ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 144082
Last updated: 20 May 2013
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| Date: | 22-JUL-1944 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  de Havilland Mosquito FB.Mk.VI |
| Operator: | 151 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | PZ218 |
| C/n / msn: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Airplane damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | the railway station of Chateaurenault -
 France
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Predannack, Cornwall |
| RAF Predannack |
July 22. 1944
F/O Kneath with P/O Kelsey and W/O Pritchard with F/Sgt Cooke were detailed to attack railway targets in the Tours area of central Trance. They had located a target at Chateaurenault, but on attack the guns of F/O Kneath's aircraft did not operate. The problem was electrical and P/O Kelsey changed the fuse, after which they made a second attack. Whilst no anti-aircraft fire was noticed on the first pass , the flak on the second attack was very severe comprising what appeared, at the time, to be of all calibres, even though the Mosquitos were at very low level.
Coming through the severe barrage of flak, F/O Kneath's aircraft was hit the starboard engine being set on fire by a direct hit from what appeared to be a large calibre shell. At the same time the starboard wing was hit and twelve square feet of wing surface just disappeared with a large shell having exploded as it went through the wing. The electric compass was hit, and so was the instrument panel and the magnetic compass.
At this stage it was possible to open the bomb doors and jettison the bomb load and then close the doors, but this was to be the limit of operation of the hydraulics. P/O Kelsey pressed the fire extinguisher button but it did not appear to work and a lot of smoke was still coming out of the engine, and both he, and F/O Kneath thought it was "curtains" with the ground coming up to receive them. However, F/O Kneath managed to just hold some altitude and fortunately the ground profile was in their favour and impact with the ground was averted. By luck the fire petered out, and just trailed smoke but in an effort to reduce drag an attempt was made to feather the starboard airscrew. It would not feather, and the full drag of a free turning airscrew and the loss of part of a wing was too much for F/O Kneath to hold. At this stage P/O Kelsey took the knife from his flying boot and cut of f his Mae West tapes, and used these to tie to the rudder pedal and thereby relieve F/O Kneath of some of the strain of flying a badly damaged aircraft. By doing this, F/O Kneath now had better control and with the port engine running at +12 boost, set course on what they thought to be a northerly direction for an emergency landing at the beach head. However, without any compass they passed over St Malo by which time the aircraft had staggered to about 2000 ft. The reception committee at St Kalo "expressed their welcome" in the usual way but did not hit the "sitting duck". Having got so far, and with the port engine behaving reasonably well, it was decided to press on and try and make it back to base.
The English Coastline was crossed in the vicinity of St Austell where the sight of the China Clay spoil heaps was very welcome. Base was located and red Very cartridges were fired over the airfield and clearance was given for an emergency landing. With hydraulics shot up, P/O Kelsey used the hand pump to get the undercarriage down and a three point landing was made. In spite of a near under-shoot touch down, the aircraft went off the end of the runway onto soft ground, the brakes also having been shot up.
A locomotive had been damaged in the operation, and both F/O Kneath and P/O Kelsey received green endorsements in their log books for "skilful, and alert airmanship". A green endorsement for a navigator was unusual.
Crew: F/O Kneath with P/O Kelsey - OK
G. Kelsey recollects details of the event as follows:-
"Having been subjected to intense and accurate antiaircraft fire on the 19th, just a few days previously, this second exposure to such severe conditions was of some concern.
After we had been set on fire, and being at such a low level with part of the. wing missing, and with the aircraft not being under proper control, the next few seconds were a nightmare. To realise that disaster had been averted, and that we were still alive is an experience difficult to describe.
When we had climbed to about 1000 ft, Barry said "get your chute on, we may have to jump for it ". I clipped on my parachute, but after assessing the s
Sources:
http://www.151squadron.org.uk/
Related books
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Feb-2012 03:27 | Nepa | Added |
| 28-Feb-2012 03:33 | Nepa | Updated [Damage, Narrative] |
| 28-Feb-2012 04:20 | 46.183.64.49 | Updated [Damage, Narrative] |
| 28-Feb-2012 04:20 | 46.183.64.49 | Updated [Damage, Narrative] |
| 01-Mar-2012 02:42 | Nepa | Updated [Registration, Destination airport, Narrative] |
| 01-Mar-2012 02:43 | Nepa | Updated [Aircraft type] |
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