On a daring daylight mission across the Western Front in 1942, a Luftwaffe pilot got separated
from his formation.
But he was not worried, as he was piloting a Focke-Wulf Fw 190.
Known as the 'Butcher Bird,' this plane was lauded for its speed, agility, and lethality,
proving superior to the early variants of the Royal Air Force's Supermarine Spitfire.
For almost a year by then, this German fighter plane had instilled dread among the Royal
Air Force's highest ranks, causing a spike in casualties among their most esteemed wings.
The German pilot knew any ordinary RAF pilot faced with confronting his airborne menace
would likely lose the ensuing dogfight.
But that day, he was pitted against no ordinary pilot - he was up against the legendary Johnnie
Johnson.
Johnson, whose skills in the cockpit were renowned across the world, had an uncanny
ability to predict enemy movements and an astounding victory score.
The solitary German pilot was about to discover what made James Edgar Johnson the highest-scoring
Western Allied fighter ace against the German Luftwaffe.
Against All Odds
James Edgar Johnson, an Englishman with a civil engineering degree and a passion for
aircraft, began flying lessons in the 1930s, hoping to join the Royal Air Force one day.
While class prejudice blocked his first attempt to join the branch, the RAF opened its ranks
to all classes as the shadow of war loomed once again.
Johnnie tried again, only to face rejection due to an unresolved injury he'd received
on his collarbone during a rugby match.
Undeterred and ready to serve his nation, he joined the Leicestershire Yeomanry, a Territorial
Army unit.
One day, while riding his horse in his non-combat role, he spotted a line of Hawker Hurricane
fighters.
This single-seat fighter aircraft, used by the Royal Air Force throughout World War 2,
was a high-performance fighter with an iconic elliptical wing and the pride and joy of the
Royal Air Force.
The pilot recalled thinking: [QUOTE]
"If I've got to fight Hitler I'd sooner fight him in one of those than on a bloody great
horse!".
In August 1939, Johnnie's persistence won when the RAF Volunteer Reserve accepted him.
War's declaration the following month put his training on the fast track, and, finally,
he was selected as a fighter pilot.
From The Ground Up
For a year, Johnson honed his skills, learning about formation flying, mastering attacks,
battle climbs, aerobatics, dogfighting, and finally, piloting a Supermarine Spitfire solo.
During one training flight, his lingering arm injury flared up, causing his Spitfire
to crash.
His commanding officer forgave the mistake, attributing it to inexperience, but Johnson
felt the weight of scrutiny.
Knowing he couldn't afford another misstep to mitigate the pain, the hopeful pilot packed
his injured shoulder with wool and tightened his harness straps.
Johnnie's resilience saw him through training, and on August 28, 1940, he earned his wings
and a place in the RAF's General Duties Branch as a pilot officer, just as the Battle of
Britain loomed.
Yet, with his pain persisting, military doctors offered him a tough choice: to undergo an
operation and miss the battle or become a training instructor.
Johnson chose the operation and a hiatus from flying.
Returning to the squadron in late 1940, the medical staff declared him fit to fly after
a successful test flight.
Johnnie's journey to the skies was finally about to take flight.
The Mentorship
After recovering from his hospital stay, a now fully fit Johnnie Johnson joined his squadron
in the Spring of 1941, only to discover his new commander was none other than the legendary
ace Douglas Bader.
A highly decorated pilot who'd lost both legs in a pre-war flying accident, Bader was an
aggressive tactician who was one of the first to advocate for the Big Wing theory, operations
involving large formations of fighters engaging the enemy simultaneously to maximize offensive
impact.
Bader, a firm believer in the Spitfire's superiority over German Luftwaffe aircraft, taught the
young and impressionable Johnson and all the other pilots in his squadron the importance
of discipline and teamwork.
Under Bader's command, they participated in sweeps and Circus operations, where the branch
would send bombers, escorted by a large number of fighters, to attack targets in continental
Europe during the daytime.
The goal of these operations was two-fold: to lure the German aircraft into a fight,
and to provide combat experience for inexperienced pilots like Johnson, causing a great deal
of controversy.
Johnson was ready to take on this challenge.
In The Crosshairs
On June 26, 1941, Johnson was flying as a part of Douglas Bader's No. 616 Squadron over
Lille, France, when the group engaged in a fierce fight with the Luftwaffe.
Johnson became tangled in a dogfight with a German Messerschmitt Bf 109, and, acting
swiftly and as instructed by Bader, while still trying to assimilate that his dreams
were finally coming true, Johnson outmaneuvered his opponent and successfully took him down.
Johnson's first confirmed aerial victory bolstered the pilot's confidence, resulting in two more
Bf 109s downed, two others damaged, and a shared claim on another the following month,
But August unveiled a grim reality of war.
On the 9, while the Wing covered a bombing attack in Pas de Calais, France, Bader defied
rules and flew with faulty equipment.
In an ensuing dogfight with German aircraft, his Spitfire was hit.
After almost being unable to eject due to one of his artificial legs becoming trapped
in the cockpit, Bader parachuted safely.
However, in occupied France, the legendary ace stood no chance of evading capture.
Bader's loss was a heavy blow to the Wing he'd inspired and led.
When Johnson was promoted to flight lieutenant and awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
in September, he was acutely aware that his success was due to his resolve and talent
and the lessons learned from his Wing Commander.
The Ascending Ace
After several stagnant months due to harsh weather conditions, the RAF Fighter Command
reignited its aggressive strategy in April 1942, resuming large-scale operations.
During this period, Johnnie participated in seven sweeping operations, taking down as
many enemy aircraft as possible.
