The First Mosquito Daylight Raid on Berlin - Kiwi's Story
Jun 21, 2021 12:42:43 GMT 12
chinapilot and 11SQNLDR like this
Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 21, 2021 12:42:43 GMT 12
This is very interesting, with a first hand account from a Kiwi pilot on the first daylight raid carried out on Berlin in Mosquitoes, from the Waikato Times dated the 1st of February 1943.
LITTLE OPPOSITION
RAIDS ON BERLIN
PILOTS’ AMAZEMENT
AIR MARSHAL’S THANKS
(Official Wireless) (Received Feb. 1. 3.15 p.m.) RUGBY. Jan. 31
The pilots and observers of five of the Mosquitoes which bombed Berlin on Saturday expressed amazement at the lack of opposition. Both in the morning and afternoon raids only two or three balloons were flying over the German capital, flak was scarce and inaccurate, and only two fighters were seen, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
The time-table allotted the raiders was carried out to the second. In fact, the morning raiders returned to their base two minutes ahead of schedule, despite a round trip of 1200 miles.
’’The cloud ran out and, bless my soul, we were over Berlin,” said one observer. “We started unloading our contribution to the festivities.”
Squadron-Leader R. W. Reynolds, D.F.C., who led the morning raid, was on his 55th operation, 49 of which were completed before he transferred to the Mosquitoes. He said it was all very uneventful. They arrived over Berlin at precisely 11 a.m. and within a few seconds had dropped their bombs.
Air Marshal Harris sent the following message to the air officer commanding the bomber group from which the Mosquitoes attacked Berlin: “Please convey to all concerned, particularly the crews of the aircraft, my warmest, congratulations on the magnificent daylight attack carried out on Berlin people on the tenth anniversary of Hitler's usurpation of power. The raids cannot have failed to cause consternation in Germany and encouragement to the oppressed peoples of Europe.”
New Zealander’s Thrilling Story
A young Aucklander was the only New Zealander to take part in the first daylight raids over Berlin by Mosquitoes. He was Flight-Sergeant Peter J. D. McGeehan, of Avondale, who will be 22 years old in April. It was his third operation and he was in the afternoon raid, which arrived over Berlin at 4 p.m., in time to provide “noises off” for Goebbels.
“I was in the crew-room in the middle of the morning fixing up my flying gear, when I was told to get ready for briefing. I found my navigator to be Flying-Officer R. C. Morris, who comes from Wales, and we got a bit of a shock when we went into the briefing room and found Berlin was the target, but we were soon too busy to worry about nerves, having bags of work to do working out our course and making other preparations, and anyway we were delighted at the prospect, as it is every pilot’s dream to get a Berlin raid in his log book. We had a quick lunch, then took off. We knew there had been a morning raid and we were looking forward to tickling up the Jerries in their afternoon session.
Ran Into Bad Weather
“We ran into very rough weather. Visibility was poor and rain squalls made it difficult to handle the Mosquito. We put in a quick spurt crossing the coast, but saw nothing. Then we flew on uneventfully towards Berlin through cloud. Just at the estimated time of arrival the cloud ran out and there below us we saw at least one-third of Berlin. We had no difficulty in sighting the target and dropping our bombs just after the leading Mosquito. Some flak popped up at us, close enough to be unpleasant, but not hitting the aircraft. It promised to be persistent, so we dived down, setting off for home.
“As we were diving we saw two fighters heading towards us. They looked like Messerschmitts but we were going so fast in the dive that they had no chance and we soon left them comfortably behind. It was interesting flying over Germany. It seemed divided between forests and land under cultivation. We saw no horses, but steam-engines drawing ploughs, and some bullocks, but few people.
Solitary Nazi Flag
“Once we saw a solitary Nazi flag fluttering from a flagpole and would like to have shot it up. but could not afford the time. We found cloud cover over Holland and as we passed over the Friesian Islands encountered slight flak. The rest of the trip was uneventful. We based two minutes before schedule and then went for interrogation. It was late when we got our tea, but it was steak and chips, which were worth flying to Berlin for.”
Flying-Officer Morris, who was Sergeant McGeehan’s navigator, was warm in his praise of the young New Zealand pilot. He told me: “The weather conditions were pretty filthy and they would have tested the nerves and brain of the best pilots but young Mac was not worried. He put up a wizard show. I would fly with him anywhere.”
Sergeant McGeehan, who was educated at the Takapuna Grammar School, later worked with the New Zealand Dairy Company in Auckland in the milk supply department. He arrived in England in December, 1941. He considers himself lucky to be posted immediately to Mosquitoes. They are wonderful aircraft.” he said. “There is nothing to worry about when flying them.”
On his other two raids Sergeant McGeehan shot up railway engines near Amiens and a seaplane base in the Friesian Islands.
In the same squadron is Sergeant Robert Leigh, of Otahuhu, who did but participate in the Berlin raid but bombed shipyards at Copenhagen on January 27.
Jubilation in Britain
The daylight raids against Berlin have caused the greatest jubilation in Britain. Everyone is delighted that Goering had to postpone his speech for an hour. It is permissible, perhaps, for New Zealand to be proud that she was the only country in addition to Great Britain to be represented among the pilots making the raids, which will certainly be historic.
