#RAF 303rd Squadron

[usafphantom2]

28th July, 1935. First flight of the Boeing B-17 strategic bomber, later to be named the ‘Flying Fortress’. The type was designed to conduct high altitude operations using the newly developed Norden bombsight, and was intended to protect itself against attack with heavy defensive armament. Combat experience, especially over Europe, would prove that precision bombing was rather more difficult in practice than theory, and fighter escort was indispensable. Over 12,000 B-17s were built.

Initially used operationally by the RAF in limited numbers (see my post of 8th July), the B-17 was first saw service with the USAAF in the Pacific. Famously, a flight of the aircraft arrived over Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack on 7th December 1941 and B-17s suffered significant losses during the initial phases of the Pacific war. Further use during the battles of Coral Sea and Midway yielded poor results, though the type had more success during the battle of the Bismarck Sea. Fewer than 200 B-17s served in the Pacific, and had largely been replaced by the longer ranged B-24 in the theatre by mid-1943, though some were later used in the search and rescue role.

It was over occupied Europe that the ‘Flying Fortress’ would make its name. Limited operations from Britain began in August 1942 and initially it seemed that the concept of a self-defending bomber formation was vindicated. However, once larger scale raids into Germany began in 1943, losses from Luftwaffe fighters quickly mounted. Though the B-17 gained a reputation for its ability to absorb combat damage, and German pilots respected its firepower, this was not enough. Following two operations against Schweinfurt which cost over 120 aircraft, deep penetration raids into Germany were temporarily halted.

With the arrival of the P-51 Mustang in early 1944, the B-17, alongside the B-24, was able to operate as far as Berlin, though losses to German defences remained significant for some time. The type was key to the Allied daylight bombing offensive and inflicted massive damage, though extravagant claims of ‘pickle barrel’ precision bombing proved groundless. For a variety of reasons, not least the prevailing weather conditions and cloud cover, USAAF accuracy was often little better than that achieved by the RAF at night.

Quickly phased out of use as a bomber after the war, many B-17s remained in service in a variety of secondary roles. These included air-sea rescue, reconnaissance, mapping, atomic sampling, airborne early warning, drone targets and even CIA special operations. Others were converted for civilian roles, with some B-17 firebombers (a number of which have since found homes in museums) remaining operational into the 1980s. B-17s also served with a variety of air forces and civilian operators around the world including in Brazil, Israel, Portugal and France.

Pictured:☝️

1) Prototype Boeing Model 299/XB-17. Early Fortresses had significant differences to later models, including waist blisters and a ventral ‘bathtub’ for the gunners.

📷 boeingimages.com

2) B-17C of the 19th Bomb Group, which was damaged and caught fire attempting to land at Bellows Field during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The crew survived, but a flight surgeon passenger was killed by a strafing Zero.

📷 warfarehistorynetwork.com

3) The YB-40 ‘gunship’ was an attempt to give B-17 formations extra firepower. Mounting an extra top turret, twin waist guns and a new chin turret, its extra ammunition load left it too heavy to keep up with the aircraft it was supposed to protect, particularly after they had released their bombs. Only 48 operational sorties were flown, with 5 Luftwaffe fighters claimed destroyed.

📷 warbirdsresourcegroup.org

4) A handful of B-17s were captured intact by the Germans. ‘Wulfe Hound’ of the 303rd Bomb Group force landed in France on 12th December 1942 and was later used by the Luftwaffe’s clandestine operations squadron, KG 200.

📷 American Air Museum FRE 8941

[historianatlarge]

So I was tagged in a thing.

I usually don’t do these, but perhaps people would like to know a little about me, at least. Got tagged by the excellent @psifitopia, too, and they are a nice enough person I’d do it just because it’s them, really.

Taking a couple of these out for repetition/privacy, but I’ll compensate you all with a bit more elsewhere.

Name/Alias: Charles

Hobbies: Reading, by and large. I suppose writing still counts, since I find the work I do on here quite enjoyable. Still have some fun with games of various descriptions, in my spare time. I’ve also got some model kits (all of them historical, go figure) that are laying about incomplete that I really ought to get back to, at some point.

Favorite colors: Orange! The story behind how it became my favourite is a complex one, but nowadays it’s still going strong – and has been ever since I was a small child. Oddly enough, however, I don’t usually care for it as a colour on cars.

Last song listened to: I’ve been listening a lot to Anna Akiko Meyers, who is just an utterly superb violinist. Specifically, I love her interpretation of Arvo Pärt’s Fratres. The piece isn’t even my usual style with classical music, but something about it just works when I need to get work done.

Last film watched: Most recently, the film Hurricane about the 303rd Squadron in the Battle of Britain. I found it rather rushed overall, though I’m glad some attention was being paid to these brave Polish pilots. It had a good underlying message that tied past British events to current ones, but I’m hoping to see Dywizjon 303 to make a comparison.

Inspiration or muse: Well, my wife helps inspire me quite a bit. Perhaps above all in reminding me that what I do is interesting and relevant. I’m also inspired by the idea of sharing historical knowledge with people who may not have it – historical knowledge is critically important these days in the defence of democracy. In other words, it helps to know there’s a good reason to do what you’re doing. (And it’s just fascinating, but individual mileage may vary on that one!)

