On This Day...November 12th.
A really nice photo of a SBD-5 Dauntless flying over the USS Washington (with the USS Lexington in the beckground) heading toward the Gilbert Islands, 12 Nov 1943.
In this photo, members of an RAF technical intelligence team are seen climbing over a Dornier 217 that crash landed on October 12, 1941 near Rye in South East England. The Dornier crew had fallen victim to a regular mistake with pilots in the war, confusing the Bristol Channel (between Wales and Cornwall) for the English Channel (between England and France). Running out of fuel the pilot crash landed in what he thought was inland Northern France. The aircraft was dismantled and transported to the RAF at Farnborough, where it underwent detailed examination and testing.
A superb photo of a Universal Carrier (of 52nd Reconnaissance Regiment) literally flying down a hill , 12 November 1942 at 'Battle School' in Scotland.
On 12th November, 1944, thirty two RAF and RAAF Lancaster bombers left England for Norway flying at at low level to attack the Tirpitz. This photo reconnaissance shot shows the last moments of the destroyer in the the fjord at Tromso. Operation 'Catechism' was the ninth attempt by the RAF to sink the German battleship Tirpitz and the twenty-fifth by British forces in general.
Julian Shawyer said on November 12, 2018
Really enjoying your On This Day post David. Thank you.
Here is a story on BBC radio about another German aircraft to land in England during the war.
Things We Forgot to Remember - Series 8, The Junkers of Woodbridge Airfield, Episode 4 - @bbcradio4 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01jwk7k
Jeff Bailey said on November 12, 2018
Ditto!
James B Robinson said on November 12, 2018
Great stuff David. Been away for a few days and really need to catch up.
david leigh-smith said on November 12, 2018
Thanks, James. Glad to hear they are letting you out for a bit these days...
Greg Kittinger said on November 12, 2018
Very sly of you Brits to insert that extra channel up there to confuse the Germans! Subterfuge played such a huge role in the war (I loved Bodyguard of Lies...)!
david leigh-smith said on November 12, 2018
The sad thing is that it confused as many allied pilots as it did Germans, Greg.
Mon Falcone said on November 13, 2018
Haha. "Excuse em moi - j'ai écrasé mon avion"..."umm..."