July 14th, 1943
Off the coast of Provence, 01:00 - The first aircraft to open the ball of this July 14th were English: eight Stirling 3s departed from Sardinia and positioned themselves off the coast - close enough to be effective and far enough not to excite the Flak. Operating between 10,000 and 15,000 feet for more than four hours, their onboard jamming systems will give headaches to the operators of the Freya and Wurzburg radars installed along the coast (at least, to the operators of the stations that escaped the Allied bombers).
This work is not without risk. A Stirling is hit by the Nachtjadg and another one will go to land in emergency in Calvi.
.........
South of Ajaccio, 40 km off the coast of Corsica, 03:00 - TF-100 is in AA combat formation, radars switched off except for one on board the
Primauguet. It takes the avia route, heading northwest, and accelerates to 30 knots. On the deck of the
Jean-Bart, 16 F4Us, wings folded, and 18 SBD are stowed from the back of the deck to the height of the lateral elevator. Start-up...
03:30 - The take-offs begin. While gaining altitude, the SBDs slowly form up, heading north. The gunner of CC Ponchardier flashes a green light to facilitate the regrouping.
In the hangar open to the four winds, the engines of the second deck (16 F4U and 18 TBF) are preheated. The yellow dogs are preparing to take the planes up, crews on board, by the rear and side elevators as soon as the last plane of the first deck has left the bridge.
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Ochinese, 03:30 - 17F and 19F take off in radio silence.
First to leave, two DB-73s armed with 6 x 250 kg bombs and two F4U-1s head westward while flying at 300 feet, not more. Arrived at 200 km of the coast, they will descend to 30 feet...
Two other identical elements take off in the continuation and spin like the first one towards the north, fast and very low.
It is the turn of six DB-73s armed with parafrags, followed by six F4U-1s. They are heading west before coming slightly north. Altitude... No, not altitude... but 250 knots on the banter.
Fortunately, the weather is calm and the sea is flat!
There are still six DB-73 armed with magnetic mines and six F4U-1, which are still waiting before starting.
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TF-100, 04:00 - The TBFs of the 7F appear on the flight deck. Engines already warm, they take off one after the other as soon as a section of six is assembled on the deck. The F4U-1 of the 3F follow.
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Ochinese, 04:00 - The whole of GAN 2 takes off and gathers while climbing to 15 000 feet in two formations: SBD and F4U, TBF and F4U. Heading west, then slightly more to the north than the last DB-73, and fly more slowly.
04:30 - The DB-73 armed with mines and their escort take off, heading northwest. They join the SAG 1 and remain in sight, behind it.
.........
TF-100, 04:30 - A first squadron of French P-51s (on time!) takes off on CAP over the Force de Raid, as the take-offs are completed. They are followed by four PBY-5A in ASW mission, which arrive from Sardinia where they spent the night and immediately begin to orbit the task force. Two other Catalinas go up to the north following the two GAN. They are on a "Dumbo" mission.
From Ajaccio to Bastia, other allied units stay on alert and are prepared to relieve or the CAP of the Force de Raid, if necessary.
On the
Jean-Bart, six Corsairs remain on deck. Their engines are kept warm, pilots are waiting at the foot of the aircraft. One of the J2F-5s is also warming up its engine. One more time, Scitivaux, Jubelin and Lagadec, cautious, prefer not to leave the carrier without a minimum of "Marine" protection.
04:40 - Launch completed, TF-100 slows down to 20 knots and comes to port, heading south.
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German bases in the South of France - A war day like any other begins.
All over the region, the French are (more or less) obediently going to work, as they have every year since the NEF forbade the celebration of July 14th. On the air bases, the mechanics warm up the engines of the planes for the first sorties of the day. The NachtJagd fighters return to their nests, the RAF made its presence felt again last night.
They don't know it yet, but the personnel of some of these bases are going to spend a rotten morning before they even have time to drink their ersatz coffee...
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Off the coast of the Camargue, 05:00 - The planes of the 17F and 19F are in sight of the coast. The elements follow each other at half-minute intervals to take maximum advantage of the surprise. Reducing to 220 knots, they circle widely around Port St-Louis by the west in order to avoid the flak batteries covering the passes of Port Saint-Louis and Port de Bouc, the batteries near Martigues and the radar station at Cap Couronne - there is no need to take any risks.
Soon, it is no longer the sea, but the land of France... Flying low over the ground, everyone keeps a watchful eye to avoid being surprised or - worse - hitting a farmhouse, a bell tower, or even a tree or a telephone pole.
.........
Above Istres, 05:10 - The runways of the airfield appear. At first, the Flak does not not react. Along the Freyssinet hangars, the personnel starts the maintenance of some aircraft, the first early risers head for the canteen for Frühstück [breakfast], while at the end of the runway, a Bf 110 F-2 of the 10. Staffel IV/ZG 26* is waiting for the green light from the control tower, in short the surprise is on.
Not far away but not over Istres, same time - Shi... ! The leader of the third element of the first wave calls himself every name in the book. Very busy monitoring his altitude and gauges, he realized too late that he has deviated from his course. A little, but it's already too much.
No way to turn back, everyone must be awake now! Continuing straight on, the four aircraft decide to offer themselves as a consolation prize on the nearby airfirled of Salon de Provence. For the Ju 188s of III/KG 26 stationed there, it is not a lucky day: their unit was just passing through. Coming from the north of France, they stopped in Salon for a few days of rest before joining the Xth FK, in Italy.
Above Istres, 05:10 and a few seconds - The first group is well positioned when its leader notices that he has lost his third element! Too bad, they will have to do without them, so take even more care of the aiming.
The targets grow quickly in the sights of the bombers... "
Bombs dropped ! " Down below, some shout "
Flieg Alarm ! " while throwing themselves on the ground, but everyone is soon aware: six tons of bombs explode on their targets, or very close to it. Two of the buildings used as living quarters collapse, the others suffer damage ranging from "seriously shaken" to "half demolished". Always going very low, the Douglas spray everything that crosses their path, from trucks to bicycles.
Less than twenty seconds later, the Parafrags dropped by the second group scatter in a deadly rain over the dispersal and parking areas.
In the absence of a fighter, the escort takes pleasure in strafing the control tower and some vehicles or aircraft having escaped the DB-73s. One of the F4Us picks up the Bf 110 which tries to flee; hit, the twin-engine plane lands on the pond of Berre.
Vainly pursued by the Flak awakened just a little too late, the formation flies full throttle towards the east, always in radada, leaving a base in full chaos, where the sirens howl in vain.
The III/KG 100 counts six destroyed Do 217 and ten others more or less damaged, but the most serious losses are not those inflicted to the planes. The crews, surprised in bed, have more than thirty killed and about fifty seriously wounded. The IV/ZG 26 deplores the loss of three aircraft (two destroyed on the ground plus the one shot down at takeoff), two dead and a dozen wounded. The information provided by Arsène is as precise as the bombing...
Salon de Provence, a few moments later - Suddenly, the four strays take the last slackers in a rather brutal way. The bombs of the Douglas destroy several workshops and a spare parts store, while well-placed bursts set fire to a tanker supplying a Ju 188. The flaming gasoline quickly spreads the fire to two other twin-engine aircraft, reducing three proud bombers to smoking carcasses. The intruders speed off, chased by the tracers but without a scratch.
