Flak damage !

[John Lever]

More like a sieve than an aeroplane

 

[Silver Surfer]

jeezelouise!

 

[Enigma1938]

Question to the pros: what Type of plane is it?

 

[Pa12]

Question to the pros: what Type of plane is it?

Not sure but the shape looks like a lanc.

 

[John Lever]

Halifax, retired out of service immediately after landing. Apparently damage caused by flak and rockets

 

[Emchisti]

Halifax JP321/V of 614 Squadron, after returning from a raid on axis marshalling yards at Szombatheley, Hungary. It was attacked by a Ju-88 night-fighter, not flak. It returned to base in Amendola, Italy without injury to the crew. It was subsequently written off.

 

[John Lever]

Just thought flak was a good title...thanks for the correction and further info. Amazing anyone survived

 

[CK90]

That night-fighter didn’t hold back by the looks of it, incredible.

 

[Emchisti]

Not a criticism of the title, at all, it's just often mis-labelled online and my inner pedant triggered me to respond.

 

[Emchisti]

That night-fighter didn’t hold back by the looks of it, incredible.

The incendiary cannon fire ignited ammo for the gunners and that did most of the damage.

 

[Enigma1938]

Impressive photo for sure and great informations!

 

[Pilot]

The incendiary cannon fire ignited ammo for the gunners and that did most of the damage.

Bravo, well spotted.
Flak does not puncture or obliterate the skin of an airplane with those small holes..
These came from inside the plane.. so yes, “self inflicted “ somehow.

 

[Enigma1938]

So this description isn't true at all:

File:Handley Page Halifax - Royal Air Force- Italy, 1942-1945. CH17867.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

commons.m.wikimedia.org

 

[Pilot]

So this description isn't true at all:

File:Handley Page Halifax - Royal Air Force- Italy, 1942-1945. CH17867.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

commons.m.wikimedia.org

Nope not true .
Splinters of a few mm dont create this kind of damage on an Alu skin..and apparently there are many few mm only, punctures…. unless there was an explosion inside the ‘Fax… provoked by ???
Besides a R4/M hit would have converted the ‘Fax into alu splinters. or sectioned it into at least two pieces.. ( if no further internal explosions/disintegration ).
Not aware of any other anti -aircraft rockets used against allied bombers over the Reich or the axis…
Happy to be convinced otherwise.

 

[Emchisti]

No, I think the original caption is from the IWM and it certainly wouldn't be the first time they have it wrong. Someone on twitter found the original war diary and it was detailed there. I'll see if I can find it.

 

[Smithy]

war diary

Just a small thing:

War diary was the term used for operational records for the RFC/RNAS and then RAF during WWI and the early interwar period, as well as army and some naval units.

During WWII in the RAF, these same documents were called ORBs - operations record books.

 

[Emchisti]

It was a generic term I was using as I couldn't remember what it was called and am frankly too tired to care, today.

 

[Smithy]

Fair enough.

 

[Smithy]

I have an account with the NA due to my old job with the national aviation museum here and because of it have free access to records. Out of interest I downloaded the ORB (both summary and record docs) for November '44 for 614.

First image is from the summary detailing target and general op tasking and results.

Second image is from the record of events, detailing JP321's significant reporting to the IO after the raid...

 

[Emchisti]

Fascinating! So the excerpt on twitter was correct and the IWM wrong again. I only saw the copied text and not the actual document