RAF Form 540

REDHILL      19.8.42

Operation "JUBILEE" took place. The Squadron made four sorties altogether.
 

In the first sortie 12 Spitfires VB led by the C.O. took off at 07.20 hours as top squadron in a fighter patrol over Dieppe. The patrol area was reached at 08.00 hours at 5000 feet with no Squadron above. Flak from naval vessels attracted attention to fighter bombers below and a general melee ensued. Blue 1 (F/L I. G. du MONCEAU) fired at an F.W. 190
2 miles West of Dieppe and saw it fall in the sea in flames. Blue 4 (P/O H. A. PICARD) and Red 3 (P/O E. J. PLAS) attacked an F.W. 190 coming east up the coast towards Dieppe. Red 3 seeing his m/g strikes on the starboard wing. Blue 3 made two further attacks on the same aircraft which flew up the river near COURVILLE and crashed in flames in a field one mile south of Dieppe. Blue 4 (SGT FLOUHIMONT L.) followed an F.W. 190 inland, and, after one attack, saw brown smoke pouring from it. Meanwhile Yellow 4 (P/O PLISNIER) attacked and F.W. 190 at 4000 feet over the sea (range 400 yards) giving 3 bursts and breaking away out of ammunition. The E/A took no evasive action, diving gently and climbing slightly. No claim was made for this aircraft as Yellow 4 saw no strikes and was uncertain if the E/A crashed in the sea. The squadron left the patrol area at 08.25 hours and landed at base at 08.50 hours. One aircraft was missing from the sortie, the pilot was P/O H. E. MARCHAL. We hope to hear that he is safe. Our score was 2 F.W. 190’s destroyed and 1 F.W. 190 damaged.
 

The second sortie was a similar patrol and 12 aircraft took off at 10.00 hours. The Squadron, led by the C.O. was over the target from 10.35 to 10.50 hours, encountering more fighter opposition than before. Many German fighters were seen in groups of 4 or more and 5 Ju 88’s were seen with 12 F.W.’s 190 above. In general dogfights which took place Yellow 2 (P/O VENESOEN) saw 8 F.W. 190’s and attacked one seeing an immense red flash and the plane break up in the air. Yellow 1 (F/L BOUSSA) attacked 2 F.W. 190’s, the pilot of the first jumped by parachute over the Foret D’Argue and hits were seen on the port wing of the second.

Yellow 3 and 4 (P/O SEYDEL and SGT BOUTE) attacked a F.W. 190 from which thick brown smoke was seen to come and Yellow 4 saw strikes on another F.W. which he likewise claims to have damaged. Blue 1 (F/L du MONCEAU) damaged a F.W. 190 and Blue 2 (SGT ALEXANDRE) claims one F.W. probable and one damaged. The first E/A was hit in the cockpit, climbed and fell 3000 to the clouds below in a spin. Blue 2 could not see it as he passed through clouds and is sure it must have gone in the sea. All our aircraft landed at base at 11.25 hours. Our casualties were one 1 Spitfire VB Cat B : the pilot F/L Boussa was slightly wounded in the leg. Our score for this sortie was 2 F.W. 190’s destroyed,
1 probable and 5 damaged.
 

The third sortie took place at 12.20 hours when 11 aircraft took off led by F/L BOUSSA to patrol at 6000 feet to cover the withdrawal of ground forces. The last boats were 10 miles off the French coast and was being attacked by Ju 88’s. Yellow section attacked one of these, part of its tail unit was seen to fall off and the aircraft was seen to fall in the sea.

Blue 1 (F/L du MONCEAU) fired at 4 E/A without observing results. We suffered no casualties and claimed one Ju 88. shared by 4 pilots. All aircraft were down by 13.15 hours.
 

The fourth and last sortie took place at 15.15 hours

12 aircraft led by the C.O. patrol at 3/4000 feet to protect returning vessels. Fighter opposition was still strong. Out of a group of 4 F.W. 190’s, Yellow 3 (P/O VENESOEN) destroyed one , Yellow 4 (SGT VANLERBERGHE) saw this break up in the air. Yellow 1 (P/O PLISNIER) saw strikes all along the fuselage of another which Sgt Vanlerberghe likewise saw fall in the sea.

