By 1215 hours all nine aircraft departed from the airport. They flew just below the fairly extensive cloud cover that hung at around 600 meters altitude. When the enemy would be seen they could hide into the clouds. The 236 flew into the same clouds but lost contact and therefore entered the target area slightly later. Near Rotterdam there was not a cloud to hide in so the squad climed to about 1.000 meters.

Above the island IJsselmonde was the flight atrackted the interest of two flights of Bf-109, of 6./JG27 and 1./JG51 , who flew protective coverage for German troops on the ground at the airport, so called Sperres [Sky blockades]. The D-XXI band split in a flight of three aircraft [213, 224, 238] that entered into a dogfight with the overwelming bf109 force, the other flight would continue to escort the bombers. These last two D-XXI's were also forced into the dogfight with the Bf-109's, so that the bombers were left completely on their own without further protection.

Leutnant Julius Neumann of 6./JG27 was pilot of one of the Bf-109's. He was in a dogfight with first lieutenant Bodaan. Lieutenant Antoine Bodaan had been in a dogfight twice before that day, but the third time was fatal. He would get a MWO4 for his courage and commitment. His body was only recovered on May 26 at Rhoon. It appeared he had a machine gun bullet in the back. Tragic, but given the unarmoured D-XXI pilot seats not a real surprise.

Lieutenant Plesman emptied his four machine guns in the back of a Bf-109, saw his bullets strike, but could not determine whether his opponent crashed.

Lieutenant Plesman - son of the famous Albert Plesman - flew 10 sorties in May 1940, for which he was awarded the Bronze Lion. In December 1940 Jan Plesman escaped with second lieutenant observer GAC Overgauw from the Netherlands via France and Spain and reached England. Exactly one year later - December 1941 - he made his first solo flight in a Spitfire. After flying with British squadrons in the summer of 1943 he becomes commander of B Flight in 322 'Dutch' squadron. On September 1, 1944 when flying over St. Omer in France he is shot and crashes his Spitfire in the forest south of Hazebrouck. Curiously Jan Plesman is still listed as 'Missing in action'. His body was never recovered. A recent search for Jan Plesman's Spitfire and his body did not result in success but did reveal the wreak of a German fighter with the remains of the pilot still on board. Therefore the search was not entirely fruitless. To date, this Plesman (his brother died in a air accident when flying for the KLM) is still missing in action and his name is recalled in the corner of the Dutch Cemetery in Orry-la-Ville (Fr.).

The other three D-XXI's entered in individual air battles, but broke it off and escaped further confrontation with the superior german fighter force. They would all find their own way back to their base. After a dogfight with two Bf-109's the 239 was however so badly damaged that the the plane was a total loss. Thus two much-needed fighters were lost.

The last D-XXI [236] that had lost contact earlier flew - unaware of the German fighters - and straffed Waalhaven at low altitude to find that the bombs of the TV'n fell round him on the airport.

Crash

The TV's continued in the direction of Waalhaven when the five fighters escorting them kept the German Bf-109's away. Thus the escort was lost but they could maintain the attack formation and an excellent 'bomb-run' was made. After the three TV's dropped their 1200 kg bombs they pulled up and headed southwest. The D-XXI 236, just behind the bombers had straffed the field and saw the TV'n turn away and tried to join them. Hoever It was too late. A group of six Bf-109's 1./JG.51 threw themselves on the bombers on the outside of the formation and after the first enemy attack both bombers were in flames. Both the 854 and 862 were lost. The TV 856 was the only bomber to safely return back to Schiphol.

The 854 was soon after the German first salvos in flames and crashed at the Oud- Beijerland in the Hoekse Waard. The 862 shared the same fate of the 854 and crashed burning near the ground. Leutnant Hans Strehl and Oskar Oberfeldwebel 1./JG51 claimed these victories.

Because of the low altitude at which they flew, only one of the occupants of both units barely saved his live by parachute. Sergeant den Hartog [of 854] nonetheless got seriously injured when landed. Eight airmen were killed, just like the fighter pilot Bodaan. The price to be paid for the successful bombing was very high in people and (rare) equipment.

The air attacks on Waalhaven were carried out by extraordinarily courageous aircrews who deliberately went into an airspace in which their opponents were superior in quality and quantity, and knew they probably could not escape alive from a confrontation. The performance of this select group of soldiers was extraordinary.

Crew

The crews for the operation looked like this.

854:

1e lt-vl-wn (KNIL) W.J.E. Künzel,

res 2e lt-wn F.H. Stoovelaar,

sm-vl A.J.C. Oostindië,

dpl sgt P. Boon en

dpl sgt boordschutter J. den Hartog.

856:

res 1e lt-vl. J.J. Abspoel,

res 1e lt-wn P.J.G. Mulders,

res sgt-vl. A.P.L. Bia,

sgt-capitulant boordschutter J. Hollander en

sgt-capitulant boordschutter B. Ouwerkerk

862:

res 1e lt-vl. F.H. Groen,

res 1e lt-wn L.J.W. Blommesteyn,

sgt-vl (adsp res off) F.P. Espeet als boordschutter en

dpl soldaat boordschutter H. Kuiper .

213: res sgt-vl. G. Burger

224: res sgt-vl. B. de Geus

235: res 2e lt-vl. J.C. Plesman

236: res 2e lt-vl. H.B. Sitter

238: res 1e lt-vl. A.H. Bodaan (commandant)

239: res sgt-vl. C.Ch. Steensma

Aircraft (Type)

Fokker TV

The Fokker TV was a two-engine aircraft that was designed as a fighter-bomber. It was designed and built by Fokker. It was quite a modern design for its time and was used by the Dutch Aviation Department, the Department of the Air Force bomber.