Yea got some good combat report For the Historical missions flying the Tempest.
This day alone downed 46 German aircraft on these sorties.
F/Lt. J. H. Ryan (RCAF) of 56 Squadron recorded in his Combat Report for 4 January 1945:
I was Red 1 on an armed recce of 6 a/c to Paderborn-Bielefeld-Munster. When in the Osnabruck area Yellow & Blue Sections of 4 a/c went down to attack a train, & I remained as top cover with Red 2. As we were reforming I spotted 2 a/c orbiting about a mile due E. & slightly below our height. I reported them & turned after them, followed by Red 2. We closed behind the orbiting huns & we both had a squirt at each E/A, before I finally selected the No. 2. I closed in behind him to about 300 – 100 yards, firing a 3 second burst with very little deflection. I saw a few strikes on the port wing root, & something flew off, which may have been the hood. The 109 began to weave gently from side to side with the prop just windmilling, & it looked as if the pilot intended a force landing. I had to break away & as I came in again, the pilot baled out from about 3000 ft. & the a/c crashed into an open field. The chute opened. The rest of the formation witnessed this combat. Cine used.
I claim 1 Me.109G destroyed. 43
F/O D. E. Ness (RCAF) of 56 Squadron recorded in his Combat Report for 4 January 1945:
I was flying Red 2. I followed Red 1 when he reported two a/c to starboard & turned in towards them. I then saw 2 Me. 109’s orbiting at our height 1500 yards away. He selected the nearer hun & I took the second, who had climbed about 1000 ft. during our approach. I climbed after him. After a short dog-fight, & just as I was in position to fire from 100 yds. almost line astern, the hun broke away, did an aileron turn, & jettisoned his canopy. I followed him down about 2000 ft., & then fired a short burst from 150 – 50 yds., 10° to starboard, & saw strikes on the starboard wing. The pilot completed his baling out, & the a/c crashed & exploded in an open field. The pilot delayed pulling his ripcord to about 1000 ft., & the chute opened. I took a cine picture of his chute draped over a cottage & the a/c burning on the ground. I saw a pilot bale out from another aircraft & my combat was witnessed by the other five members of the squadron.
I claim 1 Me. 109G destroyed. 44
P/O N. J. Rankin of No. 80 Squadron recorded on his Combat Report of 4 January 1945:
I was flying as Black 2 on a armed recce in the Bielefeld area and while the Squadron were flying on an Easterly course approx 20 miles S.W. of Osnabruck. Huns were reported N.E. of Rheine. White 4 then reported 6 long-nosed Fw 190's 2,000 ft above us on our port flying East and commencing to orbit to stbd in line astern. Black leader gave the order to attack and I made a climbing turn to port closing to 500 yds from the stbd of the leading e/a which then rolled on its back and spiralled down. I followed and noticed two other Tempests below me already on the hun's tail, one of which was firing from line astern. The e/a pulled out at approx 2,500 ft and began a 20° dive to the East. When the Tempest in front of me broke off his attack. I closed to 600 yds from line astern and fired one 1-sec burst but saw no results. I was slowly decreasing the range when the hun dived below 10/10 cloud and levelled out approx 200 ft from the deck. I lost sight of him for a few seconds when the cloud obscured my view and when I saw him again he was flying straight and level approx 300 yards in front of me. I closed rapidly (IAS 450) to within 200 yds and fired one 1-sec burst allowing 2 - 3° deflection as he commenced a slight turn to stbd. I saw approx 15 strikes over the cockpit on the starboard side of the fuselage below the cockpit. The stbd wing dropped and the e/a went straight in crashing in a wood believed to be approx 10 miles S.S.E. of the Dummer Lake. The hun did not jettison his L.R. Tank during the engagement. My cine-camera was exposed. I claim 1 Fw 190 destroyed, shared with F/Sgt Crook. 45
F/Lt. D. C. Fairbanks, DFC of 3 Squadron recorded in his Combat Report for 4 January 1945:
I was flying Red 1 on a sweep and Armed Recce to the Paderborn area. Control called me and stated that friends were mixing it in the Hengelo area. I had trouble in understanding the name and asked for a vector which brought me to the aerodrome East of Hengelo. I found three Spit. formations and investigated each without any luck. I patrolled in this area for a few minutes and was heading approx West at 6000 feet when I saw a lone Spit approx 4000 feet below on my Port side climbing by some low cloud. I saw an aircraft turn in behind him and recognized it as a FW 190. I called up and immediately went into a dive after it. The E/A saw me before I was anywhere in range and half-rolled for the deck. I did the same and ended up at approx 800 feet and slightly on his Starboard side and 800 yards behind. I jettisoned my tanks and closed the range. I was 300 yards astern and on the deck and the E/A did a steep climbing break to the right and I was able to close rapidly and fired from 100 yards closing to approx. point blank range, seeing strikes on the Starboard wing and small pieces fly off. I overshot the E/A and half rolled and he did the same and went back for the deck flat out. He seemed to pick up speed quicker than I at first but then I started to close the range again. He was about 350 yards ahead of me right on the deck and I followed slightly above and astern. Once again he did a steep break upwards and to the right. I repeated the same attack as at first opening fire from 100 yards and closing to point blank range I saw strikes on the Starboard wing. About half of the E/A was below my nose and my No.2 said he saw strikes at the wing root by the cockpit. The E/A half rolled again and I overshot and did the same. I came out and started to repeat the performance but the E/A went down and did a slight aileron turn and went straight in from approx 800 feet and blew up.
Climbing up from this with my section I saw a 190 turn onto my No.2’s tail. I gave a break and he fired a burst from approx 500 yards at red 2. I gave chase from approx. 800 – 1000 yards but the e/a went into some low cloud and I lost him.
I claim 1 FW 190 destroyed 46
