Luftwaffe Do17 loss - 27/10/1941

[Chris Goss]

This will therefore interest you Mike:

The first three days of August 1942 saw he and his crew attacking a convoy, an attack on Norwich and a daylight attack against an airfield near Doncaster. It was on this latter mission that they were intercepted by a Spitfire-another Spitfire flown by Plt Off Lindsay Black of 485 Sqn accounted for another 7./KG 2 Do 217 flown by Uffz Erich Beyerer near Kettering. After having machine-gunned vehicles at Brampton and then dropped four bombs at Wellingborough, it was intercepted by two Spitfires from 485 Sqn;

"At 1812 hrs after about half a minute after having seen bomb bursts on Wellingborough, Blue Section saw a Do 217 at about 450 ft. Fg Off Black got into position below and to starboard and as bandit climbed into the cloud gave a long burst with cannon and machine gun at about 450 yds closing to 400 yds. Bandit disappeared into cloud. Fg Off Black told to orbit climbed into cloud and soon saw bandit. He got into position above and behind and gave two short bursts first 100 yds second 75 yds. Ineffective return fire from dorsal and under gun was experienced causing no damage. Fg Off Black turned away and saw bandit start to dive. Between his two short bursts of MG he saw bandit jettisoning an object afterwards identified as a dinghy. Fg Off Black also saw vapour appearing from the wingtips of bandit after his first attack. Following bandit down he saw it burning on the ground."

The Do 217 hit the ground at Cranford, Northamptonshire and burst into flames.