No Place for Chivalry

by Alastair Goodrum

  Tragedy came to the village of Friskney in the early hours of Sunday, when an aeroplane crashed on a cottage and reduced it to rubble. The roof was carried several yards away. The cottage was occupied at the time by George Severs aged seventy-two, his wife Mehetabel Severs aged fifty and their daughter Ruth aged fifteen. They were asleep at the time of the crash and both mother and daughter lost their lives. The husband, however, although injured was found alive and taken to hospital.

  The other Free French bomber unit based at Elvington was 347 Squadron, which also lost a Halifax to the intruders that night when NA680 was set on fire over Sleaford and crashed at Anwick Grange. Five French airmen managed to bale out successfully: 2/Lt Giroud (bomb aimer), Aspirant L Viel (navigator), Sgt C Pochont (WOp), Sgt P Charrière (MUG) and Sgt Hemery (RG), but the pilot Capitaine Laucou and his flight engineer, Sgt LeMasson, went down with the aeroplane.

  Accounts vary as to how many enemy aircraft were committed to Gisela – estimates ranging from 100 to 200 – and what were the material losses on that eventful night. Between midnight and 04.00 on the 4th it is believed that as many as forty-eight bombers may have been attacked by enemy intruders, with at least twenty RAF aeroplanes being destroyed – eight of these in Lincolnshire – and fourteen damaged. The Luftwaffe is known to have lost three aircraft over England but records indicate a further nineteen were missing or destroyed and twelve damaged while returning to bases on the continent.

  In the region covered by this story it was the Luftwaffe that drew final blood in the battle. On the night of March 20/21 1945, Halifax ‘U-Uncle’ from 1665 Heavy Conversion Unit at RAF Tilstock, was shot down between Wittering and Peterborough by an intruder while the pilot, Fg Off Peter Nettlefield, was on a cross-country training flight. Nettlefield, his flight engineer and an air gunner died, but six other airmen on board escaped unhurt.

  With the cessation of hostilities just a couple of months later, the night sky around The Wash became eerily quiet. No more distant thunder of bombers setting out or returning. No more staccato bursts of gunfire flashing in a moonlit sky. No more fiery trails across the night sky. The bombers and night fighters were silent.

  It would be difficult – if not pointless – to attempt to quantify the night-time conflict described in this story in terms of numbers in order to determine, in some simplistic way, who appeared to win or lose. What emerges beyond any doubt is the vital role of teamwork among the aircrews themselves – pilots, air gunners and AI operators – and as time progressed, controllers manning the radar stations on the ground. This is not to forget, of course, the role played by searchlights, AA and the Observer Corps. However, when night combat is brought into cold focus it comes down to a ‘one against one’ duel and we have seen how that produced a winner and a loser – usually. But what has also been shown of course is that such an outcome applied equally to the RAF and the Luftwaffe – because in a wartime night sky there was no place for chivalry.

  APPENDIX 1

  Imperial German Naval Zeppelin incursions over

  the Midlands region in WW1

  Raid date Airship Commander

  19/20 Jan 1915 L4 Kptlt Magnus von Platen-Hallermund

  8/9 Sep 1915 L13 Kptlt Heinrich Mathy

  31 Jan/1 Feb 1916 L11 Kptlt Horst Freiherr Treusch von Buttlar-

  Brandenfels

  L13 Kptlt Heinrich Mathy

  L14 Kptlt Alois Böcker

  L15 Kptlt Joachim Breithaupt

  L19 Kptlt Odo Loewe

  L20 Kptlt Franz Stabbert

  L21 Kptlt Max Dietrich

  31 Jul/1 Aug 1916 L14 Hptmn Kuno Manger (army officer seconded

  to navy)

  L16 Kptlt Erich Summerfeldt

  2/3 Sep 1916 L14 Hptmn Kuno Manger

  23/24 Sep 1916 L13 Kptlt Franz Georg Eichler

  1/2 Oct 1916 L14 Hptmn Kuno Manger

  L21 Oblt-z-S Kurt Frankenberg

  L34 Kptlt (Reserve) Max Dietrich

  27/28 Nov 1916 L21 Oblt-z-S Kurt Frankenberg

  19/20 Oct 1917 L41 Hptmn Kuno Manger

  L44 Kptlt Franz Stabbert

  L45 Kptlt Waldemar Kolle

  L47 Kptlt Max von Freudenreich

  L52 Oblt-z-S Kurt Friemel

  L55 Kptlt Hans-Kurt Flemming

  12/13 Apr 1918 L62 Hptmn Kuno Manger

  5/6 Aug 1918 L70 Kptlt Johannes von Lossnitzer

  (with Fregattenkapitän Peter Strasser aboard)

