May 2015 FLYPAST 49section was about to land, its
leader, Cne Jean de Callatay,
spotted Junkers Ju 52s of 17/
KGzbV 5 over Tongeren which
had been dropping dummy
parachutists to fool the defenders
into committing ground forces.
De Callatay led Sgts Joseph van
Molkot and Cpl Marcel Hansel to
go after them. After being engaged
by de Callatay one of the tri-motors
crash-landed near Maastricht.
Escorting Messerschmitt Bf 109s
arrived but the Fiats escaped, vanMolkot landing at Brustem while
the others flew back to Nivelles.
There the remaining three Fiats
were preparing to depart just as Ju
87B Stukas of 4/StG 2 attacked,
damaging the base and two Fiats.
The others escaped to Brustem.SLOW BUT AGILE
Shortly after 06:00, five Fiats
in two sections took off for a
defensive patrol over Brustem.
One of them, flown by Lt Charles
Goffin and 1/Sgt Roger Delannay,
became embroiled with marauding
Bf 109s. Delannay had to bale out,
only to be shot at and killed by
ground fire as he descended in his
parachute.
Goffin’s bullets hit a Messerschmitt
which flew off trailing a long stream
of smoke; it may have been the Bf
109 flown by Ltn Erwin Dutel of
2/JG 1 who baled out over Aachen,
Germany. The returning Luftwaffe
pilots reported being engaged by
five ‘Gladiators’.About 20 minutes later a second
patrol – comprising of Lt Jean
Offenburg, 1/Sgts Jean Maes and
Alexis Jottard – attacked Dornier
Do 17Zs of II/KG 77 which were
being escorted by ’109s of I/JG 1.
Maes claimed a Dornier damaged.
The others kept the fighters at bay
and became separated. En route
back to Brustem, Offenburg spotted
and attacked a Dornier, claiming
it as damaged. Shortly afterwards
he clashed with a second and set
its port engine ablaze, and wasapparently credited with shooting
it down – the first of seven victories
before his death in January 1942.
The remaining, outclassed Belgian
fighters continued to be sent up:
at 08:35 nine Fireflies of 5 and 6
Escs led by Lt Etienne Dufossez
scrambled to intercept an incoming
Luftwaffe raid, but quickly found
themselves fighting for their livesagainst a
formation
of Bf 109Es.
In a brief fight
Dufossez and
Ltn Brel were shot
down and killed. The
remainder staggered
back to base damaged,
probably saved by
their low speed
and agility.
Half-an-hour
after this one-
sided action,
five surviving
1 Esc Gladiators were
intercepted over the
St Truiden-Tongeren area by Bf
109Es of I/JG 26 and 3/JG 27;
three of the biplanes were shot
down. Gladiators were in action
again when they came across an
escorted formation of Ju 87s near
Tirlemont. Before they could attack
the Stukas, they were jumped by
I/JG 26’s Bf 109s and two ‘Glads’
were shot down before the othersescaped into cloud. By the end of
the day the ten surviving aircraft
had concentrated at Beauvechain.
The Luftwaffe continued to fly
almost unhindered over Belgium,
the shattered Aéronautique
Militaire trying to counter as
best it could.
At 14:15 a
reconnaissanceapparently credited with shooting apparently credited with shooting
it down – the first of seven victories it down – the first of seven victoriesescaped into cloud. By the end of escaped into cloud. By the end of escaped into cloud. By the end of
the day the ten surviving aircraft the day the ten surviving aircraft the day the ten surviving aircraftMolkot landing at Brustem while
the others flew back to Nivelles.were shot down before the othersLeft
The Foxes and
Firefl ies were
camoufl aged by the time
the Germans invaded
Belgium. BELGIAN AIR FORCEBelow left
Sgt Pirlot of 1 Esc relaxing
with a smoke in front of
Gladiator I G-19. A VAN HAUTEalmost unhindered over Belgium, almost unhindered over Belgium, almost unhindered over Belgium,
the shattered Aéronautique the shattered Aéronautique
Militaire trying to counter as Militaire trying to counter asreconnaissance“MY DECISION IS UNCHANGEABLE. I SHALL ATTACK FRANCE AND ENGLAND AT THE
MOST FAVORABLE AND EARLIEST MOMENT. BREACH OF THE NEUTRALITY OF BELGIUM AND
HOLLAND IS OF NO IMPORTANCE. NO ONE WILL QUESTION THAT WHEN WE HAVE WON. WE
SHALL NOT JUSTIFY THE BREACH OF NEUTRALITY AS IDIOTICALLY AS IN 1914.” ADOLF HITLER46-51_Blitzkrieg_fpSBB.indd 49 06/03/2015 16:55