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19 juillet 1941.
Ce 19 juillet, la RAF en revient à sa tactique habituelle en envoyant en début d’après-midi trois Stirling protégés par une imposante escorte ; en principe sur la centrale électrique de Lille mais en réalité sur tout objectif d’opportunité aux alentours de cette métropole (Circus N° 51).
La JG 26 avait été mise en alerte en matinée, le Jafü redoutant de nouvelles attaques de navires. Les I. et III./JG 26 décollent en urgence pour contrer le raid aérien mais n’interviennent qu’après le largage de bombes alors que les trois bombardiers et les dix-sept (!) Squadrons de chasse entament leur chemin de retour. Des combats ‘mordent’ également sur l’espace aérien belge voisin car le Bf 109 F-4 du Lt Heinz Rahardt (2./JG 26) est abattu par des Spitfire à Becelaere près de Wevelgem. L’Allemand, quoique blessé, pourra sauter.
Le Stirling LS-C du N° XV Sq. est atteint par de la Flak près de Dunkerque...
EDITO :
The No. 78 Batailles Aériennes closes the work of Jean-Louis Roba devoted to "Non-Stop Offensive". Reading these lines, we can not help but compare this with the air offensive strikes taking place continuously (non-stop!) On Syria for years now. However, despite the very important means used by the RAF, the "Non-Stop Offensive" was a failure that can be described as dismal. Why ? As the Luftwaffe had had bitter experience aupravant a year (during the Battle of Britain), any air offensive launched without terrestrial outcome seemed doomed. She was qu'altérer potential air forces without leading to any result. Are we witnessing a similar scenario in Syria? Perhaps, insofar Western countries have little capacity to implement land forces able to drive the troops of the Islamic State out of the territories which they are appropriated. The comparison is certainly stop there. Nevertheless, one may wonder if our leaders have "cast a glance at history" before launching our aircraft in this endless conflict on Syria or Afghanistan; in the latter country, air strikes hardly enough to slow the progression of the Taliban.
Thus, the "Non-Stop Offensive" was the perfect example of what not to do. The Royal Air Force suffered heavy losses to almost nothing while he had better send reinforcement squadrons on foreign theaters: the Mediterranean, the Middle East and soon the Pacific; all these places sorely lacked air units while the bulk of the RAF fought in Western Europe, rather than the Luftwaffe was literally deserted to ship in the Soviet Union! Yet the British authorities were well aware ...
