Beaufighters attacking E-boats

Six Bristol Beaufighters from No 236 Squadron, part of RAF Coastal Command's North Coates Strike Wing, strafing Kriegsmarine e-boats (schnellboot in German) along the French coast in June 1944.

Hit-and-run raids by these fast German torpedo boats posed a significant threat to Allied mariners on the D-Day invasion, support and resupply vessels. My picture depicts a typical early morning operation to hunt for them. New Zealand Squadron Leader "Bill" Tacon has led the attack with cannon and 25lb rocket projectiles in TF X Beaufighter NE746, MB-Q - sustaining some damage to the aircraft in what the squadron's operations book records as "intense accurate" 20 and 40 mm return fire.

This was one of four of my pictures that appeared - as a double-page spread in this case - in a Classic Magazines special 'bookazine' about the RAF involvement in the Allied invasion of Europe, published by Mortons to mark the 70th anniversary.