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4 flightjournal.com

FLIGHT JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2014

C O V E R S T O R Y

24 | Hurricane Heroes from the ColoniesTwo RAF Yanks pay the ultimate price By Rachel Morris

FEATURES

14 | The Mighty 8thWhat a difference a year can make By Barrett Tillman

34 | Eyewitness to HistoryA childhood interrupted By W. Joan Hawgood Hall, Former ACW.2

36 | The Rescue of Lady AceNo man left behind … hot LZ be damned! By Rex Gooch

44 | Bombing the BeastBen Case and the SB2C Helldiver By Robert F. Dorr

COLUMNS

6 | Flight Journal Contributors

8 | Editorial

10 | Airdrop

12 | On the Web

56 | Iconic FirepowerSam SA-2: The Aviator’s Real EnemyBy Barrett Tillman

58 | GalleryLaird SB-300By Budd Davisson

62 | ClassicsCurtis B-2By Joe Gertler

66 | TailviewPost D-Day Fighter ConferenceBy Budd Davisson


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AUGUST 2010 5

FLIGHT JOURNAL (USPS 015-447; ISSN 1095-1075) is published bimonthly by Air Age Inc., 88Danbury Rd., Wilton, CT 06897 USA. © Copyright 2014, all rights reserved. Periodicals postagepermit paid at Wilton, CT, and additional offi ces. Canadian Post Publication s Mail Agreementno. 40008153. SUBSCRIPTIONS AND BACK ISSUES: In U.S., call (800) 442-1871; Canada andelsewhere, call (386) 246-3323; fax (386) 447-2321, or go to FlightJournal.com. U.S., $29 (1 yr.);Canada, $34 including GST (1 yr.); international, $39 (1 yr.). All international orders must be prepaidin U.S. funds; Visa, MC, Discover and AmEx accepted. EDITORIAL: Send correspondence to Editors,Flight Journal, 88 Danbury Rd., Wilton, CT 06897 USA. Email: [email protected]. We welcome alleditorial submissions, but assume no responsibility for the loss or damage of unsolicited material.All material contained herein is protected under the terms of U.S. copyright laws. Reproductionin any form, including electronic media, is expressly prohibited without the publisher’s writtenpermission. © Copyright 2014 Air Age Inc. All Rights Reserved. ADVERTISING: Send advertisingmaterials to Advertising Dept., Flight Journal, 88 Danbury Rd., Wilton, CT 06897 USA; (203) 431-9000; fax (203) 529-3010. Email: [email protected]. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: To ensure thatyou don’t miss any issues, send your new address to Flight Journal, P.O. Box 420134, Palm Coast,

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ON THE COVER: e often-forgotten hero of the Battle o f Britain, the Hurricaneis enjoying a revival of both interest and new restorations of the complex airplane.e Flying Heritage Collection recently added Sea Hurricane BW881 (marked as s/n

5429) to their outstanding stable of flying warbirds. THIS PAGE: e White Cliffsof Dover and a Hurricane: John Dibbs captured an unforgettable image that says somuch about the island nation’s fight for survival in 1940.


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DECEMBER 2014 | VOLUME 20, NO. 6

CONTRIBUTORS

EDITORIAL

Editor-in-Chief Budd Davisson

Executive Editor Debra Cleghorn

Editor Gerry Yarrish

Deputy Managing Editor Katherine Pierpont

CONTRIBUTING EDITORSWalter Boyne, James P. Busha, Ted Carlson, RobertS. DeGroat, John Dibbs, Robert F. Dorr, Jim Farmer,Paul Gillcrist, Phil Haun, Randy Jolly, FrederickJohnsen, Geoffrey P. Jones, Ron Kaplan, Peter Lert,Rick Llinares, John Lowery, George Marrett, PeterMersky, Dan Patterson, Steve Pace, Stan Piet,Alfred Price, Warren ompson, Barrett Tillman,David Truby, Barna by Wainfan

ART

Creative Director Betty K. Nero

Art Director Kevin Monahan

DIGITAL MEDIAWeb Producer Holly Hansen

ADVERTISINGAdvertising Director Mitch Brian ››203.529.4609

Senior Account Executive

Ben Halladay ››203.529.4628

Account Executive Lisa Kittrell ›› 203.423.8055

Sales Assistant Tracey Terenzi

Email [email protected]

CONSUMER MARKETINGe Media Source, a division of TEN, eEnthusiast Network

MARKETING & EVENTSAssociate Creative Director Leslie Costa

Event Manager Emil DeFrancesco

PUBLISHING

Group Publishers Louis DeFrancesco Jr.,Yvonne M. DeFrancesco

Magazine Publishers of America Printed in the U.S.A.

EDITORIALMAIL 88 Danbury Road,Wilton, CT 06897 USA

PHONE (203) 431-9000

EMAIL [email protected]

INTERNET FlightJournal.com

FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE ANDSUBSCRIPTION QUESTIONS,such as Renewals, Address Changes, Email Preferences,Billing and Account Status, go to F lightJo urnal.com /cs.You can also call (800) 827-0323 or + (386) 246-3323(outside the U.S.)

HOW TO REACH US

Barrett Tillman

e Mighty 8th

Seventy years ago, the 8thAir Force raised daylightstrategic bombardmentto maturity over Occupied

Europe. ere’s abottomless reservoir ofinterest in the subject,ranging from personalaccounts to unit historiesto command and staff studies. In this issue, Flight Journal pays tribute to the Mighty Eighth, recallingthe epic air battles of 1944, from Big Week to D-Day and beyond.

Robert F. Dorr

Bombing in the Beast

On June 1, 2013, with EdVesely in the front seat, Iflew a simulated bombing

and strafing mission inthe world’s only airworthyCurtiss SB2C Helldiver.at flight launched ayear of research into aseemingly under-rateddive bomber of World War II. Learning about Helldiver pilots and radioman-gunners was a rich andrewarding experience. In the near future, maybe: a book about the squadron known as BombingEighty, or VB-80, which served aboard the carriers Ticonderoga and Hancock in the Pacific.

Rachel Morris

Hurricane Heroes from

the Colonies ere is somethingparticularly moving aboutthe American pilots whorisked the wrath of theirgovernment to fight forGreat Britain’s RAF inthe early years of WW II.Whatever their personalmotivation, they gave their all to England, and frequently their lives. In this issue I tell the story ofBilly Fiske and Carl Davis, American Hurricane pilots in the RAF’s legendary 601 Squadron. eywere fascinating characters who both paid the ultimate price.

Rex Gooch

e Rescue of Lady Ace

At annual reunions,my best friend, RussMiller, and I shared ourexperiences flying Armyhelicopters in Vietnam.On one occasion, Russmodestly told of his role inthe courageous nighttimerescue of a downedU.S. Marine he licopter crew. I suggested that Russ or someone in his unit document this story.Unfortunately, Russ died in 2011. Because it personifies Russ’s courage and honorable character, Iwrote this story as a tribute to him.


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EDITORIAL

One problem with putting out a magazine in which World War IIand military history is a central theme is that it is easy to get

caught in the trap of focusing on the more popular icons. The

famous pilots. The famous airplanes. The famous battles. This

time around, we included some of the icons, but we were able

to reach outside our usual sphere to bring in some interesting

types and stories.

My absolute favorite article in this issue isn’t about a famous

airplane. And it wasn’t written by a pilot. In fact, she wasn’t

even a crew member. Regardless, 88 year-old Joan Hawgood Hall

provides a new perspective of the British in WW II. Although,her experiences were common in the UK, they are practically

unknown in the Colonies. She had dropped us a Letter to the

Editor, in which she mentioned how our Lancaster story had

stirred almost forgotten memories. The email was so touching

that we begged her to expand it to be a featurette that gives us

an exceptionally rare window into the life of a teenager during

the war. Her e-mail has inspired us to develop a new depart-

ment for Flight Journal: “Eyewitness to History.” The new pages

will appear every time we receive letters like Joan’s, that we feel

absolutely must be shared.