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Over the Mediterranean, 05:20 - In the fading darkness, SAG 1 is approaching its objective. At 15 000 feet, 3F is "on the perch" (in high protection), accompanied by CF Scitivaux himself, covered by his wingman, Lt-Cdr Danny. Further down, Lagadec's Corsairs provide the lower protection, just above the SBDs and TBFs in charge of the work. The rest of the GAN 2 from Ochinese follows.
"
When the pasha announced the details of the July 14th, 1943 mission, many did not shout for joy, probably out of modesty... We didn't dare to hope for that, fearing that, for the National Day, we were content with something without risk, like a naval review in front of Algiers, in the style "Resurrection of the Navy and its embarked aviation".
The program pleased everyone: to shake the chips off the Krauts on this special day, while showing to the Provençals and to all the others that we think well of them. But this July 14th, real explosives will replace the nice fireworks! And moreover, we will have the right to the competition of colleagues based on land, who have come from Corsica to join the party.
For its first real combat mission, the GAE of the Jean-Bart will have to close operation Nemo (this last part will become Nemo IV for posterity, but we do not know the ins and outs of the affair). The target of the 5F was the Missiessy dock and the dry docks housing U-Boots, while the 7F was to take charge of the Mourillon arsenal, where other submersibles were housed; the 17F took care of undermining the passes so painfully cleared by the Germans. The job of the Corsairs was to make sure that no one bothered our buddies during their work. In the absence of air interference, anything that rolls or floats will receive its fair share of 12.7 mm!
As we came within sight of the coast, one of my Corsairs and an Avenger had to turn around due to mechanical problems. I can't imagine their frustration!" (Y. Lagadec, op. cit.)
Aeronavale Grumman TBF Avenger, Operation Nemo, July 1943
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Marignane, 05:30 - Continuing at low altitude, the aircraft that hit Istres have regrouped. Not having suffered any losses, they head for a secondary target - to return immediately would be a pity, they still have a lot of ammunition left !
For the Luftwaffe, Flugplatz Marignane is used as an operational base for the III/JG 2 and it also hosts the 1. Jagdgruppe Süd, an advanced training unit. The attack lasted less than five minutes, but it was enough to cause chaos and destruction. Three Bf 109's surprised in the airfield circuit were shot down and three others destroyed on the ground, while a dozen aircraft were damaged. The attackers lost two aircraft, a DB-73 shot down by the Flak and an F4U in aerial combat.
Another Corsair, damaged, had to be abandoned halfway to Corsica, the pilot is reported missing. Two DB-73s land on their bellies at Ochinese, but if the planes are irreparable, the crews are safe.
Hydrobase of Berre l'Etang, less than a minute later - The four lost pilots coming from Salon don't want to go back without having had a good time.
The hydrobase is a very attractive target, especially since the German fighters are occupied elsewhere. Only one pass (so as not to tempt the devil too much), but it is enough to set fire to a service launch, two Ar 196 of the SAGr 132 and a Do 24 of the Seenotstaffel 3.
Now, full south towards Ochinese, and belly down!
The small group returns without any damage.
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TF-100, 05:45 - The
Primauguet picks up an echo: thirty nautical miles northwest, altitude 17,000 feet approximately. The FDO detaches a P-51 patrol to go and see.
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Between Hyères and Toulon, 06:00 - The Truthahn station is a radar site covering the Toulon coast with two Würzburg-Riese FuMG 65 (fire control), two Freya FuMG 80 (airborne surveillance) and a Wassermann FuMG 402 (long range surveillance). Installed at the Cape of Carqueiranne at the location of the battery bearing that name**, it has escaped the attention of allied aircraft. This respite comes to an end this morning.
In front of their screens, the operators rub their eyes with fatigue. The night was difficult because of the RAF, which took a malicious pleasure in jamming their installations, hence various technical inconveniences. Some are waiting for their systems to reboot, others are waiting impatiently for the end of their shift and the relief. GAN 2 will try to take advantage of their difficulties.
The "phished" aircraft arrive from the east, arranged in echelons. The 6F will go first, the 8F will take care of what would remain standing, the 2F and 4F are in cover. A pair of Bf 110 of the ZG 26 leaving in recognition has the misfortune to cross the formation, it is quickly swept away and its calls for help will not change anything: eight Dauntless are already diving, each pair having its target in sight (their large size makes the Würzburg-Rieses easy targets to identify). The horns sound the alarm and the servants rush to their posts - with two Flakvierlings and eight single Flak 30 mounts, i.e. sixteen 20 mm tubes, the AA defense of the site was not neglected. In fact, it was even recently reinforced with guns coming from sites already bombed and where there was not much left to protect.
The Würzburgs are the first to be targeted. A 1000 AP pierces the concrete base of the first one then explodes a few tenths of a second later, blowing up the teeth and the pinion gear that governs the rotation of the heavy equipment. Another bomb hits a few meters away from the first impact, the weakened masonry does not resist it and the radar collapses on its side like a strange stranded ship.
But the flak in the area is awakened and the 20 mm tracers zap the sky. The attackers come from the east with the rising sun at their backs, which does not make the Germans' task any easier, but once again, the Flak will honor its terrible reputation. Hit to death, an SBD ends up in Garonne Bay (no survivors), while most of the others are more or less damaged. Two F4Us in low cover spot one of the quadruple guns and, from another azimuth, surprise the Flakmanners, who are shredded by the 12.7 mm bullets.
Meanwhile, the second Würzburg receives a projectile which directly hits the control cabin, killing all the personnel. Another bomb tears off one of the arms supporting the large parabolic antenna, which crashes to the ground.
The following SBDs are not as successful against the smaller and more easily camouflaged Freya. Only one is damaged: an AP pierces the T-Hüt (the station's PC) before exploding, causing carnage among the staff.
The large Wassermann antenna (the smallest of its kind are 30 m high) is positioned away from the station so as not to interfere with the other radars, but this does not help it. The first section of the 8F dives on it, releasing its 500 GP in compact clusters. Four, or even five bombs hit the target, damaging the central foot and above all severing the stiffening struts. Unbalanced, the massive pylon tilts dangerously then falls down with a crash of tortured metal. Other projectiles destroy a generator. Hit by the Flak, a TBF will land on its belly in the Maures massif. The crewmen are only slightly wounded; recovered by the Resistance, they will join their unit in mid-September...
The bombs that missed their target cause an unexpected but predictable incident, given the weather of the previous months. Indeed, the winter of 1943 was very mild and a hot spring was followed by a hot and very dry summer. Pine forests and garrigues are ready dry and the explosions cause several fires to break out. The mistral wind blows only moderately, but it is enough to set fire to all the surrounding vegetation and very quickly, a thick cloud of smoke covers the station. If the French pilots have no more sighting marks, on the ground it is much worse: not used to the forest fires to which the Provençals are accustomed, many Germans panick and try to flee. Many will be trapped by the flames, while burns and intoxication will account for more than half of the injuries.
