613 Sqn claims July 18th 1943 07.15 hrs.

[MW Giles]

Some of this you already know, but bear with me

06:05 to 08:15 4 x 613 Squadrom Mustangs on Lagoon sortie to Ijmuiden

They claim 1-0-2
P/O J B Dalgleish AG599 Me109 Damaged NW of Ijmuiden 07:10
S/L W T Hawkins AP254 Me109 Destroyed NW of Ijmuiden 07:10
F/O ST Sitwell AP230 Me109 Damaged NW of Ijmuiden 07:10

There were no RAF losses, however they seem to have met 9/JG54 (the four Bf109s referred to earlier), as:
At 07:15 Ofw E-L Zweigart of 9/JG54 claimed a P-51 Destroyed 10km W of Scheveningen (30m altitude)

9/JG54 also lost a Bf109 G-4 Wrknr 16142 flown by Fw W Sadrina which force landed at Katwijk with 45% damage

10:05 to 11:55 4 x 613 Sqn Mustangs fly a second Lagoon sortie to Egmond

They claim 1-0-0 for three losses = F/O J S Treseder AG568, F/L H Gore AG656, F/O H G Taverner AM175

F/O C H Pigg AG567 claimed a Me109 Destroyed S of Egmond

They appear to have met Bf109s of 8/JG1 as there are three claims by this unit:
11:12 Fw A Miksch claimed a P-51 Destroyed 100km W of Texel
11:20 Fw A Miksch claimed a P-51 Destroyed 100km W of Texel
11:30 Lt F Ullmann claimed a P-51 Destroyed 100km W of Texel

13:30 to 16:45 the first Roadstead is flown off Den Helder with 37 Beaufighters of 143, 236 and 254 Squadrons and fighters from 56, 118, 402 and 416 Sqns

No one on either side seems to have made any claims


19:20 to 22:00 a second Roadstead is flown off Den Helder with 12 Beaufighters of 143 and 236 Sqns. They each lose one a/c

143 Sqn F/O AP Blackie & F/O RN Farrow JL890
236 Sqn P/O EFV Kidd & P/O HC Stevenson JL575

Escort is provided as follows

Typhoon Ib 56 Sqn x 7 Rear Cover 20:20 to 21:35
Spitfire V 402 Sqn x 12 High Cover 19:35 to 21:40
Spitfire V W/C Chadburn
Spitfire V 416 Sqn x 12 19:55 to 21:40 Claim 1-0-0
20:55 W/C LV Chadburn and F/L JA Rae (EP206) share a claim of an Me109 off Den Helder

Spitfire V 118 Sqn x 11 19:55 to 21:30 claim 3 Me109s off Den Helder

20:55 P/O RJ Flight and F/L JB Shepherd (EP549) share a claim for an Me109 off Den Helder
20:55 F/L JB Shepherd (EP549) claims an Me109 off Den Helder
20:55 F/L RA Newberry (AB403) makes a claim for an Me109 off Den Helder

They seem to have met III/JG1 as that unit claimed three Beaufighters 8 to 10km off Den Helder
20:44 Major K-H Leesmann of Stab III/JG1 claimed a Beaufighter
20:45 Major K-H Leesmann of Stab III/JG1 claimed a Beaufighter
20:47 Hptm S Luckenbach of Stab III/JG1 claimed a Beaufighter

During the 18th July 7/JG1 lost two Bf109s 20km W of Den Helder
Bf109 G-6 Werk nr 20085 Weisse 2 Uffz G Hasenfuss
Bf109 G-6 Werk nr 19853 Weisse 8 Fw E Roden

9/JG1 had a Bf109 force landed damaged at De Kooi
Bf109 G-6 Werk nr 15441 15% Damage
I do not know the times of these losses. Given the proximity of Egmond and Den Helder they could be morning or evening

I suspect the two definite Bf109 losses are from the evening Roadstead at the places match much better than the 100km W of Texel given for the morning

Martin

[John Manrho]

I agree with Martin, the 07.15 hrs combat was 9./JG 54 and the III./JG 1 losses occurred in the evening.