When you leap ahead from WW II to Viet-

nam, the first iconic aircraft that come to mind

are Hueys and Phantoms with the hard-work-ing Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallions largely forgot-

ten. But, CH-53D, Lady Ace 7-2, wasn’t forgot-

ten by the rescue teams that struggled through

sometimes withering fire to get her crew out.

Rex Gooch’s words in “The Rescue of Lady Ace

7-2” put the reader on the edge of his seat as

the “Will they or Won’t they?” scenes play out.

The WW II, Curtiss SB2C Helldiver dive

bomber was referred to, not always affection-

ately, as “The Beast” by her crews and often

isn’t mentioned at all by WW II enthusiasts.

Her brutish shape puts her far down the list of

most-loved icons, but the Helldiver pilot’s sto-ry, as told by Robert F. Dorr, clearly shows that

she did the job for which she was designed su-

perbly. The article is further enhanced by pho-

tos and words from archivist Joe Gertler that

explains the type’s unlikely lineage.

Gertler brings us another seldom-seen, non-

icon in his incredibly sharp images of the Cur-

tiss Condor. The Condor, an early transport,

stands with one foot in the biplane era and the

other in the early 1930s exploding transporta-

tion market that gave birth to the DC-3.

Like icons? Us too, which is why we includ-

ed Rachel Morris’ story of two American Hur-

ricane pilots who paid the ultimate price fly-

ing for the RAF. John Dibbs’ incredible photos

help tell the tale.

Last but not least, we get lots of WW II Icon

licks in with Barrett Tillman’s insightful and

incisive explanation of the difference a year

made in the growth of the mighty Eighth Air

Force. Under the umbrella of the Eighth, the

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We welcome yourcomments andsuggestions. Lettersmay be edited forbrevity and clarity.

Fords vs. ’Saders

Barrett Tillman’s F4D article reminded me of

when, in my teens in the 1960s, my dad was

based at NAS Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, that

would host “Operation Spring Board” every

year: an all-out Marine Air/Ground exercise.One year we had an F4D squadron and F8U

squadron down. Finally, the F4D squadron

Commander said in front of God and everybody

at the O’Club, “Our bird may be long in tooth,

but we can beat your ass to 20,000 feet, any day

of the week!” The challenge was immediately

accepted by the Crusader C.O. A wager was

established (lots of beer) and a date set.

The big day finally arrived and we locals took

a viewpoint from one of the hills above the

runway. Both sides of the runway starting line

was lined with Marines from the two squadrons.

One Ford and one ’Sader were towed to the endof the runway and lined up side by side. Each

had its own start cart. Then another Crusader

and Ford launched: referees to confirm the

winner. Once the two referees were in orbit and

on station, word was passed to start engines. A

“starter” walked between the two airplanes with

a big orange and white checkered flag off the

“Follow Me” truck.

Instantly, both airplanes shot forward and we

could hear the retort of the two “Hard Light”

burners going off. From there it was a tale of two

totally different tactics. As soon as the Ford had

flying speed, it levitated almost 60-70 degreesnose up. The Crusader accelerated in a low tran-

sition to build up speed before rotating.

It wasn’t even close!

By the time the Cru-

sader rotated, the little

Skyray was already

passing 10K on its way

to 20! I’ve never seen anything like it before or

since. It was like watching a rocket launch! While

the Crusader was accelerating horizontally, the

little Ford seemed to be doing the same thing

vertically!

As soon as the Ford hit 20K and radioed hisaltitude, a big cheer went up from the winning

side. The little Skyray then rolled on his back and

did a Split-S to a landing! He was back on the

ground almost as fast as he took off! He was fol-

lowed by the Crusader a couple of minutes later.

It was a hoot!

The Marines had a big day. The losers paid up

and the winners gracefully shared their bounty.

The rest of us had a memory to last forever.

Roy Stafford

That is the kind of story we love to hear. Thanks.

— BD

Deck Memories

Two of your October 2014 articles brought back

a memory which I will share. While attached to

VF-14 flying the F3H-2 McDonnell Demon off the

modified angle deck USS F. D. Roosevelt (CV-42)

in the spring of 1959, I made a routine landing

catching the Number 3 wire. Immediately

behind me landed a Skyray piloted by Major

Minnick, the executive officer of our sister CVG-1

squadron, VMF-214. The F4D caught the Number

2 wire. Tragically, the wire broke at the swage

fitting, making the plane too fast to stop andtoo slow to fly. I watched it crash into the water

with fatal results. The story we heard was that the

wire was sized for the wooden decks of the Essex-

class carriers and was not to be used on the steel

deck of the Roosevelt , but was mismarked when

shipped from its source. I have often wondered

how close my hook passed over the defective

FACEBOOK

facebook.com/FlightJournal

MAIL Flight JournalAir Age Media88 Danbury Road,Wilton, CT 06897

EMAIL

[email protected]

More on the XB-42Thanks for featuring the XB-42 in the

October 2014 issue of Flight Journal. This

aircraft is a particular favorite of mine.

While visiting the archives of the Rolls-

Royce Heritage Trust, Allison Branch, in

Indianapolis, I came across the official

accident report for the demise of XB-42

# 2, 43-50225. To correct Mr. Pace, there

was actually a crew of three on the

aircraft that fateful day. The first to bail

out through the side escape panel was Major

Hayduk, followed by Lt. Col. Laney. Pilot, Lt. Col. Fred Ascani, was the last

to leave. To his horror, Ascani had forgotten to blow the pusher propellers off

before the exit of Hayduk and Laney at 800 feet AGL, but remembered to blow

them before his exit at 400 AGL. All were uninjured. —Tom Fey

Good info, Tom. —BD


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wire, which really was our aiming point.

Paul A. Riley, LCDR USN (Ret.)

Aviation is laced with events that a microsecond one

way or the other would have changed the outcome.

Glad you were lucky. —BD

What is at!?

In the October issue on page 15 (“The Other Flying

Fords”) there is a black and white photo of F4D

#4954 from VFAW-3. The plane has, what looks to

be an aerial bomb mounted on a long dog-legged

piece of square tube. The “bomb” is in line with

but to the port side of the exhaust. The whole

Rube Goldberg contraption is mounted all the way

forward to the ordinance hard points. It may not

be the strangest addition to an airplane that I have

ever seen. What is it?

James A. Hassett

ON THE WEB | FLIGHTJOURNAL.COM

Flight Journal in the Electronic AgeFlightJournal.com is updated daily with lots of “On This Day in Aviation

History” reports that may feature the first hot air balloon flight or the

birthday of a noted WW II ace or

aviation pioneer. You never know

what you’ll find there!

Free Screen Savers:A Change in DirectionTraditionally, we’ve offered some

of the fantastic line drawings of

William Wylam, Willis Nye or some

of the other classic draftsmen/

artists in FlightJournal.com.

This time around, however, the

Air Age Archive didn’t have any

drawings that directly tie to this issue. So, we’re going in

another direction and offer a high-quality vintage photograph, in this

case, 532nd Bomb Group B-17s in formation, that is formatted to be

used as a screen saver.

FREEDOWNLOAD

Visit FlightJournal.com and register for our e-newsletter andbecome an FJ fan on Facebook (facebook.com/FlightJournal)

That’s actually a target towing rig for pilots to practice

air-to-air gunner. —BD

Crusader or Ford?

Barrett Tillman’s piece on the Ford (F4D) was ex-

cellent except for the ruminations on the F5D. In

particular, he brings up the old F8U-1 Crusadercanard. The F8U-1 Crusader was a “Day Fighter”

while the F5D-1 was an “All-Weather Fighter.”

