Robert Allen "Bob" Kipp

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U.S. Bombers Knock Down 117 Fighters

London, Dec. 12, 1943 - (AP) – Canadian Mosquito planes made a sweep over the Bourges-Avord Air Field in France today after the aerial offensive against Germany was carried forward with an R.A.F. Mosquito attack on unspecified Western German targets Saturday night and a Saturday day smash at Emden by United States heavy bombers. The Canadians destroyed a Heinkel 111 and severely damaged another of these twin-engined bombers that were used by the Germans it the 1940 night raids on Britain. F/O J. R. F. Johnson of St, Thomas, Ont, destroyed the Heinkel, while the other was damaged by Flt. Lt. Bob Kipp, Kamloops, B.C. None of the Canadian planes was lost during the sweep. (Officially they shared the 2 planes -ed)
This was the only announced air activity today, but Vichy radio said Allied planes had scattered leaflets over Paris urging workers to revolt.
The United States Emden raiders downed 138 German fighters, while 17 American bombers and three fighters were lost.
Continental radio stations shut down Sunday alight, suggesting new attacks. The Federal Communications Commission in New York said the Bremen, Friesland and Luxembourg stations had gone off the air. The BBC said the station at Hilversum in the Netherlands also shut down abruptly.
In Saturday's raid, a total of 11 of the German planes fell to the United States bombers and 21 to the fighters. Fliers reported German fighters machine-gunned men who parachuted from cripple bombers.
A heavy toll of Nazi planes was apparently due to the tact that the Nazis rose to fight in considerable numbers for .the first time in several weeks. The increased armament of the heavy bombers also was cited as a possible reason for the heavy score.
The Germans tried a new tactic in swarming in four and five abreast, returning fliers said, but they gave indications of inexperience and a lack of eagerness
Emden, a great shipping and industrial centre probably serving the Germans as a lifeline to their forces in Scandinavia, is situated on a more or less direct air line from Britain to Berlin and is a logical area for the Germans to concentrate their fighter forces seeking to intercept the R.A.F. Berlin raiders.
Since it is also the nearest German naval and submarine base to the British Isles, the chances are that the Allied Aerial Command was out to smash the German's ability to wage U-boat warfare.
The assault broke a week's lull due to weather in the heavy bombing campaign from Britain.

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American Aircraft Strike at Germany

Emden Raided Saturday When Nazis Lost 138 of Their Fighters

London, Dec. 13, 1943 —(AP)— Strong forces of American heavy bombers thundered through concentrations of enemy fighter planes and flak today in a new daylight assault on one of the most heavily-bombed regions of the world—northwest Germany,
Targets Not Specified
Specific targets were not immediately named in the 8th Air Force announcement, but some of the most important cities in the Reich lie in the northwest territory, including battered Hamburg, Wilhelmshafen, Bremen and Emden.
It was over Emden Saturday that the German air force sacrificed 138 of its fighters in a futile attempt to block the big American bombers from a pulverizing assault on the city.
Britain's tireless fleet of Mosquito bombers penetrated Germany for the third successive night last night for a series of lightning attacks on German targets in the western Reich.
Today's formations were shepherded by protective swarms of American fighters which have been accompanying the bombers all the way to their targets lately.
It was the fourth heavy raid of the month for the Americans. Solingen was hit December 1; unspecified targets in occupied France were hit heavily December 5, and a smashing blow at Emden was delivered Saturday.
The ascending scale of operations by these swift, all-wood raiders—alarming city after city in their sweeping course—is similar to the light bombing program which preceded the last group of heavy attacks on half-devastated Berlin.
The Mosquitoes went to work during the day with low-level attacks in northwestern Germany, returning that night and again Saturday night, when they ranged over western Germany.
An Air Ministry communique said one of the twin-engined bombers is missing from last night's operations.
The foray followed a similar operation by the Mosquitoes Saturday night in which a number of unidentified targets were attacked and a sweep by Canadian-manned Mosquitoes over France by daylight yesterday in which a twin-engined Heinkel-111 was shot down and another damaged over Bourges-Avord airfield. F/O J. R. F. Johnson, of St. Thomas, Ont., and F/L Bob Kipp, of Kamloops, B.C., were the victors in these air duels.