Meaning behind your url:  Well this one is relatively simple – I have a terrible time thinking up usernames. Whatever other creativity I have, it fails me utterly there. It was the first idea that came up that I didn’t think sounded ridiculous, so I went with that.

Currently reading:  Working my way through a couple books, far too slowly. Trying out Ursula K. LeGuin’s Steering the Craft, and starting Bitter Glory, about Poland’s history between 1918-1939. I’ve got a stack beside them to either read or finish re-reading, foremost amongst them a re-read of the superb Into the Dark Valley, which details the descent into extremism in the 1930s, and has very important lessons for today.

Dream job: I’ve already got it! I’m a teacher of History and English with an Ontario school board. I’ve been proud of every day I’ve spent on the job. I’ve had some truly remarkable young minds under my tutelage, and I could pick out the ones I think will be making this country better one day.

Top three ships:  This one is supposed to be about fandom, isn’t it, I can’t just list my three favourite actual ships of all time? Can I do both? I’m going to cheat and do both. Well, I love the liner Normandie, and consider her the most beautiful ocean liner ever constructed. After that, I’ve always been fascinated by the submarine Surcouf because the entire concept of a cruiser submarine seems so alien and out-of-place today, beyond which the very idea of a submarine capable of sinking a destroyer on the surface is just so wild to look back at. Lastly, I absolutely love the sailing ship Sørlandet, and feel so very lucky to have had the chance to board her. Possibly the most beautiful ship around today.

Now, for those who may or may not enjoy well-written pairings in fiction. The first I’ll mention is Nick and Nora Charles – it’s so rare, even today, to see a married couple written as actually enjoying time with each other. I find the ‘take my wife, please’ stuff rather tiresome – it’s far more enjoyable to see the positive aspects of a couple, their partnership and how they compliment and improve each other. For the sci-fi fans out there, I’ve always enjoyed the suitably operatic pairing of Aeryn Sun and John Chricton from FarScape. Frankly, I find the entire show just delightful, especially the space muppets. Lastly, a bit of an obscure one: Kyle Katarn and Jan Ors from the Star Wars: Dark Forces games and books. In part, I suppose, because they might be the first fictional couple whose development I enjoyed.

Lipstick or chapstick: Chapstick, though the only one I use these days is a orange-scented one my wife found me. I wish I could remember the names of the people who made it, but they also made Harry Potter-themed lip balms that are rather delightful. If you are someone making such lipbalm in Southwestern Ontario, let me know and I’ll tag you here.

[mezimraky]

Sgt Josef František (1914--1940) was a top scoring pilot of the Battle of Britain who flew with the 303rd (Polish) Squadron. He was known for being an exemplary fighter pilot with much success in battle, which he may have owed to his explosive character, the example of which may be the now-known story of how--after having shot down two enemy aircrafts and emergency landing in the middle of a cabbage field near Brighton--he decided to visit the local pub to calm his shaken nerves rather than return to the base immediately.       He got very drunk there and perhaps following a comment from somebody he did not quite understand because he hadn’t been in England for a long time, he ended up picking up a fight with anyone present. When the police arrived they claimed to have found all the locals on one side of the room whilst the feisty-looking drunk Czech pilot stood on the other. Again, he would not respond well to the police speaking to him in English and rather fought them and resisted any attempt to be calmed down, until he hit his head on the pavement a few times.       In the enclosed photo he is pictured with the policemen the day after when they let him go in the morning. The policemen took everything in good humour and the testimony of one of them along with the existence of this photograph led to us knowing the story today.

      Fighting against a more numerous enemy had always been his style, he even liked flying alone and assaulting Germans on his own -- separating from his Squadron and thus getting the victories he wanted but also weakening the entirety of his Squadron. His superiors ended up naming him the “guest of the Squadron” and allowed him to fly on his own more or less. During September 1940 he shot down at least 17 planes, and was ultimately credited with the highest "RAF score" in the Battle of Britain.       He died in October 1940 when returning from a patrol flight, the reasons of the crash are unclear. Some say he was performing some sort of aerobatics as he flew by the home of a girl he fancied, some say it was the result of exhaustion from fighting. Possibly both.       He is buried among Polish airmen in Northwood. After his death he was rewarded many medals, French, Polish and Czech, including the British Distinguished Flying Medal with a bar, as the first foreigner ever.

[rootaa]

|Hetalia Aesthetic| Battle of Britain ☆ ☆ ☆ Inspired by No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron. ☆ “The 303rd Polish Fighter Squadron was one of the 16 Polish squadrons in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.” ☆ “It was the highest scoring of these 16 Polish-manned RAF squadrons during the Battle of Britain shooting down 126 German machines in only 42 days.” ☆ "Had it not been for the magnificent material contributed by the Polish squadrons and their unsurpassed gallantry, I hesitate to say that the outcome of the Battle would have been the same." ~~Sir Hugh Dowding { Pictures are not mine.}

[m4a1-shermayne]

SSgt Norman A Sampson from the 427th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group in the ball turret of a B-17 Fortress; RAF Molesworth, Cambridgeshire, England, UK, Apr 1944.

[usafphantom2]

Ronnie Bell Following

Boeing B-17G-45-BO 9 (Duchess Daughter) ( 42-97272) of the 303rd bomber group of the 359th US Air Force squadron on the runway at RAF Molesworth airfield March 18th 1943.

Via Flickr