Andrew Thomas outlines 456 Squadron RAAF’s time as a de Havilland Mosquito night-fighter unit during the Second World War
The Royal Australian Air Force’s 456 Squadron received its first three Mosquito IIs, equipped with the AI Mk.IV radar, at Valley on Anglesey on 30 December 1942. By the end of January 1943, it had 17 of de Havilland’s elegant masterpieces and it was destined to be the sole RAAF night-fighter squadron within Fighter Command during the war.
The Australian unit began Mosquito operations on 22 January when Sqn Ldr Hank Richards in DZ297/RX-R flew a night patrol. By the end of February it started flying offensive ‘Ranger’ sorties over occupied Europe for which one flight moved south to Colerne in Wiltshire. (Ranger was the codename for missions designed to draw up and engage enemy fighters.)
At the end of the month the rest of the unit moved down to Middle Wallop in Hampshire, as part of 10 Group, usually under the control of Sopley radar site. Plt Off Col Griffin, a newly arrived pilot recalled: “The Mosquito was fast, smooth and popular. I was one of the lucky few.
We were posted to Middle Wallop, based between Salisbury and Andover in Hampshire, for three or four months. Our duty was to fly over their [the Luftwaffe’s] fields and make a nuisance of ourselves by dropping flares and bombs or shooting up ’planes on the ground. Our mere presence didn’t terrorise them, but it did scare them.
“It was dangerous, because you never knew how high above the ground you were. We’d fly over at about 10,000ft and come down to around 1,000ft.
The German airfields were defended with multiple guns. Some of the intruders would bomb runways as well. I have nothing but praise for the Mosquito. It had two engines, which made a single engine landing tricky, because it was so streamlined. With one operational engine, when the undercarriage was lowered, you needed a lot of power. Recovery took 1,000ft, so if you were below that, then you were committed to the landing. My navigator was H P ‘Hoppy’ Williams.”
Rangers were also flown and between Lamballe and Alençon in France on the night of 17-18 April and two trains were damaged. Another notable sortie was on 6 May when Fg Offs Peter Panitz and ‘Hoppy’ Williams shot up six trains in the St Méen area of France. However, after one Ranger on the 30th, Mosquito II HJ701/ RX-C flown by the CO and Fg Off Don Shanks crashed seriously injuring them. Two days later W/O ‘Red’ Ratcliffe and F/Sgt Ron Lowther were lost during an afternoon sortie over France in DZ308/RX-V.
Soon after on 5 June three aircraft were detached to Predannack in Cornwall to fly ‘Instep’ patrols over the Bay of Biscay to counter Luftwaffe long-range fighters that were intercepting RAF anti-submarine aircraft. Action soon came when a patrol damaged two Junkers Ju 88s on the 11th with W/O ‘Gate’ Gatenby
Two days later, Gatenby, flying DZ299/RX-D, spotted a U-boat and immediately attacked, damaging U-462 so badly that it had to return to port. This detachment concluded on 8 July, but at the end of the month, six fighter-bomber Mosquito VIs arrived to form a flight specifically for Rangers and Insteps. This flight returned to Predannack on 17 August, whilst the rest of the squadron moved to Colerne.
The Cornwall detachment had a good day on 21 September when in a stiff fight over Biscay a Ju 88 was shot down by Flt Lt Peter Panitz and Fg Off Sampson, while ‘Gate’ Gatenby claimed a probable and Fg Off Newall damaged another. Panitz with his navigator Fg Off Williams also destroyed a Ju 88 on 3 October.
MINI ‘BLITZ’
The following month 456 Squadron moved to Fairwood Common near Swansea from where it began flying some bomber support sorties, though on one such ‘Mahmoud’ mission to Kassel on 3-4 December Plt Off May and Fg Off Parnell in DD739/RX-X were lost. Ten days later Wg Cdr Keith Hampshire took over as CO and under his energetic leadership No.456 embarked on a very successful period. On 29 January 1944 the first improved Mosquito XVIIs arrived and they swiftly replaced the earlier variant.
The Luftwaffe’s Operation Steinbock, the so-called ‘mini blitz’ began on 21 January. To help counter the offensive No.456 moved to Ford in Sussex at the end of February. Nightly patrols began immediately, though initially crews had few contacts. Its first claim came in the early hours of 2 March when Plt Off Bob Richardson probably destroyed a Dornier Do 217. Better luck came early on 22 March when South Australian Fg Off Keith Roediger in HK297/RX-V shot down a Ju 88 off Rye. There was further success on the night of 24-25 March when CO Wg Cdr Keith Hampshire with Fg Off Tom Condon flying HK286/RX-A attacked and destroyed Junkers Ju 88A-4 ‘3E+AP’ of 6./KG 6. The German aircraft was flown by Hptn Anton Oeben and it crashed near Arundel railway station and though the pilot survived, his three crew died.
