Thursday the 16th of July 1940

MJDixon Sat Jul 18, 2015 1:04 am

Event Date: Thursday the 16th of July 1940
Sqn Name / Home-base: No. 19 Squadron / Duxford
Sqn Strength /Aircraft type: 2 Spitfire Mk.Ia
Area of Patrol: Dungeness Area
Enemy Contacts Location / Altitude: Channel and Dungeness Area / Angels 16 - 23
Enemy Type / Count: BF109E / Small Groups from 1 to 4

Friendly Damage / Losses: 1 x Spitfire Mk. Ia, Pilot Killed
Enemy Damage / Losses: 1 x Bf109 damaged
Sqn Sortie Report:

Took off from Duxford together with Flt Lt. Conflict and instructed to patrol the Channel between Dungeness and Cap Gris-Nez at angels 18, at which point we engaged a single Bf109E south east of Dungeness at angels 18, which was damaged and forced to a lower altitude, following it down to angels 14 we were then engaged by a flight of 3 Bf109Es from the south, and so were forced to disengage towards Dungeness.

We were then ordered to disengage to Wilmington along with No. 54 Squadron, and then climb to angels 25 before returning to Dungeness for a patrol over the Channel to Cap Gris-Nez - en route to Dungeness we spotted a single Bf109E at angels 23 heading towards Wilmington and so engaged and forced him to dive away to the south, no damage was done to the enemy, however - and we did not follow him down, instead disengaging to return to our previous assignment.

Having reached Dungeness we were then instructed by TOPHAT to patrol due east for 5 minutes, before turning back due west to refuel at Littlestone, however, at the end of our outbound leg we were informed of an enemy raid crossing the channel, and so dove down west to angels 15, we were unable to locate the raid, but were engaged by a flight of three Bf109s at higher altitude, and were instructed to try to drag the enemy to lower altitude over Dungeness, the 109s however refused to follow us over land, instead breaking away and returning to a cloud bank over the Channel at around Angels 13.

Now over Dungeness, we were instructed by TOPHAT to descend to angels 8 to try to locate No. 54 Squadron, who were engaged with a group of 109s and Stukas over Littlestone - we were unable to locate any friendlies, however - save for a lone Hurricane west of Littlestone, we then tried to head west to continue our search, at which point Flt Lt. Conflict was bounced from above and behind by a pair of Bf109s and killed instantly, after which I disengaged and headed to Eastchurch to refuel, before returning to Duxford.

Other Notes:

Tactical observations have been removed from this AAR for security reasons, for full notes see AAR section of Storm of War Allied Sub-Forum

Special mention should be made of Flt Lt. Conflict, who was killed in action on his 23rd sortie, with 8 confirmed, 3 shared and 3 partial kills to his name.