Aeronavale Douglas SBD Dauntless, Operation Nemo/Bastille, July 1943
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Off the coast of Toulon, 06:00 - Yvon Lagadec is moved... "We are only a few minutes away from Toulon, which had received so many German and Italian bombs three years earlier... The bombs are ours now. We will have to hit quickly and above all accurately.
In training, we could afford to miss the target, but not anymore. I know the bombers are even more aware of this than I am.
Before leaving, Scitivaux gave us a little speech: "Today is the rebirth of the Aeronavale but above all it is the occasion to show the Krauts and the Collabos that they must pack their bags, and to the French that they can trust us! So, make sure you put all your bombs inside the arsenal and not in town! I did say all your bombs. I'm not telling you what would happen to a clumsy one, because there won't be any clumsy ones today!" Something to motivate the troops!"
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TF-100, 06:00 - The echo of the
Primauguet turns out to be two Bf 110 apparently on patrol and the P-51s immediately attack. Problem: they are not reconnaissance aircraft, but G-4 night fighters, which return after having chased the Stirlings of radar jamming and which defend themselves like crazy. One of them is shot down, while the second one escapes with a burning engine, but one of the Mustangs ended up in the water. One of the Catalina "Dumbo" is dispatched to the scene and rescues the French pilot, as well as two members of the enemy.
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Over Toulon, 06:05 - The SBD of the 5F begin their dive to the vertical of the basins of Missiessy. Dry in the form n°2, the
U-410 is the first one which attracts the attention of the Dauntless. The first projectiles are dropped a little too early and end up in the dock, but one of the two 1,000 SAP (semi-perforating)*** explodes very close to the junction between the gateboat and the basin. The explosion shakes the gateboat and the masonry as an depth charge would have done, causing the beginning of a water leak. The next two SBDs drop too late to hit the submarine, but their bombs are not lost as they hit the nearby power plant, destroying the transformers andseveral relays and auxiliaries; a good part of the arsenal is left without electricity.
The third pair of SBDs, more skillful (or luckier), hit the submarine head-on. A large projectile rips off the stern while the other riddles the hull with shrapnel, and the small 100 GPs win the decision by destroying many of the bulwarks needed to keep the submarine in balance. Slipping off its tether, the submersible goes down hard on its side.
The U-Boot is obviously finished, but its woes are not over.
An EWS from the fourth pair of Dauntless hits the gateboat, which eventually gives way and water rushes into the dry dock, engulfing the
U-410 in a few minutes. Finally, the last SAP hits the dry dock without exploding****.
The next eight Dauntless then take over basins n°1 and 3, occupied by
U-839 and
U-811, whose completion had just begun. The small Type-II E's are more difficult to adjust, but large pieces of masonry thrown by the explosion of the 1000 SAPs deform and abuse the plates, while the shards of the 100 GP lacerate the hull of the unfortunate little submersibles.
Satisfied to see that the three basins had been treated, the 5F's pasha, CC Ponchardier, dives with his wingman on an MFP moored nearby. The two big bombs just miss their target, but the mine effect is enough to break the hull in two.
Unloaded with its cargo, CC Ponchardier heads towards the city. At the level of the place de Strasbourg*****, the gunner throws a wreath of flowers and a tricolor flag over the
monument to the dead of 14-18 which is next to the Alexandre 1er garden.
A few hundred meters further and a few seconds later - The 7F is positioned in the south-north axis in order to attack the Mourillon arsenal along its entire length.
Numerous tracers leave from the Royal Tower******, but the "Turkeys" have started a semi-full throttle dive that leads them directly to the area of the covered construction holds where the remaining Type-IIEs are located.
The arsenal - a rectangle of 1,500 by 150 meters - borders the Mourillon district and the pilots do not want to take the risk of hitting a single house. To avoid it, they take care of their axis of attack; if some dropped too late (their bombs ended up in the port), the others succeed in reaching the target. Only the
U-830 is hit directly, but the most important thing is the destruction of several stores where many elements (engines, weapons) were stored awaiting assembly. The hardest blow is the loss of the workshop of instrumentation with all the equipment of test and calibration. An oil barge and a floating crane are also sunk. It is less spectacular than what the 5F has just accomplished, but the fact that no 500 GP fell outside the targeted perimeter is to the credit of the 7F.
This task completed, the TBF of CC Mesny continues towards the Place de la Liberté and drops a wreath and a flag which fall right on the fountain of the Federation.
Kriegsmarine MFP, Operation Nemo/Bastille, July 1943
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A little further south, twenty seconds later - closing the march, the last group (six DB-73 and six F4U) take advantage of the confusion to drop their mines without being disturbed, then decide to greet the importunate tenants of the nearby Saint-Mandrier hydrobase, which hosts part of the SAGr. 132 and SAGr. 907. The DB-73 and their escort make a loop, then rush in spitting from all their weapons. Two He 115 and an Ar 196 are destroyed, another Arado 196 manages to take off and flies off at low altitude. A Corsair tries to engage it from above but it is a veteran crew that is at the controls and despite its appearance, the Ar 196 is very well armed for its category******* - the F4U, victim of a 20 mm shell, crashes in Lazaret bay (the pilot is taken prisoner).
Seeing that the AA shots are becoming more insistent, especially those coming from the Royal Tower, the other aircraft prefer to move away towards the east.
.........
More to the east, during this time - As the smoke masks the radars of the cape of Carqueiranne, the leader of the 8F directs the remaining TBF, followed by eight aircraft of the 4F, towards the base of Hyères, planned as a secondary objective. The runway is decorated with new craters while several hangars and premises of the hydrobase are demolished.
The Palyvestre airfield was used instead for aircraft recovered from the former Italian ally and intended for secondary tasks (liaison, anti-partisan fight...). They do not have a great military value, but they are not neglected by the planes of the Aéronavale, which strike from the lists five Ca. 313, three Re. 2002 and two Cant Z506.
On the road to Solliès-Pont, two F4Us spot a motorized detachment of the Guard, which "shows the flag" of Doriot's NEF to the good people. Vehicles and passengers are generously shot. After this episode, many survivors among this elite of the armed collaboration seriously consider reconsidering their commitment...
Finally, two Schwarmes of the I/JG 2 arrive on the scene, but the escort is on the lookout. Overwhelmed by the number, the Fw-190 lose one of their own before they can escape.
Italian RSI Air Force Re. 2002, Operation Nemo/Bastille, July 1943
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50 nautical miles northwest of TF-100, at the same time - The FuG 200 HohentWiel onboard radar of a Bv 138 has spotted several naval echoes - good size ships, probably an important convoy going to Corsica and most certainly covered by fighters. What to do? Go for a closer look or not?
The crew follows the engagement between the night fighters and their attackers and note the disappearance of the first Bf 110, while the second one tries to get back to land. No doubt, there are enemy fighters in the area, and even Mustangs. Their mount is not a thoroughbred, and the life expectancy of a Fliegende Holzschuh******** is very short in case of an encounter with Allied fighters. Dying for the Vaterland is fine, but not unnecessarily! It is better to bring back to the right person the information already collected. The three-engine plane heads north and flies as fast as its three Jumo 205 diesels will allow.