Three nights later, the Luftwaffe hit Bristol with almost 100 bombers and 456’s Mosquitos were sent up to counter the raid. Once again, in HK286, Hampshire and Condon shot down Ju 88A-4 W/Nr 44551 ‘3E+FT’ of 9./KG 6 over Devon and there was just one survivor – Uffz Günther Blaffert. A few minutes later the pair intercepted another Ju 88A, ‘B3+BL’ of 3./KG 54 flown by Ofw Brautigan, which came down near Isle Brewers in Somerset; the pilot and two of the crew were captured, but Uffz Robert Belz was killed. That night Sqn Ldr Bas Howard and his navigator Flt Lt Jack Ross in HK323/RX-R also brought down a Ju 88 off the French coast near Cherbourg.
The squadron remained in the forefront of the night defences against the ‘mini-blitz’ with the last major raid against London being on 18 April. That night Flt Lt Clive Brookes and W/O R Forbes (both RAF) intercepted one of the fast Messerschmitt Me 410s at 24,000ft (7,315m) near Nuthurst, West Sussex, at 10.28pm. Brookes’ cannon shells destroyed the starboard engine and set the wing alight and W/Nr 20005 ‘9K+JH’ of 1.KG 51 went down vertically, killing Lt Reinhold Witt and Uffz Ernst Tesch.
Raids on the south coast continued, however, and the unit was kept busy trying to prevent the Luftwaffe from getting to its targets. On 21 April the CO brought down a Ju 88 near Swanage, Dorset. When the naval base at Portsmouth was attacked on 24-25 of April, Fg Off Keith Roediger claimed a Ju 188 and Fg Off George Houston a Ju 88 that disintegrated at 20,000ft (6,096m). Shortly before midnight some 25 miles (40km) south of Portsmouth, Flt Lt Bob Lewis attacked another Ju 188 that exploded in front of the Mosquito, smashing the fighter’s armoured windscreen.
Then on the night of the 28th during an anti-minelaying patrol Keith Hampshire probably destroyed a Dornier 217 over the sea. However, that night when also hunting minelayers Flt Lt Bob Pahlow and Fg Off Frank Silva in HK321/RX-X went missing, they were last heard of chasing an intruder at low level and probably flew into the sea.
“I PRESSED THE GUN BUTTON. ONE OF THE FIRST INCENDIARIES MUST HAVE RUPTURED A FUEL CELL, FOR IT SEEMED THE MOMENT I PRESSED THE GUN BUTTON A HUGE BALL OF FLAME ENGULFED THE HEINKEL”
After a two-week break the Luftwaffe returned on the night of 14 May with a ‘bomber’s moon’. A hundred aircraft raided Bristol, Portsmouth and Southampton. Flying HK246/RX-U, Fg Offs Arthur McEvoy and Merv Austin chased a contact that they identified as a Ju 188 and attacked it over Larkhill, Wiltshire, sending W/Nr 160089 ‘U5+HH of 1./KG 2 flown by Uffz Heinz Mühlberger down. Also in action were Fg Offs Doug Arnold and John Stickley in HK297/ RX-V, who shot down a Ju 88 at Medstead, Hampshire. During another raid on Portsmouth early on the 23rd, No.456’s CO and Plt Off Sanderson each brought down a Ju 88.
COVERING D-DAY
The priority then switched to patrols to protect the mass of shipping assembling in the south coast ports for the coming invasion of France. On the night of 5 June as the great naval fleet sailed toward the French coast, 456 Squadron Mosquitos provided part of the protective aerial umbrella. These intensive patrols continued after the landings and the unit was soon in action, as Flt Lt Bob Cowper recalled: “I remember [that] on the first night of D-Day the squadron shot down four aircraft near Normandy, and we were proud to have been part of the entire operation that created history and helped end the war in Europe.”
There was more to come. On the evening of the 6-7th, 456’s Mosquitos intercepted five Heinkel He 177s of KG 40 between Cherbourg and Le Havre, destroying four of them. The first contact came shortly after midnight when Fg Off Ron Pratt and Flt Lt Stew Smith in HK303/RX-H fired on one of the large Heinkels that burst into flames and the stricken bomber crashed into the sea. An hour later Fg Offs Fred Stevens and Andy Kellett in HK290/ RX-J identified another, this one carrying an HS 293 glider bomb under each wing: “We were coming in much too fast so I closed the throttles completely. I turned the gun button to ‘fire’ as we hurtled in the last half-mile. He opened fire first, the coloured balls curled lazily away. I pressed the gun button. One of the first incendiaries must have ruptured a fuel cell, for it seemed the moment I pressed the gun button a huge ball of flame engulfed the Heinkel. The crew would have died instantly.
