THE CHINA MAIL,
SATURDAY, JULY 1, 1961.
HITLER'S U-BOATS HAD TO BE STOPPED.
THERE WAS ONLY ONE WAY TO DO IT
THE LANCASTERS GO HEDGE-HOPPING FOR 1,000 MILES
WITH a shattering roar and roverberation the six Lancasters plunged through the French countryside, clinging to the ground in tight, nervo-straining formation, following the earth's contours as closely as a trunk road.
The pilots sat rigidly, in hypnotic concentration, watching the ground rush by beneath them in a great rolling torrent, looking up at the horizon, manipulating the throttles with one outstretched hand, cas- ing the stick backwards and forwards, with the other, tucking in close, following the leader, drawing a straight line across the earth's surface to Augsburg.
of the German
Augsburg, Bavaria. Thirty miles north-west of Munich. Five hundred miles across Occupied Europe, into the heart Reich. Nineteen years ago on April 17, 1942.
Seven men in each Lancaster
- beber which bindt een In- troduced to squadron service only SIX weeks earlier. Six more Lancaster, behind. Eighty- four mea. All determined to hit their target, the diesel-enghe factory in the centre of Augs burg, largest producer of U-boat engines in Germany.
in
the
The U-boats. Even carly 1942, with this last weapon Hit ler could knnek us out of War.
HEROES of the BOMBERS
for
to
a good joke--the best laugh days. It was no joke now, That they might be asked fly to: a thousand miles at low
broad level
daylight Occupied Europe, to a target In Scath: Germany, had never uccurred to them.
over
pelled it. For a few hours the crows Ilved in a roscate. Uteplan world. It was astonishing how nice everyone suddenly became,
Before take-off many ot the
wrote letters inc
to their sweethearts and mothers which they propped up prominently in their lockers. II "they got back the letters would be tom up.
Nettleton and his six Laa- casters all got away safely from Waddington, formed up over the irfeld, and get course for Sel- sey Bit. The whole station turned out to see them off.
Such a thing would be suicide. The planes roared on. Gl Nubody ate mich lunch, and down as low as you con, they as the truth penetrated, and had said. That's the way to the certainty was accepted that avoid the fighters. That's the no one could posa.bly get back. way 10
detection, the news felt ʼn sense of fatali-m esempe Würkery in the Belds, their ear-
creep over them, drums assaulted with noise.
They'
to hadn't expected hardly had
to look tap thre
survive the war anyway. Yet before the twin-tall units of the
somebody always got away below Lancasters dipped
Ope
"Come on." said someone, with ik It would just have
when the Inst Lancaster had dis- to be them. In any case they
have a drink. would have
damn good appeared, let's crack at it, make themselves We shan't see them again." felt. Fo oui in a blaze of
next huli.
The crews
could see their upturned fares clearly. Every- che stopped what they were do- ing and gaped. One old French- man just had time to sweep off his hat and makų a envaller how before fattening himself against
the road.
Singled out
44
glory. They had been fully briefed about the vital Importance of the target,
and they Would rash that diesel-engine shop It It was the lust thing they did. It probably would be.
Chosen to lead the ruid was Squadron Lcoder John Nettle ton, a 25-year-old South African, fair, slender, and reticent, of an amiral. On and Brandsun
leaving school he had trained for the merchant service and sub- 18 months at sea, but in 1938, on a visit Britain with his mother, he de- cided to join the R.A.F.
It had all started three weeks earlier. Seven crews from Squadron at Waddington seven from 07 Squadron t Woodhall had been singled out for special traming involving sequently spent low-level cross-country fights in formation over England and Scotland.
Thankful
At Woodhall there was a small, Rodley, the reserve pilot, had been appalled when the target was named, and rather thankful that he and his crew were only the reserve.
PART TWO by RALPH BARKER
"A' for 'Apple' has shut down," said the flight engineer.
Rodley thought of his wife back in Woodhall Spa. Then he took off with the others and moved into the No. 2 position, tucked in to starboard of Sher- wood.
In the lead
Lo
The two groups rendezvoused at Selsey Bill. It seaned
that Sherwood
Nettleton was taking a course slightly north of their briefed track. His naviga- tor confirmed this.
It was a beautiful April day with no cloud, and most of the crews took off their tunics and loosened their tles.