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Not far away (and a little higher), still at the same time - Once their bombs are spent, Avenger and Dauntless, as well as a few fighters of the 1F, are firing their machine guns. From the Darse Vieille to the Milhaud wharves, everything that floats is machine-gunned: from the small pushers to the speedy S-Boots, including the KfK (Kriegfischkutter) and the MFP.
On its side, a section of F4U makes a passage above the roofs of the city, very low, to the amazement of the inhabitants. At its head, Yvon Lagadec: "
When we knew what our mission was, we said to ourselves that we had to take advantage of the occasion to do something special!
The idea of throwing flags was obvious. The younger kids wanted to do as well as the RAF had done on New Year's Eve in Paris, or even to match the audacity of Baron de Selys-Longchamps (but there was no question of machine-gunning the Gestapo headquarters: the arsenal remained the priority target, and besides, no one in our country knew where these scum were hiding in the area). Three symbolic places had been chosen.
In order to avoid any arguments about who would do it, Scitivaux had decided that it would be up to the flotilla leaders to drop our gifts. He had declined the honor of doing so, claiming that he would have too much to do watching over his people. So the choice was for the Avengers and the SDBs, but for the fighters, we had to choose between the 1F and the 3F. To avoid a fight, we flipped a coin. Buck was in charge (being an American, he was impartial) and I was chosen by lot. André didn't argue, hoping that he could make up for it by hunting black crosses...
Finding the flags had not been difficult: the chief helmsman had agreed to sacrifice three flags (items to be charged, but it was for a good cause). On the other hand, how to find wreaths of flowers? There was nothing like that on board, and it was doubtful that they would let us use a plane to go to a florist! It was the maitre d' of the captain's wardroom who found the solution: the assortment of artificial flowers used as decoration for the official receptions and official meals. The making of presentable wreaths was done under the guidance of the irreplaceable Miss Holmes...
Now, Pierre and Gérald have made their passage, only I am left. It is more difficult, for I am alone on board, and there will be only one attempt...
Well, open the canopy slightly and start to descend a little while positioning yourself between the Angle Robert and the large Vauban basins, neither too fast nor too slow and especially not too low! Continue with the Place d'Armes slightly to the right and the Préfecture Maritime right underneath, then straight ahead on avenue Vauban. At the end, in front of the station, the Place Albert 1er and my objective in sight! Tilt the right wing a bit and near the war memorial (that of 1870-71), to deliver my small parcel, OK!
Now we close, turn to the right and go back on the throttle above Sainte-Anne to avoid not to be planted in the Faron! Heading south, passing over the Mayol stadium and the commercial port then straight on towards the Vignettes harbor. On the way, my n°3 and n°4 take the opportunity to spray the swastika rag floating on the Lamalgue fort as well as the vehicles parked in the court. Several columns of smoke rise from the nearby Mourillon, where the "Turkeys" have just hit, then we arrive above the water, not far from the Saint-Louis fort.
There, now, it will be necessary to return."
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Toulon, 06:20 - All the Flak of the sector fills the sky with black flakes and the Luftwaffe is going to arrive soon. CF Scitivaux gives the signal to leave and the flotillas begin to move away while trying to reconstitute their formations. The Dauntlesses are already on their way back, even more slowly as they climb to give themselves a little margin - you never know. The Avengers follow and the Corsairs cover. It was at this moment that the German fighters arrive on the battlefield. The Luftwaffe controllers waited until they had forty Fw 190s and Bf 109s from I and III/JG 2 to intervene. They aim at the stragglers, but the escort is on guard, with Lagadec in the lead.
"
It was almost a relief to hear André announce: "Bandits! At five o'clock above!" For some of us, this is the moment of truth, the moment when we will finally know if everything we've learned so far will be of any use. For me, I'm going blank - all my reflexes come back to me as if my last fight was yesterday and notseven months earlier, on the other side of the world.
I know what to expect from the 109s, even though I haven't had the opportunity to fight the G models.
On the other hand, I've never faced a Focke-Wulf 190, so beware. I reassure myself that they don't know my machine either!"
Very quickly, the Germans are in trouble: the unknown fighters are dangerous opponents and those who are at the controls have nothing of beginners, while among the
Richthofen pilots, the Experten have become rather rare and, especially, there is not a lot of people between them and the novices. To make matters worse, these single-engine bombers are tough and the Corsairs of GAN 2 join the fight - so the German fighters are outnumbered.
"
I quickly saw a clear difference between those we were facing and those I had encountered in 1941 - sometimes it was like night and day! Some of them don't react like fighter pilots and seem to be there to demonstrate the full range of mistakes not to be made in aerial combat!
And then, it's not their fault, but when they try to get in the SBD's tail, the latter dive - as they are not easy to follow in this case, the Krauts try to attack the Turkeys from behind and from below, normally a good idea against a single-engine bomber, but these machines have a gun under the tail! Not to mention the accuracy and range of their 12.7 dorsal turret. We won't give them time to change their minds: "From Buckingham, one down!" Danny has just opened the ball, let's see the rest!
When the GAN 2 buddies enter the dance, the Fridolins start to feel a bit lonely. I have a fleeting flash of compassion for them as I remember our impotence in defending the poor Béarn against a tide of black crosses. Two more 109s in flames dive towards the sea, while a smoke-spitting Corsair loses altitude.
I also have to manage my guys, so that the youngest ones (those who do stupid things, like me in '40) keep their heads. By dint of watching them, I forget for a second to stay on the lookout ...
- Athos Leader! Break left! Two Krauts in your six!
I release before having really understood what one says to me, I hear a hateful noise of lead piercing the metal sheet and a volley of tracers passes by the place where I was a few seconds before. Two 190s have stuck to me and seem to be determined to do something to me, but my teammates are watching and send one of them to the boil. A moment of distraction can be costly, veteran or not. A quick look at the board: nothing to report and no problems with the controls. The Corsair takes the hits well. Let's see how it handles.
At the end of my escape maneuver, I find myself not far from the second Focke-Wulf, who tries to dive, but I am already behind him. A first splash, too short. He follows, tight turn, rollover, barrel roll, it's a good one but I don't let go, the Corsair keeps its promises. It goes into a slide, I correct a little, a second burst more pressed - six .50s, that's some serious artillery! I see my bullets tear off its engine hood, it falls down with a thick grey plume streaked with red, then the white spot of a parachute that opens.
The others preferred to go home, it is definitely not their day."
The French lose one F4U, two SBDs and one TBF. The others are flying at 175 knots towards the southeast. After the dogfight, the fighters quickly get back into position, but no one else would try to fight them. The Germans lose no less than five Bf 109s and four Fw 190s, in addition to the aircraft shot down elsewhere.
Luftwaffe Focke-Wulf Fw-190, Operation Nemo/Bastille, July 1943
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On the way back, 07:05 - A few hand signals, then the formations separate. The GAN 2 and the aircraft of the 17F and 19F turn towards the east, the GAE 1 continues towards the south.
.........
Ochinese, 07:10 - Return of the planes which attacked Istres.
07:45 - Arrival of the planes which attacked the coast of Var.
.........
TF-100, 08:00 - The
Jean-Bart recovers its GAE. Apart from a few scares and crumpled metal sheets that make some aircraft difficult to fly, the landings are proceeding steadily as the first aircraft are lowered into the hangar.