  Raid Summary 1915 1916 1917 1918 Total Raids Sorties

  Midland Region 2 6 1 2 11 25

  England 20 23 7 4 54 202

  Note: On several of the above dates other naval Zeppelins flew sorties over the UK that are not included in the table because their flight profiles are not relevant to the area covered by the narrative.

  Map showing the tracks of German Naval Zeppelins during the first airship raid on Britain on the night of January 19/20 1915

  Map showing the tracks of German Naval Zeppelins inbound over Lincolnshire and Norfolk during the Silent Raid on the night of October 19/20 1917

  APPENDIX 2

  Interceptions made by aircraft of Wittering and Digby

  sector night fighter squadrons in WW2

  Date Sqn A/c E/A Unit Night fighter crew Claim Location

  18/19 Jun 40 23 Bl He111 Close/Karasek Dam Near King's Lynn

  18/19 Jun 40 23 Bl He111 KG4 Duke-Woolley/Bell Des Blakeney

  18/19 Jun 40 23 Bl He111 KG4 O'Brien/Little Des (shared 19) Fleam Dyke (Cambs)

  17/18 Aug 40 29 Bl He111 Rhodes/Gregory Des Sea, Cromer Knoll

  24/25 Aug 40 29 Bl He111 KG55 Braham/Wilsden Des Humber

  2-Oct-40 151 H He111 KG53 I Smith Des Chapel St Leonards

  13/14 Oct 40 29 Bl u/i Roberts/Mallett Dam Grantham

  7-Nov-40 151 H Do17 Blair and Copeland Dam Skegness

  14/15 Nov 40 29 Bl u/i Kells/Lilley Dam Swaffham

  15/16 Jan 41 151 H Do17 KG3 Stevens Des Brentwood

  15/16 Jan 41 151 H He111 KG53 Stevens Des Canvey Island

  15/16 Jan 41 151 H Ju88 McMullen Dam Cromer

  15/16 Jan 41 151 H Ju88 Blair Dam Spalding

  4-Feb-41 151 D Do17 KG2 Bodien/Jonas Des Weldon (Northants)

  9/10 Feb 41 151 H Ju88 KG1 Wagner Des(shared AA) Mildenhall

  12/13 Mar 41 151 H Ju88 Stevens Dam Orfordness

  13/14 Mar 41 29 B Do17 KG2 Braham/Ross Des Sea off Wells (Norf)

  13/14 Mar 41 29 B Ju88 NJG2 Widdows/Ryall Des Louth

  14/15 Mar 41 29 B He111 KG1 Gibson/James Des Sea off Skegness

  8/9 Apr 41 151 H He111 KG27 Stevens Des Wellesbourne

  8/9 Apr 41 151 H He111 KG55 Stevens Des Desford

  8/9 Apr 41 151 D He111 KG55 McMullen/Fairweather Des(shared AA) Windsor

  8/9 Apr 41 (2) 151 D He111 Wagner/Sidenberg Dam (2) Coventry

  9/10 Apr 41 25 B Ju88 NJG2 Bennett/Curtis Des Langham (Rutland)

  9/10 Apr 41 151 D He111 KG27 Bodien/Jonas Des Birmingham

  9/10 Apr 41 151 D He111 Staples/Parkin Prob Birmingham

  9/10 Apr 41 151 D Ju88 KG77 McMullen/Fairweather Des Bramcote (Warks)

  9/10 Apr 41 151 D Ju88 KG1 Darling/Davidson Des(shared AA) Whitwell (Herts)

  10/11 Apr 41 151 H He111 KG55 Stevens Des Kettering

  10/11 Apr 41 151 H Ju88 KG1 Stevens Des Murcott (Oxon)

