“There they are, like a lumbering herd!” Major Seeliger calls out across the radio. “Happy hunting boys!”

Our 18 twin-engine BF-110s of Destroyer Wing 1 streak toward the British Wellington bombers from out of the sun; each of us with a target already selected. I’m heading directly toward the vulnerable side of my intended victim, the third bomber from the front of the line.

How foolish they were not to put guns on the beams of their planes!

We were quickly briefed before taking off this morning about attacking from the beam, rather than aft or stern. Four days ago, another fighter unit had success against this type of bomber by attacking perpendicular to the plane. They could shoot off the wings easily because the Wellington’s front and rear turret cannot turn far enough to protect its vulnerable mid-section. That unit found out Wellington wing fuel tanks are highly flammable because they are not self-sealing.

Ground anti-aircraft fire is dying away as the loose formation makes its way out of Wilhelmshaven. Already attacked by another fighter unit before coming over the port city, the bombers are beginning to string out into small groups rather than tightly packed in mutually protecting units.

You’re not getting back to England like that!

I didn’t see them drop any bombs while over the port.

Why didn’t they bomb the ships in port? They could not have sent so many planes just to do reconnaissance, could they?

Approaching my target at over 450 KM an hour, I line up so my nose is directly perpendicular with his left wing.

What beautiful alignment! This is going to be a cinch.

My thumb pushes down on the red cannon firing button, unleashing two 20 mm cannons. At the same time, I squeeze the firing button for the four 7.92 mm machine-guns with my right pointer finger. Streaks of flames burst forth from the nose of my plane in unison with my projectiles slamming into the vulnerable wings of the Wellington growing ever larger in my line of sight.

She’s beginning to burn! How beautiful!

Pulling out of the attack, I can see the lattice-framed bomber beginning to break apart.

As I climb away from the falling beast, my fighter crosses the path of machine-gun fire from one of the leading bombers in the group.

Shit, don’t you hit anything I need!

My left engine starts to spit.

Come on, I just got started here!

Choking on its own fuel, a small flame develops on my left wing.

How’s that for karma?

I look longingly at the other Wellingtons under attack, and yet to be attacked.

Not this time, I’m afraid.

Pulling at the handles on the canopy, I open the cockpit to the outside.

“I’ll miss you girl” I declare as I yank myself up and out of the burning plane.

How did I lose so much altitude so quickly?

The sea is right before me, too close to get out, let alone open my chute.

I wasn’t ready!

This war just started!

*****

On December 18, 1939, in what is called the Battle of the Heligoland Bight, the British sent 22 bombers without fighter protection on a daylight raid in perfectly clear weather against German naval forces near the base of Wilhelmshaven. Despite finding one battleship, one heavy cruiser, one light cruiser, and five destroyers, the Wellingtons took photographs after only dropping six bombs far away. They did not drop bombs on the ships because the warships were tied up to docks where there might be civilian workers. Britain, France, and Germany had all pledged to avoid civilian casualties based on a call by President Roosevelt avoiding civilian living quarters, merchant shipping, or land. The orders for the mission were clear: “attack enemy warships in the Schillig Roads or Wilhelmshaven. Great care is to be taken that no bombs fall on shore, and no merchant ships are to be attacked. Formations shall not loiter in the target area.”

Early in the war, and with such clear orders, the bombers took pictures of the ships and headed back toward their bases in England just as they were jumped by German fighters. The British lost 15 bombers in the mission, without sinking a single German ship. The Germans lost two fighters, one of which was piloted by Lieutenant Roman Stiegler, who crashed into the sea in pursuit of one of the British bombers. Stiegler was killed.

This short, yet bloody, engagement had a profound impact on both warring nations. All sides abandoned the pledge to only target military objectives with bombers. The British immediately ceased daylight bombing raids, installed side guns on Wellington bombers, and put in self-sealing fuel tanks so the planes were not so easy to catch fire. The Germans were proud of how many bombers they shot down and came away from the battle believing their radar detection and command and control system for aerial defense was sufficient, leading to an overconfidence which would hurt them later in the war when massive allied bomber fleets would inflict terrible losses on Germany proper.