1942
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8-14-42 Cont'd |
pilots in the unenviable position of relying on dead-reckoning, which is nearly an impossible task with neither navigational nor visual aids, and in squalls and high winds. It soon becomes obvious that we are lost, but the pilot will not allow me to attempt to obtain a QDM [magnetic direction to steer with zero wind to reach you] from one of the D/F stations on the island. After we proceed nearly an hour past our ETE without sighting Iceland, Lt. Cheney decides that we are on course to Norway, where we will either be shot down or end up in a POW camp. He makes a quick 180, descends below the overcast to about 100 feet, and takes up a NW heading. We eventually find the bleak island, and land at the first field we see, which turned out to be Keflavik Municipal Airport. Lt. Cheney hollers out the window to a British Anti-aircraft gun position, asking where Reykjavik, our destination, is located. The gunner points to the east and yells back, "That way!" In moments, we are again airborne, flying "that way". After about thirty minutes of hedge-hopping over the volcanic mountains and leaden lava beds, we finally reach the base. (745 miles, plus another 150 or so that we rung up feeling our way home.) |
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14-23 Aug 42 |
Reykjavik Air Base, Iceland. Another lengthy delay due to storms in the North
Atlantic. We had some excitement on 8-15, when a German four-engine
Focke-Wulf "Kondor", which strongly resembled a B-17, made a bomb
run on the base. The Kondor was Germany's only long-range bomber, and was the
eyes and ears of the U-Boats which were harassing our convoys. Two pilots of
the air defense force, flying a Bell P-39 "Airacobra" and a Curtiss
P-40 "Warhawk", immediately took off to intercept the intruder,
which was shot down in flames moments later, marking the first American
aerial victory in the Atlantic/European Theatres of Operations. After a
nine-day delay at Reykjavik, weather clears enough for us to take off on our
final overwater leg. ------------------- Note: This revision is according to the Combat Chronology of the US Army
Air Forces, dated August, 1942. Friday, 13 August 1942 Iceland Base Command: Second Lieutenant
Joseph D. Shaeffer flying a P-38F (33rd Fighter Squadron), and Second Lieutenant
Elza E. Shahan flying a P-40C (27th Fighter Squadron), jointly shoot down a
Focke-Wulf FW-200C-3 Kondor off the coast of Iceland. This is the first
aerial victory of the AAF in the European Theater of Operations. -------------------- |
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23 Aug 42 |
RAF Prestwick, Scotland. After an uneventful flight, we land at RAF Stomoway, in the Outer Hebrides Islands, to drop off a courier and to refuel. The short flight to Prestwick was most interesting as we hedge-hopped over small islands and beautiful, green Scottish hills and fields. [880 mile leg] We RON and are feted by a dance in the town hall, to the tune of drums and bagpipes. |
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24 Aug 42 |
RAF Silloth, England. Shortly after departing Prestwick, we arrive at RAF Silloth, which is just across the border in England, where we drop off our 14th Fighter Group personnel. We sight another group aircraft taxiing into take-off position, and Lt Cheney waves him close for a formation take-off, which none of our pilots have ever attempted. As we roar down the narrow runway in close formation, we hear the tower operator shouting, "No more bloody for-my-tion take-offs! No more for-my-tion take-offs!" Everyone laughs his head off as we head south for our new base at RAF Ramsbury. |
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17TH TROOP CARRIER SQUADRON 8TH
TROOP CARRIER COMMAND 8TH
AIR FORCE Lt
Gen Carl Spaatz, Commanding General RAF
Ramsbury, England |
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8-24/9-3 1942 |
The flight from Westover to Ramsbury, via Bradley; Presque Isle; Goose Bay; BW-1; Reykjavik; Stornoway; Prestwick and Silloth, covered slightly more than 4,100 miles. Despite their lack of experience (most of our pilots had logged less than 500 hours flying time, and our navigators had never flown over water), all Group aircraft arrived safely; a tribute to the airmanship of our air crews and the skill of the mechanics. The 60th TCG is now stationed at RAF Aldermaston, and the 62nd at RAF Keevil. Our Wing is one of the original members of 8th Air Force, and the only Troop Carrier unit. We are quartered in tents and steel Nissin huts, heated by coal stoves. We arrived well ahead of our rations, and for two weeks must subsist on British Emergency War Rations, consisting mostly of biscuits, marmalade, and "sawdust" sausages. The less said of the latter, the better! |
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