AM 138 SOE Operation BIT VII 6 Lamplight / Goldfinch

Beskrivelse

Særmelding BBC : "79", "80", "Slå hull på nøtten", "På ski over lyng og kvast"
Code : COW Signal bakke: "K" Signal fly: "N"
EUREKA: Out of Rebekka.
GEE: NA

CON PAK M HD CRS SPD LAND . MERKNAD
17 3 800 300 140 07:50

Squad: RAF 190

1. F/S Dickens E T Stirling IV LK275 V
Out: 22:47 Drop: 03:46 C

1. Captains report:

"C" type light, "E". We arrived DZ, found lights ok and dropped the load. A good trip with excellent conditions for map reading. EUREKA set up DZ. Very useful as an extra aid. Drop made on DZ with correct lighteninng system. Diversion on return -. landing made at Bungay - but chrash landed. Exact details not available at the moment.

AIR-27-1154-38 s5 (It is LK275. LJ smaller than 440 is not made in Stirling, )
HS2-132 s354

"Late on New Year's Eve, 190 and 620 Squadrons each sent four aircraft on SOE operations, to 'Bit', 'Crupper' and 'Snaffle' DZs in Norway, but two other aircraft failed to take off. One had a jammed throttle, and the other got bogged down on the muddy airfield.

The weather was initially much better than had been forecast, and aided by bright moonlight the crews made accurate landfalls when they reached the Norwegian coast. A Eureka beacon had been set up on the 'Bit T DZ and was used to good effect, as its signals were picked up at a range of 40 miles.

Seven of the Dunmow aircraft were successful in dropping, but during the night the weather closed in at base. Four aircraft diverted to Carnaby in Yorkshire, but owing to a signals mix-up, 190 Squadron's LK275 'V, captained by Fit Sgt Dickens, proceeded to Bungay in Suffolk and was very low on fuel when it arrived there. As LK275 was on final approach to land (in a downwind
direction), it manoeuvred suddenly, to avoid a collision with another aircraft, and in doing so, struck a tree. LK275 touched down safely, but was then deliberately ground-looped in an attempt to stop it going off the end of the runway. This action resulted in a collapsed undercarriage, fortunately without
causing any injury to the crew."

Book "Stirlings in Action with the Airborne Forces: Air Support For Special"

Til Sted

Fra Base

Til Base

Deltakere

Fremdrift

Galleri

PreviousNext

Nyttige lenker