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R.C.A.F.'S BAG DURING WEEK INCLUDES SUB

Ottawa, Dec. 17, 1943 (CP). — Mosquito pilots of the, R.C.A.F. overseas destroyed one Heinkel 111 and damaged another during the last week, while the two-man crew of another Mosquito shot down three of four bombers destroyed over England last Friday and a Coastal Command Flying Fortress, whose second pilot was a Canadian, sank a U-boat after two depth-charge attacks.
In addition, the R.C.A.F. said in a summary of overseas operations tonight, Spitfire squadrons of the RCAF were active last Monday carrying out sweeps in support of United States Flying Fortresses and Liberators hammering targets in Northwest Germany. Two squadrons later escorted Marauders of the United States Army Air Force in an attack on Schipol airfield in Amsterdam.
Last Tuesday PO. C. B. Witt of Morden, Man., shared in the victory of a Coastal Command Beaufighter squadron off the coast of Norway. Two Beaufighters were patrolling when they saw a Dornier three-engined, long-range flying boat ahead. They immediately attacked it and set it on fire.
Crew of the Fighter Command Mosquito which destroyed three bombers last Friday was FO. R. D. Schultz of Bashaw, Alta., and FO. Vernon Williams of Hamilton, the plane's pilot and navigator respectively.
They took off to intercept enemy bombers attacking England and shot down a Dornier 217, blowing it up in mid-air. They then encountered and destroyed another DO 217; accounting for their third victim after their own aircraft had been damaged and was flying on only one engine.

New Base Effective
The Coastal Command plane which sank the U-boat was captained by an Englishman. The submarine was the first victim to fall to a squadron operating from newly acquired bases in the Azores.
FO. D. Thompson of Westmount, Que., second pilot, described the second attack against the U-boat as "a beautiful straddle."
The Heinkel 111 shot down Sunday was destroyed by Flt. Lt. Robert Kipp of Kamloops, B.C. The second Heinkel was severely damaged by FO. J. Johnson of Omemee. Kipp's navigator was FO. Pete Huletsky of Montreal and Johnson's was FO. J. Gibbons of Vancouver. The combat occurred in daylight over France.
Squadrons commanded by Sqdn. Ldr. E. L. (Jeep) Neal, D.F.C., of Quebec; Sqdn. Ldr. I. G. Ormston, D.F.C., of Montreal; Sqdn. Ldr. George C. Keefer, D.F.C., of Charlottetown; Sqdn. Ldr. R. A. Buckham, D.F.C. (United States), and Sqdn. Ldr. G. M. Magwood, D.F.C., of Toronto carried out sweeps on Monday.
In close escort of United States heavy bombers were squadrons commanded by Sqdn. Ldr. G. W. Northcott, D.F.C., of Minnedosa, Man., and Sqdn. Ldr. F. E. Green, D.F.C, of Toronto.
The squadrons commanded by Buckham and Northcott escorted the American marauders in their attack on Schipol airfield.

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1944

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CANADIANS GET NAZI FIGHTERS

Kamloops, Montreal Combination Scores

London, Feb. 19, 1944 — (CP Cable) — R.C.A.F, Mosquito bombers on an intruder patrolling operation last night destroyed two Messerschmitt 410's over an enemy base in northern France, R.C.A.F. headquarters here announced today.
All Canadian planes returned safely from the patrol.
Both enemy planes were credited to Flight-Lieut. Bob Kipp, of Kamloops, B.C. His pilot (Navigator - ed) was F/O (Peter) Huletsky, of Montreal.
The victories came near Juvincourt in northern France, and were scored against planes returning from last night's raid on London.
(The trip was the 13th together for the pair. Their leave was supposed to start 2 hours before they took off but they decided to get the 13th trip over with so they wouldn’t have to look forward to it when they returned from their furlough -ed)

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DAMAGED PLANE REACHES TARGET

Ottawa, Feb. 26, 1944 — (CP) — Severely damaged during 11 attacks by enemy night fighters, an R.C.A.F. Halifax bomber continued to its target of Leipzig, bombed it and then returned to base to provide the highlight of last week's bomber activity, the R.C.A.F. reported today, in it’s weekly summary of operations.

