Morlaix Disaster

A 92nd Bomb Group B-17E formation. On September 26th, 1942 this group attacked Cherbourg as a diversionary operation

(Photo: IWM).

In the end of September 1942 No. 133 (Eagle) Squadron

(further 133 Squadron) as a first out of these American units,

was re-equipped with new Spitfires Mk. IX. On September 26

133 Squadron pilots flew as a part of the escort of nineteen

B-17 Flying Fortresses belonging to 97th Bombing Group 8th

AF of the USAAF which were to raid the airport in Morlaix.

The bombers escort was provided by three RAF squadrons

operating out of three different hom bases: 64 Squadron out

of Hornchurch, 133rd Squadron out of Biggin Hill and Canadian 401st Squadron out of Kenley. The whole operation

was plagued by the series of unfortunate, and in some cases plainly strange events. During that period the process of

transferring the American Eagle Squadrons under the USAAF

command was under way and several squadron officers, including the commander Carroll McColpin, stayed at the USAF

8th AF Headquarters in London. Therefore the squadron was

led into combat by its British member and flight leader F/

Lt Edward Brettell. The whole fighter escort formation was

led by the 64th Squadron‘s commanding officer, Australian

S/L Tony Gaze. It’s interesting to note that the fighter escort

command had not been given to the senior officer, Kenley

Wing commander Brian Kingcombe who on this mission led the

401st Squadron. Before the mission all three units gathered

at the small airport Bold Head with unpaved runways located

on the south coast of Devon approximately one mile south of

the town of Salcombe. RAF Bold Head was a satellite airport

of the RAF base Exeter and featured two unpaved runways.

From there to the target, Morlaix in Bretagne, it’s some 110

miles by air, kind of „round the corner“.

Refuelling, briefing and fighter escort formation took place at

this airport. According to some sources the rendezvous with

the bombers was supposed to take place there as well but

it did not happen. Not only there, it did not happen at all

even though the 401st Squadron combat report states that the

contact with the bombers had been made. According to the

available information it seems that the mission preparation

was not too meticulous. The Americans as well as Canadian later stated that due to the inadequate airport equipment they

could not have fully refuelled all aircraft. Also the briefing

was supposedly rather sloppy, at least as far as the American

INFO Eduard - August 2021

is concerned since only F/Lt. Brettell with another pilot participated. The briefing was however crucial for the further

chain of events because the weather forecast warned about

35 knots headwind (17.5 mps, 65 kph). In reality, in addition

to 8/8 clouds coverage, the aviators faced 40 knots (20 mps,

74 kph) tailwind as per the Canadian combat report. The Americans reported even stronger wind, as high as 100 knots (50

mps, 180 kph) which is rather improbable.

At any rate, the current weather conditions caused the situation that the fighter escort never made contact with the

bombers. Those, due to the advert weather conditions, and

fighter escort recall, returned to the base. For some reason

the fighter escort commander Tony Gaze never received the

information about the mission cancellation so the fighters carried on in the effort to find the bombers. The strong tailwind

drifted them far to the south, below Brest over the Bay of

Biscay. The German sources state the Spitfires even reached

the Spanish coast and only then turned back. Now they were

returning with a strong headwind and 8/8 cloud coverage

without seeing the ground. Over Brest the American were running out of fuel and when they spotted the airport through

the gap in the clouds they decided to land under impression

they had already crossed the English coast.

They did not mind Tony Gaze‘s warning who shortly before

had requested the vectoring and received the message that

the formation is located approximately 160 miles south of

the English coast. This information would correspond to the

position above the south coast of Bretagne approximately 30

miles south from Brest. At that point in time all the squadrons

evidently still held the formation despite the strong headwid

and bad visibility. The airbase where 133rd Squadron was

attempting to land was Guipavas airport near Brest, nowadays

Brest Bretange Airport (BES), from where the German JG 2

operated. 8./JG 2 fighters scrambled at 18:46 and within next

fifteen minutes shot down six 133rd Squadron Spitfires.

Another three Spitfires were shot down by AA fire and two

more crash-landed having exhausted their fuel. Only one out

twelve pilots made it to the English coast, P/O Beaty who

crash-landed on the field near Kingsbridge and with serious

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