Each section of three kept tight formation, ready lo
inland were mosky night fighters, disposed almost ex. clusively in North-West Ger- many and Holland,
If the Lancasters could pene trate
hundred miles into France they could expect a clear run to the target.
Course
of
easier down wheels-up in a field. Then he set out with his crow to walk to Unoccupied Franco. But they didn't make it. Crum furned up some time later in prison camp dressed as a French
farmer.
Opened up
in
John
and
D
going until he saw what he wàs
The remaining hours to the tower directly in front of him, target were a succession of he was determined not to do. kaleldoscople Images rushing at He thought he could sec them and away. First e parade- clearer run in from the east, so ground packed with German he turned. to starboard, away soldiers, a burst of machine-gun from the flak-tower, crossed the fre from a rear turret, and an Munich railway line, and kept empty parade ground.
Then a frontier. post on the Swiss-German border. An SS. man in close-up-black uniform, black boots and black cap shaking his fist at them then running back down the road 10- wards a telephone box as they disappeared from view.
looking for the line of the river. He turned back to port, pushed the nose of his Lancaster down stil further, and follow- ed the river.
and
Gorwell kept with him. the two Lancasters burst like
a tidal wave into the town
Astonished
The Rhine, a beautiful, rolling river. Lake Constance,, and 'n small white ferry-boat chugging across. A German amcer, standing in the stern, points his
The crews had studied the ex- Luger at them defiantly and act appearance of the target Ares. They c even see the from photographs and models at smoke from the barrel,
the briefing. They were astonish- cd at their accuracy.
a gunner,
c
them off from their target. Net tleton pulled up gently to climb the hill, shot over the top, and
before
there
They
recognised the whole although they layout instantly. were approaching from an un- Their target expected angle. was not simply the works as a whole, but
one particular T- where the sub- shaped ahed,
were mado, marine engines There it was, directly ahead, carefully camouflaged," but un- mistakable.
Low-angle fate was pourfor at them in A Continui stream.
low 50
that the Germans were firing Into their own buildings. Both nircraft were hit repeatedly. "Bomb-doors open" The_roof-lops of Augsburg flickered by beneath them. A anndbagged · gun-post on top of the main factory building was firing at them point-blank. The front-gunners Bred back. Then the gun-bost disappeared beneath the noses of the two. Lancasters and the bomb-almers prensed their relense-buttons.
But, by bad luck, two squad rons of German fighters, aleried to intercept the Bestons, were
That was the end of the on their way back to their air second section. Now the whole field at Bernay, on
after Then Lake Ammer, the last cross the Lanen- pack of fighters. chased which would
Nettleton and the two other turning point, 10 miles youth aircraft
the sters' track,
leading coe- of the target, where an old They passed well head
of tion, piloted by
ocarned Flying
bavarian, standing Sherwood and his squadron, but oneer
Garwell
on the
shores of the lake, "All right," said Sherwood, they saw the six Lancasters
10 Warrant Officer "Dusty" Rhodes, takes pot shots at them with "we'll steer
our own course. the north led by Nettleton.
All the gunners opened up as the a duck gun. The two sections this night fghters got within range, but We're supposed to open up be
"Shall 1 tickle him up?" asks and were about 400 yards apart. No, soon the defensive Bre faltered fore we get to the target
won't 2 and 3 in each section closed as gun after gun started to jam. bomb independently. It
No, leave him alone." up on their lender until they hurt to open up now."
Einboldened by the lack of Thus they crossed half Europe, The two fights of six drew were wing-tip to wing-tip. The answering fire, one Me109 pilot Nettleton and Garwell out ahead. slowly apart. Several miles crops in the fields were flattened crept up behind Rhodes's nir Sherwood and his formation still separated them as they op by their slipstream,
craft to within 25 yards, fring Infact some milles behind. proached the French coast west
arblers his cannon as he cerne. Flames Reaching Lake Ammer, Nettle- But the German of Havre, with Nettleton's flight
of ton and Garwell turned north eams after them, about 30 of burst from all four engines well to the north and still-In the
them, in two
streaking back for Augsburg. formations of the Lancaster, lead.
There was no low cloud and 15, and a fierce, running fight beyond the tail-plane. developed.