Lost Tall Fin
The big aircraft, piloted by F/O Bill Blake, of Hamilton, and a member of the Canadian bomber group's Ghost squadron, suffered loss of its starboard tail fin and the port undercarriage and several of the inter communications and oxygen lines.
“I never saw so many fighters,” said Blake later. “The sky seemed to be full of them.”
While the Bombers were adding to their laurels, the Canadian fighter pilots too were busy making history.
S/L C.A. Anderson, of Toronto, a former Sunday school teacher who never before had bagged a plane, got two hi-speed German bombers, a Junkers 88 and a Junkers 188, in 20 minutes last Tuesday night while the Germans were bombing London.
From his night-fighter Mosquito, Anderson sent the JU-88 flaming into the sea and watched the 188 explode after crashing on the ground.
S/L Anderson’s navigator on this trip was P/O George Bodard of Mannville Alberta.
Two Messerschmitt 410's, returning from a previous raid on London, ran afoul of a Canadian night fighter Mosquito over their base near Juvincourt, northern France, and were shot down. The Mosquito was piloted by F/L Bob Kipp, of Kamloops, B.C. and its navigator was F/O Peter s Huletsky of Montreal.
The trip was the 13th together for the pair. Their leave was supposed to start two hours before they took off but they decided to get the 13th trip over with and not have it to look forward to at the end of their furlough.
Canadians in Coastal Command also were busy and Monday night Albacore dive-bombers of an RCAF squadron attacked and damaged two enemy E-boats in the English Channel.

News of Activity
From Italy came news of activity by the "City of Windsor" squadron. Monday four of its Spitfires tackled a vastly-superior enemy force over the Anzio beachhead, compelling the Germans to flee. Flight-Lieut. Hedley Everard of Timmins, Ont., is believed to have brought down a Messerschmitt 109.
W/O Tom Bradshaw, of Edmonton, pilot of an RAF Wellington bomber, was, bringing his aircraft home from a bombing at Anzio when icing caused an engine to go dead and the aircraft went into a violent spiral. Bradshaw ordered his crew to jump but he stuck to his plane. Five hundred feet from the ground he conquered the spiral and flew safely back to base.
Heavy R.C.A.F. bombers were out on "ops" three nights. Lancasters and, Halifaxes helped attack Leipzig and Stuttgart, and on a third operation, Halifaxes laid mines in enemy waters.
The squadrons which attacked the German industrial centers included several recently converted to Halifaxes from medium bombers, including the French-Canadian Alouette squadron, on operations for the first, time since returning from North Africa. Swarms of enemy fighters defended the way to and from Leipzig.
Spitfires operated on three days, providing support and cover for United States Army Air Force bombers in attacks on German targets and on enemy-held Europe.

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Kipp & Huletsky in "Black Rufe" down a Ju-52 in this cover art by Iain Whyllie
(Mosquito Fighter/Fighter-Bomber Units of World War II by Martin Bowman - Osprey 1998)

Canadians Bag 7 Hun Planes

An R.C.A.F. Fighter Base in England, April 14, 1944 - (CP) – S/L R. Kipp of Kamloops, B.C., and F/O J. Caine, Edmonton, kept up the blazing hot pace of the City of Edmonton Mosquito squadron today, destroying four enemy aircraft in the air and leaving three others aflame on the ground in patrol of more than 1,000 miles to Copenhagen and back. In addition two German aircraft were damaged on the ground.
The Canadian aces sighted the first three enemy planes just above the waters of the Kattegat with the fourth some distance ahead. Kipp tore into three — all Ju52 transports — while Caine raced ahead to take care of the straggler.
The Canadians then found five planes on the Kastrupe airfield and Kipp set two Do217s afire while Cain fired an He111.
For good measure they damaged a Do217 and a Ju52 between them.

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Mosquitoes Attack City Near Cologne; Rail Yards Blasted

German Chemical Centre Allies' Night Target;
Invasion Coast Ripped By Ceaseless Raids

London, May 3, 1944 — (CP) — R.A.F. Mosquitoes, taking over the western phase of the European air war, made a 30-minute attack on the German chemical centre of Leverkusen last night while Italy-based bombers blasted Genoa and communications centers in northern Italy, The 400-mile-an-hour Mosquitoes dropped many 4,000-pound blockbusters on Leverkusen, which lies just north of Cologne and is the home of one of the largest chemical works in Europe, employing 20,000 workers, The Acheres railway yards in France also were hit by Mosquitoes as British heavy bombers remained idle for the first time in seven nights.

Munich Attacked
(The German radio said at noon (German time) that there were "no enemy aircraft over the Reich," the Federal Communications Commission reported. An hour earlier, it had announced that single aircraft were over southwest Germany,)
While the swift Mosquitoes visited Germany for the first time this month, Allied intruders, including the R.C.A.F. City of Edmonton Squadron, swept over the Continent as far as Munch and shot down five German planes. Four of them were downed by one Canadian Mosquito crew, Squadron-Ldr. Bob Kipp, of Kamloops, B.C., and his navigator, F/O Peter Huletsky, of Montreal, setting a record for this type of night operation.