The reason that the F5D was canceled had to do

with its timing in regard to the F8U-3 and F4H-

1. What the Navy and secretary of defense were

looking at was that the plane would be operation-

al in 1959 — roughly a year or less before the more

“advanced” F8U-3 or F4H-1 would be coming into

service. The F8U-1 story seems to have been pro-

mulgated by Ed Heinemann over the years. The

prototype F5D’s used the same 16,000 lb. J57-P-8

as the production F4D’s so it never had a more

powerful engine than the F4D installed. The

unbuilt production version of the F5D was pro-

grammed for a 17,200 lb. thrust J-57-P-14 while

Ed Heinemann wanted to use a J-79 with movable

ramp intakes for Mach 2 speed. The number-one

F5D was flown to Mach 1.63 in level flight.

Anyway, great magazine and I miss Corky’s

stories.

Lyall McRae

Thank you for your perspective, Lyall. Ed Heinemann

was not the source of our information. We stand by

the article regarding selection of the Crusader over

the F5D because the Navy wanted to keep Vought in

business after the failed F7U Cutlass. And we miss

Corky terribly. —BT

What looks like a bomb is actually a target shape attached to

a cable that the pilot of the Ford could extend or reel in at will.

Gunnery students then made gunnery passes on it. e structure

kept it out of the jet blast.


13/68

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14/68


THE MIGHTY

The changes came unbelievablyfast. On January 1, 1943, the U.S.

8th Army Air Force in Britainnumbered six bomb groups

and one fighter group. Twelve

months later the lineup hadexpanded to 26 bomb groups

and 10 fighter. But even that

was incomplete. Through 1944,the Eighth trailed its contrails

across all of Europe, fromScandinavia south and eastward

on long-range shuttle missions that

included stops in Russia. It was the yearof decision in Europe, not only with D-Day,

but with a sustained bombing campaignunlike anything before or since.

WHAT ADIFFERENCEA YEAR CANMAKEBY BARRETT TILLMAN


15/68

DECEMBER 2014 15

e Mighty Eighth flew a wide

variety of aircraft in the Army

Air Force's inventory: B-17s,

B-24s, P-38s, P-47s, andP-51s, plus reconnaissance

and air-sea rescue planes.


16/68


THE MIGHTY 8TH AIR FORCE

D-Day for the 91st BG atBassingborne as B-17Gs taxi

past a lone pathfinder "MickeyShip" (DF-P) as they queue for

a tactical misson to Cherbourg

to attack German marshalingareas. (Photo courtesy of Stan

Piet)

At the beginningThe Eighth’s origins were humble and hasty.

Three weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl

Harbor, the organization was activated without

aircraft at Savannah, Georgia, with headquar-

ters established at Bolling Field, D.C. Maj. Gen.

Carl Spaatz established the Eighth at Bushey Park

southwest of London in June 1942.However, a pioneering cadre had arrived in

February. Brigadier General Ira Eaker and six of-

ficers laid the groundwork for Spaatz and others

who would follow. The small group included fu-

ture combat leaders: Lt. Col. Frank Armstrong,

Maj. Peter “Bud” Beasley, and Captains Fred

Castle and Beirne Lay. Castle would perish as a

brigadier general and Lay became the Eighth’s

chronicler in print and on screen.

The Mighty Eighth was America’s strategic

air force in the European Theater of Operations

(ETO). But before U.S. airmen could begin bomb-

ing Occupied Europe, immense logistics and

doctrinal-operational hurdles had to be cleared.

Eaker took over the Eighth from Spaatz in De-

cember, and Job One was establishing more than200 bases and the vast support organization nec-

essary to sustain an air campaign. Therefore, he

and Spaatz had to work hand in glove with the

British, and it was not always easy.

Learning the tradeBy mid 1942, the Royal Air Force had been bomb-

ing Germany for two years. The results were dis-

appointing, as flak and fighters forced Bomber

Command to operate at night. Some RAF com-

manders thought the Eighth should join the noc-

turnal offensive but the Americans stuck to their

guns—and their doctrine. They believed in preci-

sion daylight bombing, “precision” being a rela-

tive term. Lacking long-range escort fighters, the

Yanks knew they would take losses in deep pen-

etration missions but believed in the self-defend-

ing bomber. Hence, the B-17’s moniker, Flying

Fortress. Augmented by B-24 Liberators, Eaker’s

airmen were convinced they could accomplish in

daylight what the British could not. If so, the Al-

lies could attack Germany round the clock in the

Combined Bombing Offensive.

The Eighth’s first bomb groups went opera-

tional that summer, breaking in slowly. Eaker led

the first U.S. heavy bomber mission, 12 Fortresses

attacking Rouen on August 17, 1942. Gradually,

their numbers increased, but numbers alone were

Heavy-hitters of the Eighth’s bombing

campaign Mon Tete Rouge II and fellowB-17Gs from the 452nd BG head for

Chateaudun, France, on another strategicmission to neutralize German l ogistical

resources here on March, 28, 1944. MonTete was later lost to flak on a mission to

Kassel in December of that year.


17/68

DECEMBER 2014 17

56th FG pilots Maj. Paul A.Conger, Lt. Cameron M. Hart and

Lt. Phillip G. Kuhn all from the63rd Sq. pose in front of a former

78th FG P-47D after the group’s

hi-test P-47Ms developedteething engine problems and

had to be supplemented withreplacements in their quest

to hang on to their revered

Tunderbolts.

By the summer of 1944, thisP-47C that had initially provided

the 8th’s strategic bombingescort duty, was now relegated

to the 551st Fighter rainingSquadron at Atcham to bringnewly arrived pilots into the

tactics of the EO’s FighterCommand. (Photos courtesy of

Stan Piet)

insufficient. Much remained to be learned.

Additionally, some early units were siphoned

off to North Africa. The invasion of French Mo-

rocco in November delayed the Eighth building

to full strength, but Spaatz and Eaker’s men con-

tinued flying and learning.

Commander of the 305th Bomb Group was

Colonel Curtis E. LeMay, a renowned pilot and

navigator who had helped perfect the B-17. Ad-

ditionally, he taught himself everything worth

knowing about the Norden bombsight, bringinga driving ambition and icy intellect to the job.

But he was skeptical of claims he heard and con-

ducted a personal investigation. He found both

navigation and bombing badly wanting: only

about 20 percent of the Eighth’s tonnage was

striking within five miles of the target.

LeMay convinced his superiors that changes

were needed. His group proved the value of the

“combat box” formation that not only tightened

up bombing patterns but afforded better defen-

sive firepower against interceptors. He moved up

fast, commanding a wing in May 1943 and a divi-

sion in September.

In August, LeMay figured prominently in the

most ambitious mission yet. On the 17th, anni-versary of Eaker’s first heavy bomber mission, a

dual strike was launched against aircraft plants

at Schweinfurt and Regensburg in central and

southern Germany.


18/68



The two task forces were to divide the Luft-

waffe defenses. LeMay’s wing targeted Regens-

burg, continuing across the Mediterranean to

Algeria. Brigadier General R.B. Williams’ First

Wing drew Schweinfurt, expecting to benefit by

German attention to LeMay’s Fourth. But Brit-

ish weather intervened, keeping Williams’ force

grounded until mutual support was lost.

The result was near catastrophic: of 376 bomb-

ers launched, 60 were lost and dozens heavily

damaged. Beyond range of P-47s, LeMay wryly

noted, “Our fighter escort had black crosses on

its wings.” B-17 gunners reported 288 kills and

Allied fighters 31 while the Germans lost about

50 to all causes — a victory for the Jagdwaffe.

Regensburg was hard hit but Schweinfurt sus-

tained light damage. “Schweinfurt II” came two

months later, with similar results. Sixty Fortresses

went down, and 17 were scrapped. With losses

exceeding 20 percent, the future of deep-penetra-

tion bombing appeared dubious.

Under new managementA significant change occurred early in the new

year. On January 3 Ira Eaker, who had built the

Eighth from little more than a briefcase, was sentto Italy, commanding the southern half of the

Combined Bombing Offensive. He was replaced

by Maj. Gen. Jimmy Doolittle who had estab-

lished the 15th Air Force there in November.