However, the battlefield had shifted; the Luftwaffe had deployed a fresh combatant in
the sky: the formidable Focke-Wulf Fw 190.
Outperforming the Spitfire at altitudes below 25,000 feet, the Fw 190 boasted a faster roll
rate, superior firepower, and the ability to out-dive and out-climb its British counterpart.
The introduction of this new adversary spurred a surge in Spitfire squadron casualties that
highly concerned high-ranking officials within the RAF.
While the British were developing a new Spitfire variant, Johnson and his comrades had to face
this new threat head-on.
On April 15, 1942, pilot Johnson marked his first engagement with the Fw 190, managing
to inflict damage on the German aircraft.
Yet, for the rest of the year, the type had the upper hand in aerial encounters.
Nevertheless, Johnson's combat record continued to rise.
His rising tally of victories against Bf 109's led to increased recognition and responsibility,
and on July 10, he was promoted to squadron leader, taking command of the 610 Squadron.
By this time, the Allies were preparing for a significant operation.
Raid On Dieppe
The Dieppe raid, launched on August 19, 1942, represented an audacious gambit to test the
feasibility of a large-scale amphibious assault on the heavily fortified French coast, then
under German control.
On this high-stakes day, for his first major mission as a commander, Johnson, leading the
610 Squadron in Operation Jubilee, was charged with providing air cover for the invasion
force and engaging with enemy aircraft.
The operation severely tested Johnson's leadership skills.
Throughout the day, Johnson's squadron faced relentless attacks from waves of German fighters,
encountering approximately 50 Bf 109s and Fw 190s in various configurations.
That morning, while in a soaring climb, Johnson succeeded in downing an Fw 190, his first,
which plummeted into the sea.
He also contributed to taking down a Bf 109F with another of his men.
While returning to base, Johnson challenged an on-alert Fw 190, resulting in a head-on
dogfight that descended from 8,000 to almost zero feet.
Over Dieppe, Johnson made a daring dive towards a destroyer, hoping its retaliatory fire would
fend off the Fw 190 now on his tail.
The risky maneuver paid off, and Johnson safely landed back at his RAF base less than three
hours after taking off.
For the rest of the year, the 610 squadron was relocated to RAF Castletown in September
1942 to safeguard the Royal Navy fleet at Scapa Flow.
Promotions
After Christmas, Johnson was promoted to Wing Commander and assumed leadership of the 172
Kenley Wing, a group largely composed of Canadians.
The New Year brought a new weapon to their arsenal - the Spitfire IX.
Designed as an answer to the formidable Fw 190, it featured an upgraded engine and increased
firepower.
This aircraft demonstrated outstanding performance at high and low altitudes, and its superior
maneuverability enabled expert pilots like Johnson to dominate in close-quarters dogfights
against the German aircraft.
Johnson's first face-off against an Fw 190 in February 1943 ended with a probable victory.
Satisfied with its performance, he chose the Spitfire IX as his aircraft.
Ignoring advice from his intelligence officer, Johnson kept the call sign 'JE-J' on his Spitfire
and used 'Greycap Leader' as his own moniker.
By the fall of 1943, Johnson's victory tally rose to 25 confirmed kills.
After a well-deserved six-month break, Johnson returned in March 1944 as the leader of the
144 Wing.
This group, also Canadian, formed part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force, a vital component
of the Allied invasion apparatus.
The End Is Near
On June 6, 1944, Johnson spearheaded his squadron of Spitfires as they dominated the skies over
Normandy.
Their task was to shield the ground troops from any Luftwaffe threats during the invasion.
But, owing to the successful Allied air campaign prior to D-Day, the Luftwaffe's presence was
reduced significantly.
Johnson and his wing found the skies mostly empty, yet the mission continued.
As the Allies progressed inland, the 144 Wing provided relentless support, hunting down
and attacking German ground targets, disrupting supply lines and fortifications, and playing
a vital role in the march toward victory.
As June 1944 drew to a close, Johnnie Johnson's victories surpassed the famed ace "Sailor"
Malan's record of 32, catching the media's attention.
Johnson, however, downplayed his accomplishment, asserting: [QUOTE]
"it was the duty of any leader to have their pilots destroy as many enemy aircraft as possible,
not gain personal victories."
On August 23, 1944, Johnson defeated two Fw 190s.
In the aftermath, he found himself isolated, far from his wing.
Spotting a squadron of six planes, he joined them, misinterpreting a signal and erroneously
believing they were allies.
Too late, he realized his mistake: he had joined a group of enemy Me109s.
With quick thinking, Johnson escaped into the sun's blinding glare, evading the enemies.
His Spitfire took a hit in the wing root, but the supercharger's boost kept him safe.
He swiftly switched Spitfires back at the base, undeterred, and plunged back into the
fray.
On September 27, 1944, using the sun as his cloak, Johnson ambushed and downed a German
Focke-Wulf 190, notching up his 38th victory.
In the spring of 1945, he was promoted to Group Captain and command of the 125 Wing.
Despite this primarily administrative role, he frequently led the wing in the field.
By April, Johnson's missions found only friendly Russian aircraft over Berlin.
Soon after, the war in Europe ended.
With 38 victories against single-engine fighters by World War 2's end, Johnson emerged as the
top-scoring Allied Ace against the Luftwaffe.
Post-war, Johnson continued serving in the Royal Air Force, including stints in Korea,
Germany, England, and the Middle East, until his retirement in 1966 as an Air Vice-Marshal.
But he didn't stop there.
He channeled his vast experiences into a series of influential books.
Today, he stands not only as one of the most celebrated aces in history but also as a leading
authority on World War 2 air combat.
Thanks for journeying through history with us today!
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