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The R.C.A.F. City of Edmonton Squadron flew with Mosquito intruders from Britain which penetrated the Continent as far as Munich Tuesday night. Four of the Nazi planes downed on this foray — all FW 190's — fell to one Canadian crew, Sqdn. Ldr. Bob Kipp of Kamloops, B.C., and his navigator, F/O P. Huletsky of Montreal. The other — a Heinkel — fell to F/L D. A. MacFadyen of Toronto and his navigator, F/O J. Wright of Rosthern, Sask.
Two other City of Edmonton Mosquitos accounted for two enemy fighters late Tuesday and the squadron's total score now stands at 104 planes destroyed in the air and on the ground.

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CANADIAN AIRMEN HAD A GREAT WEEK, SUMMARY SHOWS

Ottawa, May 6, 1944 — (CP)— Aircraft of the R.C.A.F. bomber group pounded targets in three countries in the last week, while Spitfire and Typhoon fighter-bombers made slashing attacks on pinpoint targets and Canadian airmen participated in combined air-sea operations against enemy naval units, the R.C.A.F. said last night in its weekly summary of overseas operations.
News of the famed City of Edmonton Intruder Squadron took the limelight during the week, with Sqdn. Ldr. Bob Kipp, of Kamloops, B.C., and his navigator, F/O P. Huletsky, of Montreal, blasting four of Germany's front-line aircraft out of the sky during an offensive patrol deep into the heart of the Reich Wednesday, establishing a new mark for the number of aircraft destroyed in a single night's patrol.
Canadian-built Lancaster heavy bombers made their initial operational appearance during the week. Wednesday other aircraft of the R.C.A.F. bomber group pounded Friedrichshafen in Germany and railway yards at Montzen, Belgium, and Aulmoye, France.
Aulmoye, was the principal R.C.A.F. target for the night, and attracted Canadian-built Lancasters. Halifaxes mined enemy waters meantime and an R.C.A.F. Mosquito about to attack an aircraft as it prepared to land at Crois Demetz airfield in France saw the enemy pilot lose control of his aircraft, ground-loop and burst into flames.
Two R.C.A.F. Spitfires on patrol over northern France Monday attacked a transport flying close to the ground, and saw it crash aflame.

Last Trip Scherf
Sqdn. Ldr. Kipp Brought down four FW190's the next night. F/L D. A. MacFadyen of Toronto and his navigator, F/O J. Wright, of Rosthern. Sask. destroyed a B1 Heinkel glider tug and damaged a grounded unidentified aircraft.
An Australian pilot, Sqdn.-Ldr. Charles Scherf, D.F.C., now known as "Last Trip" Scherf, came back to the City of Edmonton Squadron for another "last trip," and shot down a JU88 north of Berlin, with F/O W. Stewart, of Toronto, as his navigator.
F/O John Caine, of Edmonton, on the same patrol with Scherf, shot down a troop carrier and then, with Scherf, shot up and seriously damaged at least nine other aircraft on ground and water.
Lancasters and Halifaxes smashed at railway yards at St. Chislain, in Belgium. A beached enemy destroyer, driven ashore by the Canadian Tribal-class destroyer Haida Saturday after an engagement off the French coast last Saturday in which her sister ship H.M.C.S. Athabaskan was sunk, was bombed by R.C.A.F. and other pilots.
Lancasters of the Canadian bomber group participated in an attack on Montdidier, France, on Wednesday.

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15 Hun Raiders Bagged; Ominous Aerial Lull Over Fortress Europe

London, May 15, 1944 (AP) — Unhampered by the German Air Force, small formations of American heavy and Allied medium bombers blasted Hitler's sprawling coastal defense system today, carrying the pre-invasion air offensive into the 31st consecutive day.
The daylight blows fell after R.A.F. Mosquitos hammered Cologne Sunday night and other R.A.F. bombers struck at unspecified military objectives in France and the Low Countries. R.C.A.F. heavies laid mines in enemy waters. No bombers were lost in these night operations.
A German raid on Southern England Sunday night killed a half-dozen persons. At least 15 of the attackers were reported shot down and four of them were bagged by Canadian fliers.
Approximately 250 United States heavy bombers, escorted by fighters, bombarded objectives in Northern France in daylight, while light bombers hit an airfield near the badly battered Creil railway yards in the Paris area.
The Vichy radio said the Lille and Valenciennes areas of France, much-pounded districts, were also hit.

