Steven K. Dixon 2022
Squadron: 104 Aircraft Name: T-Tommy
Crew:
Position |
Name |
Rank |
Pilot |
Ian Willoughby |
F/O |
Wireless |
Christopher Billing |
F/SGT |
Tail Gunner |
Patrik Sandu |
SGT |
Navigator |
Garry Francis |
F/SGT |
Mid-Upper |
Shaun McKenzie |
F/SGT |
Bomb Aimer |
John Mainprize |
F/SGT |
Engineer |
Andrew Tucker |
F/SGT |
1943/44 Campaign 2 Missions:
Mission Number |
Target |
Result |
12 |
Aulnoye, Fr. |
On Target 50% |
13 |
Bristillerie, Fr. |
On Target 60% |
14 |
Courtrai, Be. |
On Target 40% |
15 |
Meulan-les-Meureaux, Fr. |
On Target 44% |
16 |
Bergerac, Fr. |
On Target 50% |
17 |
Brunswick, Ge. |
DNB - Abort |
18 |
Ossun, Fr. |
On Target 90% |
19 |
Metz, Fr. |
On Target 30% |
20 |
Berlin, Ge. |
On Target 95% |
1943 Credited Kills:
Mission No. |
ME 110 F-4 |
ME 110 G-4 |
JU 88 C-6 |
JU 88 G-7 |
DO 217 J-1 |
DO 217 N-2 |
HE 219 A-0 |
FW 190 A-5UZ |
ME 109 G-6U4N |
ME 262 B-1AU1 |
TA 154 A-0 |
DO 217 J-1 (Italy) |
12 |
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13 |
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14 |
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15 |
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3 |
1 |
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16 |
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1 |
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1 |
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17 |
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18 |
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19 |
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20 |
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Previous aircraft - G-George
1943/44 Campaign 2 Mission AARs
Mission 12 - Constant searchlights and flak all the way from crossing the coast but all missed (you should eat your carrots Jerry!); picked up a JU88 crossing the coast at Belgium but spotted by Monica and our Ace Tail Gunner (with his new .50 equipped turret), it came in from 6lo and Mark ripped its left wing apart: chutes were observed as it fell into cloud. Bomb run was relatively uninterrupted (Light Flak that missed and a Mossie had chased off the N/F that would have been waiting) although the target was obscured - John put 50% on target. Flight home was relatively easy, helped by a constant tail wind and Ian put the new bomber down smooth as silk.
Mission 13 - Piece of cake old chap; Jerry scuffed the paint a little over the target and there was a little unpleasantness with a cheeky sod trying to sneak under us to attack just before the bomb run but Mark soon saw him off with his tail between his legs.
Mission 14 - A total milk run. Quick hop across the North Sea; all systems in the green. No flak over the target; we bombed on the green flares as the Master Bomber ordered. Got picked up by a night fighter - couldn't confirm the type - must have climbed below us: load of tracers flew past but nothing touched us. Turning away from Courtrai we took a bit of flak to our port wing but nothing too serious. Smooth flight back across the sea and home.
Mission 15 - Far too much attention from flak & searchlights all the way in once crossing the coast; some clot had got G wrong, thankfully mostly superficial; no nightfighters until the bomb run but then our 'Crafty Cockney' on the tail put paid to them: as he said in the Pathe interview, it was just like being on a coconut shy in Brighton - Jerry kept rolling up and he kept knocking them down. Bloody good show!
Mission 16 - Everything was fine until Zone 8 when the fuel transfer system from tank 2 went u/s; consultation between the Nav and F/Engineer gave us a slim margin to proceed and still get back. F/O Wiloughby made the decision to press on rather than abort (for which he's going to receive the DFC); we received flak in several zones as well as unwelcome attention from nightfighters (2 of which our 'multiple ace' tail Gunner shot down); we were seriously lucky in Zone 6 inbound when we encountered a JU88 with an Experte but he only had ammo for 1 pass (and missed - having been narrowly put off his aim by our MUG). Multiple malfunctions inbound meant we were at low-level from Zone 11 and Ian had to land with the 2 port engines out (out of juice just before landing) and no brakes but he still put T-Tommy down, smooth as silk. 'A piece of cake' as he put it, later in the bar...
Mission 17 - Developed an oil leak in #4 engine shortly after leaving the UK coast; engine caught fire just before the Dutch coast but was extinguished and feathered ok. Signaled a mission abort (we've tried the whole press-on-with-3-engines thing and we're a lot older and wiser now) jettisoned the bombs and returned home. Landed safely.
Mission 18 - A total nightmare. Flak blew Mark's face off just after we crossed into France - he still had time to scream, although God knows what he screamed out of... Unable to abort for his death, despite the whole crew being rattled and having no tail Gunner, we pressed on from Zone 5. Window every zone until we ran out on the way home. 1 serious N/F attack but mostly only superficial hits (apart from starboard aileron and flaps) until we broke contact. Numerous flak hits: windscreen, starboard wing root, nose guns u/s, various superficial). No malfunctions and landed safely. Our Navigator and Bomb Aimer were spot on - we planted 90% of our bomb load on target! Our new Tail Gunner looks like he's just left school (compared to our veteran 2nd tour crew) and his accent is near indecipherable but he's keen as mustard.
