Circus, Ramrods, Rhubarbs & Sweeps July 1941
 

Does anyone have a record of Circus, Ramrod, Rhubarb & Fighter Sweep missions flown by Fighter Command in July 1941 so that I can discover if any of them were carried out over the Cherbourg area at that time.

Does anyone have a detailed list of these types of ops for other periods should anyone else need to look up a particular date and year?

Thanks in advance

Re: Circus, Ramrods, Rhubarbs & Sweeps July 1941
 

Hi Larry ,
Perhaps this little bit can help you about Circus ops flown in july 1941 :

Circus 29 on 02/07
30 on 03/07
32 on 04/07
33 on 05/07
35 on 06/07
37 on 07/07
39-40 on 08/07
41 on 09/07
42 on 10/07
48 on 14/07
54 on 21/07
59-90 on 23/07
61 on 24/07

Greets

Alain

Re: Circus, Ramrods, Rhubarbs & Sweeps July 1941
 

Hi

John Foreman's "Fighter Command War Diaries - Vol 2" details these ops

Cheers

Bruce Lander

Re: Circus, Ramrods, Rhubarbs & Sweeps July 1941
 

Not much help - except in reverse?

Sweeps on 6/7 (Tuck leading), 8/7 & 23/7 were all over Le Touquet, Lille, St Omer, Gravelines & Berck-sur-Mer.
= Tim

Re: Circus, Ramrods, Rhubarbs & Sweeps July 1941
 

PS - It may be inconsequential, but I notice that even in 1943 we did not go as far as Cherbourg. Thank God!! = Tim

Re: Circus, Ramrods, Rhubarbs & Sweeps July 1941
 

To Cherbourg in July 1941:

10-7-41: Gudgeon I - Dock yards Cherbourg - 12 x Blenheim IV (16 Group-Coastal Command) escorted by 12 Spitfires of 501 Sqn, 15 Spitfires of 234 Sqn. 12 more Spitfires of 610, 611 and/or 616 Sqn also participated?
2 Spits of 234 Sqn lost (P8015 S/Ldr Blake-ASR and P8137 Sgt Pearce-KIA) - sdb Me109s off Cherbourg.
S/Ldr Blake himself claimed 2 Me-109s before being shot down himself.

14-7-41: Gudgeon III - Tanker off Cherbourg - 6 x Blenheim IV escorted by 10 Spitfires of 234 Sqn and 12 Spitfires of 501 Sqn.
2 Me-109s claimed by 234 Sqn (S/L Mortimer-Rose and P/O Wootton). No RAF losses.

24-7-41. Operation Sunrise. Major RAF attack on Brest Naval Base.
Diversionary attack on Cherbourg by 1 (?) Blenheim of No. 2 Group, escorted by 12 Spitfires of 485 Sqn (P7831 lost, Sgt Maney KIA) and 12 Spitfires of 452 Sqn.
Two Me-109s claimed in Cherbourg area (1x 485 Sqn/F/O E. Wells, 1 x 452 Sqn/ F/O A. Humphrey)

Regards,

Leendert
Brugge/Belgium

Re: Circus, Ramrods, Rhubarbs & Sweeps July 1941
 

By we, of course, I meant our squadron - not the RAF as a whole.

Re: Circus, Ramrods, Rhubarbs & Sweeps July 1941
 

Tim, what squadron do you mean?

Re: Circus, Ramrods, Rhubarbs & Sweeps July 1941
 

601 Hurricanes in 1941, 197 Typhoons in 1943.

= best wishes, Tim

Re: Circus, Ramrods, Rhubarbs & Sweeps July 1941
 

Hi Tim,
Hope you don't mind a couple of questions

Were you at Exeter with 601Sq ?

Were you on the 197Sq op from harrowbeer ?

Cheers
Jerry