One Fighter Missing
One escort plane was missing from the daytime raids.
Fighter-bombers dive-bombed an airfield at Gael, 25 miles west of Rennes, while another formation hit a field near Chartres and fired fuel dumps and other installations.
Medium bombers, fighters and fighter-bombers of the R.A.F. 2nd Tactical Air Force, bombing targets in both France and Belgium, included among their targets an airfield at Cambrai and rail yards at Cortrain and Gisors.
The Paris radio said the Pas de Calais area was particularly hard hit in the day's raid.
Outside that activity - with the Mediterranean air force diverted to close support of the new ground campaign in Italy - the great north-south Allied air offensive which started April 8 was almost at a standstill.

An Ominous Hiatus
It was an ominous hiatus for the Germans. The lull is similar to that which hung over Russia's armies in the last few weeks and which no one doubts is merely a period of massing forces for the next, and possibly greatest, effort of the war.
German airmen who raided Southern England last night evidently sought to smoke out invasion preparations as well as to bomb. Although the German force may have been several hundred planes, the bombing was called disproportionately small, indicating a number of them were on reconnaissance. A German High Command communique said Bristol was one target.
Of the 15 German planes shot down over Britain Sunday night, P/O William C. Muschett of Jamaica, and his navigator, F/O F. L. Hall, Edmonton, were credited with two. Wing-Cmdr. R. C. (Moose) Fumerton of Fort Coulonge, Que., and P/O M. McConnell of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., each got one. One R.C.A.F. fighter was missing from Sunday night's operations.
Another German plane — a Heinkel 177 — was downed over France by Sqdn. Ldr. Bob Kipp of Kamloops, B.C., and his navigator, F/O P. Huletsky of Montreal, of the City of Edmonton Squadron of the R.C.A.F. This brought the squadron's total kills since it was formed to 113½.
Three members of the R.C.A.F. Wolf Fighter Squadron shared in the destruction of a German Focke-Wulf 190 on an airdrome north of Lille. The German plane had just landed and was taxiing along the runway when F/O's R C. Williams, Herbert, Sask.; J. D. Orr, Vancouver, and A. J. Bryan of Monterrey, Mexico, swooped down in the Spitfires, opened fire and left the aircraft burning.

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KIPP, S/L Robert Allan (J4743) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.418 Squadron
Award effective 26 May 1944 as per London Gazette of that date and
AFRO 1380/44 dated 30 June 1944.

This officer has completed numerous sorties, most of them at night. He is a skilful and tenacious pilot whose determination to complete his mission successfully has been most commendable. On a recent occasion Squadron Leader Kipp flew one of a small formation of aircraft detailed for a mission far into enemy occupied territory. Success was achieved and by his careful planning and audacious tactics, Squadron Leader Kipp played a prominent part in the results obtained. He has destroyed three enemy aircraft, two of them in one sortie at night.

NOTE: Public Record Office Air 2/9156 has recommendation drafted by Commanding Officer, No.418 Squadron, 29 February 1944; he had flown 13 sorties (40 operational hours) and was a Flight Lieutenant at the time:

Flight Lieutenant Kipp has completed 13 operational sorties with this squadron since November 1943, eleven of which have been by night and two by day. Of the night sorties, four have been in support of Bomber Command’s major effort and Kipp’s support has been exceptional. During one of these trips he continued on in extremely bad weather and although many crews did not reach their targets Flight Lieutenant Kipp not only reached his target at Juvincourt but also shot down two Messerschmitt 410 night fighters. This audacious pilot has shown remarkable keenness for daylight Rangers and is to a great extent responsible for the latest squadron successes, in that he was one of a section to carry out the first daylight sortie. His careful planning and tree-top height flying proved highly successful and he was rewarded with the destruction of a Heinkel 111 and the sharing of another Heinkel 111 probably destroyed. This sortie carried Flight Lieutenant Kipp 250 miles into France and the hazards of such a long sortie were no deterrent to the officer’s determination to press home his attacks. His drive and enthusiasm have been of invaluable assistance and his keenness and devotion to duty have been a great contributory factor to the remarkably high morale of the squadron.

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Toronto Flyer Downs Four in Single Night

London, June 8, 1944 — (CP Cable) — Four enemy aircraft were shot down in a single night's hunting by Flight-Lieut. S. H. R. Cotterill, of Toronto, 24-year-old member of the City of Edmonton Intruder Squadron, while roaming over France last night.
The four-destroyed score, made over Chateaudun and Orleans, 150 miles inside France, equaled the intruder record for one night set up last month by Squadron-Ldr. R. A. Kipp, of Kamloops, B.C., a member of the same Mosquito squadron.