General Dwight Eisenhower wanted his Medi-

terranean colleague running the Northern Euro-

pean air war, and Doolittle eagerly accepted the

task. But he was realistic, writing: “I have a big-

ger and more interesting job, but it is infinitely

more difficult than the one I had (in Italy). Down

there…any modest success was apparently ap-

preciated. Up here miracles are confidently an-

ticipated. Have been a little slow in getting my

Miracle Department organized…”

Organization was indeed a factor in February

when the Eighth was sectioned into three divi-

sions. Each included four to six bomb wings and

a fighter wing. As a rule, the First and Third di-

visions flew B-17s and the Second B-24s though

five groups flew both, as Doolittle preferred For-

tresses for standardization.

That month strategic operations peaked with

“Big Week,” a combined north-south campaign

against Germany’s aircraft industry by the Eighth

and the Fifteenth. Between February 20 and 25

the UK-based bombers launched four times into

the Reich. The initial mission, focusing on Leipzig

and Brunswick, was a watershed: the Eighth’s first

Top: On the hardstand at Station#134 at Eye, Suffolk, Te Jinx

was adorned with numerous

bad luck symbols to ward offany misfortune of war; that was

apparently quite successful asthis 490th BG B-24H survived

ETO and later 15th AF duty towar’s end. (Photo courtesy of

the Mark Brown Collection/USAFA )

Inset: An oft-repeated scene,usually at the crack of dawn,

bomber flight crews are finishingup their pre-flight briefings as

the navigators are given theirtime hack to maintain their

time-on-target planning. (Photo

courtesy of Stan Piet)


19/68

DECEMBER 2014 19

1,000-bomber effort.

Damage to some factories was significant

but it was efficiently repaired. More than

ever, the need for a sustained campaign

was evident — there would be no magic

bullet in the strategic air war.

Big Week was closely followed with an-

other milestone, “Big B.” On March 4,guided by radar pathfinders, 29 B-17s of the

95th and “Bloody 100th” Groups pushed

through weather, becoming the first Ameri-

cans to bomb the metropolitan area. More

than 250 bombers aborted with others at-

tacking alternate targets.

Two days later, the Eighth launched

against Berlin proper with 658 heavies

bombing the capital and nearby cities.

The Luftwaffe resisted savagely: despite

Mustang escort, 69 bombers were hacked

down, a record one-day loss.

Lieutenant C.B. “Red” Harper of the100th recalled the March 6 mission with

30 B-17s: “At 11:59 all hell broke loose. We

were attacked by over 100 German fighter

planes from the III Gruppe of JG 54, Me

109s and Fw 190s. They hit us head on

in pairs. On the first pass they had six of

our nine-ship high squadron on fire but

missed me. They swung around and came

at us again head on and took out the six

that were already burning and shot down

two more of our high squadron leaving my

plane the only one left in the high squad-

ron. They then took out seven more bomb-ers from the lead and low squadrons, mak-

ing a total of fifteen bombers shot down

from the 100th Bomb Group in less than

10 minutes. It looked like a parachute inva-

sion. Bombers and fighters were on fire and

exploding all over the sky.”

Nevertheless, Doolittle’s heavies were

back again on the 8th, leaving another 36 “Vier-

mots” in the dirt.

Tactics evolved as well as organization. Doo-

little’s most significant change came early in his

tenure when he turned the fighters loose from

the bombers. Eaker had insisted on close escort,

partly owing to few fighter groups on hand, part-

ly because bomber crews liked seeing P-38s and

P-47s. He should have known better — he had

been in Britain in 1940 when Hermann Goring

insisted that Bf 109s fly close escort on Luftwaffe

bombers.

Doolittle reckoned that the best defense was

a vigorous offense. He allowed fighter groups to

roam farther afield, breaking up Luftwaffe gaggles

before they could swarm the heavies. He also au-

thorized attacks on enemy airfields. It worked:

between January and June, Eighth bomber losses

to enemy aircraft dropped 50 percent.

Fighter pilots relished their newfound free-

dom. Recalled triple ace C.E. “Bud” Anderson of

the 357th Fighter Group, “We were motivated,

aggressive. Only the fittest and most competitive

survived the training, and then the deadly win-

nowing out imposed by our last and best teacher,

the German Air Force …Combat was exciting, ad-

dictive, a test of your mettle and manhood — a

crucible in which men became a cut above the

ordinary.”

The 357th was the Eighth’s first Merlin-pow-

ered P-51 unit, only the second in the ETO. The

Ninth Air Force’s 354th Group was loaned to the

Eighth in November until more Mustang units

arrived. With unexcelled range, the North Ameri-

can ponies galloped farther and farther afield, af-

fording “big friends” escort to and from almost

any target.

Fighter pilots were enthused about the Mus-

tang. The Fourth Group’s Col. Don Blakeslee

managed a hasty transition from P-47s, telling

his pilots “You can learn to fly ‘em on the way

to the target.”

Top: One of the most well-

known Lightning photos of thewar shows First Lt. Loren Wilson

of the 383rd FS flying his P-38Js/n 42-67978 N2+K near their

home field of Honnington,

England, during 1944. (Photos

courtesy of Jack Cook)

Bottom: e first U.S. fighter

unit in the UK to achieve combatstatus, the 31st FG arrived at

Atcham in June 1942 assigned

Spitfire VBs and under RAFcontrol. ey participated in a

number of fighter sweeps andbomber escorts, particularly

the Dieppe raid, but weretransferred to the 12AF in

October to support the Torch

invasion. (Photo courtesy ofStan Piet)


20/68



instrument flying. But it just wasn’t possible.

Take a newly winged 220-hour pilot, send him

to multi-engine or fighter transition and opera-

tional training, work him into a squadron for

unit training, and send him to war. In the last

four months of hostilities, 15 percent of heavy

bomber losses were non-combat related.

Control of the Eighth shifted from Spaatz’s stra-tegic bomber command to Eisenhower’s control

starting April 1, 1944. The onset of D-Day marked

a temporary end to the Combined Bombing Of-

fensive as airpower focused on German transport

systems throughout Northern France. Luftwaffe

opposition on the landing beaches on June 6 was

negligible, as air supremacy was complete. Allied

fighters only downed 30 enemy aircraft on D-Day.

By that time the Eighth’s roster was nearly

complete with 41 bomb groups (22 B-17s) and 15

fighter. The latter included six P-47 and four P-38

groups but shortly the Lightnings were gone and

only the 56th retained Thunderbolts.

In February, including Big Week, ETO fighters

claimed 342 German planes in the air and on the

ground. Once Doolittle’s policy took hold the

numbers soared: 545 in March and nearly 1,000

in April.

Yet even when the Luftwaffe was conquered, an

implacable enemy remained: European weather.

Long after the war, pilots were nearly unanimousthat their training lacked sufficient emphasis on

TOP 10 EIGHTH AIR FORCE FIGHTER ACES

Pilot Group Score Comment

Lt. Col. Francis S. Gabreski 56 28 PW 7-44

Capt. Robert S. Johnson 56 27

Maj. George E. Preddy 352 26.83 KIA 12-44

Lt. Col. John C. Meyer 352 24 + 2 Korea

Col. David C. Schilling 56 22.5

Capt. Raymond S. Wetmore 359 21.25

Capt. Frederick C Christensen 56 21

Capt. Donald S. Gentile 4 19.33 + 2 RAF

Maj. Glenn E. Duncan 353 19.5 SD 7-44

Maj. Walker M. Mahurin 56 19 SD 3-44

KIA: Killed in action; PW: Prisoner of War; SD: Shot down & evaded

Gun camera footage showing

Col. Glenn Duncan CO of the353rd FG downing a Fw 190

during 1944. (Photo courtesy ofJack Cook)

When the Merlin-powered

B/C Mustang entered 8th AFinventory in 1943, the ability

to offer theater-wide escortto bombers greatly improved

mission effectiveness and

saved countless crewmen'slives. (Photo by John Dibbs/

planepicture.com)


21/68

DECEMBER 2014 21

off on short notice. When the Luftwaffe opened

Operation Bodenplatte that morning, the airspace

over Airfield Y-29 became a churning low-level

“furball” with P-51s and P-47s engaging Bf 109s

and Fw 190s. The 352nd pilots downed 23 with-

out loss.

