Testing The Rocket Interceptor Part V
It took two full days to get the necessary parts on hand to make the repairs to the little rocket plane. The technicians installed the parts and carefully tested the system. The aircraft was fully fueled and armed, all they needed now was a suitable target to fly against to test the its teeth to see how effective it would be in combat.
Arrangements were made with Fighter Command that a triangular shaped area running from Canterberry to Dover to Ramsgate and back to Canterberry was assigned as a no fly zone and all anti aircraft batteries were to maintain a cease fire during two two hour windows for the next three days. From eight in the morning till ten and from two in the afternoon until four. No aircraft were to fly any intercepts in that airspace unless otherwise instructed by Fighter Command. All aircraft normally patrolling those areas would take up station outside it and traverse along designated routes to prevent mistaking the Rocket Interceptor as an enemy fighter. The same applied to the antiaircraft batteries…don’t shoot unless told to absolutely do so by high command.
Mr Smyth was on hand just after seven in the morning on the first day. The aircraft had been positioned to make an immediate launch at the end of the narrow strip being used as a runway. It was still concealed under the canopy of trees but had a clear lane to roll down onto the strip and streak skyward to intercept any enemy inside the designated airspace.
The time passed slowly waiting for the newly installed telephone line that linked the camp to the outside world, especially on this day with Fighter Command. The support crews too were poised ready to depart. Three teams were assembled each with two lorries assigned that contained the necessary equipment to recover the little fighter should it need to land elsewhere, either because of fuel exhaustion or something worse.
It was fifteen minutes to ten when the phone rang in the little cottage. ” Hello.” The Test Director answered on the second ring. “We’ll have a go at it.” He said and hung up the phone. He ran out the door and stood a few feet away from the Interceptor, Pop already inside strapped in and ready to launch at a moments notice.
“A single He 111 carrying a V-1 passing St Margarets a few minutes ago heading North Northwest, Angels 18…go get him!” The Test Direct ordered.
Colonel Peter “Pop” Pickering slid the canopy shut, without thinking he ran through the steps necessary to bring the little rocket ship to life. All that time rehearsing along sitting in her cockpit while the crews tended to her paid off. In just a couple of minutes the aircraft was rolling and as the ship hit the narrow grass lane Pop pushed the throttles forward. In a blink it was airborne, its wheels tucked into their wells rocketing up and out of sight. Only a thin contrail gave a clue to its path. The breeze that morning erased that evidence quickly.
Pop rolled her level at 10,000 feet. He listened to the radio for advisories as to where the bomber was but he didn’t need them he spotted it. Flying on a nearly direct intercept course several thousands of feet above him, the tiny speck continued to grow. Pop held his altitude and eased the throttles back a bit. The two passed each other, the bomber didn’t evade, they probably didn’t even see the little ship as it zipped past them going four hundred and fifty miles per hour. To reverse his course Pop pulled back on the stick and pulled the nose up to loop back over to get behind and above the bomber. He added a little more throttle to maintain airspeed during the climbing part of the turn.
Now descending and gaining on the German bomber he retarded the throttle and concentrated on his gun sight. He couldn’t decide which weapon to fire first. The fast firing .50 cal or the slower heavier cannon. He flipped the safety covering the trigger for the .50 cal away which covered the cannon trigger to prevent both from firing at the same time. He was closing fast, faster than he expected yet when he pushed the trigger button the gun barked and the tracers arched directly into the mid section of the bomber. A short burst a quick roll to turn to the right, to use the morning sun to his advantage.
The bomber had taken several rounds in vital areas inside the aircraft. No one aboard was dead but the aircraft was sick, electrical fires erupted and the crew attended to them immediately. This distracted the pilot long enough for Pop to circle around again this time coming in from slightly below and at the bombers belly. This time he selected the heavy cannon. Giving a longer lead he push the cannon’s firing button and the slow wham wham of the cannon spitting shells shook the fighter. It felt as if it were pushing it backwards. The first few rounds fell short but as the distance closed they hit hard penetrating the bombers thin skin and one wing of the V-1 slung under its starboard wing.
Pop broke off the attack just in time to avoid a collision with the German bomber. Pop this time went left and climbed, this time the German pilot saw the little fighter zip past him. He was startled and amazed at what he saw. He started yelling commands over the ships intercom to warn the gunners, but they were now dead the cannon shells had ended their lives as they ripped through the fuselage sending shards of shrapnel through the aircraft and them as well. The pilot ordered the release of the V-1. Quickly as he could another crewman trigger the sequence to start the V-1 motor and release it.
During his turn Pop lost sight of the bomber, the pilot had taken evasive action. Before Pop could reacquire the bomber the V-1 had separated and was streaking northwest towards London. This time Pop pressed in for the kill. On this pass he again used the remaining rounds of the cannon to puncture holes in the starboard wing of the bomber, most importantly its right engine. The little interceptor had struck a fatal spot, the bomber exploding just as Pop streaked past it. This time the bomber in its dying explosion sprayed pieces of hot molten metal into the tiny fighter. Fortunately nothing vital was hit but Pop did notice a slight change in its handling.
