314 Squadron
314 Squadron, Mission: 145
Target: Leipzig, Oil
Lancaster: The Lucky Bunyip (2nd mission)
This mission was hairy — we were lucky to get back. Unfortunately our bomb aimer Ted Armitage bought the farm on the enemy's first attack.
Everything seemed fine as we crossed the North Sea and flew deep into Germany. Then as we approached our target a Schrage Musik Ju88 surprised us and put two shells into the port wing damaging the root and knocking out the #2 engine which failed to feather — this was bad news as it meant a very slow flight back nursing our engines and fuel. I didn't evade to give Ted a clean run on the oil target and Alec in the tail got a good burst into the big fighter seriously damaging it and it disappeared in the darkness.
Then the search-lights coned us — there must have been a dozen lights on us; but the flak was light and nothing burst near enough to harm us. Suddenly an Fw190 jumped us from 12-high; John Preston on the mid-upper hit it causing some light damage which threw its aim off but it still hit our nose with one shell which exploded right against Ted's chest filling him instantly. This bugger came round again from 12-high and hit us again putting a hole in the #4 engine oil tank causing a leak which would mean having to shut down the engine after a hundred miles or so. The pest came in again from 12-level and John damaged it again but not enough to complete its destruction — it flew off streaming smoke.
With Ted Armitage dead our bomb run was off and nothing was seen to impact the target area.
As we cleared the target an Me110 surprised us but put only 2 superficial holes in the fuselage. I didn't evade to give Alec Trackson a better shot (and conserve fuel) which worked as Alec poured bullets into him from his four guns and the Me110 disintegrated before our eyes. We were still over Leipzig when another Me110 surprised us with a hit in the starboard tailplane root and a bit of a hole in the starboard wing. On a second pass I tried a little evade at the last moment but we missed him at 1:30-level but he missed too. Not so on a third pass — he seemed to be ready for my last second evade and he hit us solidly with five bullets and shells which knocked out the mid-upper guns, damaged the starboard rudder and put a hole in the starboard wing root, plus a couple of ineffective holes.
As we cleared the Leipzig area John Preston moved down from the mid-upper to the nose guns which were still functioning. I had to shut down #4 engine because of the oil leak which feathered ok and with only two engines remaining I dropped down to 10,000 feet where we started to attract light flak on the flight back to the North Sea. With all the tracers showing our path I thought we'd attract the attention of some vultures but it wasn't till we reached the coast that a Ju88 surprised us and hit the #3 oil tank which self-sealed (our stomachs returned to their proper places) and put another hole in the tail. Subsequent attack saw him miss but on his third pass the tail guns smashed at least one of his engines and he seemed to falter and fall away.
Our long flight across the North Sea and onto base went without further incident but I was pretty exhausted by the time we reached base and I made a very poor, bumpy landing — lucky the weather was good. We sadly watched Ted's body being removed then we moved silently off to de-briefing. The Lucky Bunyip sustained some heavy structural damage but it should be repaired depending on how soon the next mission flies.
Respectfully submitted
Pilot Officer Peter McKinnon