First Air Raid of WWII – 25

14:30 – Spitfires scrambled

At 14.30 hours, just as Helmut Pohle was approaching the Forth Bridge, Red Section, 603 Squadron, led by 29-year-old F/L Patsy Gifford, were ordered to scramble [from Turnhouse] and vectored towards Drem.

At 14.35, in response to a report by the Observer Corps of unidentified aircraft moving westwards over Dalkeith, F/L Bob Johnstone from his position in the control room at Turnhouse, ordered up Yellow Section. F/L George Denholm led Pilot Officers ‘Sheep’ Gilroy and ‘Black’ Morton away from Turnhouse on a westerly heading.

Legend has it that while watching Yellow Section take off, Gifford had been impatient that his section had not been the first to be ordered into the air and, aware that an attack on his home soil was in progress, he had telephoned the station commander, W/C Don Fleming, and sector controller, Bob Johnstone, and badgered them into letting him get airborne.  However, the Squadron ORB and Black Morton’s log book confirm that Gifford’s section took off five minutes prior to Denholm’s section.

As soon as Yellow Section were airborne Black spotted what was probably the third wave of Ju88s away to the north over the Forth Bridge launching their attack on the shipping. Pohle could be seen circling in the background in Ju88A-I, registration 4D+AK, ‘Anton-Kurfurst’, hoping to witness any success achieved by the other aircraft in his unit.

George Denholm later recalled that his section were hardly off the ground when they found themselves engaging the enemy bombers. To the south of the airfield at approximately 3,000 feet seemingly heading towards the airspace over the Threipmuir Reservoir, Black spotted three more aircraft. The leading aircraft was 1 Staffel’s Ju88 A-1, registration 4D+DH ‘Dora-Heinrich’ commanded by Storp with his three other crew members, Feldwebel Hans Georg Hielscher, who was due to be married the following January, Feldwebel Hugo Rohnke and rear gunner Obergefreiter Kramer.  Having successfully carried out their attack they were now flying a reciprocal course to that which they had flown to the bridge.

George, Black and Sheep attempted to intercept Storp’s section of Ju88s and came within firing range over Colinton where Yellow Section split up to make individual attacks on their prey and pursued them to the east of the city, witnessed by a nearby searchlight crew. George and Black’s initial attack was on the Ju88 flown by Storp. Black Morton’s diary entry provides an insight into the ensuing combat:

Very nice day, cloud 2-3/ 10, cumulus, 3,000′. Slight ground haze, no wind.

About 2.25 ‘A’ Flight ordered off. Red – P.G. [Pat Gifford], Ken [Macdonald], Robbie [Robertson] to patrol Drem. Yellow: George [Denholm], Sheep [Gilroy], Self took off 3-4 mins after Red.

At about 2,000′ to West of airport fired on by A.A. – 4 bursts in Line 400′ to right of us.

Almost immediately saw 3 or 4 E.A. circling over Forth Bridge alt. 5,000′, informed George, but had already spotted 3 E.A. to South of us, 3,000′. Pursued in Line astern.

 E.A. making for bank of cloud over Currie. Did not identify all E.A., but one definitely Heinkel [all now known to be Ju88). Followed Sheep through gaps in cloud, George in lead, firing at 1 E.A.

At other side of cloud no sign of George, Sheep pursuing one turning to Port. I took starboard and followed it through two more clouds, shooting short bursts from Low No.1 position. E.A. speed 190-200 mph. E.A. fired tracer, reddish brown puffs. Very strong impression of two or more guns firing. E.A. swung east in 3rd cloud.

Over Dalkeith got in a burst of about 8-10 sees from high No.1. E.A. failed to make the next cloud and started to lose height, swinging to the North towards Wallyford. At end of this long burst I was shaken to see something black fall off E.A., shied violently at it.

Was approaching to make a further attack when 3 Spitfires shot past me from above. They had obviously not seen me so I broke away and returned to re-arm. The last I saw of E.A. was about 500′ over Port Seton being vigorously attacked by Red. E.A., eventually came down in sea off Port Seton, very badly shot up. 1 dead went down with aircraft, 3 prisoners.

P.G. (Gifford] considers E.A. his trophy; but feel inclined to dispute it; as from my own observations and report of prisoners E.A. was partly disabled (port engine u/s) before Red section appeared. Whether this was due to my fire or to previous fire from George is unknown. I certainly hit him for one air gunner was killed. This must have been the lower, as Red report fire from top gunner up to last moment and I was certainly shot at from below at beginning of engagement.

I was so excited that I failed to identify type of E. A. – prisoners report it as He111. Was surprised to find no trace of being scared, though crouched down a bit when tracer observed going by.

Stoep later recalled the moment the Spitfires came within range and began their pursuit of his Ju88:

Then I commit my biggest mistake. I climb. Suddenly, out of a serene sky, machine guns firing at us. My co-pilot calls out, ‘ Spitfires behind us!’  But the first spatter of bullets had hit us.  My left engine was out of action. I took violent evasive action.  Ten to twelve Spitfires were after me.  I resemble a hare, shot and wounded, but still chased. My gunner had been killed in the first burst.  I pressed my bird down. To get away was our only thought. But the Spitfires curved around us like devils.  One burst after the other made a sieve of our Ju.

The hell-like flight went right over the roofs of Edinburgh. Here we had respite for some seconds. The British did not shoot when over the city.  My only thought was that the machine should not go down on land: it should not fall into enemy hands. I steered towards the sea.

Where had the British hunters come from so quickly?  Why had we not spotted them earlier?

These were the thoughts that kept me busy while I was steering.  My bird was finished.  At about 700 feet the elevators went out of action.  The machine capsized, nose forward, and fell into the sea like a stone. In the last second I was able to throw off the roof of the cockpit.

I was thrown about 70 yards, still fastened to my seat. I came to under water, [and] swam to the surface.

It would seem that whilst George Denholm may have inflicted damage prior to the attack by Black in L1049, it was most likely Black’s second burst (8-10 seconds from a high No.1 position) which knocked out the port engine of the Ju88 and killed Kramer, the wireless operator/rear gunner.  This was later confirmed by Storp himself.

In response to Gifford having reported return fire from the upper gun position late in the combat, Black diplomatically accepted that he must have silenced the lower gun position (ventral gondola) but, in order for Gifford to have experienced return fire, Morton could have killed the upper gunner and his MG15 was then taken over by the flight engineer/ventral gunner.

All reports state that the Ju88 was pursued from above and behind by the RAF fighters.  The upper gun position would therefore provide a clearer shot at the pursuing Spitfires.

It is interesting to note that Sheep and Black recorded in their log books flying times of only 10 and 15 minutes respectively for this patrol.  Black also incorrectly identified the Ju88 as a He111.  The latter comes as no surprise as the Ju88 was a recent addition to the German Air Force.