Griffon Spitfire Aces

Action over France

As both defensive and offensive operations continued, so other established aces began achieving success with the Griffon Spitfire. Among them was 22-year-old New Zealander Flt Lt Gray Stenborg of No 91 Sqn, who had previously claimed 11 victories during the Malta battles. On 24 August he had shared in the destruction of an Fw 190 near Beaumont-le-Roger, and a second Focke-Wulf fighter fell to his guns 11 days later. His CO, Sqn Ldr Norman Kynaston (flying MB803/DL-D) also claimed his first victory on 4 September when he downed an Fw 190 over the French coast near Le Touquet. Finally, No 41 Sqn’s Flg Off C R ‘Jumbo’ Birbeck (in EN608) claimed his second victory on this date when he destroyed yet another Fw 190 again near Le Touquet. His kill was also recognised as being No 41 Sqn’s 150th victory of the war.

It was, however, No 91 Sqn that seemed to be in the ascendant at this time, as four days later Flt Sgt R A B ‘Red’ Blumer claimed an Fw 190 near Lille, and the 16th brought the unit yet more success. Led by Sqn Ldr Norman Kynaston in MB803, No 91 Sqn escorted a ‘Ramrod’ to Beaumont-le-Roger airfield. Close to the target, the unit engaged ten Fw 190s from 4./JG 26, and in the resulting dogfight the squadron CO downed the fighter flown by Unteroffizier Gasser. Kynaston recalled in his Combat Report;

‘Just as the Wing Leader reported Fw 190s over his squadron, three Fw 190s flew over my squadron some 1000 ft above us. I swung the unit to port in a climbing turn into the sun and headed for the enemy aircraft, and they immediately turned and began diving away. We overtook them and they split up in various directions.

‘I saw one on my starboard side and chased him inland, opening fire first of all out of range in the hope that he would turn, and then closing to 300 yards, whereupon I gave him a fairly long burst. I observed strikes on the cockpit and fuselage, and the aircraft, which was at tree-top height, turned slightly to port and flew into the ground, breaking up and catching fire. Then I saw an Fw 190 some distance behind me, and immediately turned and got onto his tail. I gave chase and opened fire at 300 yards, seeing no strikes but observing pieces flying off the aircraft. I then ran out of ammunition and broke off the engagement.’

Also successful was Flt Lt Gray Stenborg, who said of the action after Kynaston had led the squadron down;

‘We were left behind in the dive, and when at about 5000 ft an Me 109 flew past me heading inland. I immediately turned 90 degrees right and followed him to ground level – after quite a long chase another Me 109 went past me about 150 yards away in almost the opposite direction. I did a very steep climbing turn – almost a loop – after this one. I fired two short bursts at about 15 degrees angle of attack, observing no hits. He then straightened out and went into a shallow dive. I fired a one- to two-second burst from dead astern at about 200 yards and observed strikes and bits and pieces falling off the fuselage. The Me 109 continued this dive and burst into flames as it hit the ground.’

Free French pilot Flg Off Jaques ‘Jaco’ Andrieux, flying MB839/DL-V, also shot down a Bf 109G for his first victory in the Spitfire XII and second in total. The cosmopolitan make-up of the squadron was emphasised by the fact that another of the successful pilots was the Australian ‘Red’ Blumer, who claimed the second of his four victories, as he described in his Combat Report;

‘When covering Flt Sgt Bernard Mulcahy RAAF heading back out of France, six Fw 190s attacked us. I broke into them, broke up their attack and got onto one Fw 190’s tail. I followed the Fw 190 to the ground, firing at close range and noticing many strikes on the fuselage and bits and pieces flying off the aircraft. The Fw 190 then rolled onto its back and almost immediately struck the ground upside down and exploded. About eight more Fw 190s then bounced me from above. I left the wreckage blazing fiercely, and escaped by violent evasive action until over the French coast, where I lost the enemy.’

Unfortunately, Mulcahy’s Spitfire was badly shot up by the German fighters and the Australian bailed out off the coast and became a PoW.