The First Shrike for the RAF

[Ringlett]

On 23 June 1942, the RAF received an unexpected gift.

 

 

On the evening of that day the Luftwaffe Morlaix airfield was bombed by twelve Bostons escorted by Spitfires Mk VB Czechoslovak Wing under the command of Colonel W/Cdr Alois Vašátko DFC. The right engine of one of the bombers smoked on return and the smoke attracted Fw 190 attack was repelled by a Spitfire NN-W. The Wing commander ordered the 310th commander to protect the straggler, and so the Boston, with its engine already extinguished, was given an escort of four fresh fighters to fly with it just above the surface. The Fockewulfs 190 flying from Cherbourg caught up with near off the English coast.

Vašátko and the 312th covered Wing's retreat from above and turned against them. During a climbing turn, his BM 592 collided with Unteroffizier Willy Reuschling's Fw 190,who bailed out on a parachute. A personality of the Czechoslovak Air Force and the first commander of the Czechoslovak Fighter Regiment, Colonel Alois Vašátko, awarded the DFC Meritorious Flying Cross, died. The ground control sent the attacked Czechoslovakian Air Force to the attacked. Wing to the aid of the British 19th Squadron and those Fockewulfs also shot down one machine. The Germans lost four Fw 190s, one of which landed in Wales. All twelve Bostons returned from the raid on Morlaix.

 

F/Sgt. František Trejtnar did not fly over Morlaix that evening. Two Spitfires of the 310th and 312th Squadrons were given the task of waiting at Bolt Head airfield on Čs. Wing returning with empty tanks and provide him with protection if necessary. The missile sent the pilots waiting for the signal in four Mk VBs into the air. They engaged in combat, but by then the Fw 190s were turning towards France. So F/Sgt. Trejtnar escorted the Bostons over Exeter airfield and had them and the Czechoslovakian Regiment Spitfires land with empty tanks when he spotted the yellow belly of a Fockewulf 190 above him.

He fired a burst at it and it broke off to escape into the sun. It was in the west at that hour, so both fighters were moving further west. Whenever the Fw 190 wanted to turn back over France, Trejtnar would cut the turn and go after it. At 8300 metres Faber decided to turn definitively towards France, but because he noticed that Trejtnar's Mk V BL 517 flying 90 metres below could get his Fw 190 by the tail, he swooped down on it from above. The two fighters flew towards each other and fired. Trejtnar's took a hit to the engine and the roll was therefore off speed. Faber's next shot hit the right wing and half of it flew off with the aileron. F/Sgt. Trejtnar was wounded by shrapnel and his aircraft went down uncontrolled by the corkscrew. Due to the centrifugal force of the corkscrew, the pilot was at first unable to get out of the cockpit of the Spitfire NN-E BL 517 until a kick to the knipple helped.  He spotted an Fw 190 on the chute, but Oblt. Faber did not fire at the F/Sgt and spiralled downwards. Trejtnar broke his leg and bled from his arm on the jump. He started blowing his whistle to summon help. Soon several civilians with rifles appeared and although he shouted at them, "I'm not Jerry", they didn't believe him because of his non-English accent. When he replied that he was armed, he had to hold up his hands. Fortunately, he had his ID and showing it to the armed civilians changed their behaviour. He was loaded onto a parachute-lined corral gate and carried to a nearby farm where they called for an ambulance. This took him to Exeter Hospital.  It was only there that F/Sgt learned from the new commander of the CS. Wing that his opponent had landed in Wales. S/Ldr František Doležal told Trejtnar that he had received a message from Oblt. Faber's greetings and congratulations on the rescue. Trejtnar did not meet Faber, however, because at the time of Trejtnar's release from the hospital Oblt was already in a prison camp in Canada.

 

 Oblt Faber did three flips before landing at Pembrey, extended the landing gear while flying on his back and landed with bravado. A member of the ground staff wondered at the strangely painted aircraft and asked Faber what oil they, the Norwegians, used. Only then did Sgt Jeffries, who was on tower duty and had observed Faber's landing through binoculars, come running up with a starter pistol. The Sgt wanted to prevent Faber from detonating the charge in the Fw 190 installed to destroy the aircraft. Oblt. Faber was taken to 10th Fighter Group Headquarters at Fairwood Common and attended a party given by Station Commander G/Cpt D. F.W. Archerley.

Oblt Faber was convicted in absentia in Germany and is said to have attempted suicide while in captivity.

 

The Fw 190A-3 Werknummer 135313, built at the Arado factory in Warnemünde, was dismantled on 24 June and flown overland to Farnborough where its engine and airframe were dismantled. After a thorough inspection, the machine was reassembled, fitted with British insignia and a new serial number MP499. On 3 July it was flown by W/Cdr H. J. Wilson and after ten days the machine was flown to the Air Fighting Development Unit at Duxford. MP499 last flew on 29 January 1943 and in September that year the airframe of the captured aircraft was used for gunnery tests. It was then apparently scrapped.

According to an article by Mr. Valoušek from the magazine Aeronautics and Cosmonautics, using other sources

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

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Edited October 24, 2021 by ATA_Ringlett

[Ringlett]

Wilhelm Reuschling Fw 190A-3 W.Nr. 130313 was built at the Focke-Wulf factory, Bremen and Marienburg.

Armin Faber Fw 190A-3 Werknummer 135313, built at the Arado factory in Warnemünde, was dismantled on 24 June and flown overland to Farnborough where its engine and airframe were dismantled. After a thorough inspection, the machine was reassembled, fitted with British insignia and a new serial number MP499. On 3 July it was flown by W/Cdr H. J. Wilson and after ten days the machine was flown to the Air Fighting Development Unit at Duxford. MP499 last flew on 29 January 1943 and in September that year the airframe of the captured aircraft was used for gunnery tests. It was then apparently scrapped.

Amos Vašátko Spitfire Mk.Vb BM592 was built at Castle Bromwich, powered by a Merlin M45 engine and served with 8th Moaitenance Unit, 121st SQN and 310th SQN

František Trejnar Spitfire Mk.VB BL517 was also produced at Castle Bromwich, it too used the Merlin M45 engine, he started service in 39. Maitenance Unit, and through 341. SNQ to 310 SQN