PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Greatest Flying Ever?
View Single Post
Old 15th Jun 2005, 16:16
  #15 (permalink)  
Flatus Veteranus
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Glorious Devon
Posts: 721
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I will quote a passage from "the Right of the Line" (The RAF in the European War 1939-45) by John Terraine, Chapter 11 "Norway 1940".

"The air cover provided by the two fighter squadrons (No 263, Gladiators, and No 46, Hurricanes) was undoubtedly a major factor in this success (the Allied capture of Narvik) but the success itself was hollow: the Allies were already planning the complete evacuation of Norway. This was completed on June 8, which was the day of final tragedy. No 263's Gladiators (reduced to 8) had already been flown on to the aircraft-carrier Glorious. About midnight on June 7, despite the fact that they had never done a deck landing (it was, in fact, considered impossible for aircraft such as Hurricanes) and despite a day of almost continuous combat flying, the 10 pilots of No 46 took off to do the same. One by one they came low over the carrier, touched down, and braked to a heart-stopping halt. Against all chances and all predictions, here were the Hurricanes safe on deck, ten priceless machines saved for the Battle of Britain and an achievement that made the dead-beat pilots forget the weariness."

And I do not think the Hurricanes had hooks to take the wires! It takes my vote for superb flying by a whole squadron. A pity the ship was sunk a bit later and all were lost.
Flatus Veteranus is offline