Then the aircraft began to they could see for 20 miles, but climb, vertically, all engines straight ahead the ground hump- The combined fire-power
from them, shutting burning, until I hovered directly ed away three Lancasters was something above Nellleton and Garwell. new to the German pilots, bu Inevitably the stall must come. they had the answer to it. And when it did, the crews of They began their attack from the two other Langosters lookeri bring the strongest possible the port quarter, closing
sburg. from up to see en immenso ball of combined fire-power to bear 700 yards to 400 and then break- flame diving stenight at them. against enemy fighters.
ing away. They had never seen The inoldent seemed to be Crossing the French coast, the a Lancaster before, but they
enacted in a strangely pro- pilots had to climb to negotiate knew
the British 303
tracted slow-motion.
Mira- the cliffs and the sensation of machine guns
were ineffective
the culously
diving стел speed was terrific.
beyond 400 yards.
inferno missed both aircraft Fighter escort on fight of
They kept at long range, out- by a few feet before plunging this length was impossible, but gunning the Lancasters with into the ground. a massive diverslunary operation their cannon. The light forma- had been mounted to keep ton of the Lancasters, instead well. Both aircraft had been hit straight from here to the target,
That felt Nettleton and Gar-
The intention had been to fly sald enemy busy.
of prestaling the maximum de- "You know, skipper,"
their petrol but ahead Nettleton saw a bed fensive Dre-power, only made tanks were holed, but the self- of chimney-stacks which would 1,0001. Merralls, the wireless operator, nimost wish now we've got
a better torget,
working. force him to gain height. scaling seemed to be Still the Lancasters went this far that we were going."
This, with the flak already roaring on over the countryside. All Nettleton's turrets were out Thirty Boston bombers' and lifting over the hills and skim- of action and Garwell had only thick and accurate from a dak- The others shouted him down,
Iwo or three guns fring. I Then the flight engineer cut in. over 800 fighters had attacked ming down the valleys,
the look of A targets in the Pas de Calais and fighter after fichier attacked the planned daylight rald on Augs- "I don't like
and Cherbourg second scelton of three from for 'Apple"," hc said. "He's around Rouen
half an hour carlier, drawing stern, A minuts ago they had sat down The two squadrons were to ren- bashing No. 1 up chd down a
then Int. I think he's
the German fighters away from in the briefing room and roared dezvous at Selsey Bill and
gol a mag the Lancasters' route. with laughter because some wag make for the French coast.
drop." had strelched the tape right If anyone had been in any Hi all looked different now. across Northern France south doubt about the dangers of this The crew were silent. That of Party skirting Switzerland, raid, the altitude of those who slight feeling of detachment had and Inte Bavaria. It had been were not going would have dis- evaperated.
The seventh aircraft was 1 Tonerve in case someone fell out.
Speculation about training was for did not get any where near the truth.
what
the
On April 18 the crews were
to
They had collected their para
of cheeciate, chutes, their bara their oranges, their vacuum asks of coffee, and gone out 10 the aircraft with the rest. There they had kicked the lyres, had a for leaks. good look round checked everything they could, and strapped themselves in.
When the coloured cartridge fair signal wn Ared (rudio silence ordered), Rodley had nesthetic-looking, was In his desire to started the engines. From every Infuse his crews with his own hatch and turret the crew watch
other aircraft for dynamie keenness he often tried ed the six
of signs of trouble. to panic them into urgency, hence his nickname,
Leading the second flight of Squadron WUS six Lancasters Leader "Flap" Sherwood, haired and only just 23.
a nensc
Dispelled
told that the raid would prob ably take place next day. They
to camp. for- were combined bidden phone their wives, forbidden even to have a drink.
said "Well, gentlemen,"
the wing commander at briefing
The altack was to be made at next morning, "now you know
so that the homeward what the target is. But
they dusit. didn't. Even their blackest fight could be made in dark- nightmares had not foreteld it, nes. Take-off
was 3.13
IT
the
Small risk
that
while
many times
and
seemed that the carefully
burg would rever be made,
Turned back
The pilots, Flight Lieutenant Sandford, Flight Sergeant Bre- kett, and Warrant Officer Crum, Once the raid kad
peno- could hear the racket of answer- trated well into France the ing fire from their tall and mid-
But now this tragic chance rik of fighter
Interception upper turrets, and see the Ger- encounter ended. The German
defences
airborne n up ghters had been mon cannon shella tearing the ground ahead.
long time and they were running out of petrol. They turned back They rushed over the roots Bernay, convinced that the of a village, watching cannon two remaining Lancasters shella orashing"ahead of them couldn't get far.
