[niallc]

Ian

The 263 Diary (I'm assuming it's the stuff I sent you?) is useful in adding some detail and perspective missing from the ORB itself and elsewhere, but it's occasionally flaky on dates - usually only by a day or so. This is such a case. This attack actually took place on the 9th, not the 10th, and was the first Whirlibomber operation in which bombs were actually dropped. (The very first Whirlibomber op - on the previous day - found no targets)

On the 9th the formation consisted of 4 Whirlwinds (Woodward, Warnes, Blackshaw, Brearley) with 6 Spitfires of 118 Sqn as antiflak, three on each side, 12 Spitfires of 66 Sqn. slightly above and behind as close support and six more Spitfires of 118 led by Bertie Wootton and accompanied by Adrian Boyd (i.e probably 7 aircraft in total) further behind as rear support. Time up is given as 1430 and time down as 1515. Time of attack can be assumed as around 1455, UK time. Target was four ships steaming from Cap de la Hague towards Alderney. At the time the pilots estimated these as around 1000-1200 tons, but the Fighter Command Anti-Shipping Ops report for the period gives an estimated 500 tons - presumably a more informed estimate arrived at after studying gun camera film. The following day this attack was headline news in The Times (well actually Page 4) - "New Fighter-Bomber in Action - Quick successes for Whirlwinds" etc etc.

Hope this helps

Niall