Two weeks later, the air war peaked when AAF

fighters scored a record 174 kills on January 14.The 357th sprang “The Great Mousetrap Play,”

claiming 58 victories for three losses north of Ber-

lin. Increasingly the Luftwaffe was found on its

airdromes rather than in the sky.

Down on the deckWith Doolittle’s policy change, VIII Fighter Com-

mand began working “on the deck” in the spring

of 1944 and kept the pressure on Luftwaffe air-

dromes thereafter. As the Reich compressed in

1945, airfields were crammed with more and

more planes, offering increasingly lucrative tar-

gets. The pinnacle came on April 16 when nearly

750 enemy planes were claimed destroyed on

the ground. Four groups each received credit for

100-plus, paced by the 78th and 353rd, both with

more than 130.

Four of the five leading strafers were group

commanders or deputies, all lieutenant colonels.

One reason for their success undoubtedly was

because they were first over the target. Surprise

was crucial to success and survival in strafing, as

AA gunners could quickly adjust to following air-

craft. Still, it was risky: six of the top 15 were shot

down though one evaded capture.

The Fourth Group’s star strafer was Maj. Jim

Goodson who burned 15 planes on the ground

plus 14 in the air. He joked that planning a ma-

jor strafing mission could be counterproductive:

“I was shot down on the only mission I ever

planned!”

The most successful strafer was 55th Group

commander Elwyn Righetti. He scored in mul-

The airmen bristled at the diversion from

their primary mission, but heavy bombardment

helped support ground forces. Probably the best

example was Operation Cobra, with B-17s and -24s

saturating German defenses in the Allied break-

out from Normandy. On July 25, almost 1,500

bombers unloaded west of Saint-Lo but poor

air-ground coordination resulted in nearly 500friendly casualties.

Before month’s end the strategic air campaign

resumed with attacks on enemy petroleum pro-

duction, flying ever deeper into Germany. Origi-

nally a bomber tour was 25 mis-

sions, but Doolittle later extended

it to 30 and then 35. With fewer

losses, crews gained experience and

performed better. However, there

were few “milk runs” to those at the

sharp end. Sergeant Mel Pontillo, a

489th Group Liberator gunner, re-

called his last mission in November1944:

“We were hitting an oil refinery

plant at Sterkrade … in the Ruhr

Valley. In this area, the Germans

have over 900 flak guns. So, you can

see why I was sweating.

“We left England and made land-

fall just south of Flushing...We

went through Belgium, to the IP.

We turned towards the bombing

run and headed for the target. The

Jerries really had our altitude today,

and I think they threw up every-thing that they had; even the kitchen sink.

“Long before we dropped the bombs, flak was

hitting all around us. We dropped the bombs and

made a left-hand turn. The flak was so close that

I could see the red flashes as it burst. We finally

flew out of the flak and I really felt much better.

As we left the target, the top turret gunner said

he had two holes in his turret.” They just missed

his head.

“We finally left the coast and what a feeling.

I was glad. Then too, I felt funny. On the way

home we led the whole division. We finally land-

ed, and boy, did I feel good. We had two holes in

the top turret, one big hole in the right wing, and

one in the left wing.”

New yearNine days before Christmas the German Army

launched a stunning attack through the Ardennes

Forest, catching the Allies by surprise. To help

support the Ninth Air Force and RAF, the Eighth

lent the 352nd and 361st Fighter Groups to bol-

ster the hard-pressed Allies. The 352nd moved to

Belgium in late December but the top gun, Maj.

George Preddy, was killed in a friendly-fire inci-

dent by American gunners on Christmas Day.

On New Year’s Day, Lt. Col. John C. Meyer had

a squadron of blue-nosed Mustangs ready to take

EIGHTH AIRFORCE GROUPS,JUNE 1944

B-17s

91, 92, 94, 95, 96,100, 303, 305, 306,

351, 379, 381, 384,

385, 388, 390, 398,

401, 447, 452, 457,

482 487

B-24s

34, 44, 93, 389,

392, 445, 446, 448,

453, 458, 466, 467,

486, 489, 490, 491,

492, 493, (801, 802

special ops)

P-38s

20, 55, 364, 479. 7th

Recon (F-5s)

P-47s

56, 78, 353 356,

359, 361

P-51s

4, 339, 352, 357

Te long-range capabilities ofthe Mustang brought full-time

coverage to the 8th’s strategicbombers but the vulnerability of

their liquid-cooled engines were

often the reason for this scene

where Lt. James C. Harrington ofthe 355th FG, brought his P-51B(YF-X) to a successful landing at

his home field of Steeple Mordenin July 1944. (Photo courtesy of

Stan Piet)


22/68



90-degree left turn, keeping his tracers in the cen-

ter of the road. Asked how he did it, “Big John”

deadpanned, “Rudder, son. Lots of rudder.”The stellar performance was a 56th Group pi-

lot, Lt. Randall Murphy, who burned 10 planes

on April 13 while other Wolfpack pilots added 85

more.

In all, Eighth Air Force fighters claimed more

than 4,000 grounders, led by the 355th’s “Steeple

Morden Strafers” with 502. The 4th, 339th, and

353rd all tallied 400 or more.

Te numbersAt full strength in mid-1944, the Eighth num-

bered 41 bomb groups and 15 fighter groups. But

the force was more than bombers and fighters.Three recon groups were assigned, one of which

transferred to the Ninth Air Force. Each air divi-

sion had a weather scouting unit flying P-51s, and

special-operations squadrons performed air-sea

rescue and electronic countermeasures missions.

The 15 groups of VIII Fighter Command

claimed 5,150 aerial victories. The 246 aces ac-

counted for over 1,700, or one-third of the total.

Precise figures are elusive but about 350,000

men passed through the Mighty Eighth, and

most sources cite 26,000 lost to all causes and

21,000 wounded. (Total Marine Corps combat-

related fatalities were 19,500.) Moreover, theEighth lost 5,500 heavies to all causes. In a three-

year campaign fought from 30,000 feet to the

ground, the Mighty Eighth earned its record in

frozen blood and crystalline contrails through-

out Europe’s skies.

PostscriptDismantling the Eighth began immediately.

First home was the 389th Bomb Group, which

returned its B-24s to “Uncle Sugar” within two

weeks of V-E Day. Originally 12 groups were re-

tained on occupation duty but eventually they

too flew west to peace — and home.

Meanwhile, half of the war remained to be won.

In July, Jimmy Doolittle took some of his head-

quarters staff to Okinawa where the Eighth was to

recycle with B-29s. Two new groups were combat-

ready when the emperor over-rode his war cabi-

net and accepted surrender in mid-August.

In June 1946, the Eighth was assigned to the

Strategic Air Command, serving in that capac-

ity for the duration of the Cold War. Boeing re-

mained the lifeblood of the command, as Con-

vair B-36s were succeeded by B-47s and B-52s.

Today the Eighth Air Force belongs to Global

Strike Command, fielding two B-52 wings in

Louisiana and North Dakota, and the B-2 wing at

Whiteman AFB, Missouri.

tiples including six each on two days. On his last

mission, April 17, he burned seven planes then

took hits to his engine. Ever aggressive, he made

another pass to claim two more destroyed, then

bellied in nearby. He radioed that he broke his

nose but said, “Be seeing you.” It was not to be:

apparently he was murdered by civilians. His 27

remained tops among strafers.

Among the finest shooters was Lt. Col. John

Landers, the 24-year-old CO of the 78th Group.

