Fleet Air Arm action

[E Sims]

On 26 March 1945, off the Norwegian coast, while escorting a flight of TBFs, FM-2s from 882 Squadron off HMS Searcher fought off an interception by some Me 109Gs. Various sources in print and on the internet cite claims for the FAA varying from 5 109s shot down with one damaged or, maybe, one probable to 3 109s shot down with 2 damaged.

Does anyone have a solid claims report?

And names, names would be nice, ranks, too; who claimed what?

And there was reportedly but one FM-2 damaged . . . does anyone know who was flying the damaged FM-2?

Were any of the TBFs being escorted lost in this action?

Just trying to fill in the blanks.

Thanks in advance

Elliott

[kaki3152]

Check out this Website,it has some details on this action
http://ktsorens.tihlde.org/flyvrak/langskjera.html

[keith A]

H26.03.1945
Bf109G-6[1]


882
Searcher
Wildcat VI JV768
Wildcat VI
Arctic
SLt RF Moore
SLt JAP Harrison

BF109G-6

BF109G-6
882
Searcher
Wildcat VI
Arctic
LCdr RA Bird



Bf109G-6
882
Searcher
Wildcat VI
Arctic
SLt JAP Harrison

Bf109G-6


882
Searcher
Wildcat VI
Arctic
SLt AF Womack


[1] III/JG5 lost 2 pilots wounded And one killed


i,

My database has these details

[E Sims]

Thank you Kaki3152 for the link.

And thank you, Keith, for the names of the Wildcat pilots. I read your data as Harrison and Moore splitting one credit and then one credit each to Bird, Harrison, and Womack. Is that correct?

So, three shot down and one damaged versus four claims for shoot downs and at least one damaged (Kaki3152's supplied link notes that Bird claimed a "damaged") . . . pretty close then, claims to actuals.

The London Gazette reports Womack and Bird being awarded the DSC; were Moore or Harrison similarly decorated?

My sincere thanks, again, to you both.

Elliott

[Mark E Horan]

Lieutenant Ronald Arthur Bird, RN, flying Wildcat VI JV-792, code SA, credited with a Bf-109 destroyed and another damaged on 26.03.45, was killed as a member of 794 Squadron on 10.04.46 when his Seafire disintegrated in the air. On 26.06.45 he was awarded the DSC for his participation in air actions in March and April 1945, and again on 09.08.45 for his participation in Operation Judgement. His awards having never been invested or presented, were posted to his next of kin.

Temporary Acting Sub-Lieutenent (A) Alan Frederick Womack, RNVR, flying Wildcat VI JV-709, code SW, credited with a Bf-109 destroyed on 26.03.45, was also awarded the DSC on 26.06.45 for his participation in air actions in March and April 1945. The award was invested on 13.11.45.

Temporary Sub-Lieutenant (A) Ronald F. Moore, RNVR, flying Wildcat VI JV-768, coded SX, credited with a Bf-109 shared destroyed on 26.03.45, received no awards in the war.

Temporary Sub-Lieutenant (A) J. A. P. Harrison, RNVR, flying an unknown Wildcat VI, credited with a Bf-109 shared destroyed and another damaged on 26.03.45, received no awards in the war.

For the record, the aircraft type was the Wildcat VI, not a USN FM-2 (there are differences) just as the bombers were Avengers, not USN TBFs (or TBMs).

Mark E. Horan

[E Sims]

Thank you, Mr Horan, for your most detailed clarification. So it appears that this is one of those occasions when claims and losses appear to match as the Luftwaffe losses are noted as three.

Elliott

[JoeB]

Originally Posted by E Sims

And there was reportedly but one FM-2 damaged . . . does anyone know who was flying the damaged FM-2?

On another forum someone presented info apparently from original reports saying this a/c, technically a Wildcat VI as already mentioned, was seriously enough damaged to be jettisoned on return to Searcher, IIRC. I can't Google my way back to it now. Does anyone else have similar information? I've never seen it mentioned in published works, but OTOH accounts of this incident in books sometimes don't mention any damage to the Wildcats.

Also, a post on this board says JG 5 claimed 6 'Martlets' during the British 'Operation Prepix' at this time,
http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/sho...945-%96-Norway
though the list of LW claims in Norway on the excellent 'Luftwaffe in Norway' site doesn't mention any after Mar 12.
http://www.luftwaffe.no/claim1.htm
Details on the Bf 109G-6's lost in this action are on this page of the site
http://www.luftwaffe.no/SIG/Losses/tap45.html

Joe