Galland vs RAF combat instructor Donaldson Arthur Hay

[elephantshampoo]

Donaldson,
Arthur Hay
1938 - 1940 training instructor, Central Flying School (AFC)
02.1941 - 08.1941 Commanding Officer, 263 Squadron RAF (DFC)
www.unithistories.com/officers/RAF_officers_D01.html





on June 30, S/Ldr Donaldson wrote...




Eventually, flying home from this, Basil's Squadron was jumped by Messerschmitts low over the sea and a terrific battle started. It was then that a particularly threatening Messerschmitt arrived and went straight for me. We fought for fifteen minutes ending up with head-on attacks on each other. Usually, Messerschmitts did not like this, for a Hurricane could turn more sharply, so it usually made off, which it could do so at 60 mph faster than the Hurricane.
In this case, On about the fourth head-on attack, shells and bullets started to strike my poor aircraft. The first shell knocked my poor oil tank clean out of the leading edge of the wing, so I knew the engine could not run much longer.
Then the petrol tank blew up and my clothes caught fire and I became hot but still the b-----d continued to shoot. My gloves were burning and my goggles frizzled up but I took neither off - luckily!.
I undid my straps and climbed on the wing, for the Hurricane was flying very slowly and I could actually see the burning wing bending upwards. Then I realised with alarm that I was only 800 ft off the sea. I thought this too low for a safe bail out but at this time I fell off and it took me seconds to locate the pull ring, which I must have pulled, for, as I was about to hit the water, my parachute opened.

?

?

Later the Y Service which listened to all R/T prattle told me it was General Galland who had shot me down.

Mike Kelsey's 151 Sqdn site www.151squadron.org.uk/



I met him in London recently and I still don’t think much of his conduct that day, for he must have known that my Hurricane was dead as far as fighting again, but he never stopped shooting.



After this encounter neither did I.”


www.151squadron.org.uk/









P.S. Officially Galland was back in Germany, but he was known to break rules, 1 P-38 appears on his record for example, but he flew after being grounded & claimed 8.

[flyjoe180]

Interesting account.

[elephantshampoo]

Yes, & in other forums it has been posited Galland was not on ops at the time, but as yet, I've not seen anything posted to verify this.

As to continued shooting after a plane looks to be doomed, one should remember Werner Schroer did this with Caldwell, & Caldwell not only got away & put out the flames on his fighter, but even shot down a 109 on the way home. So its great to be a Gentleman, but it is war & making sure the thing goes down is what the job is so to speak. & grey area I suppose, shooting down men in parachutes is another thing/ I guess one had to be there.

www.goefoundation.com/index.php/eagles/biographies/c/caldwell-clive-r./

August 1941, Caldwell felt his P-40 Tomahawk jolt as a pair of Me-109s began firing at him. His cockpit suddenly filled with smoke, part of his instrument panel disappeared, and huge chunks were missing from the wings and trailing edges of his aircraft. Wounded in the shoulder, back, neck, and left leg, he opened the canopy to bail out. But, when the canopy opened, the windblast extinguished the fire in the cockpit and Caldwell decided to remain with the aircraft. While crossing the Egyptian coast near his home base, he observed a dogfight in progress and, instead of landing, he gradually climbed his damaged fighter for an attack on an Me-109F. Only after downing the Messerschmitt did he return to base and successfully land his aircraft despite a flat tire and no wing flaps.

Doctors removed the bullets from Caldwell and he returned to his flying duties 2 days later.








Schroer and his wingman attacked RAF Tomahawks over Tobruk, setting one on fire and claiming a victory. Unfortunately for the Axis powers, Schroer's victim, Australian Clive Caldwell, although wounded and nursing a crippled aircraft, did not crash. Caldwell not only limped back to base, he shot down a 109 on the way.

www.flyingmule.com/products/CA-7102

[elephantshampoo]

Col Bettinger's 2 cents... Betting also flew in Korea.

seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2002617568_airvet11m.html

He flew 106 missions in World War II, dive bombing and strafing in Italy. "I used to burn out the gun barrels," he said. "Kill them all."

Bettinger apologized for his bluntness, but his brother died fighting the Germans, he explained. To Bettinger, destroying the enemy was not something to be debated. In the air, traveling at hundreds of miles per hour, those who moralized the choices of war were often the first to die.

[elephantshampoo]

One should also bear in mind that this encountyer was in 41 & Galland had 2 special 109 F models with extra armament. 1 with 13 mm machine guns on the cowl, & the other with 2 extra 20 mm cannon in the wings, giving him a serious advantage. if it was in fact him.


modelingmadness.com/review/axis/cleaver/g/tmc109f.htm

He later was given two special Bf-109Fs in the summer of 1941 ‑ one with a unique armament of an MG 151/20 cannon and two cowl‑mounted 13 mm MG 131s, with the other equipped with integral wing‑mounted 20 mm MG‑FF cannons and cowl‑mounted MG 17s.

I also read somewhere he used 100 octane gas.