Having survived P-40s in the Southwest Pacific, he

ran his Axis aerial total to 14.5 plus 20 “ground-

ers.” His gun camera film was impressive. In one

instance he followed a German vehicle through a

TOP 15 EIGHTH AIR FORCE STRAFING ACES

Pilot Group Score Comment

Lt. Col. Elwyn G. Righetti * 55 27 KIA 4-45

Lt. Col. Joseph L. Thury 339 25

Lt. Col. John D. Landers * 55, 78 20

Maj. Archie A. Tower 339 18

Lt. Col. Claiborne H Kinnard * 4, 355 17

Capt. Gordon B. Compton * 353 15

1st Lt. William J. Cullerton * 355 15 PW 4-45

Maj. James A. Goodson * 4 15 PW 6-44

Capt. Henry W. Brown * 355 14.5 PW 10-44

Maj. Fred W. Glover * 4 14.5 Evaded

Capt. Edwin L. Heller * 352 14.5

Capt. Melville W. Hightshoe 353 14.5

Capt. Herbert G. Kolb 353 14.5

Maj. Gerald Montgomery * 4 14.5

Maj. John T. Godfrey * 4 13.67 PW 8-44

* = 5 or more aerial victories. 6 of top 15 shot down 40%

KIA: Killed in action; PW: Prisoner of War; SD: Shot down & evaded

Captain Roy M. Scrutchfield of the 55th Ftr Squadron, 20th FG, atKings Cliffe with hi s ground crew, /Sgt. Meyers and Corporals Meade

and Holler, pose before Jeanne , his P-38J 43-28430, coded KI-N. Tisship was lost in a flying accident on June 16, 1944, with Major Paul A.

Lobinger at the controls. (Photo courtesy of Stan Piet)


23/68

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Every so often the whine of turbines atLondon’s Biggin Hill airport gives way

to a much more emotive sound: thepistons of a Hawker Hurricane Mk X.e airfield is home to the Biggin HillHeritage Hangar that operates iconicWW II fighters, airborne reminders of theairfield’s famous Battle of Britain history.Hurricane AE977 has been painted torepresent P3886, a wartime aircraftoperated by one of the most enigmatic

and storied squadrons in the RoyalAir Force. No. 601 (Countyof London) Squadronformed part of the RoyalAuxiliary Air Force, and servedas a reserve force that bolstered theRAF’s strength. Among its ranks were twoAmerican heroes whose lives drew curiousparallels, both of whom flew P3886. While

one has been remembered, the otheris less well known. Neither survived theperils of 1940, as Hitler pummeled thedesperate RAF with the full might of theLuftwaffe during the Battle of Britain.

Two RAF Yanks Paythe Ultimate PriceBY RACHEL MORRIS PHOTOS BY JOHN DIBBS/PLANEPICTURE.COM/DIBBS ARCHIVE

Hurricane AE977 currently wears the paint scheme of P3886 UF-K, representing the

fighter flown by No. 601 (County of London) Squadron RAAF during the Battle of Britain.

Pilot Richard Grace shows her latest livery off over the English countryside.


25/68

DECEMBER 2014 25


26/68

HURRICANE HEROES

As the Battle of Britain raged overhead,

a 29-year-old RAF pilot quietly lost his

fight for life in the Royal West Sussex

Hospital at Chichester. Billy Fiske had

sustained severe burns to his hands

and feet the day before but was expected to pull

through. His squadron mates were devastated to

learn he had unexpectedly succumbed to shock.

The RAF was losing pilots against the Luftwaffe at

a frightening rate, but Billy’s background marked

him out as different. He was the first American

pilot to die during the Battle of Britain.

William Meade Lindsley Fiske III, known to his

friends as Billy, hailed from Brooklyn, New York.

Born into an affluent banking family in 1911,

Fiske lived a millionaire’s lifestyle of social events

and adventure. Educated in Chicago, he headed

to Europe where his daring nature flourished in

the Alps. By 1924, he had set new records on

the deadly Cresta Run at St. Moritz — a natural

skeleton racing toboggan track in Switzerland

where head-first, competitors may reach speeds of

80mph.

At the 1928 Winter Olympics, aged just 16,

Billy led the five-man U.S. bobsled team to victory,

becoming the youngest-ever Olympic gold

medalist (a record unbeaten until 1992).Fiske’s love of speed was also satiated through

car racing. At 19 he completed the grueling 24-

hour Le Mans race and set an unofficial record for

a French nighttime run between Nice and Cannes.

After graduating from Trinity College,

Cambridge, Fiske took a banking job but found

time to introduce Alpine-style skiing to the USA.

He and a friend discovered an ideal location in

the Colorado Rockies, and opened a successful

skiing lodge, which began the transformation of

Aspen from a faded Depression-hit mining town

to booming ski resort. After carrying the U.S. team

flag and winning another bobsled gold at the1932 Winter Olympics, Fiske would turn down

the opportunity to compete in Germany’s 1936

games. A former teammate later said that Fiske’s

boycott was in protest against Hitler and his

undesirable policies.

Fiske moved to London and cemented his

ties with English high society by marrying Rose

Bingham in 1938 (Rose was known to the British

press as Countess of Warwick, having recently

divorced from the 7th Earl of Warwick). He took

private flying lessons and socialized in London,

joining the exclusive White’s gentleman’s club

where he became friendly with the pilots of No.601 Squadron. The unit was formed in unusual

circumstances by a group of wealthy aristocrats

in October 1925. All amateur aviators, legend

holds that the friends opted to form an auxiliary

squadron in the smoky bar of White’s Club, and

initially club membership was a prerequisite to

joining the Squadron. As well as the super-rich,

adventurers and sportsmen were attracted to sign

up. They became known as the Millionaire’s Mob,

thanks to the flamboyant, affluent and eccentric

characters within their ranks.

War and the chance to fightBilly was working in New York when war brokeout. He immediately found passage to England on

the SS Aquitania, intent on joining the RAF. During

the early years of the conflict, the U.S. government

supposedly had strict neutrality laws. Officially,

American citizens caught joining a foreign force

faced large fines, imprisonment,

and possible loss of citizenship. To

circumvent the regulations, Fiske,

like many other American pilots,

passed himself off as Canadian and

successfully joined the RAF Voluntary

Reserve on March 23, 1940. He noted

in his diary, “I believe I can lay claim

Billy Fiske: First of Many

Initially, there were some

concerns as to how high-society

playboy and sportsman Billy

Fiske would fit into fighter pilot

life, but he quickly became a

dedicated and popular member

of No. 601 Squadron – the "Mil-

lionaires' Mob."


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DECEMBER 2014 27

P3886 UF-K saw combat during

the Battle of Britain, and was

flown by both Billy Fiske and

Carl Davis from RAF Tangmereduring their short but significant

RAF careers.

BATTLE OF BRITAIN FIGHTERS | SUMMER 1940

Hurricane Mk I Spitfire Mk IA Bf 109E

Length 31 ft. 4 in. 29 ft. 11 in. 28 ft. 8 in.

Wingspan 40 ft. 0 in. 36 ft. 11 in. 32 ft. 4 in.

Wing area 258 sq. ft. 242 sq. ft. 174 sq. ft.

Empty wt. 5,820 lb. 4,476 lb. 4,420 lb.

Maximum wt. 6,793 lb. 6,050 lb. 5,750 lb.

Engine 1,030hp Merlin 1,030hp Merlin 1,150hp DB 601

Top speed 316mph 20,000 ft. 362mph 18,000 ft. 348mph 16,200 ft.

Cruise speed 212mph 20,000 ft. 210mph 18,000 ft. 240mph

MSL climb 2,600 fpm 2,800 fpm 2,600 fpm

Wing loading 26.3 lb./ft. 25.0 lb./ft. 33.0 lb./ft.

Power loading 6.6 lb./hp 5.8 lb./hp 5.0 lb./hp

Ser. Ceiling 34,200 ft. 31,900 ft. 36,000 ft.

Range 505 miles 395 miles 412 miles

Armament 8 .303 MGs 8 .303 MGs 2 7.7 MGs, 2 20mm

Hurricane data from RAF Experimental Establishment, June 1940

Spitfire data from RAF Experimental Establishment, March 1940.


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HURRICANE HEROES

to being the first U.S. citizen to join the RAF in

England after the outbreak of hostilities.”

