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Aviation History
1951
1951 - 1077.PDF
670" FLIGHT EXERCISE OMBRELLE . . . serviceability among the Vampires was reported as "good." By now it was time that we paid a call on the opposition so the Valetta flew us deep into Germany and set us down at a certain well-known B.A.F.O. station commanded by an even better-known officer in the person of G/C E. M. Donaldson. If there is anyone in the Service better suited by experience and temperament to command a fighter/bomber wing his name does not readily occur to us. Add, as Wing Commander Flying, the one-and-only W/C. J. E. "Johnny" Johnson (newly returned from Korea), and three squadrons of the keenest pilots ever trained to operate impartially at ioft or 40,000ft, and a most formidable combination results. Both the Group Captain and Wingco Flying met us, and, as it is not their custom to keep visitors waiting around on the tarmac, we were very soon discussing past and projected operations with them under the most agreeable circumstances in the mess. Since the exercise had begun the Vampires had made low-level assaults on six targets—at Volkel (this was the zero- hour raid of which we had heard); Eindhoven; Soesterburg; the gates of a waterway at Ijmuiden; the airfield at Beau- vechain; and a dump at Wittlich. On no occasion had they been intercepted before attaining their targets. Tactics, of course, varied to suit the weather and the nature of the target; but on a typical strike the Vampires would approach their objective at 20,000ft or higher (out of consideration for endurance) and then dive for the deck, where they would remain for the last 50 miles or so, perhaps pulling up to 3,000 or 4,000ft shortly before arrival, in order to verify the target and to determine the most advantageous direction for the final run-in. Having committed as much nuisance as possible they would head straight back to base, not pausing to fight if intercepted, in accordance with the conditions of the exercise. But the conversation at the time of our visit always came round to the big show—the biggest to date—planned for that same evening (May 24th). The idea, as explained to us verbally (though not, we surmise, as specified on the opera- tional order) was to beat something or other out of the somethings or other at Eindhoven. For this enterprise 24 Vampires had been detailed, and we were invited to attend the briefing of their pilots. The met. officer gave warning of cloud in varying degrees and a tendency towards thunderstorms, though this should decrease in the target area. There had been one report of hail during the afternoon and the freezing level over Holland was 10,000ft, so the icing index would be high. W/C. Johnson, who was to lead the Wing (the Group Captain would fly as his No. 2), said he proposed to open the attack at 1745 zebra. His own formation would run in from the north-west; W/C. Cox's from a more westerly point, and S/L. Strudwick's from almost due west. The Wing Com- mander gave a reminder that, according to the conditions of the exercise, there was to be no instrument flying below 31,000ft. R/T. silence would be preserved insofar as possible, but under no circumstances was the safety of the Wing to be jeopardized. W/C. Johnson said he had no intention of "forcing on with 24 aircraft through cu. nim." The Wing would be airborne for 1 hr 27 min and would not form up after the attack, in order to conserve fuel. Reconnaissance photographs of the target, secured by a Meteor F.R.9 or P.R.10, were displayed. In the cool of the evening we drove to the head of the runway to see the Vampires set out. A Lincoln droned THE STORY OF A STRIKE The sequence of "Flight" photographs on these two pages illustrates the actual preparations for, and mounting of, a raid by Vampire F.B.5s of a B.A.F.O. Wing. Uppermost on this page is a tarmac scene showing four of the Vampires, marked by black bands to signify their "enemy" role, with beyond them, a Meteor 7 trainer and the Valetta in which "Flight's" representatives made their tour. Next, a ground crew is making find preparations and then follows the scene at briefing, with W/C. "Johnny" Johnson pin-pointing the target at Eindhoven. G/C. £. M. Donaldson, the station commander, who flew as the wing commander's "No. 2", is facing inwards from the end of the first table, by the window.
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