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Allied and Soviet Air Forces Please use this forum to discuss the Air Forces of the Western Allies and the Soviet Union. |
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#1
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485 Squadron, Channel Dash, 12 February 1942
On this date 485 Squadron made a variety of claims. Sources indicate three, four or five kills, with one probable and possibly a damaged.
FL Compton claimed two kills, later reduced to one and one damaged. POs Sweetman and Clouston added another destroyed, FL Francis claimed another, (possibly reduced to a "probable") and PO Reg Grant got a fifth. A sixth claim was a "probable" by FSgt Jack Rae. Does anyone have a definitive result or 485 Squadrons victory list? Keith |
#2
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Re: 485 Squadron, Channel Dash, 12 February 1942
Hello Keith,
The following is from John Foreman's " RAF Fighter Command Victory Claims of WW2" , part 2, " 1 January 1941 - 30 June 1943". Page 129. 485 Sqn Spit FC - 12 February, 1942 P/O. D.T.Clouston - Bf109F destroyed 5m W Ostend - 14.16. Shared with P/O. H.N.Sweetman. F/Lt. W.V. Crawford-Compton - Bf109F - destroyed 5m W Ostend - 14.10. F/Lt. W.V. Crawford-Compton - Bf109F - destroyed 5m W Ostend - 14.20. F/Lt. G.H.Francis - Fw190 - destroyed - 5m W Ostend - 14.30. P/O. R.J.C.Grant - Bf109F - destroyed - 5m W Ostend - 14.30. Sgt. J.D.Rae - Bf109F - probably destroyed - - 5m W Ostend - 14.30. "Aces High", by Christopher Shores & Clive Williams, has - 12 February 1942 Clouston Nil. Crawford-Compton Bf109E - Damaged - Spit VB - W3747 - 5m W Ostend. Bf109E - - " - " - ". Francis Nil. Grant Bf109F - Spit V - W3528 - - 5m W Ostend. Rae Bf109E - Probable - - 5m W Ostend . Sweetman 1/2 Bf109F - Spit V - AB860 - - 5m W Ostend. Hope the above is of some use to you. Alex |
#3
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Re: 485 Squadron, Channel Dash, 12 February 1942
Some corrections and additions to Alex's information...
Crawford-Compton was flying W3774 (OU-R) not W3747 Francis was flying BL385 (OU-F) Grant's W3528 was coded OU-C Rae was flying AD114 (OU-G) Sweetman's AB860 was coded OU-U Even though they were probably all 109Fs it is worth mentioning that Crawford-Compton's and Rae's claims were for Emils not Friedrichs. All of the "kills" were confirmed apart from Rae's which was classified probable. |
#4
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Re: 485 Squadron, Channel Dash, 12 February 1942
Thanks chaps, Francis seems to be a bit of a puzzle. AH indicates he claimed a kill but that it may have been downgraded to a probable. The Fw190 dived away "smoking" which seems to indicate a bit of uncertainty. His DFC citation claims he had made three claims in the period 1941-42, although it seems perhaps only the one on 12 February was confirmed as destroyed officially.
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#5
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Re: 485 Squadron, Channel Dash, 12 February 1942
To give Shores/Williams and their Aces High its fair status, it does not differ very much from Foreman.
Clouston in Aces High is a different Clouston from this chap with 485 Sq. D.T. Clouston is not even listed in Those other Eagles. Crawford-Compton is credited with one confirmed and one damaged Francis never became an Ace, so he is listed by Shores in Those other Eagles! Otherwise it all checks out. Possibly C-C had one of his claims downgraded later as indicated by Keith? I don't know why Shores/Williams suddenly list C-C aircraft as W3747 (a black out serial). He is flying W3774 both before and afterwards. Smithy Thanks for giving us a lot of new codes. Shores/Williams BTW give the more correct Bf 109 E where due. Cheers Stig |
#6
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Re: 485 Squadron, Channel Dash, 12 February 1942
Hello Smithy,
My copy of "Aces High" has on page 195, a/c serial number W3747. He is also noted as flying in this a/c on the 26th March. On the 28th March he is listed as using W3774. In volume 2 on page 67 there is a correction . But this concerns the a/c he flew on the 13th October 1941. Spitfire VB P8786 has been corrected from previous P87886. Stig, Thanks for the confirmation of W3747 as being a ( black out ) serial number. I did not check that earlier as accepted what was in the book. Alex |
#7
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Re: 485 Squadron, Channel Dash, 12 February 1942
Quote:
W3747 is incorrect. A Spitfire with this serial never existed. 15 ops were incorrectly attributed to this airframe with 485 but it was a simple case of the correct code (W3774) being incorrectly recorded. W3774 (coded OU-R) was "Auckland I" and had this painted on the port side cowling with "Waiuku" underneath (Crawford-Compton was born in Invercargill but grew up in Waiuku). Underneath the port side windshield it had a cartoon of Hitler in a frying pan being roasted over a burning swastika. On the starboard side it also carried the name "Samson". Crawford-Compton scored 4 destroyed, 1 probable and 1 damaged whilst flying W3774. Tim |
#8
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Re: 485 Squadron, Channel Dash, 12 February 1942
Thank you Tim for the extra interesting details, most welcome news.
Alex |
#9
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Re: 485 Squadron, Channel Dash, 12 February 1942
W3774
Vb 1980 EA M45 FF 20-8-41 9MU 22-8-41 485S 2-9-41 124S 3-5-42 FAAC 20-6-42 ros 306S 2-7-42 VASM 26-8-42 mods 308S 22-11-42 air collision with P8746 crashed Stockwell Potato Farm Yorks CE 14-5-43 FH394.15 |
#10
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Re: 485 Squadron, Channel Dash, 12 February 1942
I think Francis' claim was disallowed. All the other claims in that frame, by his flight and the other flight were for Bf109E/F. Francis is the only one to claim a Fw190. Just a thought.
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