Mission 19 - Milk run (never spotted a night fighter - in fact 3 tried to intercept and failed) ; flak damaged the left flap but nothing other than that. John must have been off his game (only 30% on target) but overall a piece of cake!
Mission 20 - A total piece of cake: Jerry flak nibbled at us a bit and scared the hell out of John (Bomb-aimer) when it blew his bomb sight away just before Holland (on the way back) but he felt we really put the eggs on target this time - cop that Hitler! Other than that we didn't see any Night fighters. Saw a mid-air collision on the way into Germany but couldn't confirm the types.
1943/44 Campaign 2 Mission AARs
Mission 12 - Constant searchlights and flak all the way from crossing the coast but all missed (you should eat your carrots Jerry!); picked up a JU88 crossing the coast at Belgium but spotted by Monica and our Ace Tail Gunner (with his new .50 equipped turret), it came in from 6lo and Mark ripped its left wing apart: chutes were observed as it fell into cloud. Bomb run was relatively uninterrupted (Light Flak that missed and a Mossie had chased off the N/F that would have been waiting) although the target was obscured - John put 50% on target. Flight home was relatively easy, helped by a constant tail wind and Ian put the new bomber down smooth as silk.
Mission 13 - Piece of cake old chap; Jerry scuffed the paint a little over the target and there was a little unpleasantness with a cheeky sod trying to sneak under us to attack just before the bomb run but Mark soon saw him off with his tail between his legs.
Mission 14 - A total milk run. Quick hop across the North Sea; all systems in the green. No flak over the target; we bombed on the green flares as the Master Bomber ordered. Got picked up by a night fighter - couldn't confirm the type - must have climbed below us: load of tracers flew past but nothing touched us. Turning away from Courtrai we took a bit of flak to our port wing but nothing too serious. Smooth flight back across the sea and home.
Mission 15 - Far too much attention from flak & searchlights all the way in once crossing the coast; some clot had got G wrong, thankfully mostly superficial; no nightfighters until the bomb run but then our 'Crafty Cockney' on the tail put paid to them: as he said in the Pathe interview, it was just like being on a coconut shy in Brighton - Jerry kept rolling up and he kept knocking them down. Bloody good show!
Mission 16 - Everything was fine until Zone 8 when the fuel transfer system from tank 2 went u/s; consultation between the Nav and F/Engineer gave us a slim margin to proceed and still get back. F/O Wiloughby made the decision to press on rather than abort (for which he's going to receive the DFC); we received flak in several zones as well as unwelcome attention from nightfighters (2 of which our 'multiple ace' tail Gunner shot down); we were seriously lucky in Zone 6 inbound when we encountered a JU88 with an Experte but he only had ammo for 1 pass (and missed - having been narrowly put off his aim by our MUG). Multiple malfunctions inbound meant we were at low-level from Zone 11 and Ian had to land with the 2 port engines out (out of juice just before landing) and no brakes but he still put T-Tommy down, smooth as silk. 'A piece of cake' as he put it, later in the bar...
Mission 17 - Developed an oil leak in #4 engine shortly after leaving the UK coast; engine caught fire just before the Dutch coast but was extinguished and feathered ok. Signaled a mission abort (we've tried the whole press-on-with-3-engines thing and we're a lot older and wiser now) jettisoned the bombs and returned home. Landed safely.
Mission 18 - A total nightmare. Flak blew Mark's face off just after we crossed into France - he still had time to scream, although God knows what he screamed out of... Unable to abort for his death, despite the whole crew being rattled and having no tail Gunner, we pressed on from Zone 5. Window every zone until we ran out on the way home. 1 serious N/F attack but mostly only superficial hits (apart from starboard aileron and flaps) until we broke contact. Numerous flak hits: windscreen, starboard wing root, nose guns u/s, various superficial). No malfunctions and landed safely. Our Navigator and Bomb Aimer were spot on - we planted 90% of our bomb load on target! Our new Tail Gunner looks like he's just left school (compared to our veteran 2nd tour crew) and his accent is near indecipherable but he's keen as mustard.
Mission 19 - Milk run (never spotted a night fighter - in fact 3 tried to intercept and failed) ; flak damaged the left flap but nothing other than that. John must have been off his game (only 30% on target) but overall a piece of cake!
Mission 20 - A total piece of cake: Jerry flak nibbled at us a bit and scared the hell out of John (Bomb-aimer) when it blew his bomb sight away just before Holland (on the way back) but he felt we really put the eggs on target this time - cop that Hitler! Other than that we didn't see any Night fighters. Saw a mid-air collision on the way into Germany but couldn't confirm the types.
