page_title: Operation Benedict
section_title: 14–27 September
hierarchical_section_title: Operation Benedict / 151 Wing operations / 14–27 September
caption_attribution_description: Catalog #: 15_002211 Title: Petlyakov Pe-2 Peshka (Pawn) Date: 1940 Collection: Charles M. Daniels Collection Photo Album Name: Soviet Aircraft Page #: 4 Tags: Soviet Aircraft, Charles Daniels, PUBLIC COMMONS.SOURCE INSTITUTION: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive
context_page_description: Operation Benedict was the establishment of Force Benedict with units of the Soviet Air Forces in north Russia, during the Second World War. The force comprised 151 Wing Royal Air Force, with two squadrons of Hawker Hurricane fighters. The wing flew against the Luftwaffe and the Suomen Ilmavoimat from Vaenga in the northern USSR and trained Soviet pilots and ground crews to operate the Hurricanes, when their British pilots and ground crews returned to Britain.
  Twenty-four Hurricanes were delivered by Operation Strength, flying direct to Vaenga from the aircraft carrier HMS Argus but Operation Dervish, the first Arctic convoy, was diverted from Murmansk to Archangelsk, another 400 mi on. The fifteen Hurricanes for 151 Wing, delivered in crates, had to be assembled at Keg Ostrov airstrip. Despite primitive conditions, the Hurricanes were readied in nine days, with excellent co-operation from the Russian authorities; the aircraft flew to Vaenga on 12 September.
  In five weeks of operations, 151 Wing claimed 16 victories, four probables and seven aircraft damaged.
context_section_description: "Nudger" Smith was buried on 14 September at a village overlooking the Kola Inlet. On 17 September 81 Squadron was to escort Soviet bombers but German aircraft were reported near the Kola Inlet and the squadron was scrambled and climbed to 5,000 ft (1,500 m) below low cloud. Without warning, the Hurricanes were bounced by Bf 109s, one of which missed a Hurricane, overshot and was promptly shot down, as were three more by other pilots, for no loss. One patrol was flown on 19 September in poor misty weather and next day, two patrols were flown in similar weather. The first real snow fell on 22 September for about ten minutes, leaving a clear sky then began again, leaving the aircraft dispersals and the sand runway full of puddles. Next morning was fine and 81 Squadron escorted Petlyakov Pe-2 light bombers raiding a target in Norway, the Hurricane pilots finding it necessary to fly very fast to keep up. Weather forecasters said that now that the snow had come, the British could expect about six days' decent weather a month.
  On 25 September, the weather improved in the afternoon and Kuznetsov made his first flight in a Hurricane. Bomber escort missions would continue but in second place to the programme to convert Russian pilots and ground crews to the British fighter. On the same day, 81 Squadron was briefed to escort bombers and dive-bombers who were to attack German ground troops near Petsamo; A Flight would cover the dive-bombers and B Flight the medium bombers. A Flight made a formation take-off and then the Pe-2 dive-bombers from a nearby airstrip, followed by B Flight and then the Pe-2 FTs, the Hurricanes flying 1,000 ft (300 m) above the bombers. The flight to the target and the bombing was uneventful but soon after turning for home, B Flight was bounced by six Bf 109s, three of which were shot down for no loss. The weather on 27 September was very good with some high cloud and 81 Squadron took off again to escort Russian bombers and shot down two more Bf 109s. On the other side of the airfield, 134 Squadron had flown a similar number of patrols and escort sorties but had not been in action against any German aircraft. Around noon, a Junkers Ju 88 flew over Vaenga and 134 Squadron was scrambled. The ground was so wet that the pilots needed a lot of throttle to move and two airmen per aircraft hung over the back of the fuselage to keep the tail down. When the Ju 88 appeared, Flight Lieutenant Vic Berg tried to take off before the airmen had alighted from the tail. When Berg took off the Hurricane rose vertically for about 60 ft (18 m), then dived into the ground, the two airmen on the back being killed and Berg receiving severe leg injuries.
caption: Petlyakov Pe-2 Peshka (Pawn) (14467132393)
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