I just finished reading the above mentioned book and it has caused me to alter my level of esteem for the DH "Mosquito". If you love the Mossie, this book is a must read.
McIntosh made 41 ops as an Observer with RCAF 418 (Intruder) Squadron. His pilot was American born Sid Seid, Jewish by faith, with a hate on for Germans. He joined before Pearl Harbour and elected to remain with the RCAF. They had an interesting relationship. Sid was a no-nonsense pilot of great skill who once flew a Harvard under the Jacques Cartier Bridge.
Learned a few things about the 'Squito I hadn't known before ....
- of the 7,781 built during the war, 1,134 were built at Malton's DH plant
- the Mossie was nicknamed "Freeman's Folly" as Air Marshall Sir Wilfred Freeman ordered 50 of them against general opposition by the RAF
- only the pilot had armour under his seat
- the cockpit was very cramped (room for your ass and a gallon of gas ....)
- the Navigator's seat was four inches behind that of the pilot
- there were 42 Mks of the 'Squito, including one for carrier use
- The fabric covering of the plywood frequently peeled off making the plywood exposed and likely to delaminate, especially in wet climates
- only the pilot had a "relief tube" (!)
- engine failures were common and pilots got used to making landings with one engine
- the aircraft was difficult to enter and moreso to exit under emergency
- undercarriage failures were not uncommon
- 418 destroyed 105 enemy aircraft in the air, 73 on the ground, 9 probables, 103 damaged, 83 V1s destroyed
Despite these deficiencies they were liked by the crews that flew them as they went like a bat out of hell when pushed. McIntosh reports of engaging a V1 '"Buzz Bomb" too close after a dive and flying through the fire ball. They lost the fabric covering on the wings and learned to back off.
There were other idiosyncrasies as well, but overall the Mossies were considered to be well suited for the tasks they performed. Since it carried the same bomb load as a B-17 which had a crew of 10, much can be forgiven.
McIntosh made 41 ops as an Observer with RCAF 418 (Intruder) Squadron. His pilot was American born Sid Seid, Jewish by faith, with a hate on for Germans. He joined before Pearl Harbour and elected to remain with the RCAF. They had an interesting relationship. Sid was a no-nonsense pilot of great skill who once flew a Harvard under the Jacques Cartier Bridge.
Learned a few things about the 'Squito I hadn't known before ....
- of the 7,781 built during the war, 1,134 were built at Malton's DH plant
- the Mossie was nicknamed "Freeman's Folly" as Air Marshall Sir Wilfred Freeman ordered 50 of them against general opposition by the RAF
- only the pilot had armour under his seat
- the cockpit was very cramped (room for your ass and a gallon of gas ....)
- the Navigator's seat was four inches behind that of the pilot
- there were 42 Mks of the 'Squito, including one for carrier use
- The fabric covering of the plywood frequently peeled off making the plywood exposed and likely to delaminate, especially in wet climates
- only the pilot had a "relief tube" (!)
- engine failures were common and pilots got used to making landings with one engine
- the aircraft was difficult to enter and moreso to exit under emergency
- undercarriage failures were not uncommon
- 418 destroyed 105 enemy aircraft in the air, 73 on the ground, 9 probables, 103 damaged, 83 V1s destroyed
Despite these deficiencies they were liked by the crews that flew them as they went like a bat out of hell when pushed. McIntosh reports of engaging a V1 '"Buzz Bomb" too close after a dive and flying through the fire ball. They lost the fabric covering on the wings and learned to back off.
There were other idiosyncrasies as well, but overall the Mossies were considered to be well suited for the tasks they performed. Since it carried the same bomb load as a B-17 which had a crew of 10, much can be forgiven.