WES
small. The
'HOW MUCH TIME ARE THEY ALLOWING THE OPPOSITION?”
into houses, blowing holes in Nettleton and Garwell still street walis and amashing had nearly 500 miles to go to the Into the gabica of roofs.
target. Hath were practically
orders had
Again and again this section defencelors. The was hit. if the Germans had been that if one aircraft of sufficient fuel to stay with them section was shot they must all be shot down.
First to
go
Beckett was
them lay Aug
It was a trim, peaceful-tool- ing Bavarlan town, about the size of Basingstoke. But before they reached the outskirts the nak began to rise at them.
7
down in the 15
early stages of the flight, thai-
section was to return,
The squadren had lost
tour 17
out of six. But Nettleton nevar
considered going back, and nelther did Garwell.
the next to go. The two men did not break Its aircraft began to drop back, radio silence. They junt kept and moment later the gunners going grimly. They know the 21 of the loading section saw it rald mustn't fail. They hod crash and burst into flames.
been given a vivid improdon at
Nick Sandford, the leader of briefing of what might happen the reellen, was the next to go, If it did.
in exactly the same way. A The 07 Squadron Lancasters, Title fellow with a pleasing per- led by Sherwood, saw nothing conality, Sandford was keen on of the fighters. Over on the music and chose all the records horizon they caught ⚫ climpse for the Omears' Mess. He al- of several aircraft crashing in for a moment ways wore his pyjamas under flames. But not This flying suit for luck, but this did they connect ft with, their
time he had no chance at all. nwn' rald.
Alerted
20
Determined
"Bombs gone.”
Nettleton swung his aircraft to port, taking evasive action, and, Garwell, his aircraft wal- lowing uncertainly, managed to follow. Then Nettleton furned
and looked back at the target. back to starboard, heading west.
Both sircraft had carried four bombs with 11-second delays. They would go up at any moment,
(Continued on Page 7)
A British Crossword Puzzle
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
16
18
ACROSS
3 Shot a line.
7 Cowgow.
.0 Endeavoured.
That little horror?
11 A midnight one?
IZ Recess,
10 Notices.
That lott only Warrant Officer Crum. Crum was a wily bird, old in years and experience by comparison with most of the The whole defences of France 18. The god of the clrous. others, and he forced bla Lan and Southern Germany castor down lower still, racing now alerted, and the remaining 18 Sever.
were 17 Brusque, Lancasters could expect further 19 Jakers!
[ along the ground like a mnt.
Suddenly ahead of him he opposition before they reached 21 Anrwered back. kow a fins of telephone wiren, the target."
22 Throw-dut.
dimed at
He held the nque down and new But to delude. the Germans 23 Embellishes, underneaļli them · hoping to their Course catch his pursuers napping, but Munich. Only
10020
at the fast
22
1.
DOWN
2 Falling glass? 3 Sound sheepish.
4 What's left.
B Incline...
0 Evasive tactics.
10 Meat halla.
11 Charge.
13 More brittle.
24 Skip the dance.
10 Horded.
18 Supports.
19 Aro no more.
20 Cricketers with wings?
20
· YESTERDAY'S CROSSWORD. *** Actom: 1 Prohibita, a
they shot Denently the wires just moment would they turn`north | Nalls, 10 Stare. 12 Gol, 19 Him, 14 Kana, 10 Copner, 10 Trans.. behind him, fring all the way, for Allmburg. This IMO
10 Fattier, 20 Tin, #2 Red, 28 Fer, 21-Binde, 25 Brode, 20, With sil four engines on Aes calved the Gengaha and the↑ Bhamalezi. Downi & Külgn, 3. Hist. 4 Mishaj, a and the fuselage riddled, "Crum Batters "walted for them is vain --Angel-dsh, 7 Pelrifed, 6. Luthed, 17 Tipster, 15 Car, 17 Re- throttled back and put the Lap- over Munich.
deom, 19 Trash, 21- Irons; 33 Poul.
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