The left wing broke off, the rest of the wreckage disintegrating as it fell 10,000ft [3,000m] into the English Channel.”
Soon afterwards the pair spotted another Heinkel that was also sent into the sea on fire. The CO also got in on the act against the He 177s and shot one down just east of Barfleur.
The carnage of the He 177s from KG 40 continued the following night when off the Normandy coast Sqn Ldr Howard with Fg Off Ross shot down another two, one of which was seen to be carrying glider bombs, while after a long chase Fg Off Butch Hodgen shot down a third in flames over the beachhead. Then on the 9th Bob Cowper, flying with Fg Off Bill Watson in HK353/ RX-M, fired three bursts to bring down another He 177 immediately after which they intercepted a Do 217 that was heading south near Cap de la Hague. This too was seen to be carrying a glider bomb under its port wing and when hit crashed in flames on the coast.
Night patrols over the Normandy beachhead continued, resulting in further claims, with Plt Off Ivor Sanderson getting another He 177 on the 10th, though his Mosquito suffered heavy damage from return fire and they were lucky to get home. Sqn Ldr Geoff Howitt also attacked one that was claimed as a probable
Two nights later the CO with Tom Condon were in action again. They gained radar contact at two miles on an evading aircraft that as they closed was identified as a Ju 88. Keith Hampshire opened fire at 120 yards (110m) range and set both engines ablaze before the German rolled over and dived vertically into the sea. It was Hampshire’s seventh and final victory.
The next night Plt Off Stan Williams and Fg Off Ken Havord found another He 177 off Fécamp that they swiftly sent into the sea in flames. Then on the night of 14 June the Mosquito flown by Lt Dennis Thornley (RN) returned covered in oil after attacking what was probably another He 177. At the same time HK356/RX-D flown by Flt Lt Bob Cowper and Fg Off Bill Watson off the French coast gained a fleeting contact on a climbing target over the western tip of the Cherbourg peninsula. They opened fire from 400ft (122m) with a short burst on a Ju 88 flying at 12,000ft (3,600m). There was a large flash and much debris and three of the crew were seen to bale out before the Junkers spun into the sea. It was 22-year-old Bob Cowper’s fifth victory.
In the middle of the year the Germans had begun launching large numbers of V-1 flying bombs against southern England and the squadron’s first encounter was early on the 17th by Lt Dennis Thornley and Sub Lt Derek Phillips flying HK359/RX-K. Soon afterwards on 24 June, No.456 was switched to counter the V-1 menace by flying standing patrols off the south coast. Although no flying bombs were seen initially, the unit had a good night against the Luftwaffe on the evening of 5 July when the He 177s made their final appearance over the Channel and 456’s crews claimed three, which fell to Plt Off Ivor Sanderson, Fg Off Ted Radford and Flt Lt Bob Cowper. Plt Off Stan Williams shot down a Do 217 for good measure. No.456 destroyed more He 177s than any other squadron but it was the pilotless V-1s that were now the priority.
The ‘Doodlebug’ was a small, fast, difficult and dangerous target and 456 claimed its first on the night of 9-10 July when Flt Lts Keith Roediger and Bob Dobson in HK297/RX-V found one flying northwest at 2,500ft (762m). Closing to 500 yards (457m) and offsetting to the right, Roediger opened fire and sent it into the sea.
Another was shot down the following night as 456 got into its stride. Flt Lt George Houston destroyed one on the 11th but these operations were no sinecure, as was brutally brought home in the early hours of the 12th when HK312/RX-G crashed off Littlehampton with the loss of Fg Off Ted Bradford and F/ Sgt Wally Atkinson. By the end of the month, 456’s crews had shot down ten, including two more to Roediger, a brace to Fg Off Fred Stevens and one to Flt Lt Cowper. Keith Roediger opened the scoring for August when he brought another down on the 4th, eventually taking his V-1 tally to nine, making him 456’s V-1 ace. The squadron’s last Doodlebugs were both claimed by Bas Howard on the night of 30-31 August when he shot down two, taking his total to five, though debris from one hit his Mosquito.