WAIKATO TIMES, 1 FEBRUARY 1943
LITTLE OPPOSITION
RAIDS ON BERLIN
PILOTS’ AMAZEMENT
AIR MARSHAL’S THANKS
(Official Wireless) (Received Feb. 1. 3.15 p.m.) RUGBY. Jan. 31
The pilots and observers of five of the Mosquitoes which bombed Berlin on Saturday expressed amazement at the lack of opposition. Both in the morning and afternoon raids only two or three balloons were flying over the German capital, flak was scarce and inaccurate, and only two fighters were seen, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
The time-table allotted the raiders was carried out to the second. In fact, the morning raiders returned to their base two minutes ahead of schedule, despite a round trip of 1200 miles.
’’The cloud ran out and, bless my soul, we were over Berlin,” said one observer. “We started unloading our contribution to the festivities.”
Squadron-Leader R. W. Reynolds, D.F.C., who led the morning raid, was on his 55th operation, 49 of which were completed before he transferred to the Mosquitoes. He said it was all very uneventful. They arrived over Berlin at precisely 11 a.m. and within a few seconds had dropped their bombs.
Air Marshal Harris sent the following message to the air officer commanding the bomber group from which the Mosquitoes attacked Berlin: “Please convey to all concerned, particularly the crews of the aircraft, my warmest, congratulations on the magnificent daylight attack carried out on Berlin people on the tenth anniversary of Hitler's usurpation of power. The raids cannot have failed to cause consternation in Germany and encouragement to the oppressed peoples of Europe.”
New Zealander’s Thrilling Story
A young Aucklander was the only New Zealander to take part in the first daylight raids over Berlin by Mosquitoes. He was Flight-Sergeant Peter J. D. McGeehan, of Avondale, who will be 22 years old in April. It was his third operation and he was in the afternoon raid, which arrived over Berlin at 4 p.m., in time to provide “noises off” for Goebbels.
“I was in the crew-room in the middle of the morning fixing up my flying gear, when I was told to get ready for briefing. I found my navigator to be Flying-Officer R. C. Morris, who comes from Wales, and we got a bit of a shock when we went into the briefing room and found Berlin was the target, but we were soon too busy to worry about nerves, having bags of work to do working out our course and making other preparations, and anyway we were delighted at the prospect, as it is every pilot’s dream to get a Berlin raid in his log book. We had a quick lunch, then took off. We knew there had been a morning raid and we were looking forward to tickling up the Jerries in their afternoon session.
Ran Into Bad Weather
“We ran into very rough weather. Visibility was poor and rain squalls made it difficult to handle the Mosquito. We put in a quick spurt crossing the coast, but saw nothing. Then we flew on uneventfully towards Berlin through cloud. Just at the estimated time of arrival the cloud ran out and there below us we saw at least one-third of Berlin. We had no difficulty in sighting the target and dropping our bombs just after the leading Mosquito. Some flak popped up at us, close enough to be unpleasant, but not hitting the aircraft. It promised to be persistent, so we dived down, setting off for home.
“As we were diving we saw two fighters heading towards us. They looked like Messerschmitts but we were going so fast in the dive that they had no chance and we soon left them comfortably behind. It was interesting flying over Germany. It seemed divided between forests and land under cultivation. We saw no horses, but steam-engines drawing ploughs, and some bullocks, but few people.
Solitary Nazi Flag
“Once we saw a solitary Nazi flag fluttering from a flagpole and would like to have shot it up. but could not afford the time. We found cloud cover over Holland and as we passed over the Friesian Islands encountered slight flak. The rest of the trip was uneventful. We based two minutes before schedule and then went for interrogation. It was late when we got our tea, but it was steak and chips, which were worth flying to Berlin for.”
Flying-Officer Morris, who was Sergeant McGeehan’s navigator, was warm in his praise of the young New Zealand pilot. He told me: “The weather conditions were pretty filthy and they would have tested the nerves and brain of the best pilots but young Mac was not worried. He put up a wizard show. I would fly with him anywhere.”
Sergeant McGeehan, who was educated at the Takapuna Grammar School, later worked with the New Zealand Dairy Company in Auckland in the milk supply department. He arrived in England in December, 1941. He considers himself lucky to be posted immediately to Mosquitoes. They are wonderful aircraft.” he said. “There is nothing to worry about when flying them.”
On his other two raids Sergeant McGeehan shot up railway engines near Amiens and a seaplane base in the Friesian Islands.
In the same squadron is Sergeant Robert Leigh, of Otahuhu, who did but participate in the Berlin raid but bombed shipyards at Copenhagen on January 27.
Jubilation in Britain
The daylight raids against Berlin have caused the greatest jubilation in Britain. Everyone is delighted that Goering had to postpone his speech for an hour. It is permissible, perhaps, for New Zealand to be proud that she was the only country in addition to Great Britain to be represented among the pilots making the raids, which will certainly be historic.
WAIKATO TIMES, 1 FEBRUARY 1943
