FP_2015_05_

50 FLYPAST May 2015

194019401940

Dornier was seen over Brustem

and all aircraft were ordered to be

dispersed under trees to provide a

degree of cover.

The interloper was a Do 17P of

2(F)/123, flown by Oltn Schaezler,

which belly-landed back at its base.

It had possibly been damaged when

intercepted by Lt Prince Werner

de Mérode over Waremme as he

returned to Brustem from a patrol.

At the same time a

pair of Bf 109s

swept

in to strafe the airfield, damaging

two of the Fiats on the ground. An

attack soon after by Stukas from I/

StG 2 wreaked havoc at Brustem and

14 Fiat CR.42s of 3 Esc were left in

ruins. The only survivors were those

hidden under the trees. It had been a

dreadful day for the defenders.

AWAY FROM TRAGEDY

At 06:00 the following morning,

May 11, six Gladiators, in two

flights of three, escorted nine

Battles to attack the Veldwezelt,

Vroenhoven and Briegden bridges

over the Albert Canal in Belgium.

Over the target area, Bf 109s from

I/JG 1 intercepted the Gladiators

and Sgt Denys Rollin’s

section was the first to be engaged.

Sgt Pirlot was hit from behind and

died when G-19 spun into the

ground.

Over Eban-Emael, Sgt Rollin in

G-22 was able to hit one of the Bf

109s and may have shot it down. He

then fell to the guns of Lt Ludwig

Franzisket and baled out, but was

captured and spent the rest of the

war as a prisoner.

Flying G-21, Sgt van den Broeck

tussled with a very aggressive

German pilot but managed to

return to Beauvechain, albeit in

a badly damaged aircraft. His

Gladiator was destroyed by strafing

soon after and others

On the eve of the invasion, there were 180 serviceable

aircraft in three regiments.

1ÈME REGIMENT – ARMY CO-OPERATION

Six Escadrilles with 40 Fairey Fox biplanes and ten Renard 31

parasol monoplanes at Biesert, Duerne and Gossoncourt.

2ÈME REGIMENT – FIGHTERS

Six Escadrilles of 30 Fairey Foxes (Firefl ies), 25 Fiat CR.42s, 16

Gladiators and 11 Hurricanes divided between Schaffen-Diest and

Nivelles.

3ÈME REGIMENT – BOMBERS AND RECCE

The Escadrilles had 27 Foxes and 13 Battles at Evere.

BELGIAN AÉRONAUTIQUE MILITAIRE –

MAY 9, 1940

Dornier was seen over Brustem Dornier was seen over Brustem

and all aircraft were ordered to be

Above right

Five Belgian Gladiators

over the Gloucestershire

countryside before

delivery. GLOSTER

Right

Sous Lt Jean Offenburg

fl ew Fiats with 4 Esc.

P TAGHON

Below

Gladiators G-19 and G-25

of 1 Esc about to perform

tied-together aerobatics

at Brussels in July 1939.

VIA R C B ASHWORTH

46-51_Blitzkrieg_fpSBB.indd 50 06/03/2015 16:55