V-2 & Flt Sgt T "Cupid" Love, 602 Sq 1944-45

[DavidIsby]

Flight Sergeant T "Cupid" Love of 602 Squadron, while flying in a flight led by Flight Lieutenant Raymon "Bax" Baxter, attacked a boosting V-2 missile with his cannon while flying a Spitfire.

1. What was his first name?
2. What date did this incident occur?
3. Was he flying a Spitfire IX or a Spitfire XVI when he did this?
4. Does anyone have a reference to this event from the 602 Squadron ORB or other contemporaneous document? (None of Love's Combat reports are in the on-line AIR 50 holdings at the National Archives at Kew).

Thanks,
David Isby

[RSwank]

This incident is discussed toward the bottom of the following link. Does not answer all your questions, but does give the date as 14 Feb 1945.

http://www.v2rocket.com/start/deployment/denhaag.html

"On February 14, several R.A.F. Spitfire aircraft had just finished a bombing run over Wassenaar when a V2 was fired from the forest. One of the aircraft tried to attack to fast moving rocket, but was unable to hit the target from 600 meters. R.A.F. pilot Raymond Baxter remembers,
“…I read in my log book that we attacked a target just North above The Hague on 14 February 1945. I must have been in a very aggressive mood because I read in my logbook that after a dive attack of 6000 feet, I ordered the boys to return to attack the anti-aircraft defense, which was trying to make it difficult for us. After we dropped the bombs I saw to my surprise at a distance of 600 meters a V2 out of the forest, that we just had bombed, rising into the air, very slowly. Right in front of us. It was an incredible sight and it was so unexpected that I couldn't do anything about it. But my number three, a Scotchman called Cupid Love, responded very fast and shot at the V2 that was rising slowly. It must have been one of the most optimistic shots of the entire war. So far as I know this was the only time in history of the war that a dive-bomber attacked a rocket in the air. Fortunately, he didn’t hit the rocket. I say fortunately, because if he had hit the rocket, the war would have been ended for me quite abruptly.”

[RSwank]

If you search for T L Love ( of 602 sqn) on the following link you find that he crashed in the North Sea and was rescued 22 March 1945. It gives information on the plane he was flying on that date. "Possibly?" the same plane he flew during the V-2 incident.

http://www.spitfires.ukf.net/p100.htm

Serial: SM361 Mark: LFXVI
Merlin Engine: M266
Maint Unit: 33MU 9-11-44
Squadron: 602S 23-11-44 ros 13-12-44
Crashed in North Sea returning from sweep 22-3-45 SOC 31-3-45 F/Sgt T L Love rescued by Catalina

[edwest]

A bit off topic but may help in filling in the bigger picture.


http://www.amazon.com/SPITFIRE-DIVE-.../dp/1844155714




Usual disclaimer,
Ed