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Sixth Decoration Given Leader of RCAF Wing

London, July 3, 1944 - (CP) — Acting Wing Cmdr. James Edgar (Johnny) Johnson, foremost Allied fighter ace in the European theatre and leader of the R.C.A.F. fighter wing in Normandy, has received a second bar to his D.S.O. in awards announced today.
Johnson, with 33 victories to his credit, now has six decorations.
Here is a log of his awards:
Sept. 29, 1941: DFC
June 26, 1942: Bar to DFC
June 3, 1943: DSO
Sept. 24, 1943: Bar to .DSO
Jan. 18, 1944: American DFC
July 3, l944: second Bar to DSO
Johnson, 28, was a civil engineer in Nottingham before the war. An Englishman who has had great success in leading Canadian fighter pilots, he recently returned to active flying after a period of ground duty preparatory to the French invasion.
He took command of a Canadian wing a year ago and turned it into one of the "hottest" in Britain at the time. The wing he now Commands in Normandy at present is leading Allied fighters in "kills' with a score of 58 since June 28.
The DSO also was awarded to Acting Sqdn. Ldr. Robert Allan Kipp, 25, Kamloops, B.C. The citation praised his "careful planning, tactical ability and iron determination and his genius for leadership.
Posthumous award of the DFC to Acting Sqdn. Ldr. William Brodie Anderson, Winnipeg, was announced. Anderson was killed June 8th.
The award was made for his courage on a flight to Karlsruhe when his aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and Anderson was injured about the eyes by flying splinters. Although temporarily blinded, he piloted the plane clear of the target area and maintained his duties as captain throughout the homeward flight.

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KIPP, S/L Robert Allan, DFC (J4743) - Distinguished Service Order - No.418 Sq.
Award effective 7 July 1944 as per London Gazette of that date and
AFRO 2052/44 dated 22 September 1944.

This officer continues to display the highest standard of skill and gallantry in air operations. He has completed very many sorties and his careful planning, tactical ability and iron determination have brought him much success. In April 1944, he led a section of aircraft on a sortie over enemy territory during which four enemy aircraft were shot down, two of them by Squadron Leader Kipp. On another occasion, one night in May 1944, Squadron Leader Kipp destroyed four hostile aircraft in combat. His genius for leadership has always been apparent and his example has been most inspiring.

Public Record Office Air 2/9157 has the recommendation drafted on 9 May 1944 by W/C A. Barker. At that time, Kipp had flow 26 sorties (90 operational hours). Barker specifically requested a DSO for Kipp, and was clearly unaware that a DFC was coming through for earlier exploits. The Commanding Officer wrote:

Since being recommended for the Distinguished Flying Cross on 29 February 1944, this pilot has destroyed a further eight enemy aircraft and has damaged three more. Squadron Leader Kipp has completed a further 13 operational sorties of which eleven have been Intruders and two Day Rangers. His successes have been due to his unfailing keenness and devotion to duty of the highest order. This outstanding officer has invariably chosen the more difficult targets to patrol and with few exceptions has located the target, often in extremely bad weather.
On the night of March 22nd, whilst carrying out a Bomber Support sortie to Bonn, Squadron Leader Kipp attacked and damaged an enemy aircraft at Stratum. On April 27th, while intruding to Evreux he sighted five enemy aircraft but was unable to engage them. Finally he attacked and damaged an enemy aircraft taxying across the aerodrome. On the night of May 2nd, Squadron Leader Kipp carried out a Night Ranger against German Air Force training bases in the Munich area. To be successful, this sortie called for very careful planning. Flying deck level in bright moonlight to avoid RDF [radar] detection as much as possible, Squadron Leader Kipp reached his target area. His careful planning rewarded him with a Focke-Wulf 190 carrying out a searchlight cooperation. While this aircraft was coned in searchlights, Squadron Leader Kipp attacked and shot it down in flames. After a short interval Squadron Leader Kipp found another Focke Wulf 190 burning navigation lights. This aircraft was attacked and destroyed. Towards the end of his patrol period this audacious pilot found two Focke Wulf 190s flying in close formation. These he attacked at very close range and destroyed. Debris from the exploding enemy aircraft damaged Squadron Leader Kipp’s aircraft causing it to stall. By superb flying skill, Squadron Leader Kipp regained control at a very low altitude and brought his damaged aircraft back to a base in this country.
This officer has not only shown great initiative in his attacks by night but also has taken great interest in, and been largely responsible for, the inception of Day Rangers in this squadron. His leadership and personal participation in these operations has contributed largely to the success this squadron has recently enjoyed.
On April 14th, this officer planned and led a highly successful day sortie to Denmark. Flying at tree top height, Squadron Leader Kipp led his section to Copenhagen. While crossing the Pomeranian Sea he attacked and destroyed two Focke Wulf 52s [sic Ju52s actually] carrying mine detecting equipment. He then proceeded to Karstrup where he destroyed two Dornier 217w and damaged a third on the ground. By skilful handling of his aircraft and his section, he successfully evaded the thoroughly aroused ground defences and the hostile intentions of two Focke Wulf 190w on the return flight. Squadron Leader Kipp brought his section back to base without injury to either crew or damage to his aircraft.
Squadron Leader Kipp has commanded a flight in this squadron since February 1944 and has proved an exceptional leader and officer. His unbounded enthusiasm for operations day and night, his personal drive, fighting ability and very pronounced powers of leadership have resulted in an extremely high standard of efficiency in the flight he commands and the squadron as a whole.

