So, back to Berlin. Took off at 2013hrs into a clear star clustered heaven. The waning moonlight outlined the occupied coast ahead.
As we droned over the Hook of Holland 'Cats eyes' and Walpole the gunners both seemed to shout together "bandit port rear lower about 800 yards!" The air was so clear even Pat Garside could see him from the Astrodome. The Me 110 swooped up behind us. Cats eyes said he could see straight into the cockpit in the last rays of the Moon. He opened fire and shattered the cockpit perspex and the occupants within. The Me 110 dived away spinning downwards, one parachute was seen before it hit the sea far below.
Near Hannover we were bounced by an Me 110 who gave us a good going over. Large holes appeared in the port wing, my oxygen went out for a time until Garside switched hoses. More holes in the starbord wing the raft was blown away and Cavendish the navigator said his equipment was smashed and useless. Rear turret also complained that his oxygen was damaged too.
With no navigation impossible we stooged about around Hitzacker and Stendal being attacked twice more by novice pilots I should think as they did no damage. But Walpole managed to knock some bits off one of them which seemed to scare the poor kid away.
By dead reckoning we thought that Berlin was east and down a bit. Encountered another 110 or one of the same ones following us. He made a few annoying holes but on his third pass F/S Walpole in the mid upper turret shot a wing off of him, several parachutes were seen to exit the machine.
Over Berlin The forest of searchlights managed to miss us, as did the flak. Found the Green marker TI's easily. After "Bombs gone" there was a feverish cursing coming over the intercom from Chamberlain the bomb aimer and sounds of hammering. Suddenly the Lanc became lighter. I sent Pat down to find out what had happened. He said that there had been a problem with the distributor arm which did not move when the bomb button was pressed, until tapped, causing 5 seconds delay in actual release. So we had missed the target! Blast! I turned for home.
The journey home was very slow and meandering due to lack of navigation and lots of guess work, but uneventful thankfully. We landed in drizzle at 04.22hrs. Time for tea eggs and bacon.
F/S Walpole 1x Me110 Destroyed 1x Me110 Damaged
F/S Johnson 1x Me110 Destroyed
Regards
P/O Wilson
L for Leather
314 Squadron