  20-Apr-41 151 H He111 KG4 Stevens Des Chatham

  23/24 Apr 41 29 B Do215 Gibson/James Dam Boston

  2/3 May 41 151 D Ju88 KG30 Edmiston/Beale Des Weybourne (Norf)

  3/4 May 41 25 B He111 KG53 Hill/Hollis Des Sharrington (Norf)

  3/4 May 41 151 D He111 Bodien/Wrampling Des Sea off N Norfolk

  4/5 May 41 25 B Ju88 KG1 Atcherley/Hunter-Tod Des Bourne (Lincs)

  4/5 May 41 25 B Ju88 Hollowell/Crossman Prob N of The Wash

  4/5 May 41 25 B Ju88 Hollowell/Crossman Dam The Wash

  4/5 May 41 25 B u/i Pleasance/Bent Dam Aldeburgh (Suffolk)

  5/6 May 41 25 B Ju88 Holloway/Pound Prob Near Watton (Norf)

  7/8 M
ay 41 25 B Do17 NJG2 Thompson/Britain Des N of Boston

  7/8 May 41 25 B He111 Pleasance/Bent Dam Near Skegness

  7/8 May 41 25 B Ju88 Hill/Hollis Dam Holt (Norf)

  7/8 May 41 25 B Ju88 Herrick/Lewis Prob S of Hull

  7/8 May 41 151 H He111 KG4 Stevens Des Hull

  7/8 May 41 151 H He111 KG55 Stevens Des Hull

  8/9 May 41 25 B Do17 Hollowell/Crossman Dam SW of Hull

  8/9 May 41 25 B Do17 Pleasance/Bent Prob* Sea off Wells (Norf)

  8/9 May 41 25 B He111 Thompson/Britain Dam N Norfolk coast

  8/9 May 41 25 B Ju88 Holloway/Pound Dam Grantham

  9/10 May 41 25 B Fw200 Picknett/Sellick Dam* The Wash

  10/11 May 41 25 B He111 Pleasance/Bent Dam Sea off Wells (Norf)

  10/11 May 41 25 B He111 Thompson/Britain Dam Skegness

  10/11 May 41 151 H He111 KG28 Stevens Des London

  10/11 May 41 151 H He111 Stevens Prob London

  10/11 May 41 151 D He111 KG53 Copeland/Sampson Des Gravesend

  10/11 May 41 151 D He111 KG55 McMullen/Fairweather Des Withyham (Sussex)

  10/11 May 41 151 H He111 I Smith Dam Southend

  16/17 May 41 25 B He111 Hollowell/Crossman Des Cromer

  16/17 May 41 151 D Do17Z Edmiston/Beale Dam Melton Mowbray

  16/17 May 41 151 D He111 Edmiston/Beale Dam SE of Derby

  16/17 May 41 151 D He111 Edmiston/Beale No claim E of Coventry

  4/5 Jun 41 25 B He111 KG4 Gigney/Charnock Des South Reston

  (Lincs)

  4/5 Jun 41 25 B He111 KG27 Hollowell/Crossman Des The Wash

  13/14 Jun 41 25 B Ju88 NJG2 Pleasance/Bent Des Narford (Norf)

  13/14 Jun 41 25 B Ju88 NJG2 Thompson/Britain Des The Wash

  13/14 Jun 41 151 H He111 Stevens Des Royston (Cambs)

  16/17 Jun 41 25 B u/i Atcherley/Hunter-Tod Des Sea off Sheringham

  21/22 Jun 41 25 B Ju88 NJG2 Herrick/Yeomans Des Deeping St James

  21/22 Jun 41 151 D Ju88 Edmiston/Beale Des** Sea 5m E of

  Cromer

  4/5 Jul 41 25 B Ju88 Atcherley/Hunter-Tod Des Sea off Wells (Norf)

  4/5 Jul 41 151 D He111 Edmiston/Beale Prob Leicester/

  Leamington

  5/6 Jul 41 151 H Ju88 Stevens Des Sea off Happisburgh

  11/12 Sep 41 151 D Do215 Haviland/Stolz-Page Dam Luffenham

  1/2 Oct 41 25 B Ju88 Pleasance/Britain Prob Off Wells (Norf)

  16/17 Oct 41 151 H Ju88 Stevens Des Sea off Gt Yarmouth

  22/23 Oct 41 151 H Ju88 I/606 Stevens Des(shared 256) Mkt Drayton (Salop)