Blue 3 (P/O PLAS) saw hits on a F.W. 190. Blue 2 (SGT FLOHIMONT) with hits on another F.W. 190 and damaged 2 F.W. 190’s seeing part of the tail unit of one fall away. The Squadron was on patrol from 15.40 to 16.26 hours and 11 aircraft landed at base at 16.46 hours, that of P/O Venesoen had its wingtip shot away. Sgt Alexandre landed at Friston because one of his cannons had exploded and his engine was damaged by pieces of his own shells. Our casualties for the flight were 2 Spitfires VB Cat B both pilots landing safely. Successes for this sortie were 2 F.W. 190’s destroyed, 5 F.W. 190’s damaged and 1 Do 217 damaged.

Total claims to be put forward for the day are:-

6 F.W. 190’s destroyed by P/O VENESOEN (2), F/L du MONCEAU, F/L BOUSSA, P/O PLISNIER, P/O PICARD and P/O PLAS (shared). 1 Ju 88 shared by P/O SMETS, SGT BOUTE, P/O PLISNIER, SGT VANLERBERGHE. 1 F.W. 190 probably destroyed by SGT ALEXANDRE. 11 F.W. 190’s damaged by SGT ALEXANDRE (3), SGT FLOHIMONT (2), F/L BOUSSA, F/L du MONCEAU, P/O PLAS, P/O SEYDEL, SGT BOUTE, P/O SEYDEL and SGT BOUTE (shared).

1 Do 217 damaged by SGT VANLERBERGHE.
 

The Squadron is very pleased with this result.
 

47 separate sorties were made in the 4 sweeps and no plane had to return owing to mechanical troubles.

RAF Form 541

OPERATION JUBILEE

First Sortie:  On fighter patrol over Jubilee from 08.00 hours to 08.25 hours at 5000 feet as top Squadron. In general melee F/L du MONCEAU destroyed 1 F.W. 190, P/O PICARD and P/O PLAS another while Sgt FLOHIMONT damaged another. We lost one pilot, P/O MARCHAL, who is missing.

Second Sortie: On fighter patrol at same height as in first sortie. Fighter opposition was livelier, F.W. 190’s were acting as protection to Ju 88’s Yellow 2 P/O VENESOEN) destroyed 1 F.W. 190 seeing it disintegrate in the air. Yellow 1 (F/L BOUSSA) was attacked 2 F.W.’s destroying one, as the pilot jumped out by parachute, and damaged the other. Yellow 3 (P/O SEYDEL) and yellow 4 (SGT BOUTE) accounted for 2 more damaged. Blue 1 (F/L du MONCEAU) damaged a F.W. 190 and Sgt Alexandre (Blue 2) claims one F.W. 190 damaged one probably destroyed. Our casualties: 1 a/c cat B (Pilot: F/L BOUSSA slightly wounded in leg). On patrol from 10.35 to 10.50 hours.

Third Sortie: Cover for the withdrawal of our ground forces. The last boats were already 10 miles off the French coast. Yellow Section (P/O SMETS, SGT BOUTE, P/O PLISNIER and SGT VANLERBERGHE) attached a Ju 88 which was seen to lose part of its tail unit and crash in the sea. The patrol lasted from 12.45 to 13.15.

Fourth and Final Sortie: Many dogfights. Our pilots claim 2 F.W. 190’s destroyed (P/O VENESOEN, P/O PLISNIER) 5 F.W. 190’s damaged (P/O SEYDEL, P/O PLAS, SGT FLOHIMONT and SGT ALEXANDRE (2)) and 1 Do 217 damaged (Sgt VANLERBERGHE. P/O VENESOEN’s wing tip was shot away (a/c Cat B) and Sgt ALEXANDRE’s cannon exploded (a/c Cat B) pieces of his own shells entering engine. Both pilots unhurt. On patrol 15.40-16.25 hours. For the day our squadron claims are: 6 F.W. 190’s and 1 Ju 88 destroyed, 1 F.W. 190 probably destroyed, 11 F.W. 190’s damaged and 1 Do 217 damaged for the loss of one pilot.

P/O H E Marchal, who was shot down by an FW 190 in the first sortie, was rescued from the sea.