John Livermore BISHOP

Source : Andy

Spitire Vc (t) du 4th FS/52nd FG

Mission: three high-tonnage freighters in the port of Nice

Take off: from Calvi at 1:55 p.m.

Shot by Ofw. Siegfried Lemke in Fw 190 at 4:30 p.m.

Map of Rhône American Cemetery

On February 9, the cloud cover became less dense and since the morning USAAF reconnaissance flights resumed.

On the return of one of them, once the pictures had been taken, it was established that three heavy cargo ships were present in the port of Nice.

Immediately a mission is mounted.

It is the responsibility of the 52nd FG to sink the ships as long as they are immobile.

Four Spitfire Vc (t) take off from Calvi at 13:55.

They are commanded by F/O James Howe Jr Montgomery whose callsign is "Black 1".

4:30 p.m.: The flight "Yellow" under the orders of Major William M. Houston flies over the scene of the previous combat at 7000 feet. It is at this time that two enemy aircraft are reported at 6 a.m. arriving in the sun which has just timidly appeared for a few minutes. The formation did not have time to achieve a "break" before "Yellow 2", 2nd Lt John Livermore Bishop, was hit by a targeted burst that destroyed his aircraft and forced him to abandon it.

The five Spitfires reformed and faced their adversaries who adopted an offensive posture, avoiding any spinning combat. Their flight pattern consists of attacking from a high position, shooting while diving, crossing the enemy formation and reaching a high altitude in order to start again.

The Spitfires could not keep up with the rhythm imposed by the Luftwaffe pilots and contented themselves with circling in a defensive attitude without being able to find effective firing solutions. The Focke Wulfs make six passes on the same pattern without their shots damaging anyone and then breaking the fight. 2nd Lt Burnett ("Yellow 5") claims to have hit one of the assailants whose plane began to emit smoke.

Lt Bishop will never be found.