Now he turned towards the V-1 which had steadied on a course and altitude, the speed of the rocket interceptor quickly closed the distance between the two. They were approaching Canterberry, Pop lined up his sights and again pushed the trigger, nothing happened. He had forgotten two switch back the safety to expose the .50 cal’s trigger. Quickly he realized his error and flipped it over. Pushing on the trigger he felt the hammering of the .50 cal as it fired under him. He guided the tracers onto the target, as they were more accurate than the temporary gunsight at aiming at a target with a small cross section.
The tracers appeared to be striking the flying bomb but nothing was happening. He had to break off, he was getting too close. As Pop veered right he saw the V-1 suddenly veer left. Pop retarded the throttles to idle and reversed his turn, climbing slightly to bleed off airspeed. The V-1 started a death spiral. This is when he realized that the left wing was missing a foot or two of its length. He followed the bomb down until it impacted in a vacant field just outside of the city limits of Canterberry.
Pushing the throttles forward he climbed. As he did he felt an occasional shudder through the control stick, it was time to return to base. The flight had lasted only minutes but it proved that the aircraft could in fact shoot down an enemy aircraft, even the fast V-1 Buzz Bombs that other aircraft were hard pressed to catch and shoot down.
Pop could see north to the coastline, he also could make out the lakes near the airstrip where he needed to land. Over the radio he heard Fighter Command vectoring flights of fighters to intercept an unknown aircraft near Folkstone and others calling in asking for clearance to land because they were nearing the end of their fuel capacity. The window reserved for the test area had expired.
Easing lower and lower he lined up on the approach to the little strip. It was hard to see at first, he had to rely on landmarks which he had been briefed that would guide him into a position where he would clearly be able to see the strip. He slowed the aircraft down and lowered the landing gear.
Moving the flap lever to the down position the control surfaces on the back of the wings drooped to increase lift. When they did Pop felt the controls begin to shake. He was still in control so he continued on with the approach. He needed a short blast from the rockets to carry him towards the end of the airstrip. He purged the fuel system at the last possible second just before the wheels made contact with the ground and he deployed the drag chute. This was almost a fatal mistake.
Unknown to Pop the damage inflicted by the bomber’s explosion hit the right main landing gear wheel, ripping through the doors and shredding the tire. The added drag of the chute and the flat tire caused the ship to veer right. Instantly Pop stepped on the left rudder to compensate as well as pull the chute release handle all the way out, releasing the chute. This helped but it wasn’t enough. The little ship’s right main landing gear collapsed and it continue to head into the swampy area beside the strip. The right wing dug into the reeds and spun the aircraft even further to the right. When the left main wheel left the firmer ground of the airstrip it too dug into the reeds and snapped off. This caused the rear of the aircraft to raise almost standing it on its nose. Pop feared it was going to flip over leaving him upside down in a couple of feet of water with no way to open the canopy.
But it didn’t, it just dropped back flat on its belly and slide just a few feet more. The canard must have prevented it from flipping over. Pop instinctively shut everything down and secured the cockpit. Ground crewmen rushed to lend assistance to get Pop out of the aircraft. He sat there somewhat in shock, but glad to be alive.
“Better get a length of rope, no sense any one else getting their feet wet today.” He commented as he unfastened his seat belts and stood up on the seat. He released the landing gear lever, moving it to UP. Then he tied an perfect knot on a tie down ring on the nose of the aircraft just in front of the nose gear door. A knot his Scout Master would have been proud of. The other end of the line was tied to the back of one of the lorries.
The slack was taken up as the vehicle moved forward, the tension pulled the ship slightly forward causing the nose gear to retract and the little ship was dragged back onto the firmer ground of the airstrip with Pop sitting atop the fuselage behind the canopy.
Once beached the crews took care to safe the weapons and inspected the damage. Once the Test Director and Mr Smyth had a chance to see it for themselves it was covered with a tarp and netting to conceal it. A trailer would be required to carry it back to the shed or haul it elsewhere for repairs if that was the plan.
“I suppose you’ll want my Colonel tabs back now.” Pop Pickering said to Mr Smyth.
“Nonsense my boy, you proved the thing works. We knew there were risks, and we expected far worse than this with less results. You proved it viable and effective. Had you been landing at a real airfield you could have been inspected and advised to belly land or jump out if worse.” Mr Smyth consoled.
The decision to recommend that the Rocket Interceptor be repaired and further tested was made before Mr Smyth returned to brief Mr. Churchill. Everyone involved in the project took the rest of the day and night off. The ladies on the dinner wagon that evening didn’t get to leave until late that night being the center of attention for several gentlemen who needed an evening of dancing, singing which was made better by several pints of beer.
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