No. 56 Squadron, over France

At about ten minutes past three on a clear afternoon, ‘A’ Flight is on what Coghlan describes as a ‘flap patrol’ over Lille. He is at 6,000 feet, but seems to have become detached from his formation, which is somewhere astern at about 8,000 feet. He sees a formation of Hurricanes heading south-east, but then spots black anti-aircraft fire behind them — quaintly he calls it “archie” — and the Hurricanes resolve into a formation of fifteen He111 bombers flying in five vics of three. He approaches the bombers on a rapid climb.  Coghlan enagages the left-hand He111 of the rear vic.  By this time the other Hurricanes, having started their pursuit from 2,000 feet higher, have almost caught up.

The Heinkel’s lower rear gunner engages Coghlan with tracer, but Coghlan silences him with a burst to the fuselage at a range of about 200 yards. Coghlan then concentrates on the engines, closing to 150 yards: one burst to the port engine and another to the starboard. White smoke streams from both, and the Heinkel breaks away, turning to port in a slight dive. Coghlan disengages. He’s run out of ammunition. A Hurricane carries 2,400 rounds, giving only about 15 seconds’ fire. He claims the Heinkel as a ‘probable’.