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Re: If you could travel back in time to ONE historic event.

Posted by Timmy on Wed Apr 17, 2002 09:18:21 AM

In reply top If you could travel back in time to ONE historic event..... posted by Karen on Mon Apr 15, 2002 01:23:22 PM

Tough one.

I'd be on Ypenburg airfield near The Hague, on the morning of May 15th 1940. and watch how sgt. Roos and Focquin de Grave, both flying a Fokker D-21shoot down 7 german aircaft together. Roos scoring a kill on one Bf-110 by jettisonning his canopy because he was about to bail out of his shot up aircraft. The canopy he jettisonned got stuck in the right engine of the pursuing Bf-110, sending it straight to the ground. Seeing the Messerschmitt go down encouraged him to fight on, in spite of his heavily damaged aircraft. He got into a cloud, and when he came out, he found himself perfectly aligned on the tail of one of the remaining 110's, which he subsequently shot to pieces, a bit later he got the third pursuer because his little Fokker could turn thighter. Finally he was shot down by dutch AA fire. Was knocked out, as well as knocked out of the cockpit, and came to, just in time to open his chute. Focquin de Grave managed to shoot down 4 Jerry's on the first day, against overwhelming odds. Both heroes. Roos died in 42.

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