  31-Oct-41 151 D Ju88 McRitchie/Sampson Des Sea off Gt Yarmouth

  31-Oct-41 151 D Ju88 McRitchie/Sampson Dam Off Gt Yarmouth

  1/2 Nov 41 409 B Do217 Davoud/Carpenter Des Sea off Skegness

  15/16 Nov 41 151 D Ju88 1/106 McRitchie/Beale Des Sea off Gt Yarmouth

  29/30 May 42 151 M Do217 Wain/Grieve Dam The Wash

  29/30 May 42 151 M He111 Pennington/Donnett Dam Nth Sea off Lines/Norf

  24/25 Jun 42 151 M Do217 I Smith/Kerr-Sheppard Dam Nth Sea off Lines/Norf

  24/25 Jun 42 151 M Do217 Darling/Wright Dam Nth Sea off Lines/Norf

  24/25 Jun 42 151 M He111 I Smith/Kerr-Sheppard Des Nth Sea off Lines/

  24/25 Jun 42 151 M He111 I Smith/Kerr-Sheppard Prob Nth Sea off Lines/Norf

  24/25 Jun 42 151 M He111 Wain/Grieve Des Nth Sea off Lines/Norf

  25/26 Jun 42(2)151 D Do217 Robertson/Beale Dam (2) Near Coltishall

  26/27 Jun 42 151 M Do217 KG2 Moody/Marsh Des The Wash

  29/30 Jun 42 151 D Ju88 Robertson/Beale Dam March (Cambs)

  21/22 Jul 42 151 M Do217 KG2 Fisher/Godfrey Des Sea off Humber

  23/24 Jul 42 486 H Do217 Sweetman Des(shared 409) Fleet Fen

  23/24 Jul 42 409 B Do217 KG40 McMillan/Shepherd Des(shared 486) Fleet Fen (Lines)

  23/24 Jul 42 409 B Do217 KG2 McMillan/Shepherd Des Crashed at Dutch base

  27/28 Jul 42 151 M Do217 KG2 Pennington/Donnett Des Off N Norfolk eoast

  27/28 Jul 42 151 M Do217 KG2 Fielding/Paine Prob Off N Norfolk eoast

  30/31 Jul 42 151 M Do217 KG2 McRitchie/James Des Nth Sea off The Wash

  30/31 Jul 42 151 M Do217 KG2 McRitchie/James Des Holme, Peterborough

  17/18 Sep 42 151 M Do217 KG2 Bodien/Brooker Des Fring, Norfolk

  15/16 Jan 43 151 M Do217 KG2 Knight/Roberts Des Boothby Graffoe (Lines)

  18/19 Mar 43 410 M Do217 KG2 Williams/Dalton Des (shared AA) In Wash off K Lynn

  12/13 Jul 43 410 M Do217 Lawrence/Wilmer Des 10m E of Humber

  19/20 Mar 44 307 M He177 KG100 Brochocki/ Ziolkowski Des Sea off Skegness

  Notes: A/c: Bl = Blenheim, D = Defiant, H = Hurricane, B = Beaufighter, M = Mosquito

  * Claimed as destroyed, but not seen to crash

  ** Up and down at Coltishall

  The following sorties were made by aircraft from squadrons based at: (a) Kirton in Lindsey, (b) Coltishall, (c) Church Fenton, (d) Honiley, but the victims fell within the sectors covered by this book.

  2/3 Jul 42 303(a) Ju88 2/106 Wunsche and Popek Des Near Spilsby (Lincs)

  2/3 Jul 42 303(a) Ju88 2/106 Kolecki and Rokitnicki Des Near Spilsby (Lincs)

  7/8 Aug 42 68(b) Do217 KG2 Cleaver/Nairn Des Revesby (Lincs)

  22/23 Aug 42 25(c) u/i Alington/Keith Dam The Wash

  23/24 Aug 42 25(c) Do217 Singleton/Bradshaw Dam S of Spalding

  23/24 Aug 42 25(c) Do217 Pleasance/Britain Des Sea off Skegness

  23/24 Aug 42 255(d) Do217 KG2 Wyrill/Willins Des E of King’s Lynn

  APPENDIX 3

  Explanatory notes and diagram for AI Mk IV

  (reproduced by kind permission of Airlife Publishing Limited)

