R O U E N - S O T T E V I L L E N O . I
failed to recognize their objectives in time to attack or else ran into
such stiff opposition that they could not bomb. T w o planes were shot
down by flak and one was badly damaged. The British lost one plane,
evidently as a result of flak damage plus the attentions of the only
enemy fighter to make effective interception that day. But the Ameri-
can losses did not stem entirely from the inexperience of freshmen
crews, although one of the pilots shot down was reported to have
taken insufficient evasive action in the flak area. T h e fact was that for
some reason the mission ran into very heavy opposition from antiair-
craft batteries, especially at the two northern airdromes of De Kooy
and Haamstede. It even seemed to the surviving crews that the enemy
gunners must have been warned in advance by ships in the Channel
which had sighted the Bostons on their trip toward the Dutch coast.
The RAF leader of the element attacking De Kooy reported the
worst flak in his experience, and over-all losses in this one mission were
declared to have been equal to the total losses of No. 2 2 6 Squadron
in similar operations for the preceding five and one-half months.ll
During the mission, however, one incident occurred which proved
heartening to the American force and which did much to offset the
otherwise discouraging results. Capt. Charles C. Kegelman, flying
with the element detailed to bomb De Kooy airdrome, had his right
propeller shot away by flak while in the vicinity of the target. The
ground fire also damaged his right wing and started a fire in his right
engine. Kegelman's plane lost altitude and actually struck the ground,
but he was able to keep it in the air after it bounced back up. Then,
as he was preparing to leave the scene as fast as his one good engine
would take him, he saw the gunners of a flak tower swinging their
guns on him. Turning slightly, he flew directly a t the tower and
opened fire with the nose guns at close range. Fire from the tower
ceased. H e then proceeded to fly home at water level. For this ex-
ploit, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.'
The mission of 4 July had not been an ideal operation with which
to inaugurate the American air offensive from the United Kingdom.
Not only was it a small raid and one flown in borrowed planes, but
it was tactically of little significance since the future of the bomber
campaign depended on the development of high-altitude heavy bom-
bardment techniques rather than those of low-level attack by fast,
light planes. Nevertheless, the mission marked a beginning of a sort
and did much to stimulate morale among the American flyers. At
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