The Battle of Britain Five Months That Changed History, May—October 1940 by James Holland (z-lib.org).epub

resources. In any case, it was the Luftwaffe that was supposed to be doing
the attacking, not the RAF. The raids by the Blenheims on the airmen
waiting to assault Britain also had an important psychological effect. They
helped underline the point that the RAF was a determined and defiant foe.
‘The war against England will be more difficult for us than against France,’
jotted Siegfried. ‘Can’t back down! Dedication!’
One of those Blenheim pilots causing so much irritation was Arthur
Hughes, who had been passed fit for flying duties once more at the end of
June. Immediately requesting a transfer to fighters, he’d been turned down
and sent back to 18 Squadron, which was now part of 2 Group Bomber
Command. It had been re-designated a medium-bomber squadron since he
had been away, but he discovered he had missed little; most of the time the
squadron had been rebuilding since being decimated in France. Still, there
were a few familiar faces who had seemed genuinely pleased to see him
back, and despite the isolation of the airfield – near the north Norfolk coast
– he had been pleased to get back into the swing of things.
Poor weather over the Continent had hampered operations in the middle
of July, most of which had been directed against Dutch barges and airfields
in France. Despite the weather, however, there had still been a steady loss of
pilots and crew. Then, at the end of the month, he received a great fillip
when he and three others had all been awarded the DFC. ‘I shall at least
have something to show,’ he noted, ‘and P/O A Hughes DFC will look
much more imposing in the casualty lists!’ It was hard not to think of the
dangers. Barely a mission went by without one of their Blenheims failing to
make it back. There were now heavy flak concentrations over the enemy
coast, and around any of the airfields, ports and industrial targets they
visited as well the fighters held back to defend them. And they were still
operating during daylight hours.
Arthur found his mood swung constantly. One moment he was feeling
daring and excited at the thought of being able to hit back; the next,
overcome by the steady erosion of odds. ‘The future stretches ahead in a
dreary succession of nerve-wracking sorties,’ he jotted on 2 August, ‘from
which there is no release save death or maiming – a future in which all the
kindly gentle arts are subordinated to that one mad end: mutual
destruction.’ Earlier that morning, he had bombed Rotterdam, and within
five seconds of dropping his bombs was being hammered at by German
flak. On that occasion, however, he made it back unscathed, but any shard