  AI Mk IV was the first mass-produced airborne radar set and was relatively unsophisticated. The operating frequency was 190 to 195 MHz with a wavelength of 1.5 metres. The on-board equipment comprised a receiver, transmitter, control panel, modulator, indicator unit and a system of fixed dipole aerials. On the Beaufighter, the latter consisted of a ‘double arrowhead’ shaped transmit aerial on the nose of the aircraft, a pair of azimuth aerials protruding above and below the leading edge of each wing between the machine guns and the wingtip and a pair of elevation aerials above and below the wing surface near the roundel on the starboard side.

  The indicator (display) unit at the RO’s position consisted of two cathode ray tubes (CRT) displaying elevation and azimuth bearings respectively (see diagram). The three items on the diagram are the transmitter pulse (the root of the ‘Christmas tree’), the target blip somewhere on the time trace (the trunk of the tree) and the ground return (the branches of the tree). It is evident from the diagram that a target could not be detected at any range beyond the ground returns. The detection range was related to the altitude of the aircraft. Thus at 20,000 feet altitude the range would be just under four miles, which was also about the limiting range of the set. The minimum range at which the AI operator could see a target blip on the time trace was about 400 feet. At ranges closer than this the target merged with the transmission pulse at the ‘root’ of the tree. Furthermore, at altitudes below 1,000 feet the ground return would swamp the tubes.

  It should be noted that the two small CRTs of the AI Mk IV had no scales or calibration marks printed on them to help the operator. His directions and running commentary of what was happening in the night sky were based entirely on his estimate of where the target was in relation to his own aircraft – in a constantly changing situation. It was guesswork, based on experience, as to how many degrees the target was to port or starboard in the azimuth plane or how many feet the target was above or below the night fighter in the elevation plane and how many feet it was in front of them. In the air defence role the night fighter crew would rely on GCI to get them within AI range of the target.

  The diagrams of a typical interception are simplistic representations of what the AI operator would see. In reality, the picture would be confused by spurious echoes and interference and would actually present
a shimmering, pulsating mass of green lines and signals, from which he would have to identify the one that mattered. An AI operator might spend up to four hours peering at this display. If he took a break he might miss the one and only contact of the sortie. That is a measure of what it took to be a successful AI operator.

  Respresentation of the display screens of A1 Mk IV

  Night-fighter flying at height of 20,000 ft. Target blip ahead at range of 18,000 ft, 20 degrees to starboard and 20 degrees below. (The 'minimum range' diamond at the root of the 'Christmas tree' may be taken to represent the nose of the night-fighter).

  The night-fighter has now lost height down to 13,000 ft. The target is still ahead, but the range has decreased to 8,000 ft. The target is now 20 degrees on the port side, and 10 degrees below.

  The night-fighter has now come down to a height of 11,000 ft - the target's range is 1,000 ft, dead ahead and 15 degrees above the night-fighter... closing slowly, the pilot should soon obtain 'a visual' as the blip disappears into the 'minimum range' diamond at the 'root' of the 'Christmas tree'.

  APPENDIX 4

  Comparative ranks

  RAF Luftwaffe Army Royal Navy German Navy

  Group Captain Oberst Colonel Captain Kapitän-zur-See

  Wing Commander Oberstleutnant Lieutenant Colonel Commander Fregattenkapitän

  Squadron Leader Major Major Lt Commander Korvettankapitän

  Flight Lieutenant Hauptmann Ctain Liapeutenant Kapitänleutnant

  Flying Officer Oberleutnant Lieutenant Sub-Lieutenant Oberleutnant-zur-See

  Pilot Officer Leutnant 2nd Lieutenant Acting Sub-Lt Leutnant-zur-See

  Warrant Officer Hauptfeldwebel Warrant Officer 1

  Flight Sergeant Oberfeldwebel Staff Sergeant

  Sergeant Feldwebel Sergeant

  Senior Aircraftman Unteroffizier Corporal

  Leading Aircraftman Obergefreiter Lance Corporal

  Aircraftman 1st Class Gefreiter Private

  Aircraftman 2nd Class Flieger Private

  APPENDIX 5