AVIONS N°260

Editorial

1944: RAF Typhoons take over the continent

All aviation history enthusiasts have heard of the famous No. 609 “West Riding” Squadron, which first distinguished itself on Spitfires during the Battle of Britain before becoming the RAF’s best fighter squadron on Typhoons. But do you really know the exploits accomplished in Normandy by these pilots from all four corners of the world? Chris Goss tells you more in this issue about their activity during the spring and summer of 1944. The disappearance of part of the archives of the German heavy fighter groups during the Second World War means that the history of some of them is very little known. Thanks to the research of Jean-Louis Roba, you will find the complete study of one of the best Zerstörer groups: the I./ZG 76. This unit, which gave the Luftwaffe such famous aces as Wolfgang Falck, Helmut Lent and Gordon Gollob, distinguished itself during the Polish campaign, before taking part in the historic battle of the Bight of Germany in December 1939, then in the invasion of Norway where it remained based until the summer of 1940. Its (very) short participation in the Battle of Britain, however, marked the limits of the Bf 110s which were thrashed on August 15 by the Hurricanes and Spitfires of the RAF, leading to the transformation of the I./ZG 76 into a night fighter unit under the new designation of II./NJG 1. Philippe Guillermin also presents in this issue the career of René Colcomb, one of the best French air officers of 1914-1918 whose name has just been given to the 137th promotion of ORSEM. Observer, pilot, reconnaissance, fighter, night bombing… It’s simple, he’s done it all! Finally, the editor-in-chief gives an overview of the activity of the 299th Ukrainian tactical aviation brigade in 2023-2024, at a time when its exhausted Sukhoi Su-25s will likely give way to the F-16s delivered by various NATO member countries.
Christophe Cony

In summary:
- Before and after D-Day: No. 609 Squadron and the Normandy landings. Full story, by Chris Goss
- The I./Zerstörergeschwader 76 in 1939-1940. Full story, by Jean-Louis Roba and Christophe Cony
- René Colcomb, the enterprising one. Full story, by Philippe Guillermin
- News: the slow death of the last Ukrainian Sukhoi Su-25s. Full story, by Christophe Cony

On the cover:
A Hawker Typhoon from No. 609 Sqn takes off from Thorney Island base on the afternoon of June 6, 1944. Allied fighter-bombers, and first and foremost the Typhoons, will be the bane of German troops throughout the Normandy landings.