MOSQUITO LEGENDS ! - Screenshots
Line up of new test skins by CheckMySix, the nearest Mosquito has the original 1941 RAF Bomber Command Day paint scheme.Note the downward angle of the squadron code letters as used by 105 Squadron.
From March/April 1942 Mosquitos were painted in the new standard grey/green scheme at the De Havilland Factory.
At 4am on 31 May 1942, Mosquito W4072 code GB D takes off for 105 Sqdn's first operational mission. The night before 1047 RAF bombers attacked Koln in the first '1000 bomber' raid, and the job of Squadron Leader Oakshott was to photograph the damage done - as well as add his bombs to the devastation.
25th June 1942, Mosquito W4066 GB A heads out on a dusk mission to attack Schleswig Aerodrome, attacking just before dark the Mosquito would then head for home at top speed in the dark, with no German night fighters able to intercept them.
2nd July 1942, 3x 105 Sqdn and 2x 139 Sqdn Mosquitos attack the U-Boat pens in the Flensburg Fjord on the German/Danish border.Although they hit the target hard, 2 Mossies failed to return. Here the 3 105 Sqdn Mosquitos head out over the North Sea at low level.
Mosquito DK299 code GB S drops it's bombs bang on target, on Flensburg U-Boat pens. This Mossie was lost in action 9 days later.
Mossie DK295 'P' for Popsie bombs the U-Boat slipways at Flensburg 2nd July 1942. This Mosquito was lost a few weeks later in action on 28th July.
Early August 1942, for 6 weeks British Airways had been suffering losses trying to get civilian aircraft into Sweden without success. At last the RAF came to the rescue, using the only aeroplane that stood a chance of getting through...a lone Mosquito got through to deliver secret diplomatic mail and bring mail home.
The Mosquito crew also managed to cut in, in front of a Ju52 with high ranking Nazi officials onboard, which was coming into land at Stockholm!
With diplomatic bags safely in the hands of British staff, the crew enjoy a night on the town in Stockholm.
25th Sept 1942, the mission against the Gestpo HQ in Oslo Norway, a 1000 mile round trip at low level by 4 Mossies and it had to be timed to attack dead on 4pm for a Nazi rally taking place at that time.
The Oslo mission at last saw the public made aware of the existence of the Mosquito and the British press had a field day. The Gestapo HQ can just been seen in this picture (the distintive green domed roof) Norwegian Resistance had sent photos of the building to help the attack.
The Oslo mission was a huge success and raised the moral of the brave Norwegians who had felt all but forgotten in the war. But one of the targets, the Norwegian traitor Vidkun Quisling who had been put in charge by Hitler, escaped the bombs by running into the cellar. Bad luck also saw two FW190s appear just as the Mosquitos bombed the target, they were due to make a flypast for the rally and 1 Mosquito was lost, the other 3 Mossies escaping at nought feet full throttle!
Operation OYSTER, a special raid carried out by all of the operational day-bomber squadrons in No. 2 Group, this mission will go down as one of great missions of the RAF in WW2. Their targets are the Philips radio and valve (electron tube) factories in the town of Eindhoven. Here Mosquito DZ374 X for Xray overtakes 107 Squadron Boston MkIII s' on route to the target. Pilot Ray Noseda was attacked by two Fw190 fighters on the way home and despite being attacked four times and being damaged made it home thanks to the Mosquitos very fast speed at low level.
Ninety three aircraft take part in the raid, 47 Venturas Mk. Is of RAF No. 21, RAAF No. 464 and RNZAF No. 487 Squadrons, 36 Boston IIIs of Nos. 88, 107, and 226 Squadrons and ten Mosquito Mk. IVs of No.105 and No.139 Squadrons, four Bostons, nine Venturas and one Mosquito were lost to enemy fighters and flak.
A 107 Squadron Boston MkIII just after attacking the Philips Works at Eindhoven. This important factory made 1/3rd of all radio valves for German radars. This very well planned and executed raid caused huge damage.
30th January 1943 - one of the most famous of all Mosquito missions - Target BERLIN ! pilot Reggie Reynolds and observer Ted Sismore in DZ413 K for Kilo, one of 3 Mosquitos on this daring raid, climb hard to 25000 feet before dropping their bombs at exactly 11am to disrupt a Nazi massed rally and speech by Hermann Goring chief of the Luftwaffe! This was the very first RAF daylight raid over the ' Big City'.
Mosquito DZ408 F for Freddie high over Berlin on 30/01/1943, all three 'Mossies' made it home from this 1200 mile round trip. This aircraft was lost one year later in Jan 1944.
As De Havilland increased Mosquito production in 1943, 105 and 139 Squadrons finally got up to full strength, both squadrons often flew missions together, here on 18th Feb 1943 a big force of twenty Mosquitos head out to attack rail targets at Tours in France. this important rail depot was put out of action for a long time for the loss of one 139 Sqdn Mosquito.
Happy birthday Adolf - leader of 105 Squadron John Wooldridge droops his bombs on the centre of Berlin on a clear moonlit night on 23rd April 1943 as a birthday gift for Hitler! 11 mosquitos from 105 and 139 Squadrons attacked the ' Big City' to provide a diversion for the main RAF bomber forces attacking Stettin and Rostock.
Mosquito DK338 O for Orange caught in a searchlight over Berlin while flak bursts around. Only one crew were lost on this mission, but it was the sad loss of Peter Shand DFC leader of 139 Squadron. This aircraft crashed after takeoff just 8 days later when an engine failed killing both crew.
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