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Re: F3A-3 Havocs crash at Le Culot airfield Belgium
Hello,
here is the relevant extract from "Nachtjagd War Diaries Vol. 2" (RedKite, 2008):
"Hptm. Rökker and crew had set course for St. Trond, where they intended to intrude upon that airfield’s circuit. In fact, Rökker actually arrived over Le Culot airfield, to the W of St. Trond and home to the 155th (Night) Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron of the USAAF 9th Air Force, which had two Douglas F-3A Havocs, the reconnaissance version of the A-20 bomber, airborne on a training exercise. At 21.24 hrs, the ace crew spotted a “B-25” with its navigation lights burning – in fact an F-3A flown by Lt. Bates – and two minutes later Rökker quickly dispatched the twin-engined aircraft with his Schräge Musik cannon. 61 years later, Hptm. Rökker recalled: “I can remember that we had difficulty identifying the aircraft type of our first Abschuss. Never before had we shot down a twin-engined aircraft burning its navigation lights at night. We were rather irritated by these lights, which explains why we assumed to have recognised an aircraft with a twin tail fin. Anyway, as the German saying goes: ‘Bei Nacht sind alle Katzen grau’ (‘By night, all cats are grey’).” At around 21.34 hrs, Rökker positioned himself behind a “Mosquito” that was on a landing approach to Le Culot – in fact, it was an F-3A flown by Lt. Dickinson. A single burst of fire from the frontal guns set both wings of the aircraft on fire and it was seen to crash by the ace crew. Witnesses on the ground saw Rökker’s burst of fire cause the starboard wing and engine of Dickinson’s aircraft to burst into flames before the F-3A plunged down vertically and exploded along the side of the runway. Rökker’s Ju-88 was then briefly illuminated as he made a steep climbing turn and flew through a part of a searchlight cone over the airfield. These were Hptm. Rökker’s 63rd to 64th and final Abschüsse of the war. Both of the American pilots were killed."
If anyone can provide a definitive answer as to the serials of these two F-3As, it would be greatly appreciated...
Regards
RodM
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