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Tipping The Devil's Robot! On June 23, F/0 Ken Collier of 91 (Spitfire XIV) Squadron pioneered a new but not-so-safe method of dealing with the V-1 flying bomb - flying alongside and forcing its wing up violently to upset the servo-gyroscope controls and make it crash. Collier destroyed two in June and another five during July. (Imperial War Museum)
Australia’s War Diary
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July, 1944. 60 Years Ago…
July 1 – Britain. V-1 flying bombs remain a very real threat to the civilian population and July’s first week will see 369 fall. Bomber Command will deploy 30% of its force to attack the launching sites. RAAF heavy bomber squadrons take part in 36 operations against V weapon targets during July/ August. Of 643 aircraft dispatched, 585 find their targets and drop 3008 tonnes of bombs for the loss of just 9 aircraft. Meanwhile, although V-1s have no defensive armament, attacking them is dangerous. F/O G Armstrong of 165 Squadron is only 45 metres away when his target explodes, damaging his Spitfire’s elevators and rudder. He manages to land safely. No 3 (Tempest) Squadron RAF will destroy 258 flying bombs, F/Sgts H Bailey and D MacKerras each accounting for 11. F/O K Collier of 91 (Spitfire) Squadron, who destroyed two in June, claims five during July.
July 2 – France. Widespread air fighting, three 453 Squadron Spitfires engage five Fw 190s over Falaise. F/Lt G Roberts and F/O J Olver destroy one, Olver also sharing another with F/Lt P McDade and F/Sgt A Dowding. New Guinea. Allied landings on Noemfoor Island near Kamiri Airfield. 80 Squadron Kittyhawks operating from Mokmer airfield on Biak fly patrols over Biak and will extend them to Noemfoor. There are no clashes with Japanese aircraft. At Biak skirmishes continue.
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