But in some of the machines, you can hear moans and cries of pain - there are injured, sometimes seriously. In the infirmary, while the surgeons operate, Miss Holmes has a dexterity that leaves everyone, including the most experienced "wizards" (the nickname of the nurses in the Navy) speechless. A master later said: "
She treated with such efficiency and charisma that the wounded were half healed by the time they left her hands. She could have told a guy who was almost dead to get up and walk, he would have said, 'Yes ma'am!'"
.........
80 nautical miles north of TF-100, 08:05 - The report sent shortly after 06:00 by the Bv 138 on patrol is deemed worthy enough to divert a second seaplane from its mission in order to obtain better information, while remaining at a reasonable distance from the enemy. In front of the FuG 200 scope of this aircraft, the Bordfunker, the radio/radar operator, follows the ships going south. It seems obvious that this is a convoy leaving for Africa after having unloaded in Corsica during the night. Interestingly, there are two large echoes and three good-sized, but smaller ones, and a dozen of escorts. All this will surely be of interest in high places, which is all the more reason not to drag on and transmit as soon as possible. Giving throttle, the pilot puts himself slightly in descent to gain speed, then stabilizes the tri-engine at 500 feet in order to return as soon as possible.
Nervous, the crew remains on the alert...
Once far enough away, a message crosses the ether towards the continent: "
Presence of a convoy of at least fifteen ships, two of which are large (possible liners) and two medium-sized ships - Estimated speed 15-20 knots, heading 180, probably after unloading in Corsica."
.........
TF-100, 09:30 - CC Lagadec is one of the last to land: "As our Corsairs are at normal oil level, we let the cripples land first, then the SBDs and TBFs, and finally the 3F and 1F.
I am in the process of redoing a racetrack, when a P-51 of our cover - their call sign is "Blue" - approaches me and starts flying next to my Corsair, waving at me. I wonder what he wants with me when I notice that he is wearing, on his hood, a superb insignia, well known to all that flies in the Mediterranean and (thanks to the American press) in the United States: a Sioux head. The GC Lafayette! So...
It is then that he calls me by radio: "Athos Leader, from Blue Leader - Hi Yvon, you didn't get bored during your world tour, it seems! Come to see us in Corsica one of these days so we can have a drink. Come on, I have to go back - by the way, Marianne sends you a kiss, she is in Meknes. But you surely know that, don't you!"
S... ! Jean-Pierre! Before I can say a word, he turns around to join his colleagues who are returning to the fold. He had a good laugh at me, but I'm not in the mood to hold it against him!"
.........
German bases in the south of France, between 09:00 and 10:00 - On the airfields that did not have to undergo the assaults of the Aéronavale, people are getting restless. The mechanics complete the oil and fuel levels and then start up the engines, while the armorers bring in projectile carts and bring in the ammunition carts and crates. Once these tasks are accomplished, the crews embark on their machines.
A few minutes later, twenty-two large Heinkel 177A-3s (the only four-engine planes of the war to resemble twin-engines) take off one after the other, heavily. They are going to avenge their comrades of the III/KG 100, at Istres, by sinking an allied convoy. Of course, they are less familiar with radio-guided weapons than the men of the III/KG 100, having long been in charge of night bombing*********, but a convoy is an exercise target, or not much.
.........
TF-100, 10:30 - Once everyone is on board, except for the patrols (and the lost planes...), the Force de Raid heads southwest at 25 knots. In the hangar, the repairs and overhauls begin in order to be able to launch as many planes as possible as soon as possible.
On some aircraft, the battle has left not only traces in the metal, but also human shreds and large traces of blood still wet. For some young mechanics, it is their first real contact with war: dirty, stinking, hideous...
The stomach of some of them cannot resist it and they rush to the first available container (bucket, sink, garbage can...). The old ones take gloves, rags and detergent and attack the disgusting but necessary cleaning before taking care of the actual repairs.
Among them, Andy, a cigar in the corner of his mouth (extinguished, of course, but Miklin finds that chewing his cigar helps him to bear the smell of blood...). He carefully extracts from a TBF a small piece of the back gunner - small but too big for the taste of a young mechanic, who asks him how he can stand it. "
Kid," the Marine replies kindly, "
you wouldn't give a crew a zinc with a puddle of engine oil in the cockpit, would you? You'd clean it up. Well, you also have to clean up what the previous crew left in it, especially when they didn't do it on purpose. At 'Canal, we used to do the same for the "Cactus" guys, with the added bonus of mosquitoes, snakes, plus the bombs and Jap shells that fell on our faces from time to time! And believe me: what you see today is nothing, and pray to the Lord that you never see more of it!"
For the crews, debriefing with a thought for those who fell or who suffer a few decks down, then a hearty meal before a shower and a few hours of sleep for those who are not in CAP or ASW patrol and who can rest.
.........
KG 100, 20,000 feet, 12:30 - Right off the bat, this raid has its challenges... like most He 177 raids, it is true. The Luftwaffenfeuerzeug********** proves to be worthy of the sobriquet its crews have given it: five aircraft have to turn back due to mechanical damage or engine fire, or both at the same time!
Finally, the remaining seventeen Greifs approach their targets and reposition themselves to cover the largest possible area, three of them sweeping the area with their HohentWiel**************. The Hs 293 will be for freighters and escort, the Fx 1400s for larger targets.
For the latter, it will be the baptism of fire from a He 177. The sun shines in a slightly nebulous sky, we should soon see the convoy...
.........
TF-100, a few seconds later - It is an operator of the
Marseillaise who first spots the echo on his scope, contact confirmed by the
Algerie and the
Primauguet less than a minute later. Since no allied aircraft were reported in the area, the FDO sends the eight Mustangs of the upper CAP to identify the intruders (this was the last patrol sent from Corsica for the day; TF-100 then called in the fighters based in Sardinia). Since two precautions are better than one, he also directs towards the presumed enemy the four F4Us of the "personal" CAP of the TF-100.
On the ships of the Force de Raid, the recall to battle stations sounds, while the whole fleet climbs to 30 knots and destroyers and torpedo boats begin to set up smoke screens. On the aircraft carrier, the alert fighters fly to join their colleagues already in the air. At their head, Yvon Lagadec.
"
Frankly, it was no surprise! Knowing the Germans, it was highly unlikely that they would let us get away by standing idly by - that's why I wanted to take the alert. They must have spotted us somehow... The patches on my Corsair have not yet been repainted, but while we were waiting, a mechanic came and added a fresh black cross to my record of achievement!"
Meanwhile, from the mid and rear elevators, a new deck of F4Us is coming up led by Lt-Cdr Danny.
.........
At 20,000 feet, 12:05 - "All from Red Leader, target in sight, anyone see any other surprise guests?"
- From Red 5, negative, we're clear.
- From D'Artagnan Leader, I confirm: no one else but us.
- From Red Leader, they're right on top of us and they're kicking ass!
- From D'Artagnan Leader, we arrive in their five o'clock right on level, we engage!
- Roger D'Artagnan, to all Red Leader: let's go!