After completing flying training, Billy was

posted to his friends at No. 601 Squadron, and his

green super-charged 4.5 liter Bentley soon became

a familiar sight on base at RAF Tangmere on the

British south coast. Initially, the millionaires

were taking war in their stride. Fearing that the

rationing of motor fuel might prevent themracing their cars through the Kent country lanes

or playing polo on their motorbikes, one of the

pilots bought the local gas station, thus ensuring

a ready supply. While 601 fliers were well known

for disregarding minor RAF rules and regulations

(they lined their uniforms with bright red silk, and

disregarded regulations on tie color), they took

the business of flying very seriously.

Te Stuka and another first

Fiske made a great impression on his fellow

pilots, making his first operational flight on July

27, 1940, and fast becoming a popular squadron

member and skillful Hurricane pilot. On August

16, No. 601 was scrambled to intercept a large

bombing raid heading to attack RAF Tangmere.

During the resulting mêlée Fiske’s fuel tank was

shot up by a Ju-87 Stuka tail gunner. Fiske decided

against bailing out of the burning aircraft and

instead, attempted to save the valuable Hurricane

by nursing it back to Tangmere. Meanwhile, Ju-

88s carried out two bombing runs, successfully

demolishing three of the four hangars and many

other buildings. In the midst of the chaos, Fiske’s

powerless Hurricane was seen gliding over a

hedgerow towards the runway. Upon landing,

flames engulfed his fighter.

Fiske’s flight commander, Squadron Leader SirArchibald Hope, watched events unfold: “I saw

one of 601’s Hurricanes lying on its belly belching

smoke on the airfield after coming in for its final

approach. I taxied up to it and got out. There were

two ambulance-men there. They had got Billy

Fiske out of the cockpit. They didn’t know how

to take off his parachute so I showed them. Billy

was burnt about the hands and ankles. I told him,

‘Don’t worry, you’ll be all right’.

“Our adjutant went to see him in hospital at

Chichester that night. Billy was sitting up in bed,

perky as hell. The next thing we heard he was

dead. Died of shock.”Hope continued, “Unquestionably, Billy

Fiske was the best pilot I’ve ever known. It was

unbelievable how good he was. He picked up so

fast it wasn’t true. He’d flown a bit before, but he

was a natural as a fighter pilot. He was so terribly

nice and extraordinarily modest, and fitted into

the squadron very well.”

Fiske’s burnt-out Hurricane was back in service

just days later, but 29-year-old Billy added a sad

distinction to his long list of firsts, as the first

American to die fighting in the Battle of Britain.

Draped in both the Stars and Stripes and the Union

Jack, his coffin was carried into the churchyard atSt. Mary and St. Blaise in Boxgrove by his fellow

Pilot Officers. His tombstone bears the simple

epitaph “He died for England.”

The British government had been looking for

ways to encourage America into the war and,

recognizing a golden public relations opportunity,

Fiske’s story was aggressively publicized. A year

later on Independence Day, July 4,1941, a plaque

in Billy’s memory was unveiled in the crypt of

St. Paul’s Cathedral, London. The ceremony was

attended by government and military officials,

plus pilots from both 601 and the all-American

RAF Eagle Squadrons, with the Secretary of

State for Air, Sir Archibald Sinclair, unveiling

the plaque. He said: “Here was a young man for

whom life held much. Under no compulsion he

came to fight for Britain. He came and he fought

and he died.” The plaque can still be seen and

reads simply, “An American citizen who died that

England might live.”

Billy Fiske was the best pilot I’ve ever known ... he wasa natural as a fighter pilot. He was so terribly nice andextraordinarily modest, and fitted into the squadron very well.

—Squadron Leader Sir Archibald Hope

Billy Fiske's coffin, draped with

both the Union Jack and Stars

and Stripes, was carried to the

Boxgrove Priory's churchyard

by his colleagues from 601

Squadron. Billy earned the sad

distinction of being the first

American to die during the

Battle of Britain.


29/68

DECEMBER 2014 29

Carl Raymond Davis was another 601

Squadron pilot whose life drew several

parallels with Fiske’s. Davis did not

receive the same degree of publicity

despite his considerable aerial achievements. Born

in South Africa to American parents, Davis was the

same age as Fiske. He also graduated from Trinity

College, Cambridge in 1928 before heading to

Montreal to earn a mining degree. He learned to

fly while living with his sister in New Jersey. Davis

returned to England, and took British citizenship

in 1932. While living in London, he earned his

commission with 601 Squadron in August 1936.

Society and combatDavis further cemented his squadron ties when he

married Anne Hope. Anne was the sister of No.

601 Squadron Leader Sir Archibald Hope.At that time, the squadron was flying long-

range night-fighter Bristol Blenheim Mk IFs. Davis

got his first taste of combat on November 28,1939

during a large raid on the Luftwaffe seaplane

base at Borkum, Frisian Islands. With six of the

squadron’s Blenheims bolstered by another six

from No. 25 Squadron, the bombers flew hundreds

of miles at low level over the murky North Sea to

reach the Luftwaffe’s naval air station at Borkum

on the North Sea. Inclement weather masked the

sight and sound of the Blenheims’ approach, and

they headed in to strafe the installation with their

wing-mounted machine guns. Initially surprised,the frantic German forces quickly began returning

heavy anti-aircraft fire. But the sneak attack had

paid off. Five Luftwaffe seaplanes were reported

destroyed with no damage to the Blenheims.

Te Yank, the Millionaires’ Mob, andHurricanesIn March 1940, the Millionaires’ Mob traded their

Blenheim bombers for the Hawker Hurricane.

In June, Davis became a father when Anne gave

birth to their son. The seemingly tranquil green

patchwork fields and rolling hills of England’s

south coast countryside, gave little indication of

HURRICANE AE977 HISTORY

One of over 1,400 Hurricanes license-built by the Canadian Car & Foundry in Ontario, AE977 rolled off the production line as a Mk X (equivalent

to a British-built Mk I). Delivered to the RAF in spring 1941, it was transferred to the Fleet Air Arm for conversion to a Sea Hurricane (with navalradio equipment but no arrester hook). After a mid-air collision with another Hurricane in December 1942, AE977 was deemed beyond economicrepair. Te Hurricane did not return to the skies until June 2000, after a thorough restoration by Hawker Restorations Ltd. Procured by Dan and omFriedkin, warbird collectors and pilots, it graced the UK display circuit for two seasons, before being shipped to the United States in 2001.

Te Friedkins opted to paint the airframe in 242 Squadron colors with the codes LE-D, to represent the personal aircraft of famed fighter pilotDouglas Bader. In 2012 AE977 returned to the UK and was repainted as P3886 to commemorate the 601 Squadron American heroes who flew theHurricane during the Battle of Britain. Now under British ownership once again, AE977 is based at Peter Monk’s Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar near

London. Also home to 601 Squadron in late 1939, the famous Battle of Britain airfield makes an apt location for AE977 in its P3886 paint scheme.

Carl R. Davis:Another Yank

Hurribox Pilot

Left: Carl Davis signed up to the

RAF before World War II began,and this experience served him

well during the Battle of Britain's

ferocity. By the time his luck ranout, his respectable kill tally saw

him reach "Double Ace" status.

Below: P3886 in standard RAF"Day Fighter" camouflage, sum-

mer 1940. Te aircraft letteringcodes were "UF," signifying 601

Sqn and K was the individual air-

craft identifier. Tis two-lettersquadron, single-letter a/c

system was also adopted by theUSAAF when they started op-

erations in the EO during WWII.Te silver nose band on the

actual aircraft was an unpainted

cowl piece fitted after a reduc-tion gear issue was suffered by

the aircraft. (Illustration by Mark

Styling via John Dibbs)


30/68


the fierce fighting going on above. The Battle of

Britain began on July 10 and Davis claimed hisfirst kill the following day when he shot down a

Bf.110. He would soon become an ace, destroying

two more on August 11, and a further three in one

day on 13 August. His tally continued to rise, and

on August 18 he bagged two more and one shared

kill in P3886.

