One of our Lancs returns...

[JDK]

In the D Day stripes thread, Muddyboots directed my attention to the website of Lancaster Gunner Don Mayston which proved most interesting. On it, under 'stories' he recounts this one, which I thought might be of interest here. Says it all really.


(MOD Photograph)

ANOTHER BAD DAY AT WOODBRIDGE AIRFIELD

The winter of 1943-44 saw Lancasters embroiled in the Battle of Berlin. Following are excerpts from this pilot's report of what transpired aboard 'U-Uncle' shortly after dropping their bomb load:

Just after we turned for home the rear gunner spotted a Messerschmitt 110. The enemy and my two gunners opened fire at the same instant. Cannon shells hit our aircraft like sledge hammers. The gunners scored hits on the 110's port engine and cockpit and the fighter went down, burning fiercely. All this happened within five seconds. Meanwhile my control column had been slammed forward (the elevator had been hit), putting the aircraft into a near-vertical dive ... by putting both feet on the instrument panel, one arm around the control column, and the other hand on the elevator trim, then hauling back with every ounce of strength while trimming fully nose up, I managed to pull out of the dive at about 10,000ft (13,000ft below bombing height). My compasses were unserviceable, the rudder controls had jammed, and I could get very little response from the elevators. I still had to wrap both arms around the control column to maintain height.

We were now far behind the rest of the bombers, and our only hope was to stay in the cloud-tops and take our chances with the severe icing we were encountering.

Fighter flares kept dropping all around us and the flak positions en route were bursting their stuff at our height, but the fighters couldn't see us in that cloud. . . . My navigator took astro fixes and kept us away as much as possible from defended areas . . . . We had been losing a lot of fuel from the starboard inner tank, but enough remained to take us to Woodbridge (a big emergency landing ground in Suffolk).

About seventy miles out to sea I let down through cloud, experiencing severe icing, then levelled off when I broke through. . . . The aircraft was now becoming very sluggish, and only with difficulty was I able to hold height. I detailed the crew to throw out all our unnecessary equipment and to chop out everything they could. This considerably lightened the aircraft and made it easier to control. I then ordered the crew to stand by for ditching, just in case. . The navigator headed me straight for Woodbridge, on GEE radar.

We used all the runway and felt the aircraft touch down on our port wheel. ... It rolled along until the speed dropped to about 30mph, then it settled down more on the side of the starboard wheel, did half a ground-loop, and stopped ... I shut down the engines, got out, and took a look at the damage.

Both starboard engine nacelles were gone; the hydraulics were smashed and twisted; two large tears were in the starboard wing near the dinghy stowage; the dinghy was hanging out; the starboard fuel jettison sac was hanging out; the tail plane was riddled with cannon and machine gun fire; the fuselage had five cannon holes through it (three of the shells had burst inside, near the navigator); there were two cannon holes in the rear turret (one of these shells had whistled almost the entire length of the fuselage before exploding); there were hundreds of holes of all sizes in the aircraft; every prop blade had at least one hole in it one being split down the middle; the starboard outer oil tank was riddled and the starboard tyre was blown clean off . . . But nobody was injured. It had been a good trip until we were attacked by the fighter.'

And the fighter? Both of 'Uncle's' gunners, had opened fire simultaneously at 100 yards range, and loosed 500 rounds at it without taking their thumbs off the firing buttons. The enemy's port engine caught fire just as he broke away. He went into a succession of dives and half-hearted pull-outs, finally spinning out of control until lost to view.

http://www.mayston.com/Another%20Bad%20 ... eld%20.htm

Sadly many Bomber Command crews did not return. Many of them didn't even see the enemy fighter that got them.


James Kightly photograph. Lancaster G for George in Striking by Night at the Australian War Memorial.

[peter]

WHat an amazing account James! Thank you very much for sharing it.

[The Inspector]

Brave, brave men each and every one! I don't ever recall reading anywhere about how much abuse a Lancaster could take from flak or cannon fire. Were they about equal to the B-17 as far as taking a licking? This one sure sounds like it was only fit to drain pasta after that mission-

[mustangdriver]

Awesom stuff man. Brave men for sure. The photos are great.

[Mudge]

Tom Brokaw was absolutely correct.

Mudge the admiring

[JDK]

Brave, brave men each and every one! I don't ever recall reading anywhere about how much abuse a Lancaster could take from flak or cannon fire. Were they about equal to the B-17 as far as taking a licking? This one sure sounds like it was only fit to drain pasta after that mission-

Drain pasta - that sounds about the size of it. There are some tough to read statistics for Bomber Commands' three heavies and crew survival rates. The Lanc was tough, as they all were to a degree, but IIRC, was hard to get out of if it was going down. Just like any other heavy though, if hit in the bomb-load or fuel tanks it was brief, and inevitable.

The German Schräge Musik (Jazz or 'slanted' music) armament on their night fighters was used to move underneath (where most heavies had no armament or lookout) and fire into the inboard wing fuel tanks. For some time the Bomber Command leaders had no idea what was happening to their aircraft, as almost all the attacked aircraft were shot down. Those very few crews who did return were often not believed when they described the attack.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schr%C3%A4ge_Musik

Incidentally, the Japanese came up with a similar idea to attack B-29s - completely independent of the German efforts.

Tom Brokaw was absolutely correct.

Hi Mudge. While I appreciate the sentiment, 'The Greatest Generation' isn't a term used in Britain or applied within the Commonwealth. I'd also not agree with the idea, personally, as the sacrifice made by the Commonwealth in the Great War of 1914 - 18 was no less significant or 'great' than that in the Second World War. If only we were as good at winning the peace as we are at fighting.

Thanks for the feedback, and glad you like my pic. Thanks to Muddy for pointing me at the site.

Cheers,

[Mudge]

James...I mean that with the greatest admiration for ALL the allies. My father and an uncle were among them. Uncle was killed in the Battle of the Bulge.
Father came home.

Mudge the sincere

[JDK]

No worries Mudge - the expression was fine. I shouldn't hijack my own thread!

[mustangdriver]

My goal is to someday get out to see S for Sugar.

[JDK]

My goal is to someday get out to see S for Sugar.

Yeah. But that's G for George, 12,000 miles from Sugar. G for George is better displayed than S for Sugar. (Confused? You will be...)

Lancaster S for Sugar is in the RAF Museum, Hendon, England. G for George is in the Australian War Memorial, Canberra. S for Sugar just sits there, while on the other hand, the 'Striking By Night' sound and light display is, IMHO the most moving and thought provoking display I've seen that brings a static bomber to life. As it finishes, you can hear a pin drop, even if there's two school groups in full flow. It is, for once literally stunning and awesome in the proper sense of both words. (You leave, stunned and awed.)

http://www.awm.gov.au/visit/?item=mustsee&sub=anzac

http://www.awm.gov.au/striking/index.asp

I've watched it usually twice on four visits now, and am looking forward to going again. It's a benchmark.

On the other hand there is PA474 flying in the UK, the CWH's airworthy example, the Bullcreek Western Australia example has had engines turned over on battery power (it's in a hangar) and the Canadians seem to be going leaps and bounds with running theirs - Nanton being great news. Not forgetting you can ride the taxiing 'Janie' in Lincolnshire. Not as common as B-17s, but better than it might be.

[mustangdriver]

O.K. so now I want to see them all.

[JDK]

O.K. so now I want to see them all.

Well, I've seen about 1/2 of the survivors. The bloody Canucks have loads though, and it's a big country.

[mustangdriver]

I have seen the flying Canadian one, and even been inside it. I would be happy to see S for Sugar, J for Janie, and G for George. I also want to see the halifax Friday the 13th.