Battle of Heligoland

My uncle, Harry Gillott, who was an RAF rear gunner on a Wellington Bomber, was killed in April 1940 during a sortie over Norway.

I found some archive newsreel of him as he returned from the Battle of Heligoland as detailed below.
  ....an extract from the world war 2 propaganda magazine The War Illustrated vol 1 issue 18 dated 5th January 1940
'Greatest Air Battle in History'

What was the biggest air battle of the war to date was fought in the skies near Heligoland on December 18th 1939. There were losses on both sides, but Germany’s newest fighters gave no indication of their much-vaunted superiority.

In mid December H.M. Submarine Salmon and units of the Royal Air Force observed several ships of the German Fleet venturing for the first time outside their naval strongholds, and it was at once decided to send a force of British heavy bombers to search for and attack any enemy warships found at sea. So in the afternoon of December 18th a squadron of big Vickers ‘Wellingtons’ flew out to carry the fight once again far into the enemy’s territory.
Reaching the Heligoland Bight area, there was not a warship to be seen outside the harbours, but the Germans on this occasion seemed determined to teach their aerial gate-crashers a lesson, and set up a fleet of fighters to engage the ‘Wellingtons’ when they approached their objective at Wilhelmshaven.
The leader of the British formations said afterwards “I could see them collecting like flies waiting to attack us”.
“This was infact, the biggest aerial battle ever fought. At a hazard, I should think that there were about 80 to 100 aircraft engaged. We were greatly outnumbered and out-manoeuvred because of the higher speed of the fighters. The crews fired shot for shot and gave better than they got. Most of our crews were under fire for the first time, and they have returned confident that on the next occasion the enemy will suffer a far heavier blow. That occasion, they hope, will not be too distant.
“There is no doubt whatever that we were attacked by the best fighters of the German Command, Ours was just a normal team. All the crews were surprised at the performance of the German aircraft and their determination to press home the attack. We felt that they were worthy opponents.”
The famous single-engined Messerschmidt ME 109 formed part of the defending force, but a large portion consisted of the new Messerschmidt ME 110 type, used in Poland but not hitherto met with by the RAF. These formidable ‘air destroyers’, as the Germans have dubbed them, are heavily armed twin-engined fighters said to be capable of 370 miles per hour – a nominally higher speed than our own ‘Spitfire’ single-seater can attain. The armament is believed to consist of two shell-firing guns as well as four rifle-calibre machine-guns. Our own modern fighters, like the ‘Hurricane’ and ‘Spitfire’ employ very successfully eight of the latter class of weapon.
In the Heligoland Bight battle the Wellingtons – 100 miles per hour slower than their adversaries, but with five separate machine-gun position, including two in power-operated turrets-were undaunted by the appearance of the ME 110, but were, on the contrary, eager to match themselves against the enemy’s new weapon. The gunners of the British machines sent more than twelve Messerschmitts including at least six of the new type, and representing in all about a half of the defence forces, crashing down to destruction. The concentrated fire of the Messerschmitts also told on the attacking squadron, for seven of our aircraft and their daring crews failed to reach home and their unfortunate loss was immediately admitted by the Air Ministry.
This is anticipating however. Let us return to the official story of the battle.
The fighting quickly became intense as the crack fighter squadrons strained every nerve to find means to break down our close and tightly-packed sections. Then, as the bombers came over Wilhelmshaven, they were exposed to the full blast of the anti-aircraft defences of the naval base. The Germans hoped in this way to force the formations to open out, so that their fighters might be able to deal with them individually, and it was after our bombers had completed their task and turned away from their objective on the return journey that the main attack of the enemy fighters developed.
As this phase of the action developed casualties on both sides began to mount up. The heavy concentrated fire of the formations had resulted in so many losses of the Messerschmitts that, in the last desperate attempt to break down the ordered array of bomber sections, the Messerschmitts 110 attempted the most spectacular attacks at great speed on the beam of the formations, trying to sweep the formations with fire from stem to stern.
But even this manoeuvre had little success and many of their aircraft were shot down. The defeat of this final effort was the last phase of the action, and our air gunners, excited and tired, had the satisfaction of seeing the last remaining fighters disappearing towards their own shore.
Flying wing-tip to wing-tip, The Wellington bombers had held together in spite of anti-aircraft fire and continuous attacks. Again and again the enemy fighters, daring to come in too close, were shot down, and the bombers continued on their course unchecked and unshaken.
Where single aircraft were forced by hits to fall away from their section formation they were still by no means an easy proposition for the enemy fighters. Some of these aircraft were lost fighting to the end, with a gallantry to which the Germans themselves bear witness. Others fought their formidable opponents off single-handed, and ultimately succeeded in crossing 300 miles of sea, even though maimed and with fighting turrets out of action.
One of the bombers shot down no fewer than five fighters, and although the crew were attacked continuously for nearly forty minutes, closely followed 60 miles out to sea by a swarm of fighters, they succeeded in driving them off and bringing their aircraft back safely. This exploit testifies to the tremendous fighting power off the Wellington and to the dogged determination and courage of its crew.
Now for some first hand narratives: The pilot of the plane which ‘drew first blood’ said
“When we were near Heligoland, and before the main fight had begun, we were attacked by a solitary fighter. He chose my aircraft out of the formation, and in a few seconds my rear gunner had the satisfaction of seeing his enemy crash into the sea. “Later, when the battle had developed on a large scale, and when the formation was penetrating over German waters, a Messerschmidt 110 singled us out and sat on our tail for about twenty minutes.
“We certainly hit him, but I am not sure whether he was actually brought down. We last saw him flying towards the sea. Perhaps he was one of the few casualties which the Germans admitted. They claimed, I think, that two of their fighters had landed on the water.
“We were busily engages with another Messerschmidt 110 when a Messerschmidt 109 suddenly flew straight into our cross-fire and blew up in the air.
“The enemy attack was sustained and most persistent throughout. All our gunners were kept fully occupied by their enemy’s method of employing about five fighters to each bomber. If at any time during the battle we were able to get fifteen seconds rest we were more than grateful.”
The Gunner Was Dangling Over The Sea
One aircraft had to leave the formation and descend into the sea some distance off the English coast through a petrol leak. This aircraft had been severely shot at in the action. All its guns had been put out of action by shells and machine-gun bullets, and the bottom of the front turret had been blown out by shells and set on fire.
“My gunner,” the pilot said, “was very prompt with the fire, and put it out with his gloved hand. But for him the aircraft would have been set alight within a few seconds. His quick action saved our lives.
“When the bottom of the gun turret was blown away the gunner found that one of his legs was dangling in the air over the water, but his huddled position kept him from falling into the sea.”
This young gunner expressed the greatest admiration for his sergeant pilot. “We shall never know how the pilot managed to control his aircraft through such difficulties,” he said.
The German Propaganda ministry, true to tradition, immediately fastened on this air fight as a suitable reply for the defeat at sea of the Graf Spee. So the German public had it impressed upon them that their airman had achieved a truly ‘kolossal’ victory. Forty-four RAF ‘planes ventured near Germany, they said but only eight lived to tell the tale – yet, as the British Air Ministry dryly commented, our total forces of aircraft engaged were less than the losses alleged!
Wing Commander Schumacher, of the German Air Force, stated that as leader of the fighter squadrons in that area he sent up every available machine to attack the invaders, and that the rout of the latter was complete and shattering. The German losses were (at least, so he said) only two Messerschmitts of ME 109 type, and not one of the men was a serious casualty. Furthermore, Goerin had decorated him with the Iron Cross (1st Class) for his part in the ‘Victory’.