Today in the Second World War

Greetings, history enthusiasts! Welcome to the June 2nd edition of the Hidden History Newsletter, a testament to the pivotal moments that World War II history experienced on this very day. As we navigate through tales of valor and critical junctures, our journey unfolds the intricate narrative of human spirit tested under the extreme conditions of global conflict. From the preparation of D-Day to echoes of the Pacific theater, we discover lessons that remain relevant today. Join us as we delve deeper into the past to shape a more informed future.

“Before we’re through with them, the Japanese language will be spoken only in hell!” - Admiral Halsey, December 1941

Louis Jacobsen

In Norway, New Zealand Pilot Officer Louis Jacobsen of No. 263 Squadron RAF shot down six enemy bombers while flying a near obsolete Gladiator biplane fighter. Jacobsen himself would be dead in less than a week.

At 14:30 on 2 June 1940, Jacobsen (in N5681) and Pilot Officer J. L. Wilkie (in N5914) took off from Bardufoss in order to patrol between Narvik and the Swedish border. Here they met two aircraft, which were identified as Ju 88s, and a co-ordinated attack was made on one of these. Jacobsen employed a high-diving bean pass climbing above the enemy then diving on them amidships and got in a good four second burst with four machine guns. Wilkie followed up Jacobsen's initial attack with a stern chase but was shot down and did not return (the remains of the wreckage of Wilkies Gladiator remained on Lille Haugefjellet near Björnfjell Station until the end of 1998 when the wreckage was recovered and brought to Great Britain for restoration). Their opponents were in fact Bf 110s of I/ZG76, and had proved too much for the Gladiators, Wilkie being shot down and killed east of Rombaksfjorden by Leutnant Helmut Lent of this unit. Jacobsen meanwhile had chased Lent's Rottenflieger into clouds, then turning his attack on the other aircraft, which went down vertically into more clouds. Just missing a mountaintop, Jacobsen passed over the border into Swedish airspace, then spotted several He 111s circling in a line astern over Björnfjell. He at once attacked one aircraft from 250 yards, at which point his wing guns ran out of ammunition. The bomber pulled up sharply, stalled and crashed. There seems little doubt that his victim was a Do215B reconnaissance bomber of 4(F)/ObdL. Attacked by the fighter and with the engines shot out, this aircraft force-landed on the eastern side of the frontier where Franz Reichardt and his crew were interned, although all returned later. Reichardt reported that they had also been fired on and hit by Swedish frontier AA defence. Single-handed Jacobsen then made a head-on attack on four aircraft identified as a Ju 88 and three Heinkels. He pulled over these and pressed home an attack on one Heinkel closing from 250 to 50 yards and firing a three seconds burst from his nose guns. The bomber dived towards the ground apparently out of control. He then found himself surrounded by two 'Ju 88s' and six He 111s, which attacked him with cannon and heavy machine guns. He had in fact become engaged with elements of the second Schwarme of Bf 110s. The Gladiator's oil cooler was hit, the windscreen coated in oil and a flying wire shot away. To avoid colliding with any of these attackers he turned sharply onto the tail of one Heinkel and fired almost blindly. His victim rocked violently and both engines stopped just as his last remaining bullets left his guns. With fuel almost gone, he evaded the remaining aircraft at low level and flew back to base. Feldwebel Neureiter of I/ZG76 and his gunner, Stabsingenieur Thönes, claimed the Gladiator shot down over Lakselvdal at 14:50. Later it was reported that three He 111s had been found crashed near the Swedish border, and these were credited to Jacobsen, while it was felt that he might well have accounted for two further aircraft.

One of the He 111s shot down was from 2./KG26. This was He 111H-31 1H+CK (WNr 5607) which had tried to limber back to its base in Stavanger on one engine. At 19.30 the aircraft is sighted on the Swedish side of the border by the Swedish air defence warning service at the Swedish side of Lake Grövelsjön. The aircraft is low on fuel and the crew decided to make an emergency landing on the Norwegian ice-free side of the lake. After a few hundred meters of bouncing on the water the aircraft came to rest close at the western shores of the lake, 300 meters in on Norwegian ground. The crew survived the landing unhurt and mange to take themselves to the small Norwegian village of Sylen where they were able to get in contact with their forces by telephone. The next day they were collected by a He115, which landed on the lake. The Heinkel was left in the lake were it still rests today.

There is a probability that the He 111 that is still visible at Sitasjaure also was shot down by Jacobsen.

Jacobsen took part in the successful evacuation of fighters from Narvik on 8 June 1940 when he and nine other pilots from 263 Squadron landed their Gladiators aboard HMS Glorious. However this successful evacuation was avail when the carrier was sunk by German warship later in the day with the loss of almost all aboard, Jacobsen being one of them.

War Crimes on Crete

In light of the successful campaign at Crete, Greece, Göring boasted that there was no such thing as an unconquerable island, hinting a similar fate for Britain. As for the killings of German paratroopers by civilians at Crete, Göring officially ordered reprisals to be conducted as if the killers were partisan fighters.

Operation Gambit

Operation Gambit was an integral part of the success of the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944, as the marking of navigational channels was crucial to the landing of troops on the correct beaches. The operation involved two British X-class or midget submarines, the X-20 and X-23.

The X-class submarines were small vessels, designed specifically for clandestine missions. They had a crew of four: a commander, an executive officer (who was also the navigator and diver), an engineer, and an electrician. The submarines were about 52 feet long and displaced about 30 tons when submerged. Despite their small size, they had a formidable task during Operation Gambit.

Both submarines left their base in Portsmouth, England, on June 2, 1944. They traveled mostly submerged to avoid detection, navigating the perilous waters of the English Channel. After reaching their designated locations, they anchored to the seafloor and waited.

The X-20, commanded by Lt. "Buster" Crabb, was positioned off Sword Beach, while the X-23, commanded by Lt. E. W. 'Jimmy' Lightoller, was positioned off Juno Beach. The crew members had to spend days in cramped quarters, with limited supplies, while maintaining almost complete silence to avoid detection by the enemy. They only had periscopes above the water, which were virtually impossible to spot from the shore.

On the night of June 5, once the order for the invasion was confirmed, both submarines surfaced between 22:00 and 23:00 hours. They extended a 10-foot mast with a light at the top, which was only visible from the seaward side. The light was coded with colors and flashes to provide guidance to the approaching invasion fleet. The lights helped the landing craft navigate towards the correct beaches and gave them a point of reference to ensure they stayed on course.

This risky and innovative strategy proved successful, and the mission of the midget submarines was completed without being detected by German forces. After the invasion fleet passed, the crew members scuttled the submarines and paddled in collapsible canoes to the landing beaches, where they joined the invading forces.

The role of these submarines and their crew members is a testament to the innovative strategies employed during the D-Day invasion and the bravery of the Allied forces.

Photo of the Day

B-17 Fortress bombers of the 97th Bomb Group based in Italy flying over the Dinaric Alps in Yugoslavia on their way to bases in Ukraine as part of Operation Frantic, 2 June 1944.

As we close today's chapter of the Hidden History Newsletter, we trust that our journey through the historic junctures of June 2nd during World War II has imparted meaningful insights and a greater appreciation for the enduring spirit of humanity. We thank you for your company and look forward to sharing more narratives from the annals of WWII history tomorrow. Until then, let the lessons from the past guide our present and inspire our future.

If you ever have any recommendations feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]

Have a great weekend :)

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