WW2 short story

Well, it went down like a lead balloon (barrage balloon??) last night. Too much like an article.

I can see their point, really. That is how it reads, so I guess it’s back to the drawing board!

Charley – thanks for the tip on the books. “Doodlebugs and Rockets” came through the door this morning. Not bad for ordering it on Wednesday night! 🙂

Daz its all good experience, even if you have to go back to the drawing board!! so what! go back!! Don’t give up 😉 Anna

Well, it went down like a lead balloon (barrage balloon??) last night. Too much like an article.

I can see their point, really. That is how it reads, so I guess it’s back to the drawing board!

Charley – thanks for the tip on the books. “Doodlebugs and Rockets” came through the door this morning. Not bad for ordering it on Wednesday night! 🙂

I found quite a bit about the V-1, AND the anti-diver ops by Googling “V-1 Flying Bomb”, not “anti-diver patrol”.

Moggy, I’ve Googled it two or three times today and only ever found minor references to it – so-and-so did this, this squadron did that, and this plane was used for it. That’s a help, cheers.

Were the aircraft and pilots placed at a certain amount of readiness? Were they actually IN the aircraft, waiting to take off? What sort of alarm or notice would they have had?

Daz you are not Googling hard enough!!! There is loads of stuff!!Anna :rolleyes: 😀 😀

Working on the piece just now – just over 700 words out of a limit of 2000 (:eek:!)

It’s reminded me of a computer game that was available some years ago on the old Spectrum – “Spitfire”. You had to intercept V-1s, and you could either shoot them down OR tip them!! You also had to aviod the marauding Bf109s, then shoot up the V-1 launch sites and the German airfields so that you could land and get patched up. It was great fun! 🙂

Anyone else remember it? I still have it, and it probably still works, but my old Speccy is a bit knackered. 🙁

Thanks for that, Dan.

I managed to unearth a bit about these ops in “Late Marque Spitfire Aces” (never thought to look there! :rolleyes: ), so I’ve got a bit to go on! If I can, I’ll post up a wee bit of what I concoct later.

Not to mention that I unearthed a 1/72 Spitfire XIV AND V-1 this morning, too! 😀

Got any more info, Dan?

My prize possesion from my Spitfire XII research time is the logbook of Bruce Moffett. His wife passed it on to me and I took it with me to Coltishall in 86 for the 41 Squadron reunion and had it signed by the Spit drivers in attendence. Bruce Moffett had passed away from cancer before I got started on my hunt for Spit XII drivers.

As he’d flown with both 41 and 91 on XIIs it’s about like finding Alladin’s cave, and since at this point, I’ll never own a real Spit, this will have to do.

Anyway, back to V-1s.

From a letter written to me by F/L H.D. Johnson of 91 Squadron, and a news clipping found in Bruce’s logbook describing the events surrounding the first V-1 kill in daylight.

H.D. Johnson “The preceeding evening we had listened with some interest to a most unusual airborne sound, very loud and very low over the mess. “Aural” recognition isn’t widely considered alongside the visual method, but it’s peculiar engine sound was a distinctive feather of each aircraft and in many cased could identify it accurately wihout being seen. The sound we heard that evening was not only unfamiliar, but distinctly menacing”

Two sections of Spitfire XIVs were detailed for dawn readiness the next day. One lead by Bruce Moffett and the other lead by “Johnny” Johnson, who continued in his letter.

“We had been given no advanced information of the weapon, and when one roared over the flight hut in the early morning, we couldn’t believe our eyes. The telephone rang and Ops shouted ‘Scramble a section to intercept Divers!’. It was well that we could put two and two together, because they also failed to explain to us the code word as well.”

Moffett lead his section off in Spitfire XIV RM617 DL-G. After a chase of twenty miles he was able to get close enough to intercept. Quoting from the newspaper clipping in his logbook.

“I sighted it about a mile away, closed in and opened fire. I saw several strikes hit home and then it went into a vertical dive, crashing into an open field and exploding”

Over the course of the summer Bruce Moffett downed a total of 9 V-1s. 91 Squadron claimed a total of 184 V-1s during their time flying Diver Patrols in the summer of 44.

Dan

Thanks for those – I’ve ordered them from Amazon.

Diver

Having recently done some writing on the subject of Typhoons engaged in anti-diver ops, I found the best books on the V1 subject were “Flying Bombs Over England” by HE Bates, the excellent “Doodlebugs and Rockets” by Bob Ogley (both by Froglets Publications based in Kent) and “Tempest Over Europe” by Roland Beamont (Airlife). Not sure which of these is still in print.

Got any more info, Dan?

The Spit XIV drivers of 91 Squadron were certainly on the job. First V-1 down in daylight was by Bruce Moffett, a Canadian who was a flight commander in 91 on June 16, 1944

“Junior” Collier, an Aussie with 91 was the first to ‘tip’ a V-1 with his wingtip after running out of ammunition.

Dan

Moggy, I’ve Googled it two or three times today and only ever found minor references to it – so-and-so did this, this squadron did that, and this plane was used for it. That’s a help, cheers.

Were the aircraft and pilots placed at a certain amount of readiness? Were they actually IN the aircraft, waiting to take off? What sort of alarm or notice would they have had?

A bit of Googling brought me…

In London, a decision was taken about the city’s defence. Anti-aircraft guns were moved to the coast. Here they would have an unrestricted field of fire. Radar experts also believed that their equipment would work better nearer the sea away from buildings. Nearly 800 anti-aircraft guns were moved to the coast and 1,000 barrage balloons were erected. Fighter pilots also learned new tricks to destroy V1’s such as flying alongside the weapon and tipping over one of its wings, thus knocking it off course. Pilots also flew in front of a V1 so that it flew in the fighter plane’s slipstream. This was enough to unbalance the V1 so that it flew off course.

However, many V1’s got through. By July 5th, 2,500 people had been killed and even the Air Ministry in the Strand had been hit with 198 people being killed in that attack. By July 19th, 1,600 guns were in place around the coast. Hundreds more barrage balloons had been put up but many V1’s still got through – though more and more were being destroyed before they reached London. However, it did seem that the tide had turned in favour of the defenders of London.

Before it got close to any built-up areas, you mean?

Bump?

Probably – but I thought I might spread this around and see what comes up.

Haven’t I seen this somewhere else today 😉 Anna 😀 😀