“BUT THE DAMAGE HAD BEEN DONE ON THE FIRST ATTACK, AND THE FLAMING HE 111 DIVED INTO THE WATER. A FLASH LIT UP THE SKY AS THE BURNING WRECKAGE BOUNCED OVER THE SURFACE LEAVING A SEA OF FLAMES. IT WAS THE MOST EXHAUSTING 25 MINUTES FLYING I’VE EVER HAD”
MAINLAND EUROPE
In mid-September No.456 sent a detachment to Manston, Kent, from where night patrols were flown over Holland. The only success was a Ju 88 that was shot down over Nijmegen on 6 October by W/O John Mulhall. That month, two US Navy crews were attached to the unit to gain operational experience on the Mossie. The squadron then concentrated at Ford, West Sussex, for patrols over the southern North Sea against Heinkel He 111s that were air-launching V-1s as the land-based sites in France had been overrun. Patrols began on the 17th though the low flying bombers proved difficult to detect and engage as they only climbed to fire the missile.
On 11 November the unit had a change of leadership, when Wg Cdr Hampshire was replaced by the newly promoted Wg Cdr Bas Howard. The first success under his control came on the 19th when Fg Offs Doug Arnold and John Stickley in HK246/RX-U were vectored onto an He 111 off the coast of Suffolk. The Mosquito crew gained visual on their foe at an altitude of just 300ft (91m) over the water. Arnold closed to about 100 yards and fired three bursts, though return fire hit one of the Mosquito’s propeller blades. However, they saw the Heinkel’s starboard engine start to burn before it crashed into the North Sea.
These patrols were hazardous as crews had to fly at low level and just above the Mosquito’s stalling speed to engage the bombers. HR317/RX-Y flown by W/O Mulhall was lost on the 24th, though may have shot down the Heinkel it was attacking before crashing.
The following day He 111H-16, W/Nr 110304 ‘A1+BH’ of 1./KG 53 carrying a V-1 was attacked at 5.10am 10 miles (16km) off Texel by Fg Offs Stevens and Kellett in HK290/RX-J. Fred Stevens recalled: “So began a 25-minute chase, the target making continuous weaves, altering heading and height, forcing us to get our speed down to 140mph [225km/h], with flaps and wheels down. We did an orbit to let the enemy aircraft get ahead. As the target climbed to 600 feet [182m] and straightened on a north easterly heading, into a lighter part of the sky, we were able to identify it as a Heinkel. As we closed, the rear gunner opened fire and I pressed the button, firing into the cabin area.
“Our high closure rate meant I had to yank the wing over his fin and continued into a steep left turn to position for a second pass. But the damage had been done on the first attack, and the flaming He 111 dived into the water. A flash lit up the sky as the burning wreckage bounced over the surface leaving a sea of flames. It was the most exhausting 25 minutes flying I’ve ever had.”
This was the last air combat success for 456 Squadron. It was withdrawn from anti-V-1 operations on 30 December and moved north to Church Fenton, Yorkshire, where it trained up on the Mosquito NF Mk.XXX – the first examples of which had been delivered on the 5th – and its more effective centimetric AI (Airborne Interception) Mk.X radar.
BOMBER SUPPORT
Anti-intruder sorties occupied the squadron for the early part of 1945, but in early March it moved to Bradwell Bay in Essex for bomber support work. Patrols were flown into Germany accompanying the bomber stream to hunt for Luftwaffe night-fighters. By this stage, though, the Nachtjagd was a largely spent force and success proved elusive. Night Rangers into Germany were also flown with the first success coming on the 27-28 March 1945. Nocturnal intruder and bomber support operations continued through April with 456 Squadron flying its last Ranger on the 25th, when four Mosquitos flew to Munich. The final war patrol was flown on 2 May.
Shortly after the unit was equipped with the Mosquito, the aircraft access doors were decorated with a distinctive marking of an RAF roundel where the central red dot was replaced by a kangaroo. Although unofficial, this was the first use of the design that was the inspiration for the RAAF roundel that was adopted during the 1950s and identifies Australian military aircraft to the present day.
After the Second World War, former members of the unit formed an association and as the squadron had been disbanded before its badge had been approved, lobbied for this to be corrected. Finally, on 1 September 2006, it was given official approval by the Chief of the RAAF and depicts the leaping kangaroo first worn on the unit’s Mosquitos in 1943, so bringing its history fully to a close.
After the German surrender, on 9 May the CO flying NT264/RX-R led the squadron on a flag-waving demonstration over the Channel Islands, racing across at low level. This was repeated the next day as a re-occupation force approached and on 11 May a demonstration was flown over the shattered Ruhr towns. Some training followed this, but there was a tragic irony when on the 29th, NT264 flown by Wg Cdr Howard suffered an engine failure and crashed, killing him instantly. Sqn Ldr Bob Cowper assumed command and he supervised the rundown of 456 Squadron, which was disbanded on 15 June 1945.
During its four-year existence 456 Squadron had established a fine reputation as the only RAAF nightfighter outfit. It had flown more than 6,200 hours on operations and claimed 41 enemy aircraft and destroyed 24½ V-1 flying bombs – a proud and distinguished record.
