Help with spectacular Beaufighter photo please?

[stefaan]

Hi Chris
On a number of occasions the Balkan A/F Beaufighter albums/archives show target or air to air photo's,including of AR 196's and Ju 88's.
I have come across archival entries congratulating 235 and later 253 Wing Baltimore crews with the excellent air to air photo's they took of enemy a/c.
They were 15 SAAF,500 RAF, and 454 RAAF sqdns.
I have tried to find them for many years but always drew a blank.
Have you ever seen them.
I know our archives have beautifull photo albums of 16 and 19 SAAF Beau strike photo's
Stefaan Bouwer

[Jon]

Hi Rob,
Is it the picture with what looks to be a barrage balloon of all things in amongst the attack, flown from one of the ships, i have that picture somewhere in a book and will dig it out, the details may give a beter internet search option.

[JG53_Volto]

I'm sure you're not looking for these,But I think these are spectacular anyway.

I've found these pics on the web, 1 year ago,but I don't remember where,& I don't know the owner...BTW this is the 455 Squadron RAAF on anti-shipping strike's against German ships somewhere [near Norway(?)]











Alessandro

[Hans Nauta]

Hi Alessandro,

Those pictures are from the website http://www.oldcmp.net/ns1.html
where more of such pics can be found.

To be more precise about the location: The 1st and 3rd picture are made during the Strike at 25th September 1944 between Den Helder and Texel (the Netherlands).

The first picture is also the most dramatic one. The big splash in front of the armed trawler (Vorpostenboot) is from the crash of Beaufighter NT987 UB-W of 455 Squadron. The crew, F/O C. E. A. Cock DFC and W/O A. R. Lyneham, lost their lives.

Regards,
Hans Nauta

[JG53_Volto]

hi Hans,
thanks for the info & the link (great site)!!!

Ciao
Alessandro

[Rob Romero]

Thanks for the photos. Those are from the site I had in mind, however these do NOT depict the photo I was refering to. The second photo looks closest to the one I’m talking about, except that in that photo, the DOZEN or so Beaufighters are coming and going in all directions around the target which is smothered in splashes –in the second photo here the FIVE visible aircraft are heading in the same general direction. Like I said, this photo I’m refering to may be the most spectacular combat photo I’ve ever seen. I say the photo I’m refering to is famous, because, if I had to guess, I think I’ve seen it in ten or so publications over the years –though none that I own.

P.S. I might have found it, however, in my (impresionable) memory, the photo I had in mind was even more spectacular.

http://pro.corbis.com/search/searchFrame.aspx

Type in “Beaufighters” in SEARCH



Thanx,

Rob

[fsbofk]

This photo of an anti-shipping strike on August 25, 1944, in the Borkum-Heligoland area by 455 and 489 Squadron Beaufighters looks like what you describe. It's on pp 112-113 in Chaz Boyer's Beaufighter at War (Ian Allan). The photo caption even says it's "probably the most famous Beaufighter action photo of the war."

[Nickdorf]

Hey Rob.

Saw your request and knew exactly what photo your reffering to. I do rember I had it so I look and look. finally I found it and a VERY clear photo to. By the way it has 14 Beaufighters and in the distance it looks like 2 more so I'll say 16 in all.

Send me a note if you want it.

Kind regards Nick