The P-51s arrive first on the Germanic formation, but taking advantage of their altitude advantage (the Mustangs come from 2,000 feet below), the gunners spray the attackers, when the attackers, when the four Corsairs enter the dance. For the crews of the He 177, it is a first encounter! They try to regroup, but the engagement is fierce.
In a short time, three Greifs are on fire, but the gunners do not give up - one Mustang is shot down and two damaged, as well as a Corsair. An additional He 177 goes into a spin, drifting while another one tries to turn around, its twin left engines spewing thick black smoke - it is lost. The twelve aircraft that are able to get through reform as best they can, trying to keep the fighters at bay.
.........
Around 10,000 feet, during this time - Lagadec and his crew climb as fast as possible. "The Pratt & Whitney's are taking us at a good pace toward the intruders. A glance to the right: my wingman is there, very well. A look in the mirror: my n°3 and n°4 are having a bit of trouble keeping up.
I tell them to get back on track. In my headset, I hear the exchanges:
- Buckingham Leader [that's Buck, who just took off], from Rochefort, go to 350, altitude 20,000 feet.
- Wilco, Rochefort, heading 350 for 20,000.
- All from Rochefort, IFF contact confirmed: they are bandits!
- Rochefort from D'Artagnan Leader: we know, they've been spraying us for a while!"
.........
KG 100, 20,000 feet, 12:10 - "
Endlich! [Finally!] exclaims the leader of the formation.
Several shapes can be seen in the distance on the water, further south than expected. Below, a curtain of smoke begins to unfold as the foamy wakes curve: the first evasive
evasive maneuvers. A dozen fighters in cover! The convoy must be important, the precious guided weapons will not be wasted... At least, the twenty-four that remain!
Look, the first black flakes of the flak! Well, a convoy doesn't have much heavy flak, its ships do not exceed 20 knots and they do not maneuver too well...
.........
TF-100, at the same time - A thunderous roll is echoes on the waves beaten by the propellers unleashed by hundreds of thousands of horsepower. The tubes of the heavy flak, the only effective one at such a distance, thunder in unison. In all: 24 100 mm guns (
Algerie,
Richelieu) and especially 74 127 mm tubes (
Jean-Bart, Primauguet, Marseillaise, as well as the
Pumas)! The aim is to send as much metal as possible towards the bombers to prevent them from aiming correctly. Eliminating one or two of them in the process is almost secondary.
French Navy CLAA MN Primauguet, Operation Nemo/Bastille, July 1943
.........
Around 15,000 feet, 12:12 - Lagadec is chirping... "
The flak bursts are multiplying, which does not prevent our CAP guys and the Mustangs from having a good time. But our German guests are still too high for us! We keep climbing."
.........
KG 100, 20,000 feet, 12:13 - That much heavy flak is not normal for a convoy, even an important one! Putting down his binoculars, the observer of the leading aircraft feverishly computes his silhouette book, looks again and remains stunned one or two seconds in front of the photos and silhouettes before calling his captain: "
Ein Schlachtschiff und drei Kreuzer!"
A battleship and three cruisers? For a moment, the captain wonders if his observer would not miss oxygen... But another aircraft confirms: they had come across the
Richelieu and cruisers! Superb, they will be able to avenge the
Bismarck and the
Prinz Eugen and, after the
Roma, add a battleship to the Luftwaffe list, with the shower of promotions and decorations that...
Suddenly, the observer says, in a much less enthusiastic voice: "
Achtung! Ein Flugzeugträger!" An aircraft carrier? The youngest pilots exclaim: they are going to gift themselves one of these strange ships. But the others warn: "Aircraft carriers mean airplanes!"
With their eyes glued to their Lotfernrohr 7************, the Hs 293 operators adjust the last parameters, they are in range... "
Bomben Los!" [Bombs dropped!] But if until now it was easier than with the normal bombs, it is now that the work of the operators becomes delicate...
Each one must guide by radio (from a Telefunken FuG 203 Kehl to a FuG 230 Strassburg) a capricious machine towards a target located at more than ten kilometers and which has the bad taste to nnot to remain motionless... The planes armed with Fx 1400 must even wait a little longer, their weapons are only effective at five kilometers... Tense on their controls, the operators barely hear the alarm cries announcing the arrival of new adversaries:
"
Indianer!" [Indians! - This is the nickname of the enemy fighters in the Luftwaffe jargon]. "
Zwei Uhr von unten!" [At two o'clock, below!]
.........
18,000 feet, 12:13 - "
From Athos Leader, visual on the bandits, one hour up!" For Lagadec, this is the first contact with a He 177.
"
There they are! They're big, I've never seen German bombers that big. I worked on the intelligence reports, anyway - Heinkel 177s, surely.
They're still a little bit above us when we see objects coming off of some of them. A flame followed by a plume of smoke comes out of them and these things dive at high speed towards... Towards our ships and therefore towards the Jean-Bart!"
These are fourteen Hs 293s that shoot towards their target at more than 900 km/h. These weapons (like the Fx 1400) have demonstrated their lethal capacity, and announce the future of air warfare. But the technology is still in its infancy: the operator must remain in visual contact with the projectile as well as with its target, which forces the launching aircraft to maintain a stable course, seriously limiting its possibilities in the event of an encounter with the enemy fighter...
In addition, technical problems - or, quite simply, the smoke curtains set up by the escorts - will send four missiles to be lost in the blue immensity.
.........
TF-100 - Bombers flying horizontally at such a high altitude are necessarily carrying these new weapons which the
Algerie has seen the damages at the end of December 1942 in front of the Italian coast. This is undoubtedly why, unconcerned about suffering the fate of the
Gloire or the
Tuscaloosa at the time, the heavy cruiser is the first to begin a series of brutal course changes.
Soon, the rest of the TF-100 followed suit, continuing to fill the sky with black, deadly flakes.
Even the nine 152 mm tubes of the
Richelieu start to give their voices! These guns are designed for multipurpose use, but they are too slow in rate of fire and difficult to load at high aiming angles - which is a problem against dive bombers, but not against targets this far out in azimuth.
.........
KG 100, 20,000 feet, 12:15 - Decidedly, this is getting arduous. The ten Fx 1400 of the surviving He 177, bigger than the Hs 293 but not equipped with a rocket engine, are launched (three will be lost), but one cannot turn back for as much, and these fighters do not release them an inch, in spite of the heavy flak fire that seems to be increasing in intensity. All the crews feel their machines shaking and vibrating with the shocks of the shells bursting around them. Three Greifs have to turn back, two hit by shrapnel, or perhaps by bullets, the third victim of an engine fire...
And now the other enemy fighters report a little earlier are coming back. "
Scheisse!" Not now! The bombs are almost on the target, it takes just a few seconds to reach the goal! For the nine remaining bombers, maintaining a steady enough aim to ensure proper guidance becomes nearly impossible. Scratching a single ship would already be an achievement...
.........
TF-100 - Continuing their evolutions at full speed, the ships of the TF-100 face the last and fateful moments...
An Hs 293 is heading for the
Chacal - skilfully manoeuvred, the destroyer dodges it by twenty meters. On the bridge, one hears CV Estienne (who commands one of the two escort divisions of the Force de Raid) muttering: "
Sorry Meine Herren, but once was enough for me!"*************
Two other Hs 293s aim at the destroyers, which continue to emit a smoke screen. The
Cyclone easily avoids the first one; the second explodes thirty meters in front of the
Mameluk. We fear the worst, because the destroyer is masked for a few moments by a high column of water, but the vessel reappears as soon as the spray ffalls.
