“Based on an intercepted enemy signal, 4.Div. is warned that an Allied air attack is to be expected in the Maastricht zone in the early hours of 11 May.”
On 10 May the Belgian Government requested the British and French to cooperate in a common attack on the bridges at Veldwezelt and Vroenhoven in German hands, and at Briegden, north of Veldwezelt. Although the Germans had not yet arrived at Briegden, it had to be destroyed before it could be captured. The Belgians were hoping that the Frontier Cyclists Battalion farther north would return. South of Briegden was 5.Comp/2.Carabiniers (Captain Louis).
The French and British found themselves fully occupied attacking German road convoys and were therefore unable to accede to the Belgian request. On the afternoon of 10 May, 5.Squadron (“Faucon Egyptien”) of 2.Group/3.Air Force Regt. received the order to destroy the bridges. For the purpose, pilots of 5 and 9 squadrons were to use Fairey Battle single-engined bombers. These aircraft were obsolete and slow. The machines had to be flown first to Aalter aerodrome (aerodrome No.26) because their local bases at Evere and Belcele had been bombed. Fifteen machines landed safely at Aalter.
The intention was to use three flights, each of three bombers, to attack the three bridges. The bombload for each bomber would be eight 50 kg bombs released electro-mechanically. The Fairey Battle could carry a 125 kg bomb, but none were available. The bombers were to be escorted by six Gloster Gladiators of 1.Squadron “La Comète” taking off from Culot aerodrome at Beauchevain. The mission was scheduled for early on 11 May, after dawn, for darkness would interfere with the precision of such a risky bombing operation. Orders and countermanding orders were now issued without obvious logic1, another example of the confusion reigning in the Belgian forces as a result of the lightning-nature of the German attack. These were the conditions prevailing when the three flights of nine Fairey Battle bombers took off.
The Fate of the Belgian Fighter Escort
As soon as the bombers were in the air, the Gloster Gladiator fighters were supposed to take off at 0700 hrs. This was poorly planned and adversely affected the mission because Me 109s were able to wipe out these fighters fairly easily. South-east of Tongeren they were attacked by eight Me 109s of 1/JG1 based at Gymnich. Sgt. Pirlot’s Gloster (G19) was shot down from behind by Uffz Emil Clade; Sgt Denis Rolin’s G-22 fired at and hit an Me 109 before being shot down by Lt Ludwig Franzisket. Rolin baled out to be captured on the ground and spent the war in a PoW camp. Afterwards he recalled:
“My steering was hit. When I realized I could not manouevre I jumped out over Heukelom. I watched my machine crash and then set off along the Tongeren-Maastricht road. After a few metres an unarmed soldier shouted at me in French to stop. I told him I was a pilot and wanted to rejoin my unit. He was Belgian. He took me to a farm (near Vroenhoven). Shortly after I retreated to a limestone grotto on the farm. There we were captured by the Germans after they threw a couple of grenades at us: one exploded and the other went off a few metres away but did no harm2.”
The third Galdiator was hit but Sgt Vandebroeck brought the machine back to base. The fighter battle lasted only a few minutes. The second wave of Belgian fighters fared no better. Gladiator G-25 (or possibly G-34) was shot down over Fexhe-Clins, the pilot Sgt Clinquart being killed. Captain Guisgands was wounded in a fight with a German aircrft but maintained control with difficulty and set the machine down on the Celles-Warenne road. Sgt Winand damaged an Me 109 before being hit and forced to return to base.
Without a fighter escort, which in any case had been of inadequate size, the Fairey Battle bombers were now served up on a plate to enemy fighters superior to them in speed and firepower. The Belgian bombers tried to reach their targets as quickly as possible at low level, thus avoiding German fighters, but to no avail.
The Bombers for Briegden
These three aircraft took off at 0700 hrs for the bridge at Briegden. The crew were all from 5.Flight less one man.
The three bombers came under friendly fire immediately after taking off and T-62 was shot down in flames. The two occupants baled out and were then fired on whilst descending by parachute until “captured”, when they managed to convince their fellow-countrymen that they were Belgians.