Swietlikowski – Missions
303 Sqn Spitfire Vb
1. 28 May 44. Ramrod 939. 1915-2035. One of twelve 303 Sqn Spitfire Vb to escort 24 Mitchells bombing Gatteville coastal battery.
2. 29 May 44. Ramrod 941. 0920-1100. One of twelve 303 Sqn Spitfire Vb for a fighter sweep Cayeux, Abbeville, Le Treport.
3. 30 May 44. Ramrod 950. 1600-1800. One of eleven 303 Sqn Spitfire Vbs to escort 46 Mitchells bombing a bridge near Courcelle-sur-Siene.
4. 30 May 44. Patrol Solent. 2240-2235.
5. 1 Jun 44. Dusk Patrol Channel / Solent; four 303 Sqn ac. 2145 – 2250. Recalled due to poor weather2 Jun 44. Ramrod 958. 0455-0655. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac to escort Beaufighters on a shipping strike Dieppe – Barfleur.
6. 2 Jun 44. Ramrod 958. 0455-0655. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac to escort Beaufighters on a shipping strike Dieppe – Barfleur.
7. 4 Jun 44. Patrol over Channel. 1355-1540. One of six 303 Sqn ac; landed Tangmere.
8. 6 Jun 44. Patrol ‘eastern area’, Le Havre; one of twelve 303 Sqn ac 1345-1605. (ORB says ‘western area’).
9. 6 Jun 44. Ramrod 976. 2000-2215. Close escort to 250 Stirling / Glider combinations; one of twelve 303 Sqn ac.
10. 7 Jun 44. Beach Cover Eastern Area. 0430-0700. Two FW190s seen and engaged by ships; flak east of Le Havre and from ships.
11. 7 Jun 44. Beach Patrol Western Area. 1345-1610. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac.
12. 8 Jun 44. Beach Patrol Western Area. 0940-1200. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac.
13. 10 Jun 44. Beach Cover Western Area. 0950-1155. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac.
14. 10 Jun 44. Beach Cover Eastern Area. 2140-2350. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac.
15. 11 Jun 44. Beach Cover Eastern Area. 0940-1200. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac; Michalak also in the formation.
16. 17 Jun 44. Patrol over Beach Area. 1150-1425. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac; land Gosport.
17. 18 Jun 44. Eastern Beach Cover. 1140-1420. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac.
18. 19 Jun 44. Shipping Cover. 2200-2350. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac from Tangmere. Visibility poor; mist on sea.
19. 20 Jun 44. Assault Area Cover. 2200-2335. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac; Michalak also in the formation. From Westhampnett; land Tangmere.
20. 22 Jun 44. Patrol Easy Area. 2215-2400. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac.
21. 23 Jun 44. Patrol Western Area. 0515-0735. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac, one of which went missing.
22. 24 Jun 44. Patrol Eastern Easy. 1620-1840. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac. Slight Heavy flak from NE of Caen.
23. 24 Jun 44. Patrol, Western, Eastern and Easy areas. 2215-2400. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac. Uneventful.
24. 25 Jun 44. Beach & Shipping Patrol. 0810 – 1020. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac. Uneventful.
25. 27 Jun 44. Easter and William Patrol. 0720-0850. One of ten 303 Sqn ac; flak over Caen.
26. 28 Jun 44. Patrol Low Cover over Eastern and William areas. 1320-1530. One of eleven 303 Sqn ac. Uneventful.
27. 29 Jun 44. Low cover and shipping patrol. 1125-1355. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac. Guns and shelling.
28. 30 Jun 44. Scramble (not shown in 303 Sqn ORB)
29. 2 Jul 44. Patrol Western, Eastern and William Area. 1800-1950. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac; uneventful.
30. 3 Jul 44. Low Cover Western, Eastern and William areas. 1540-1755. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac; uneventful. 5 German light transport vehicles and one ambulance seen.
31. 3 Jul 44. Low Cover Eastern, Western and William Areas. 2125-2325. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac. One large bus shot up S of Le Mesnil
32. 4 Jul 44. Patrol Eastern, Western and William Areas. 0725-0940. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac. Observed 2 survivors being picked up by destroyers 20 nm NW Le Havre. Cloud in William area 9/10 at 500’; visibility very poor.
33. 6 Jul 44. Ramrod 1063. 1220-1410. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac providing close escort to 24 Mitchells bombing Cerences.
34. 6 Jul 44. Ramrod 1066. 1900-2105. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac providing close escort to 24 Mitchells bombing Chartres.
35. 7 Jul 44. Ramrod 1069. 2125-2315. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac providing close escort to Lancasters and Halifaxes bombing Caen area. Very accurate bombing seen at Lisieux and Pont L’Eveque. Flak.
36. 8 Jul 44. Shipping Patrol South of Selsey. 0700-0845. 13 sections of four Spitfires patrolling from 0535-2025. Heavy rain and poor visibility.
37. 8 Jul 44. 1536-1720. Shipping patrol as above.
38. 12 Jul 44. Ramrod 1081. 1900-2125. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac escorting Lancasters bombing Vaires marshalling yards (East of Paris).
39. 17 Jul 44. Ramrod 1099. 2005-2205. Fighter sweep Evreux area. Heavy intense flak 10nm NW of Rouen. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac, one of which landed away at an Advanced Landing Ground, returning later.
40. 18 Jul 44. Ramrod 1102. 0505-0710. Cover to Lancasters and Halixaxes bombing 4 miles E of Caen. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac.
41. 1 Aug 44. Ramrod 1150. 1820-2010. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac providing close escort to 24 Bostons bombing Livarot.