Zigzagging madly without ceasing to fire, the
Primauguet has a lot to do with two machines! A Hs 293 ends up more than a hundred meters off the port side, and an Fx 1400 is destroyed by a lucky shot from the Œrlikon and Bofors, which set up a curtain of fire.
It is not over yet! Four big Fx 1400s attack the
Jean-Bart and the
Richelieu! But, if they lack the agility of destroyers, their respective commanders, the CVs Aubert and Merveilleux du Vignaux************** know their ships well and make the two behemoths evolve with efficiency, if not with grace...
A projectile hits the battleship at the end of the bow: it takes away the tip as well as the central anchor and several links of its chain, before exploding when it hits the water. The explosion shakes the whole ship, but the "Cardinal" is not otherwise affected. It dodges a second device without difficulty, which ends up more than fifty meters to port. "
Only two?" exclaim some sailors. "
The Bismarck used to throw eight of them like that on a broadside! These aviators, all the same, all in the show off, nothing in the pants!"
On its side, the
Jean-Bart sees a machine miss it by a hundred meters on the front. A last one explodes on starboard at less than fifteen meters - many fear for the carrier, but it remained very "battleship" in its capacity to withstand; when the water spray falls, the ship does not seem to be affected in the least.
The last three Hs 293s are all for the
Algerie, which suffers its second attack by guided bombs in less than eight months (a dubious distinction, which the crew would have done well without !). A projectile misses it by more than sixty meters on the rear, while the heavy cruiser maneuvers at full speed, giving helm angles that no commander would dare to order in other circumstances! Turning sharply to port, the
Algerie avoids a second guided bomb, which ends up forty meters ahead, but the last Hs 293 follows closely ! Impossible to dodge this one...
But the winged bomb arrives by starboard on the cruiser in full descent, inclined of 15° so the angle of impact is so unfavorable that it is the belly and not the warhead of the missile that hits the roof of the n°2 turret. The armor is better able to absorb the shock than the missile, which breaks into several pieces, which fall into the water without exploding, the firing mechanism did not support the ricochet !
Two Fx 1400 and four Hs 293 finish their course too far to be a threat, either because the carrier planes were forced to abandon their guidance because of the attacks of the fighters or that the operators had lost the signal.
French Navy Battleship MN Richelieu, Operation Nemo/Bastille, July 1943
.........
20,000 feet, 12:16 - Finally reaching the required altitude, the reinforcing F4Us notice that the Germans are turning back, but some pilots do not intend to stop there...
"
They attacked the Jean-Bart! In my head, I see them all again, from the Bearn to the Lady Lex and even the Japanese: it's an endless nightmare! I shouted - I don't know what I shouted, my friends will tell me later that it was neither French nor English, but it was obviously a war cry in an unknown language, two of them even thought it was Breton... Anne-Marie will tell me, much later, that she knew what it was, but I preferred to talk about something else.
No escort, we are a little bit above them, they are about ten, us too... When my n°2 asks me how we do it, I answer in a voice devoid of emotion: "To all, from Athos Leader, we're going to run into them!" My teammates will say that they had the impression to hear someone else speak.
Joystick in stop, I dive, followed by my section that I begin to outrun, the advantage of altitude is weak but the 2,000 hp of the Double Wasp bring me very quickly (too much?) on one of the leading aircraft, impossible to adjust it: I straighten up at a hair's breadth from the collision, while the machine gunners chase me."
- Was macht der Irre, Gott? [What the hell is this lunatic doing?]
The He 177s try to stay together and fight back. After the battles in France, England and so many others, the anemic MG 15s and 17s in single stalks at the beginning of the conflict gave way to more dangerous weapons. MG 81 twin, MG 131 single or double and MG 151/20 spit strip after strip in the direction of the fighters, but this is not enough to repel them.
"
Holy cow! They are not any more the guns to which the Teutonic bombers had us used to! They have big calibers: certainly 12.7 or even 20 mm, but that does not discourage us. No need to get angry, a little calm and we go back. Moreover, if my n°3 and 4 have (wisely) given up following me, they are no less effective.
- Bravo, Red Leader! One less!
- De D'Artagnan Leader: and another one!
- From Athos 3, it is on fire! Thank you Athos 4!
"No one seems to be willing to let go: spinning like angry wasps, Corsair and Mustang dive, shoot, and climb back up while the Greifs hesitate between individual dodging maneuvers and mutual cover. The German bombers do not have the very studied tactical organization of the Americans (which is not enough to counter the assaults of the fighters). The air is streaked with smoke trails and the bright dots of tracer bullets.
I find myself above one of them and I dive back, while my n°2 follows me like my shadow. Carried away by my impetus, I arrive again too fast, as well as possible I correct and shoot: some shots on his left mill, but most of the burst ends up in the void, while I overtake him by pulling on the handle, pursued by the tracers.
Immediately, I go for a stall to regain height - unperturbed (it), the big Hamilton propeller bites the air...
Here's another one, this time through the right side in a slide, I apply myself a little more, I place a long burst on the target, but in front of the gunners take revenge: BANG! BANG ! CRRAAC ! It's like going through a giant wringer, I hear the hiccups of the engine and the sheet metal tearing... In retrospect, I think that at this moment, I continue to shoot without trying to dodge.
- Athos Leader of Buckingham! Break! Break, you bloody son of a bitch! You can't fight anymore!
Buck's voice, perhaps because he's switched to English, wakes me up, and I tip over to the side to escape an unfortunate fate.
- Athos Leader, from Athos 2! It's okay, I finished it for you!
I see my target dragging a black smoke, while parachutes are detached from it... In the distance, another German goes into a spin with half a wing missing. No time to pity him, I have my own worries. The engine makes a noise like a saucepan, although my dashboard tells me it's still running. I'm having a little trouble steering the plane, but it's still flying - well, there's no point in dawdling, I might as well get back on board if there's still one..."
Thinking it pointless to risk being surprised by other bombers, the F4Us return to cover the Force de Raid, leaving the few surviving Greifs to return to the mainland.
The P-51s leave for Corsica (one of them had to land in Sardinia). Other Mustangs, American, arrive to cover the squadron.
On the German side, the
Wiking has just lost six aircraft (for a total of eleven He-177 shot down) and the three others left damaged - one of them will be classified as irreparable on return.
1F and 3F have two aircraft shot down (pilots recovered by a J2F) and three damaged (in all two Corsairs lost and four damaged), the 5th EC lost one P-51, plus one damaged (in all two Mustangs lost and three damaged).
.........
TF-100, 12:30 - The damage report is not catastrophic, far from it. And, if needed, the damage control teams are in place and repairs are already well underway.
The
Mameluk indicates that apart from a shower with sea water, nothing to report...
The n°2 turret of the
Algerie is damaged, its track is slightly warped and the roof has a small dent where the machine ricocheted. Despite a dozen wounded (partly due to the tremor), the cruiser is perfectly operational. The turret will be restored in Gibraltar, but its crew will ask the commander not to touch the recessed roof, which was simply repainted (in the good tradition of the Navy).