At the end of the month he Davis awarded

the Distinguished Flying Cross. His citation

read: “Flying Officer Davis has been engaged on

operational flying since 3rd September, 1939.

He has taken part in nearly all patrols and

interceptions carried out by his squadron. He has

been a section leader for the last two months,and on several occasions has led his flight. Flying

Officer Davis has personally destroyed six enemy

aircraft, and severely damaged several others. He

has shown great keenness and courage.”

Davis had fought ferociously for 12 weeks

without rest, reaching double ace status with 11

½ victories. At the end of August he wrote a letter

describing his wartime life: “Being in a fighter

squadron is really a very odd business, as half the

time you are bored stiff and the other half scared

stiff! But having such wonderful aeroplanes makes

a great difference, and you always feel that youcan outfly and outshoot any German you meet

when you are in them,”

On September 6 Davis was due to start a period

of well-deserved leave, when the squadron were

sent on one final morning scramble. Flying over

Kent, the Hurricanes and their war-weary pilots

were taken unawares by a large formation of Bf

109s. Within minutes, four of the Hurricanes were

destroyed. Two pilots bailed out and survived, but

in a tragic blow to the squadron two were lost —

one of the flight commanders, Flight Lieutenant

Willy Rhodes-Moorhouse and Davis.

Closure from a strangerEric Hubbard, a local police officer, had watched

the aerial disaster unfolding and wrote to Carl’s

wife Anne: “I hope you will not mind receiving

this letter from a stranger, one who saw the air

battle in which your husband gave his life on

Friday morning last, his plane falling in a cottage

P3886 undergoes field mainte-

nance at dispersal at Exeter. OnSeptember 7, the day after Carl

Davis was killed, 601 Squadron

moved to RAF Exeter in Devon

where they remained until

December.


31/68

DECEMBER 2014 31

garden within a hundred yards of this house.

“I am able to tell you that he died in the air

instantaneously as a result of two bullets through

the brain, his machine afterwards breaking in two

and falling.

“I was the first to enter the cottage garden and

saw him sitting in his place, with his feet on the

rudder bar and the belt still fastened round hiswaist, clearly showing that he had not moved

again after being attacked. I placed a covering over

him. An ambulance was summoned and he was

removed to the mortuary of our local hospital.

His pocket book, containing his identity card, a

snapshot and one or two licenses, was taken by the

company commander of the Home Guard who

has forwarded it to the RAF authority. In order to

be certain of my facts I visited the hospital two

days later, where I found him lying with a bunch

of roses on his breast, and, in company with the

Matron, I examined his head and she agreed with

me that death had been instantaneous. “As a fighter of the last war, I pay homage to a

fighter of today, and while I know that nothing I

may say can be of any real comfort to you, I do

ask you to think of him as soaring into the sky, on

that glorious sunny morning, with a smile on his

lips and a song in his heart, to do battle for this

England of ours, and then making the Supreme

Sacrifice.”

e high price paid by the Millionaire’sSquadronBy the end of the Battle of Britain, the Squadron

had lost 11 of its 20 pilots. The necessity of war

meant replacements from all walks of life, losing601 its initial exclusivity. The squadron no longer

had millionaires, but would always be known for

its interesting characters and big personalities,

including the two young Americans who were

killed within days of each other. Billy, the first

American to join the RAF after war had broken

out, and Carl, the RAF’s first American ace.

The author and photographer would like to thank

Peter Monk and the pilot for the photo shoot, Richard

Grace. Tim Ellison flew the cameraship. The author

recommends American Eagles by Tony Holmes

(Classic Publications).

When RAF Tangmere was at-tacked on 16 August 1940, Billy

Fiske was sadly killed but Carl

Davis shot down a raiding Ju-87

Stuka that crash landed in a

nearby field. e Stuka passed

through a row of poplar trees

before skidding to a halt, killing

one crew member outright. e

other died the following day.


32/68


HURRICANE HEROES

e Flying Heritage Collection has the rarest warbirds still flying anywhere in the world. is includes several of the Hur-

ricane’s most active enemies, the only original Fw 190 still flying and an original Bf 109-E3

One of the most recent Hurricane restorations

to arrive in the Colonies is that belonging

to Flying Heritage Collection in Everett, WA.

It is on display along with their world-class

collection of WW II aircraft, most of which are

flown regularly. FHC’s new Hurribox was manufactured

by Canadian Car and Foundry in Fort William, Ontario, Canada,

and delivered to the RAF 22 January 1942. It was damaged in a crash on September

7, 1944, and never repaired. Somehow its remains found their way to a farm in Ontario

circa 1988. It traveled back across the pond to Tony Ditheridge at Hawker Restorations

in Milden, Suffolk, UK, where it changed ownership several times before being acquired by

FHC who had the restoration done. First flight was March 15, 2006 at Wattisham, England.It is finished in Canadian Home Front markings that differ from standard day RAF markings

by having white in the roundels on the wings.

e Hurricane is a complex mixture of aluminum wings

mounting a tubing fuselage that is given its final shape

via a bewildering assemblage of wooden formers and

stringers.

GALLERY

The Latest USA-BasedHurricane-Flight Heritage

Collection


33/68

DECEMBER 2014 33

Restored as closely to original as possible and still ensuring that the aircraft is flyable in today’s traffi c control environment,

the ever-present UK “spade grip” controls stick that features the gun firing button. Ergonomically, many pilots prefer the

arrangement over the normal control stick.

Quite a number of aircraft during WW II used the Merlin

V-12 engine, but each had their own exhaust stack

design, which often gave them thoroughly different

exhaust tones. e difference between a Hurricane,

Spitfire, and Mustang is very noticeable.


34/68


HURRICANE HEROES

BYW. JOAN HAWGOOD HALL, FORMER ACW.2

A childhood interrupted

Eyewitness

to History

O

n September 1, 1939, my brother, Berkley, and

I were being evacuated from London. Almost

everything we owned was in our backpacks

that Daddy had made for us, our gas masks in

their boxes around our neck, our names on our coats. Mumand Dad came down to the street with us (we lived on the

fourth floor of what was a sort of tenement house), but

they were not allowed to come to the school with us. No parent was. They had

no idea where we were going, or where we would sleep that night. “You must keep Berkley

with you,” said Mum, and with a kiss and a hug, we walked the two blocks to the school.

There were about 100 of us, from the age of three to thirteen;

I was one of the eldest. The headmaster and the four teachers

were going with us. We all walked to St. Pancrass Railway

Station, and, as we were going up the steps to the trains, I said,

“Look, Berk, there is a man there with a camera.” Our picture

was in the Daily Mail the next morning.

There were hundreds of children in the station, boarding

several trains, and many of them had never been on a train. It

was a very poor district. We boarded our train, and off we went.

The noise from all the children must have been incredible. Some

As the author and her brother

were boarding the train, a news-

paper photographer captured

their image. Nearly 500,000

children were evacuated from

London during the Blitz.


35/68

DECEMBER 2014 35

time later we ate the sandwiches Mum had given us, and then

the train stopped in the middle of nowhere it seemed, and our

school got off. There were buses that took us to the little village

of Irchester, Northamptonshire, (about 600 people then, about

65 miles north of London, but to us, another world).

We were taken to the schoolhouse where we were

each handed a carrier bag with various items of food

in it. We then walked a little way to the village greenand sat down. It was a lovely day and there were all

these ladies with lists in their hands of people who

were willing to take children in. One lady came to

Berkley and said, “Come with me, little boy, I have

a home for you.” I grabbed his arm and said, “My

mum said we have to stay together.” Another lady

came and said, “Come with me, I have a home for

you two.”

We walked down a lovely country lane to a house,

through the gate, knocked on the door and a tall,

thin lady answered. “Here are your two children,

Mrs. Coleman,” and that was our home for nearly

two years.The owners had twins, Barbara and David, age

four.

257889214-Flight-Journal-2014-12.pdf

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