Mission 83: Hamburg (Industrial)
27 – 28 June, 1944
To Target: We saw no enemy aircraft.
Bomb run: no opposition but off target with no hits.
Return: We had bombed and were leaving the target when we were attacked by a Me110. He wasn't spotted (no wonder as the clouds were 9/10) and in his first attack he destroyed the navigation equipment, wounded the tail gunner, destroyed the starboard elevator, and starboard flap. On his second go he was spotted by Sgt. Mayerling (tail gunner) and with some well aimed shots the Me 110 exploded.
We were over the North Sea when another Me 110 had a go at us. His first attack he put some rounds into the starboard wing root and knocked out the heating to the pilot's compartment. On his next pass he became our second victory of the night as Sgt. Delaney sent him plummeting to the sea.
With no heat to our compartment I took us down to ten thousand feet and it was a long cold flight home as we wandered our way back to base with no navigational equipment. Fortunately we encountered no more enemy fighters.
Landing: Okay
Victories: Destroyed: 1- Me-110: Sgt. Alex Mayerling; 1- Me-110: Sgt. Brian Delaney
Casualties: Minor wound Sgt. Mayerling, tail gunner
(Signed) F/O Chris Donovan, Pilot
BLACK MAGICPilot: F/O Chris Donovan
Bomb aimer: Sgt. Cyril Barrette
Flight engineer: P/O Adrian Thoreau
Navigator: P/O Ben Morrison
W/O operator: Sgt. Thomas Herald
Mid-upper gunner: Sgt. Brian Delaney
Tail gunner: Sgt. Alex Mayerling