This trip in the daylight was largely uneventful with all of the action restricted to the target zone.
Two waves of fighters showed up before the bomb run, Sgt Penley drove off a 109 and then another 109 scythed through the formation in a vertical dive. No damage was done but then the flak opened up. We all felt the hits in the waist and tail areas but nothing serious was damaged.
Our bomb run was off target, I think Sgt Boatman was overwhelmed by actually being able to see the ground and of course the flak hit threw us off course.
As we turned for home a gaggle of 109s showed up, the covering Spitfires occupied three of them but the fourth one got in an inaccurate burst before deciding that discretion was the better part of valour.
F/O Bruce Owen [pilot: Strawberry Girl II]