J.E. Johnson question

[John Beaman]

Johnson was still flying operations in late 1944 and well into 1945 as both Wing commander and when he eventually was made Group Commander. He mentions in his book that they flew hard, even to the end in May 1945.

His last credited victory was 27-Sep-44, so the question is why did he not have more claims for the next 7 months? Surely he had opportunity as a Wing Commander and could not be doing so much "paperwork" or "commanding" that he did not have the opportunity to fly combat missions? Has there ever been any commentary on this?

Thanks

[Franek Grabowski]

I suppose just lack of targets within reach. I know few pilots who flew with 84 Group on Spitfires, and they mentioned that it was very rare to see a German aircraft at all, and Me 262s appearing occasionally caused a lot of interest.

[Graham Boak]

Part of this is a simple lack of targets in the northern sector. After the decisive defeat of the Jagdwaffe over Normandy the overwhelming number of Allied fighters over the front line found few Germans to share around. The surviving units were reforming, on city defense, or posted to the Eastern Front.

[Jim Oxley]

Yet targets seem aplenty if you read Closterman's "The Big Show". Did they not operate in the same area?

[Graham Boak]

The Big Show is a wonderful read but not entirely a historically reliable document. Part of the difference would be that the Spitfire Mk.14 was a high-altitude fighter often on escort duties and the Tempest better at low-level. Part of it just plain chance.

It is worth pointing out that only six pilots claimed five or more kills with Griffon Spitfires (source, the new Osprey). The top scorer was Harries, but half of his claims were on the Mk.XII. This does suggest that chances for combat were extremely limited for the Mk.14, despite its undoubted capabilities.

[John Beaman]

Thanks Graham and Franek. Your comments are valid, but it seems strange that while flying operations with both the IX and XIV for 7 months he would not have a single claim. I guess the thing to do is look at record of his units and see what opportunities were there and what was claimed.

[Franek Grabowski]

No, it is not surprising at all, and there were several airmen who had not seen a German aircraft. It is much more interesting why he was kept on flying duties and not send to an academy or elsewhere.

[Mikkel Plannthin]

Researching - I know not the ace of aces in Europe - but Danish pilots, I have sometimes wondered why only a few of them recorded victories apart from W/C Kaj Birksted. I have recorded the victories I have been able to trace here:
http://www.danishww2pilots.dk/victories.php

E.g. Kjeld Rønhof, 332 (N) Sqn flew nearly 200 missions over enemy territory and had a single damaged Fw 190
http://www.danishww2pilots.dk/victories.php?person=81

As far as I have gathered none of the Danish pilots that entered operational duties after D-day has a single victory. I know, of cause, that this may be due to lack of skill, but the lack of targets, I think, plays a large part.

Mikkel

[Graham Boak]

The other thought that occurs is that a Wing Commander has responsibility for a wide force. He would be in a position to direct sections (squadrons?) of that force in order to cope with any threat, or observed target, but he would only participate himself when the whole wing was involved in combat. Large battles such as this seem to be largely absent from the accounts of RAF actions. nder such circumstances, for a leader to abandon his responsibilities to seek personal gain would be inappropriate, even improper.

This would suggest that most kills would be claimed by Squadron leaders and Flight commanders, which appears to be the case.