Friday 19 July
The weather cheers up a little bit. It was still showery, but with bright intervals.
The first action of the day was the interception at 07.00 of another reconnaissance aircraft, a Do 17 from 4(F)/121. This aircraft was attacked by 3 Hurricanes from No. 145 Squadron and three from No. 257 Squadron, finally crashing into the sea off Brighton.
The next and most notable action has come to be known as the Defiant disaster.
At 12.31 9 Defiants of No. 141 Squadron left Hawkinge and were vectored to a point off Cap Gris Nez at 5,000 feet. Here they were bounced by about 20 Bf 109s of JG 51 led by Hptm. Johannes Trautloft. The sad story of the Defiants has been often told, 7 were shot down (of which 1 made it back to crash land at Hawkinge) and the other 2 may have been saved by the intervention of 3 Hurricanes from No. 111 Squadron.
The Defiants seem to have been rather naïve in the face of some very experienced Luftwaffe pilots. We have plenty of British accounts, but here is what Trautloft wrote of the events.
“I flew with my Stabsschwarm at 3000m. My three Staffeln were in loose formation some 1000m higher. Visibility was so good that one could see any aircraft taking off from airfields near the coast. Suddenly Lt. Wehnelt reported several aircraft crossing the English coastline. I counted the aircraft, nine in total, they seemed to have just taken off. They climbed rapidly and made a large turn towards the middle of the Channel, heading straight for us. They hadn’t spotted us yet as we approached them out of the sun. When I was only 800m or so above them, I noticed the turrets and realised that they were the heavily armed two seater Defiants. The enemy formation was still flying tightly together, as if on exercise, when it suddenly turned back toward England. I didn’t understand at all what this manoeuvre was for. After checking once more for signs of Hurricanes or Spitfires, I gave the order to attack.”
Defiant L7016 P/O Gardner baled out wounded, rescued from sea. P/O D M Slater missing.
Defiant L7009 F/Lt D G Donald killed. P/O A C Hamilton baled out but killed.
Defiant L6995 P/O R A Howley and Sgt A G Curley both missing.
Defiant L6974 P/O J R Kemp and Sgt R Crombie both missing.
Defiant L7001 Crash landed at Hawkinge, F/Lt M J Loudon injured. P/O E Farnes baled out uninjured and rescued from sea.
Defiant L7015 P/O R Kidson missing. Sgt F J P Atkins killed.
Defiant L6983 Managed to return to base, P/O I N MacDougal uninjured. Sgt. J F Wise baled out over sea and missing.
All the men listed as missing perished.
This was the end for the Defiant at the front line of the Battle of Britain. No.141 Squadron was packed off to Scotland, out of harm’s way. I will post two pages of the squadron’s Form 540 (ORB) which tells the story. I’m not sure what the rules are but since I paid for the ORB of 141 and various other squadrons, I don’t see why I can’t post a page or two for educational purposes.
The Luftwaffe had 3 Bf 109s damaged, they all made it back to France. Fw Karl Heilmann would die of his wounds, Uffz Karl Miesala was wounded and his aircraft a 100% write off, Oblt. Otto Kath made a forced landing, his Bf 109 was 40% damaged but he was unhurt.
Later this day 15 Spitfires from Nos. 64 and 74 Squadrons with 6 Hurricanes from No. 32 Squadron intercepted 7 Ju 87s escorted by 12 Bf 109s as they attempted to attack shipping around Dover harbour. The RAF lost 1 Hurricane.
Finally 12 Hurricanes of No. 43 Squadron tangled with a similar number of Bf 109s of 8./JG 27. Two Hurricanes were shot down, another damaged (Cat 1). Sgt J A Buck (24) baled out of P3531 into the sea but subsequently drowned, his body was recovered at Worthing the following day. 1 Bf 109 returned damaged (35%) and with the superbly named Lt. Erbo Graf von Kageneck wounded.