The Canucks broke into the dive bomber formations taking a few out in the first pass. It was desperate though. Backup was a few minutes out and they were outnumbered. Their efforts would spare the convoy and at some price to the bombers.
Late that afternoon the Germans launched a second attack on Jaunty. The convoy was nearly at the mouth of the Thames so their flightpath would take them right over the Group 11 Airfields. Perhaps in reponse to the earlier fighting they doubled the escort, 72 aicraft covering 30 Ju-87s.
I scrambled every squadron in Groups 11, 12, and 13. All patrols in the air were vectored to the escorts.
This was the result.
