Well over Germany before actually encountering a German. A Me-110 came up under the port wing unseen, and we were lucky that the flap was the only thing destroyed. Ayers and Unger both got shots off as I put Noonlight Cocktail through her paces, but I think the German finally just gave up.
Caught some flak over the target. No obvious damage at the time (although a sealed hole in the inboard port fuel tank was found after landing) but it did knock Yanacek off his run.
Leaving the target area, another Me-110 hit us from below. Again I atempted to evade, and in the process Yanacek found it dead ahead and poured machinegun fire into the greenhouse. It tumbled away, and one 'chute was seen.
Ayers notified me that his heat was out, so I took us down to 10,000 feet. I avoided known flak concentrations, but we still attracted desultory pot-shots. Over the central Netherlands, however, a searchlight caught us, which brought the flak on target. Underwood took a fragment right in the face. Schneider was with him in an instant, wrapping him in bandages, and then taking over navigation.
We fired flares for an ambulance on landing, and Underwood was whisked away. The doctors don't know if they can save his sight, but he's certainly not flying again.
P/O Jonathan Uhl
Pilot, Moonlight Cocktail
January 29, 1945
46 Peckham Damage Points