This recommendation was endorsed on 20 May 1944 by the Group Captain commanding the local sector, on 3 June 1944 the Air Officer Commanding recommended that an immediate Bar to the DFC should be awarded. On 15 June 1944, Air Marshal Roderic Hill (Air Officer Commanding, Air Defence of Great Britain) wrote:

Although the Group Commander has recommended the award of a Bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross, I agree with the recommendation of the Station and Squadron Commanders that the Distinguished Service Order is more appropriate. I therefore recommend this as an immediate award. Squadron Leader Kipp has now completed 35 sorties and has destroyed 13 enemy aircraft.

Finally, on 16 June 1944, A.C.M. Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory approved award of a DSO.

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TEAM WORK IS RESPONSIBLE FOR
MOSQUITOES' GREAT FEATS

Forgotten Man of Air Forces, the Navigator, Comes Into His Own Again

With the R.C.A.F. in England, Aug. 4, 1944 — (CP) — Forgotten men of the night intruder squadrons are the "half-wing flyers," the navigators who play such a part in making possible the exploits of the full-wing men, the pilots.

Up in Front
It is the pilot you hear of when the Mosquitoes come streaking home from their night sorties far into German territory but without the navigator the pilot could go nowhere and it might be taken as symbolic that in the modern night fighter, the man who used to be in the back seat—the navigator— has moved up front with the pilot.
It puts the navigator in his proper place, not as he used to be in the old night-fighting Beaufighter, back of the pilot. Today they sit side by side in the same cockpit, boys like F/O P. Huletsky, of Montreal, who won a D.F.C. for his navigating of Sqdn.-Ldr. Bob Kipp, D.S.O., D.F.C., of Kamloops, B.C., in the City of Edmonton Intruder Squadron.
Together these two have ranged the length and breadth of Germany under cover of darkness. Together on May 3 they set up a record, destroying four FW-190's in one sortie where navigation was all important.
Huletsky plotted them away from England about 10 o'clock in the gathering dusk. He took them across enemy territory at tree-top height on the way to Munich, and near Lake Ammer, 20 miles southwest of Munich, they got their first victim Then they went on to Grenzburg, got two over an airfield, and then on to another airfield for their fourth kill.

Plotted Course
Or take F/O W. Stewart, of Toronto, who navigated for Sqdn.-Ldr. Charlie Scherf, an Australian with the City of Edmonton Squadron, with at least 9½ enemy planes downed. Stewart plotted the course for Scherf on the same night all the way to the Baltic. They got flying boats at Ribnitz. Then they went to Barth and then on to another airfield at Griefswold. It takes navigating to find those places.
Every successful intruder operation depends on the skill of the navigators whose job demands an inexhaustible patience as well as vigilance and skill. Then, when the enemy does appear in the gun sights, it is the pilot who deals the death blow while the navigator sits back and watches the final triumph go to the man at his side.
The fault probably is with the system of reporting "kills," crediting them directly to the pilots, because the pilots themselves appreciate the navigator.
Usually it takes an older man than the pilot to accept the navigator's position, a man like Sgt. Edward McKenna who navigates for Flt.-Lt. S. H. R. Cotterill, of Toronto. They went out one night after the invasion started and shot down four enemy aircraft.
"How old do you think I am?" McKenna asked when he had landed. He looked about 25. But it turned out he was 32, enough older than his pilot that he could accept the position of equal share in the job without, in the public mind, getting quite his share of the glory.

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Black Rufe - Kipp & Huletsky's Mossie shows off it's score

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Victories Include :

(14.5 / 0.5 / 7  plus  2 / 0 / 3  OTG)

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While copies of most of his Combat Reports are filed with the Directorate of History and Heritage, CFHQ, Ottawa, the following two, submitted during service at the Fighter Experimental Flight (Ford), were not. His navigator, F/.L R. Oldham, was awarded a DFC. All material found in Public Record Office, AIR 50/466.

