Just stumbled across the following entry concerning the use of Tallboy on the above rocket base
16 Lancasters, 1 Mosquito and a brand new never before flown P-51 Mustang took off for the fourth bombing raid on Wizernes, after markers had been placed three Lancasters managed to drop Tallboy bombs within an area to cause some damage. One tallboy caused the dome to shift out of alignment, the two others had caused a roof collapse and blocked the entrance
The idle question is, “why a Mustang”? Was it carrying special equipment?
By: GrahamSimons - 30th December 2008 at 17:30
If anyone is in Northern France, it’s well worth a visit to the Wizernes area and look at the damage that was done.
‘La Coupole’ is open to the public and has a very good exhibition inside!
By: WP840 - 30th December 2008 at 17:21
Wiki says how on ‘one occasion he flew his P-51 Mustang in slow “figures of eight” above a target obscured by low cloud, to act as a bomb-aiming mark for his squadron.’ Interesting fellow… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Cheshire
By: bazv - 30th December 2008 at 16:58
I am also assuming that Leonard Cheshire was the P51 pilot,if so then it was not the a/c that had not flown before! but it was Cheshire who had never flown a P51 before !!
Like Gibson he did not appear to suffer from nerves.
When Gibson was killed in the mosquito,it was an a/c type which by normal standards he was not qualified to fly on ‘ops’…Cheshire ‘got away with it’ but Gibson didn’t.
cheers baz
By: Arabella-Cox - 30th December 2008 at 16:28
It may be faulty memory syndrome, but if I am correct it was flown at low-level as a target “marker” for the bomb aimers who, presumably, could easily spot the silver Mustang as it orbited the target. Sounds hairy…but I think that was the story. Is it in Cheshire’s book, perchance?
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December 30, 2008 at 4:11 pm