Battle of Britain 10 Sep1940: Spitfire attacks Hurricane by mistake

COMBAT REPORT

Name: Sgt 'Boy' Williams
Date: 10 Sept 1940
Flight, squadron: 1 Sq RAF, Hawkinge
Number of enemy aircraft: 1
Type of enemy aircraft: SPITFIRE!
Time attack was delivered: 1800
Place attack was delivered: Canterbury
Height of enemy: 5000
Enemy casualties: 0
Our casualties: 1 severely damaged
General report:

Well I'm in a right old two and eight, and aint that the trufe.

Me kite was grounded with mechanical problems this morning, and we didn't 'ave any spares, so I watched the rest of the squadron take off on a big mission today while I stayed 'ome and polished me medals.

Me old mam would say that was probly a good thing, seein as four of the lads never made it 'ome. They ran into Jerry somewhere near Croydon and it was an 'eck of a bunfight from what I 'eard.

Anyways they put me machine to rights, and about 1730 I got permission to take 'er up over Canterbury and give 'er a bit of a thrashin' to see all was in order.

It were a luverly summer evenin, I was up there durin' a gap between the Luftwaffe day raids, and the start of their night raids, and I was quite enjoyin' meself for the first time since this 'ere war started.

Then the bloody ack ack opened up!!

I guess they was twitchy from the last few days of bombin', and I guess the light were poor. Lucky for me they was poor shots because I sat there trying to work out who they was shooting at for a couple of minutes before I realised it were me!

I guess the ack ack attracted the attention of a Spitfire patrolling near Canterbury, because next thing I new, there were .303s barrelin' across me wing and I saw a Spit in me rear mirror blazin' away at me...

Seems aint nowhere safe for Boy Williams in this big sky.

I ducked, dived, weaved and bunted but 'e stayed on me, pingin' away and the ack ack got more accurate. A couple of flak bursts was too close for comfort and pushed me kite around a bit. I called on the radio but there weren't no response from either the pilot of the Spit, or sector control. I guess the ack ack had done for me radio.

I was right desperate by then, so I actually turned in toward 'im, to at least scare 'im off a bit, and I bolted low and fast for the Stour River Valley and 'oped to lose 'im, which I did. But I weren't out o' the wood, because me kite was all squirrely on the controls. I could see a few holes in me left wing, but I reckon the damage was me right aileron which looked well toasted. I could only roll right with a hefty kick on the rudder, and I even that seemed to be gettin harder by the minute. But at least that bloody Spit were gone.

I were too low to bail out, and I 'ad no confidence she wouldn't just roll over onto her left wing and bury me in an 'illside, so I looked around desperate like for somewhere to put 'er down.

It were all rollin' green 'ills, far as the eye could see, and any fields there was, 'ad bloody trees on 'em. But now she would 'ardly roll right at all and I ran out o' time. I picked the best field I could see and lined her up.

Bumpsy daisy, I got 'er down, then up, then down again and I were just congratulating meself on still bein' alive when a bloody great tree jumped straight in front o' me prop! I kicked the rudder full over and just about cleared it but caught it with me right wing, which ripped clear off.

The engine were makin' a racket so I shut 'er down, and suddenly it were all very quiet.

Then I climbed out, sat meself down a good way aways, and 'ad a smoke an' watched the sun go down.

Category:

Gaming

Tags:

• hurricane
• luftwaffe
• il2
• storm of war
• battle of britain
• messerschmidt
• spitfire
• 1940
• cliffs
• of
• dover