No 1 Group Narrative report
Title
No 1 Group Narrative report
Description
Report on Alan Gibson's crew's operation to Mailly-Le-Camp describing attack by enemy aircraft which was engaged by gunners. Lists crew.
Language
Type
Format
One b/w photocopied sheet
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
BCleggPVGibsonAv10013
Transcription
[underlined]A1. 653. 9th May. No.1 GROUP NARRATIVE REPORT No. 65[/underlined]
'K' took off on the night of May 3rd/ 4th - to bomb Mailly.The journey to the target proved uneventful and bombing was successfully carried out on the markers. 0n the return journey when about 40 miles east of Troyes at 8000 ft an ME 110 carrying
a whitish yellow light in the tail flew across from starboard to port. About 600 yards distant. When on the port beam the E/A made a tight turn and came in to port quarter down. It was seen by the rear gunner and kept under observation. The E/A
commenced to weave to starboard and then moved back to port quarter down fire with cannon and M/G at 300 yards. The R./G opened fire at the same time and ordered a dive to port. Tracer was seen to enter the nose of the E/A which broke to starboard
down. The fire from the E/A passed on the starboard side of 'K' and damage resulted to control surfaces, Petrol supply system, leading edge of starboard mainplane, coolant tank, magneto system and engine structure. The pipelines to the mid upper turret must have been severed as the turret went U/S immediately.
The E/ A positioned itself directly below ‘K’ about 600 M yards distant and followed along for about 8 minutes, in the meantime the gunner in the E/A was taking 'pot-shots' at 'K’ from a heavy calibre slow firing dorsal gun, without result, the pilot of 'K' then decided to lose height and as he did so the E/A. made a second attack from the port quarter down.
At 500 yards our rear gunner opened fire with a 3 second burst and tracer was seen to enter
front cabin of the E/A which broke away. A huge explosion followed and the E/A burst into
Flames and exploded on the ground. The combat had taken place over about 12 minutes
and a distance of 35 miles.
By this time 'K' was down to 2000 ft. so the pilot continued weaving for a short spell
and then climbed to 14.000 ft. OnTrack. The starboard outer engine commenced
sparking badly and running rough, so was feathered. A short time later it was noticed
that No.1 starboard fuel gauge was reading less than the other and after several checks
it was found that D fuel was being lost. Probably from a severed pipe-line. attempts
were made to balance the fuel but with no results.
No further incidents occurred and the French coast was crossed at 14.000 ft. and courses set
for Selsey Bill, where the Captain decided to lose height. The IFF was put to "Distress" as fuel
was now very low. When about 20 miles south of Selsey Bill a Q.D.E. was obtained from
Tangmere. Darkie was called but no reply was received although it was later found that
several aerodromes had replied.
The coast was crossed at 0227 hrs. at Selsey Bill and as the pilot knew the engines were
about to cut, he lowered the wheels and ordered the crew to crash positions. No orders
to abandon aircraft were given in view of the fact that during the combat the bomb aimers
parachute had opened and was strewn about the cockpit. Shortly after ordering crash
positions to be taken, the remaining engines cut out as fuel ran out. An Aerodrome with 3
Sandras was seen and the pilot manoeuvred to make a landing from due west, with 30
degrees of flap and without engine assistance a good glide landing was made on the grass
at Tangmere at 0229 hrs.
[underlined]Names of Crew[/underlined]
Pilot F/Sgt A. Gibson – Flight Engineer Sgt S. Lipman
Navigator F/O C. Martin – W/Op. Sgt R. Moisey
Air Bomber F/Sgt V. Vamiatin – M/U/G Sgt P. Cameron
R/G Sgt A. Bowden
'K' took off on the night of May 3rd/ 4th - to bomb Mailly.The journey to the target proved uneventful and bombing was successfully carried out on the markers. 0n the return journey when about 40 miles east of Troyes at 8000 ft an ME 110 carrying
a whitish yellow light in the tail flew across from starboard to port. About 600 yards distant. When on the port beam the E/A made a tight turn and came in to port quarter down. It was seen by the rear gunner and kept under observation. The E/A
commenced to weave to starboard and then moved back to port quarter down fire with cannon and M/G at 300 yards. The R./G opened fire at the same time and ordered a dive to port. Tracer was seen to enter the nose of the E/A which broke to starboard
down. The fire from the E/A passed on the starboard side of 'K' and damage resulted to control surfaces, Petrol supply system, leading edge of starboard mainplane, coolant tank, magneto system and engine structure. The pipelines to the mid upper turret must have been severed as the turret went U/S immediately.
The E/ A positioned itself directly below ‘K’ about 600 M yards distant and followed along for about 8 minutes, in the meantime the gunner in the E/A was taking 'pot-shots' at 'K’ from a heavy calibre slow firing dorsal gun, without result, the pilot of 'K' then decided to lose height and as he did so the E/A. made a second attack from the port quarter down.
At 500 yards our rear gunner opened fire with a 3 second burst and tracer was seen to enter
front cabin of the E/A which broke away. A huge explosion followed and the E/A burst into
Flames and exploded on the ground. The combat had taken place over about 12 minutes
and a distance of 35 miles.
By this time 'K' was down to 2000 ft. so the pilot continued weaving for a short spell
and then climbed to 14.000 ft. OnTrack. The starboard outer engine commenced
sparking badly and running rough, so was feathered. A short time later it was noticed
that No.1 starboard fuel gauge was reading less than the other and after several checks
it was found that D fuel was being lost. Probably from a severed pipe-line. attempts
were made to balance the fuel but with no results.
No further incidents occurred and the French coast was crossed at 14.000 ft. and courses set
for Selsey Bill, where the Captain decided to lose height. The IFF was put to "Distress" as fuel
was now very low. When about 20 miles south of Selsey Bill a Q.D.E. was obtained from
Tangmere. Darkie was called but no reply was received although it was later found that
several aerodromes had replied.
The coast was crossed at 0227 hrs. at Selsey Bill and as the pilot knew the engines were
about to cut, he lowered the wheels and ordered the crew to crash positions. No orders
to abandon aircraft were given in view of the fact that during the combat the bomb aimers
parachute had opened and was strewn about the cockpit. Shortly after ordering crash
positions to be taken, the remaining engines cut out as fuel ran out. An Aerodrome with 3
Sandras was seen and the pilot manoeuvred to make a landing from due west, with 30
degrees of flap and without engine assistance a good glide landing was made on the grass
at Tangmere at 0229 hrs.
[underlined]Names of Crew[/underlined]
Pilot F/Sgt A. Gibson – Flight Engineer Sgt S. Lipman
Navigator F/O C. Martin – W/Op. Sgt R. Moisey
Air Bomber F/Sgt V. Vamiatin – M/U/G Sgt P. Cameron
R/G Sgt A. Bowden
Collection
Citation
“No 1 Group Narrative report,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed April 24, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/31033.
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