D-Day plus two
Text: Jan Bobek
Illustration: Piotr Forkasiewicz
Cat. No. 7473
The Allied landing in Normandy stands as one of the major turning points of the Second World War and simultaneously represents a significant milestone in the history of warfare. The successful execution of this operation would not have been possible without the air supremacy gradually established by the Allies in the air battles over Western Europe during the first half of 1944. It was in the battles over Normandy that this superiority was crucially demonstrated. On June 6, 1944, which has become synonymous with D-Day, Allied air forces flew an incredible 14,000 combat sorties over the battlefield.
Obstlt. Priller, Kommodore of JG 26, is considered the first German airman to reach the landing zone, having flown with his wingman over the invasion beach before 9:00 am. Despite the breathtaking number of invasion craft, the Germans believed until the evening that this was merely a diversionary operation and that the main landing would occur elsewhere. However, Priller was not the first airman to intervene against the invasion force. In fact, in the early hours of the morning, Fw 190 Gs from I./SKG 10 were dispatched against the Allied gliders. This unit, engaged in night attacks against targets in Britain, logically undertook combat sorties at dawn. However, during their first sortie, the pilots of I./SKG 10 did not locate the enemy aircraft. In the second morning sortie, they managed to shoot down four Lancaster bombers around 5:00 am and additionally spotted the invasion force.
The Luftwaffe, unprepared to defend against such an invasion operation in this area, deployed parts of the fighter units of JG 2 and JG 26 to the fight during the day. Additionally, ground attack Fw 190s from SG 4 and Ju 88 C heavy fighters from I./ZG 1 were also deployed. The total number of Luftwaffe combat sorties on the first day of the invasion represented about one percent of the number of sorties flown by their opponents. It was not until the evening that air reinforcements from Germany were moved to the Normandy battlefield, resulting in 1,100 fighter aircraft on the airfields of northern France 24 hours later. However, less than three hundred of these were capable of deployment due to the chaotic transfer and maintenance shortcomings.
The first Allied pilot to shoot down an enemy aircraft in the invasion area on June 6, 1944, was F/O J. A. Houlton of No. 485 Squadron RNZAF. He encountered an obstacle on take-off and swiftly switched from his personal aircraft to a Spitfire LF Mk.IX (MK950). At approximately 3:30 pm, he successfully downed one Ju 88 C-6 fighter of I./ZG 1 and another in cooperation with three other pilots near Caen. The Spitfire pilots of Belgian No. 349 Squadron RAF shot down two more and damaged several. The Germans of 2./ZG 1 lost two Junkers planes, and none of their crews survived. A third Ju 88 from this Staffel returned to base with 10% damage, but all three crew members sustained injuries. Two more machines were reportedly lost by 1./ZG 1. However, defensive fire from one of the Ju 88 crews shot down one of the Belgian Spitfires.
No. 485 Squadron RNZAF was part of No. 135 Wing of the RAF, alongside colleagues from No. 222 and 349 Squadron RAF. On June 7, its squadrons lost two Spitfires, one of which was accidentally shot down by Allied flak. John A. Houlton took off for combat again on June 8 in his personal Spitfire ML407, designated OU-V. He flew it on a sortie with No. 135 Wing in the evening, conducting a low-level patrol.
Allied pilots encountered a group of about twenty Fw 190s and twelve Bf 109s near Caen, each carrying bombs under the fuselage. Top cover was provided by the No. 349 Squadron, while fighters from No. 222 Squadron and 485 Squadron engaged the Germans. After a wild chase, the Spitfire pilots claimed seven aircraft shot down and another seven as damaged, without suffering any losses themselves. The dramatic moments of this evening air combat were captured in box art by Piotr Forkasiewicz. Further details on Spitfire ML407, including its current whereabouts, can be found in the historical text accompanying the kit.
The identity of the unit with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 is unclear, but in the case of the Fw 190, it was most likely the III./JG 54 “Grünherz”, which had moved to Normandy the previous day. One aircraft, an Fw 190 A-8/ZY, WNr. 170644, “White 2”, was lost in this fight, with its pilot, Fw. Wilhelm Müller, sustaining injuries. After this battle, the German pilots reported two victories.