomber”:
By: Ant.H - 20th May 2005 at 14:35
The Jaguar he refers to was a glazed nosed version of the Bf110. I’m pretty certain that only a handful were built and that none would’ve seen action in the BofB,but they were regularly included in RAF air-recognition manuals and therefore ocasionally get a mention in Allied combat reports. I’d guess what they might really have been seeing were Do17/215’s. Pic of a Jaguar below..
http://1000aircraftphotos.com/APS/2191.htm
By: Dave Homewood - 20th May 2005 at 14:10
Wasn’t one of the Me110’s squadron logos a Jaguar head in the Battle of Britain? Not sure, but maybe this is where the reference comes from.
Perhaps the Condors were Red Cross planes dropping rafts?
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May 20, 2005 at 1:54 pm