The mystery of the navalised De Havilland Mosquito during the Second World War

In July 1945 Chief Petty Officer Pilot Brian Clark recalls three ‘Hooked’ Mosquitos attempting to operate from HMS BATTLER…

“Three RAF pilots, flying the twin-engined Mosquito, had joined our Deck Landing Training Course and did the same ADDLS (Aerodrome Dummy Deck Landing) training as we did. These aircraft were fitted with arrester hooks and the Navy was very keen to see if they could be successfully landed on an (escort aircraft carrier).

The RAF trained pilots to keep their hand ON the throttle even when it was closed on landing. This was to enable the throttle to be pushed fully open in the event of a bad landing when the aircraft ballooned into the air. Done promptly, it was possible to keep the aircraft flying and avoid a prang. The Navy, at Deck Landing Training School, taught that when the batsman signaled the pilot to cut the throttle, he should snap it off and take the hand OFF the throttle immediately. There is no going round again once you have touched down on a flight deck! It is vital to remember this.

On this second morning (the DLT session had been interrupted by bad weather, forcing an overnight stay on board BATTLER, these events occurred before he was able to complete his allotted landings) the three Mosquitoes flew out to do their eight deck landings apiece. Everyone watched with great interest. The first aircraft came in very well, landed and the hook engaged, the arrester wire restrained it and the tail came up (under tension). At once the pilot opened the throttle to both engines, which pulled the aircraft forward, still hooked to the restraining wire. He had not taken his hand OFF the throttles. We all know that a hook pulled forward against a fixed wire just slides along the wire as far as it can go. This happened and fortunately the aircraft went to port; had it gone to starboard it would probably have pranged into the bridge. It went to port until the undercarriage leg went over the side of the flight deck where it came to rest at a drunken angle. Bits of propeller and other debris hurtled all over the flight deck. There was an eerie silence. The rescue handlers rushed to get the pilot out, the axeman chopped the arrester hook out of the aircraft's fuselage while the fire party stood by with foam and hoses, the fork lift truck lifted the wreckage overboard. The main frame becomes twisted and with other extensive damage the aircraft would not be repairable. Eventually the flight deck was cleared for further operations.

The second Mosquito began his approach and all seemed to be going very well until just before touchdown when the aircraft appeared to be going rather fast; certainly, faster than a Barracuda would, but then it was a faster, twin-engined, plane. On the cut the throttles snapped shut and it plonked down at about wire three or four but, amazingly, as sometimes happened, the arrester hook missed a wire and snapped back into its housing in the fuselage. The aircraft careered down the flight deck and into the crash barrier with, again, bits of prop and debris hurtling everywhere. A very shaken pilot quickly got out and was rushed to the safety of the bridge island. The plane was another write-off and was again ditched over the side. It was quickly decided to abandon this exercise and the third Mosquito returned to the airfield without any further attempt to land on. We had the greatest respect for those RAF pilots asked to take part in this very dodgy enterprise.”
 

Where did these aircraft come from?

It is believed they were the last remaining examples of 30 ‘navalised’ RAF machines that were specially converted for Top Secret operations. Their story begins in April 1st 1943 when 618 Squadron RAF was formed at RAF Skitten, near Wick in Scotland; this Top-Secret Squadron was to train with the bouncing- anti-ship mine, code name “Highball” developed from the famous dam busting bouncing bomb designed by Barnes Wallace. The aim was to deliver the new weapon under the code name Operation SERVANT. The main target for the weapon was the Germen Battles sip TIRPITZ .

The squadron flew the twin engine de Havilland Mosquito; the version selected for the conversion work to carry “Highball” was the Mk.IV series II, the work entailed removing the bomb bay doors and equipping the aircraft with specialized carriers enabling them to carry two “Highballs”, each weighing 1,280 lb (580 kg), in tandem. The bombs were designed to skip across water and to provide weapon stability and accuracy. Before release they were spun backwards at 700 to 900 rpm by a ram air turbine mounted in the bomb bay’s midsection, fed by an extendable air scoop. The bombs were to be dropped from a maximum altitude of 60 ft (20 m) at a speed of 360 mph (600 km/h).