42. 8 Aug 44. Ramrod 1177. 2020-2220. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac providing close escort to Lancasters and Halifaxes bombing an oil target at Chantilly Wood. 3 large oil fires seen’ heavy and accurate flak.
43. 9 Aug 44. Ramrod 1179. 1040-1225. One of twelve 303 sqn ac providing close escort to Bostons bombing an ammunition dump at La Haye. Heavy and intense flak; one Boston seen shot down.
44. 15 Aug 44. Rodeo 382. 1930-2155. One of twelve 303 Sqn ac; fighter sweep Cambrai / Mezieres / Reims / Roye area. 500 heavily laden barges seen southbound in Aisne canal from Pinon to River Oise then along Oise to Noyan and Margny. Attacks carried out; strikes observed with three left smoking.
308 Sqn Spitfire IX / XVI
45. 3 Feb 45. 1035-1240. Operation DD539. One of eleven 308 Sqn ac; Dive Bombing / Strafe of ground transportation targets. Flak from Deventer; Swietlikowski’s aircraft damaged by flak.
46. 6 Feb 45. 1020-1210. Armed Recce / bombing and strafing Apeldoorn; special attention to V-sites.
47. 6 Feb 45. 1430-1615. One of twelve 308 Sqn ac to escort Mitchells bombing Zutphen.
48. 8 Feb 45. 0900-1000. One of twelve 308 Sqn ac; bombing railway line between Wesel and Geldern. Flak in target area.
49. 8 Feb 45. 1710-1840. One of twelve 308 Sqn ac; dive bombing village of Niel in support of ground operations.
50. 24 Feb 45. 0755-0835. Operation DD839. One of ten 308 Sqn ac.; armed recce with particular attention to road South of a line Walbeck-Geldern-Wesel. RTB due poor weather.
51. 24 Feb 45. 1245-1440. Operation DD839 as above. Some vehicles destroyed / damaged.
52. 25 Feb 45. 1010-1220. Operation DD864;Armed Recce Geldern. Vehicles, barges and troops attacked.
53. 28 Feb 45. 0845-1015. Operation DD890. One of twelve 308 Sqn ac; dive bombing of HQ building. Intense light flak.
54. 28 Feb 45. 1545-1720. Operation D891/B24. One of twelve 308 Sqn ac; dive bombing of Sonsbeck village communications and reserves. Intense light flak.
55. 5 Mar 45. 0645-0810. Operation DD964. One of twelve 308 Sqn ac; armed recce Zutphen-Wesel-Dorsten area. Weather unfavourable.
56. 5 Mar 45. 1610-1745. Operation DD964. 8 ac, led by Swietlikowski. Sixteen 250lb bombs dropped on Dorsten village, railway station and railway tracks.
57. 9 Mar 45. 0910-1110. Operation DD980. One of twelve 308 Sqn ac; escort to light bombers attacking Dorsten railway station. Flak from target area moderate heavy.
58. 11 Mar 45. 1535-1615. Operation D13. One of twelve 308 Sqn ac; escort to medium bombers bombing Stadtlohn.
59. 12 Mar 45. 1025-1200. Operation D18. One of eleven 308 Sqn ac; escort to medium bombers bombing Dorsten Railway Centre. Bombers dispersed and difficult to escort.
60. 12 Mar 45. 1610-1800. Operation D22. One of ten 308 sqn ac; escort to medium bombers attacking Dulmen. During the return journey, Spitfires were fired upon by a Lancaster returning from a raid on Germany.
61. 13 Mar 45. 1515-1630. Dive bombing Elburg.
62.. 13 Mar 45. 1750-1910. Operation DD29. One of twelve 308 Sqn ac; armed recce Amersfoort / Apeldoorn area. Bombs dropped on railway lines and vehicles. Swietlikowski’s ac damaged.
63. 18 Mar 45. 1410-1525. Armed recce Northern Holland. Dive bombing of barges and nearby buildings at Leiden.
64. 20 Mar 45. 0900-1040. Dive Bombing German 86 Corps HQ with 302 & 317 Sqns
65. 20 Mar 45. 1500-1605. Operation DD118. Rail interdiction Rheine-Enschede-Arnhem-Armersfoort-Zwolle-Almelo. Bombs dropped on railway lines Swietlikowki’s logbook shows his bombs dropped at Schuttorf. One 308 Sqn Spitfire hit by flak and crash landed; pilot safe.
66. 21 Mar 45. 0800-0900. Operation DD123. Armed Recce Rheine-Zwolle-Amersfoort-Utrecht-Arnhem area. Rail interdiction with Swietlikowski in the second of three sections of 4 ac. Successful dive bombing of railway line.
67. 24 Mar 45. 0740-0855. Operation D181. Armed Recce over Holland. Swietlikoski’s logbook states ‘Armed Recce Zwolle’. One 308 Sqn ac damaged by flak intense and accurate flak over Deventer and force landed on return to base; pilot safe.
68. 24 Mar 45. 1050-1300. Operation D171. Standing Patrol in Zutphen-Winterswijk-Arnhem-Rees area; Swietlikowski’s logbook states ‘Patrol Arnhem-Wesel’. 2 x enemy ac (probably jet) spotted.
69. 6 Apr 45. 0645-0730. Operation DD314. Weather Recce. Armed recce over NE Holland; cloudbase 400’ and poor visibility.
70. 7 Apr 45. 1555-1745. Operation DD326. Armed Recce Utrecht-Zwolle.
71. 9 Apr 45. 1510-1700. Armed Recce Utrecht-Zwolle-Leeuwarden. One 308 Sqn pilot baled out after being hit by flak over Antwerp; pilot safe.
72. 10 Apr 45. 1140-1235. Operation DD356. Armed Recce Utrecht-Zwolle-Leeuwarden.
Swietlikowski with Spitfire 'Bette' (Swietlikowski / museumofflight.org)
