Details of Jack Hanne's Last Flight
Title
Details of Jack Hanne's Last Flight
Description
A page from the history of #2 Group covering the events of Jack's disappearance during an attack.
Temporal Coverage
Language
Format
One typewritten sheet
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Publisher
Rights
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Contributor
Identifier
MHanneJH564212-200113-05
Transcription
REF/SGT HANNE.
REF/PAGE 70 FROM HISTORY OF 2 GROUP T A F.
10 JANUARY 1940 FOUR SECTIONS LEFT WATTON TO FLY A NORTH-EAST/SOUTH-WEST SWEEP OVER THE NORTH SEA.
ABOUT 45 MINUTES LATER NINE BLENHEIMS OF 82 SQUADRON TOOK OFF TO BE IN POSITION TO ATTACK ANY REPORTED VESSELS. (STANDARD PROCEDURE)
FOUR SECTIONS OF 110 SQUADRON WERE SOON LEAVING WATTISHAM. AT ABOUT 55o 30o N. 05o 10o E
THE 110 SQD FORMATION LED BY KENNETH DORAN SIGHTED 5 MESSERSCHMITT 110.
APPROACHED FROM THE ABOVE, AND OUT OF THE SUN.
IMMEDIATELY THE BLENHEIMS DIVED TO SEA LEVEL.
MAINTAINING 240 M P H I A S. QUARTER ATTACKS CAME SINGLY THE FIGHTERS USING TWO CANNON AND TWO MACHINE GUNS THEN BREAKING AWAY INTO A STALL TURN AT ABOUT 2000-2500 FEET FOR ANOTHER ATTACK.
IN THE SECOND ATTACK AN ENEMY AIRCRAFT FLEW BETWEEN THE LEADING SECTION AND NO3 BEFORE BREAKING AWAY AND THE REAR GUNNERS WHOSE SHOOTING WAS SKILFULLY CO-ORDINATED BY PLT/OFF SEARIE GUNNERY LEADER SAW THEIR TRACER ENTER THE FIGHTER.
THE ACTION LASTED FOR 25 MINUTES DURING WHICH SGT PENNINGTON NAVIGATOR IN THE LEAD AIRCRAFT COOLLY OCCUPIED HIMSELF BY SENDING CODED SYKO MESSAGES TO BASE, ONE BF 110 WAS SEEN TO CRASH INTO THE SEA AND AFTER 12 MINUTES TWO BROKE AWAY TO THE SOUTH-EAST, A BADLY DAMAGED 110 LANDED IN DENMARK, THE OTHER TWO MADE ABOUT NINE ATTACKS BEFORE RUNNING OUT OF AMMUNITION EARLY IN THE ENGAGEMENT L4859 NO3 OF THE THIRD SECTION FLOWN BY SGT/HANNE.
LOST SPEED AND IT WAS BELEIVED [sic] HE HAD AN ENGINE PUT OUT OF ACTION.
HANNE FELL SOME 400 YARDS BEHIND BECOMING ONE OF THE STRAGGLERS ABOUT WHOME [sic] WARNING WAS ISSUED L4859 WAS SOON FINISHED OFF BY FIGHTERS AND EXPLODED ON IMPACT WITH THE SEA.
REF/PAGE 70 FROM HISTORY OF 2 GROUP T A F.
10 JANUARY 1940 FOUR SECTIONS LEFT WATTON TO FLY A NORTH-EAST/SOUTH-WEST SWEEP OVER THE NORTH SEA.
ABOUT 45 MINUTES LATER NINE BLENHEIMS OF 82 SQUADRON TOOK OFF TO BE IN POSITION TO ATTACK ANY REPORTED VESSELS. (STANDARD PROCEDURE)
FOUR SECTIONS OF 110 SQUADRON WERE SOON LEAVING WATTISHAM. AT ABOUT 55o 30o N. 05o 10o E
THE 110 SQD FORMATION LED BY KENNETH DORAN SIGHTED 5 MESSERSCHMITT 110.
APPROACHED FROM THE ABOVE, AND OUT OF THE SUN.
IMMEDIATELY THE BLENHEIMS DIVED TO SEA LEVEL.
MAINTAINING 240 M P H I A S. QUARTER ATTACKS CAME SINGLY THE FIGHTERS USING TWO CANNON AND TWO MACHINE GUNS THEN BREAKING AWAY INTO A STALL TURN AT ABOUT 2000-2500 FEET FOR ANOTHER ATTACK.
IN THE SECOND ATTACK AN ENEMY AIRCRAFT FLEW BETWEEN THE LEADING SECTION AND NO3 BEFORE BREAKING AWAY AND THE REAR GUNNERS WHOSE SHOOTING WAS SKILFULLY CO-ORDINATED BY PLT/OFF SEARIE GUNNERY LEADER SAW THEIR TRACER ENTER THE FIGHTER.
THE ACTION LASTED FOR 25 MINUTES DURING WHICH SGT PENNINGTON NAVIGATOR IN THE LEAD AIRCRAFT COOLLY OCCUPIED HIMSELF BY SENDING CODED SYKO MESSAGES TO BASE, ONE BF 110 WAS SEEN TO CRASH INTO THE SEA AND AFTER 12 MINUTES TWO BROKE AWAY TO THE SOUTH-EAST, A BADLY DAMAGED 110 LANDED IN DENMARK, THE OTHER TWO MADE ABOUT NINE ATTACKS BEFORE RUNNING OUT OF AMMUNITION EARLY IN THE ENGAGEMENT L4859 NO3 OF THE THIRD SECTION FLOWN BY SGT/HANNE.
LOST SPEED AND IT WAS BELEIVED [sic] HE HAD AN ENGINE PUT OUT OF ACTION.
HANNE FELL SOME 400 YARDS BEHIND BECOMING ONE OF THE STRAGGLERS ABOUT WHOME [sic] WARNING WAS ISSUED L4859 WAS SOON FINISHED OFF BY FIGHTERS AND EXPLODED ON IMPACT WITH THE SEA.
Collection
Citation
“Details of Jack Hanne's Last Flight,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed June 14, 2025, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/collections/document/37387.