Help with spectacular Beaufighter photo please?

[Franek Grabowski]

Rob
I have not checked the picture. Let me guess, is it an attack on 24 August 1944 on a German destroyer?

[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."

[Rob Romero]

According to the Corbis Caption the attack took place on 25 Dec 44. Because the higher res version fsbofk has posted is cropped, the 3 highest aircraft are off the page. STRANGELY HOWEVER, IN THE CORBIS VERSION THE 3rd LOWEST AIRCRAFT (BETWEEN THE TWO LOWEST ON THE LEFT) IS MISSING!!! CAN SOMEONE POST A HIGH RES COMPLETE VERSION WITHOUT TEXT AND PAGE BREAK? Assuming all the aircraft are actually there, it seems there are 13 Beaufighters including the tail of the photographing plane!!!


Thanx,
Rob

[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

[Vraa84]

Hi

The picture in Beaufighter at war, is cut on all sides so there is also another ship missing. Found this BTW.

http://www.iwmcollections.org.uk/dbt...0&BG=0&FG=0&QS=

Cheers
Nick

[Nickdorf]

Hey Vraa84.

The picture in your link is est. 2-3 sec. after 'my photo'.

P.S. Godt at se der er flere dansker her i forumet.

:-) Nick

[davidnzl]

25 August 1944

I have at least three versions of this photo - and 2 newspaper clippings that relate to this attack. I also have extracts from 2 logbooks describing it - please let me know if you would like a copy - davidnzl@xtra.co.nz

P


This iconic photograph appears in several publications, each of which provides a different perspective. Three such captions are:

Photo caption 1: “On 25 August 1944, forty four Beaufighter TFXs from four squadrons (including 489) attacked a German convoy off Schiermonnikoog in the Dutch Frisian Island. The squadrons were 144 from Strubby (Lincolnshire), 254 from North Coates (Lincolnshire), together with 455 (RAAF) and 489 (RNZAF) from Langham (Norfolk). The convoy consisted of six or eight armed merchant ships with ten escorted. The Beaufighters attacked with torpedoes, rocket projectiles and cannon fire. All torpedoes missed but the German minesweeper M347 of 637 tons was sunk. No aircraft were lost” PRO ref AIR 37/1231/80

Photo caption 2: “Beaufighters attack enemy escort vessels. A ship’s balloon can be seen on the left. The German vessels used cables supported by balloons as a defensive measure. “Christina Goulter

Photo caption 3: “Shipping strike – a wild melee of Beaufighters over a German convoy in 1944, and the splash of cannon shells and rockets hiding (and blinding) a flak ship. An attack like this was supposed to last no more than two minutes.” The War in the Air

[Oxby R]

Hi Rob - I know this isn't the one you're looking for - but it's still one of my favs. Just imagine being on the receiving end ?!