68 FLYPAST January 2018
Deal and Dover. The eight Spitfires
sighted and turned to intercept 20
Dornier Do 17s escorted by a mixed
force of 80 Bf 109s and ’110s. Within
moments of 74 turning into the
attack, a whirling dogfight filled the
sky.
Measures badly damaged a Bf 110
and Do 17 and saw two Luftwaffe
aircraft collide at close quarters. Plt
Off Peter St John damaged a Me 109
while Plt Off Peter Stevenson crippled
two Do 17s.
The credit for the first confirmed
enemy to be destroyed during this
opening phase of the battle went to
Fg Off John Mungo-Park who set the
starboard engine of a Do 17 on fire
and watched as it lazily turned over
on to its back and dived into the sea.
The squadron suffered no casualties
during this first encounter but Plt Off
Don Cobden took defensive fire froma Do 17, which riddled his Spitfire
with bullet holes. After turning away
steeply and engaging emergency boost,
he evaded any more damage and made
an emergency landing at Manston.
By mid-morning ‘Red’ and ‘Yellow’
sections were again in action,
intercepting a lone Do 17 suspected
of being on a photo-reconnaissance
mission being escorted by 30 Bf 109s.
Flt Lt Johnny Freeborn immediately
dispatched one of the escorts from
50 yards while Stevenson destroyed
another. On the first morning of the
battle the Tigers were credited with
three claimed as destroyed and at least
ten damaged.SPORADIC CONTACT
Two days later, 74 was back in action
with ‘Red’ section on patrol 15 miles
(24km) north of Margate. Anti-
aircraft fire alerted them to a lone He1918 2018111 bombing a ship. Malan carried
out a firing pass, which silenced
the gunners, and then Flt Sgt Tony
Mould and Stevenson delivered the
knockout blow, sending the bomber
crashing into the sea.
The week continued with very
changeable weather that restricted
the Luftwaffe’s ability to launch
further attacks. During this lull an
experienced Fleet Air Arm pilot by the
name of Flt Lt Piers Kelly was posted
in to the squadron along with another
replacement pilot Plt Off H R Gunn.
On July 19 a dozen aircraft were
scrambled from Manston to an
interception over Dover but arrived
shortly after the bombers had released
their warload. Malan and Stevenson
quickly noted a lone Hurricane in
a tight turning fight with two ’109s
and dived down to assist. Both
Messerschmitts were badly damagedAbove
Spitfi re Is of
74 Squadron at
Hornchurch, 1939.
VIA AIUTHORAbove right
One of 74 Squadron’s
Spitfi res is recovered
from the Thames. VIA
AUTHORBelow
Ground crew ‘walking’
the wing tips of a 74
Squadron Spitfi re at
Hornchurch, 1939. VIA
AUTHOR“...the fi rst confi rmed enemy to be destroyed during this opening “...the fi rst confi rmed enemy to be destroyed during this opening “...the fi rst confi rmed enemy to be destroyed during this opening
phase of the battle went to Fg Off John Mungo-Park who set the phase of the battle went to Fg Off John Mungo-Park who set the phase of the battle went to Fg Off John Mungo-Park who set the
“...the fi rst confi rmed enemy to be destroyed during this opening
phase of the battle went to Fg Off John Mungo-Park who set the
“...the fi rst confi rmed enemy to be destroyed during this opening “...the fi rst confi rmed enemy to be destroyed during this opening
phase of the battle went to Fg Off John Mungo-Park who set the
“...the fi rst confi rmed enemy to be destroyed during this opening “...the fi rst confi rmed enemy to be destroyed during this opening
phase of the battle went to Fg Off John Mungo-Park who set the
“...the fi rst confi rmed enemy to be destroyed during this opening
starboard engine of a Do 17 on fi re and watched as it lazily turned starboard engine of a Do 17 on fi re and watched as it lazily turned
phase of the battle went to Fg Off John Mungo-Park who set the
starboard engine of a Do 17 on fi re and watched as it lazily turned
phase of the battle went to Fg Off John Mungo-Park who set the phase of the battle went to Fg Off John Mungo-Park who set the
starboard engine of a Do 17 on fi re and watched as it lazily turned
phase of the battle went to Fg Off John Mungo-Park who set the
over on to its back and dived into the sea”over on to its back and dived into the sea”
starboard engine of a Do 17 on fi re and watched as it lazily turned
over on to its back and dived into the sea”
starboard engine of a Do 17 on fi re and watched as it lazily turned starboard engine of a Do 17 on fi re and watched as it lazily turned
over on to its back and dived into the sea”
starboard engine of a Do 17 on fi re and watched as it lazily turned