Except for the loss of the central mooring line and the fact that the tip of the false bow will have to be redone, the
Richelieu continues to operate normally.
As for the aircraft carrier, the underwater explosion of the Fx 1400 caused a slight leak in the aft tiller room. Quickly controlled, it did not prevent the
Jean-Bart from continuing at good speed to collect and launch its planes, much to the delight of Lagadec.
"A
miracle! The Jean-Bart, almost intact, appears to me like the Holy Savior! In my mind, I thank once again Anne-Marie for having introduced me to her grandmother... Now, I know that nothing bad can happen to "my" aircraft carrier, provided that... But let's not anticipate.
No more jokes, we must now settle down. The P&W is still running, although it still continues to make a noise like a kitchen utensil, while the controls are getting harder.
Let's not dawdle... My landing will be nothing but a controlled crash. The batman has understood that it was in a hurry and signals me that I can go. Boom! The shock is hard, but the Corsair lands without further damage. I take a deep breath: I'm back, I am alive, I am intact, the Jean-Bart too, everything is fine! Quickly, I am directed to the elevator, I cut everything off once I'm on it...
As I leave my cockpit, I meet the distressed look of Master Dantec - my plane must not be pretty to look at. I turn around and am speechless. My poor 1-F-1 looks like a wreck!
The rudder must be missing at least forty centimeters, while the left aileron...no longer exists. The right flap hangs down, cut in two, and my hood looks like a salt shaker.
As a climax, the mechanics who will disassemble the engine will find a 20 mm shell stuck between two cylinders!
I feel a twinge of sadness when I think that this faithful companion has protected me and brought me back alive despite the treatment he received because of me. I think the guys at Vought might not have even considered such endurance. I feel stupid and don't know what to say, when Alphonse taps me on the shoulder with compassion: "Say Commander, it's good to want to wipe the Krauts out of the sky, but if you go on like this, there won't be much original left on your plane, and we can't repair or replace you like it, think about it..."
Less charitably, Andy approaches, turns towards my plane, then towards me, then again towards my plane, and again towards me... finally he leaves without a word. His look was quite eloquent enough.
I go back to my post and call myself an idiot, with my experience, how could I not keep a cool head and let my emotions get the better of me! Then, my teammates will tell me that I didn't seem to be myself during the fight, but that was no excuse - I'll have to make sure something like that doesn't happen again."
.........
Bases I and II/KG 100, 16:00 - The surviving He 177s return after a nightmare day. While the ambulances take the wounded to the hospital, we do the counting.
Out of twenty-two planes at the start, eleven were shot down, one irreparable, and all the others damaged or scrap. As for the loss of men, it was a real bloodletting! In all, thirty-six pilots and crew members dead or missing, including the Gruppenkommandeur of I/KG 100.
His loss is hard felt, it will be difficult to replace him... And these losses are added to those of the strangely precise bombardment of the housing of the crews of the III/KG 100, at dawn.
The causes of the disaster? Incorrect information, lack of fighter cover, technical problems of the He 177 and the "special weapons", without speaking about the organization and the armament of those opposite... The air forces of the Reich are expecting an increasingly darker future.
.........
TF-100, 17:00 - The Force de Raid has resumed its course towards NAF at 25 knots. On the
Jean-Bart, Lagadec welcomes some uninvited guests...
"
In all, the "Donald" and the escort picked up about thirty survivors of the raid, including several seriously injured, including the leader of the group that was leading the attack. Once the wounded are taken care of, we welcome the able-bodied in the alert room to have a close look at our enemies and to respect the tradition of respect between airmen born during the Other War.
Some veterans of course, but mostly a lot of kids just out of their teens, whose flight suits seem too big for them...
One of the Germans exclaims with surprise when he learns that he is on the Jean-Bart, the very ship he had attacked during his escape from Saint-Nazaire! Yes, the Jean-Bart and the war have changed a great deal in just over three years.
Most of our prisoners seem to accept their fate and realize that the war is going badly for Germany. Only a young captain looks down on us with arrogance; speaking through a French-speaking non-commissioned officer, he talks about the thousand-year-old Reich, the greatness of the Führer, the superiority of the Aryan race and the certainty of its final victory - the usual spiel of the fanatical Nazi. To shut him up, I can think of nothing better than to introduce him to one of my young pilots, my No. 2, who has just won his first victory - the proud representative of the "master race" decomposes! My teammate is a Malabar, a descendant of the Hindus who came to settle on the island of Reunion, and he has the most beautiful dark skin. After thinking about it, I avoid introducing my n°3 to our Nazi: his name is Dreyfus (I believe he is a distant nephew of the Captain). Our prisoner would have a stroke and I would be accused by the Red Cross of having mistreated him."
* This reconnaissance formation is temporarily based in Istres while waiting for the Saint-Martin de Crau field to be put into service in early September.
** Equipped with four 164 mm guns and a 150 GP searchlight, the Carqueiranne battery was destroyed in the last days of the Grand Demenagement.
*** 1,000-pound AP bombs were initially planned. But it was thought that if they were perfect against bunkers or battleships, the hull of a submarine did not seem to require this type of projectile. We therefore preferred the semi-perforating AN-M59, containing more explosive for the same weight and which seemed better suited for the hull of a U-Boot. For good measure, two small 100 GP accompany their big sister.
****The detonator was defective. The bomb will remain there until the end of the conflict. It was found during the restoration of the basin and then defused, it now stands in front of the GPD building (Groupe des Plongeurs Démineurs).
***** Today, it is located at Place Gabriel-Péri.
****** Finding the ideal location, the Germans installed Flak cannons on the tower, which narrowly escaped destruction by the bombardments. Classified as a historical monument in 1947, it has been home to a museum of the Navy.
******* A 20 mm MG-FF in each wing, plus a MG17 machine gun in the engine cover and one or two MG-15 on a pivoting mount at the rear.
******** "Flying shoe" - this affectionate nickname was given to the Bv 138 because of its characteristic shape. Its crews find this name much more appropriate than the name coined by Blohm & Voss, Seedrache (Sea Dragon).
********* They had participated in night raids against Algiers and London (without notable results) a few months earlier.
********** "Luftwaffe lighter", nickname due to the tendency of the engines to catch fire (even in cold weather) on the first versions of the He 177. Subsequent improvements will never fully correct the questionable reliability of the Daimler-Benz pairings.
*********** Equipping many aircraft such as the Fw 200, the Bv 138 or the Ju 88/188, the FuG 200 radar is however only employed on the He 177 only on an experimental basis.
************ Introduced in 1941, it is the first gyro-stabilized bombing sight used by the Luftwaffe. Close to the American Norden, it is simpler in terms of use and maintenance.
************* Jean Noël Émile Estienne commanded the destroyer
Chacal, which was sunk off Dunkirk in 1940, and was seriously wounded. To preserve the spirit of the light forces and strengthen the cohesion of the crews, the Navy decided to assign as many of the surviving sailors from the lost units as possible to the new ships bearing the same name.
************** Nicknamed (sailors keep their sense of humour, even in the midst of war) Fantastique du Pipeau...
