Ordinarily we would be in the second wave and would attack the weaker elements in the column, like some of the lighter Panzer tanks and self-propelled artillery, that being what our guns are best for. The 60lb warhead, 3" rocket equipped Hurricane II-As would take on the slow moving heavy armor in the third wave, then the entire group would retreat and the process would start again. We normally make between three to five passes depending on the situation and the courage (or stupidity as the case may be) of the flight's leader.

This time we were trying a new tactic. We would run in flights of four, with the two leads being in 40mm cannon equipped Hurricanes, and their wingmen having the big 3" rockets. All efforts were to be focused on the Tiger tanks as they were the real threat to the trapped allies. Secondary targets were to be ignored.

While we called the formations "waves", in reality each wave was hard on the heels of the other, and battle was engaged almost simultaneously by everybody. Miraculously the escort fighters were holding their own against their German counterparts. The aircraft we were flying may have been "seasoned", but so were the pilots flying them. Our boys made the less experienced German pilots pay dearly for their youth.

Confidence goes a long way toward keeping you alive in situations like a war. Often it's hesitation and indecision that kills you, so we were all sort of buoyed and emboldened by the realization that we could focus a bit more attention on the armor below and not the fighters above. I guess we got lucky, because if the skill of the German pilots had been of a caliber similar to our own, the battle would probably have been over already.

Watching the WC and his 'Wave One Specialists' or WOS, as they're affectionately called, always sent a small thrill down my spine. The WOS were a handpicked group of fearless individuals who like to smile while looking death in the face. Their job was to kill AA. When not in combat, they did nothing else but practice intricate and flowing patterns out of a "coach's play book" that the WC had developed. The "plays" were designed in such a way, and they worked so well together in combat, that it seemed there was always a plane on top of every AA gun emplacement within seconds. It was like a mesmerizing dance at times.

The WC liked to go in with the WOS as it gave him an idea of overall battlefield conditions right from the beginning. His battle commands were always accurate and well informed thanks to this. Avner "Avi" Freeman, 26, is an American from New York City who joined the RAF in 1940, prior to America's entry into the war. He was Jewish and had relatives living in many parts of Europe and Palestine. He had heard news of atrocities in Germany and Poland and wanted to fight back. His talents as a tactician were soon discovered and he rose quickly through the ranks. It is assumed by many that he will not likely go any higher than WC as he is not a British citizen or subject. I suspect it's because he is Jewish. I hope I and they are both wrong.

The Wave One Specialists were doing their usually spectacular job, but there was more than twice the AA defenses than recon had led us to believe would be present. Maybe this was the surprise the Squadron Leader mentioned. There simply weren't enough WOS planes to suppress this level of anti-aircraft fire. The sweat that was covering my body was no longer due to the heat; it was now cold. This was going to be a rough ride.

* * *

"Nine," crackled Johnny's voice in my earphones. A grim sort of satisfaction gripped my heart and I nodded to myself. Good, he was still alive and killing Jerrys. I did not have a lot of time to watch the dog fights above us, nor was I paying much attention to the radio chatter. I was intent on listening for orders and taking stock of the combat situation in front of me. The WC had made a first pass and was now directing each of our individual flights of four aircraft to specific targets. Stathmore and I lined up on a row of Tigers near the back of the line and began our run.

Usually we would have come in lower and then popped up to do our attack, but geography in this region prevented that. It was going to be a flat run followed by a shallow dive. We were going to lay two or three round on each of our targets and then check the results.