* -  23 March 1945:
Time of attack was 2114 hours, vicinity of Muhldorf.
Weather described as "Excellent visibility, bright moonlight, no cloud".
Claim was two Ju.88s destroyed,
one FW.190 destroyed,
three unidentified enemy aircraft damaged,
one Ju.290 damaged.

GENERAL REPORT:

One Mosquito VI, F.E.F., Pilot: S/L Kipp, R.A., DSO, DFC. Navigator: F/L R. Oldham were airborne from Ford at 1710 hours, on the 23rd March 1945 for a Night Ranger to Muhldorf. They flew to an advance base at St. Dizier and left there at 1945 hours for the trip. They flew at zero feet, arriving south of Muhldorf at 2112 hours. S/L Kipp pulled the nose up to 4,500 feet and dropped three flares over the centre of the airdrome at 2114 hours.
S/L Kipp continues:-
"I then turned sharp port losing height down to about 100 feet making an attack on the South Dispersal where many aircraft were seen (25 approximately) and gave a three-second burst of cannon and machine gun, and saw a Ju.88 commence to burn. I also saw strikes on a Ju.290 parked in front of a hangar. I then pulled away to the North of aerodrome and made a run from North-South attacking first the North dispersal where I saw strikes on two unidentified single engine enemy aircraft. I also hit a FW.190 which immediately started burning (2116 hours). I pulled the nose up slightly and then down again as I revisited the South dispersal where a further Ju.88 was attacked and left smoking and also further strikes on the Ju.290. I made a final attack from North-South and fired my remaining rounds of cannon into the second Ju.88 which became a mass of flames. I also saw strikes on an unidentified twin-engine enemy aircraft along side. On the third run from North-South moderate inaccurate flak opened up. The airdrome was not illuminated and as we left at 2118 hours, my Navigator saw the three enemy aircraft burning on the ground."
On the way home near Kaufbeuren at 2144 hours a goods train was observed going West. S/L Kipp released three flares and made three attacks from very close range with .303 only. Many strikes seen on the engine and the first two wagons and the train was left stationary emitting clouds of stream and smoke. 10 miles further West a solitary M/T proceeding East was straffed and strikes were seen (2149 hours). Base (Ford) reached at 2359 hours.

Camera gun automatically exposed.
Ammunition used:
340 rounds H.E.I. 20 mm
340 rounds S.A.P.I. 20 mm
120 rounds incendiary .303
120 rounds A.P. .303

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** - 12 April 1945:
Time of attack was 2327-2334 hours, vicinity of Kircham.
Weather described as "Clear but very dark.". Claim was :
one Me.410 destroyed,
one Ju.88 destroyed,
one Ju.88 damaged.

GENERAL REPORT:

One Mosquto VI, F.E.F., Pilot: S/L Kipp, R.A., DSO, DFC. Navigator: F/L R. Oldham were airborne from Ford at 1640 hours on the 11th April 1945 for Night Ranger to Kircham. They landed at Toul-Ochey at 1810 hours where they refuelled and set course for target at 2205 hours.
S/L Kipp continues:
"The trip to the target was uneventful and on approaching target area from South I saw the airdrome lit (2320 hours). We were flying at 2,500 feet and I pulled to starboard and orbitted to South-East of airdrome for five minutes to see if there was any activity in the air. I saw nothing so climbed to 4,500 feet on a North-West heading and dropped three flares (2327 hours) on the South-East corner of airdrome. I made two runs searching for aircraft and spotted a 410 in South-West corner of airdrome. I turned in on a heading of about 045E and attacked head-on with cannon and machine gun. The aircraft immediately burst into flames and burned furiously. I turned hard to port and made a fresh attack on a heading of 150E on a Ju.88 which was about 300-400 yards from the 410. This enemy aircraft also exploded and burned furiously. I made a 180E turn to port and coming in again saw strikes from an attack I made on a Ju.88 parked in front of a hangar on South-West edge of airdrome (I claim this damaged). During these attacks there was no flak reaction. We left the airdrome at 2336 hours and on way back to Juvincourt to refuel I attacked two M.T. proceeding West in the Memingen area and saw strikes on the,. I claim these damaged. We landed and refuelled at Juvincourt and set course for Ford landing there at 0420 hours.

Camera gun automatically exposed.
100 m.p.h. gun-sight.
Ammunition Used:
300 rounds 20 mm S.A.P.I and H.E.I.
600 rounds .303