Typhoon JP843

This is the story of Typhoon Srl. No. JP843 OV-T, which spent most of its operational service with 197 Squadron.

JP843 was part of the fourth production batch of 600 Hawker Typhoons built by the Gloster Aircraft Company, a subsidiary of Hawker Aircraft, to be built in 1943. JP843 was delivered to 51 MU on or about September 15, 1943. It had the “car door” canopy design and early-style exhaust fairings, but a new “whip” aerial which replaced the earlier mast aerial.

On September 22, 1943, Typhoon JP843 entered active service when it was delivered to 197 Squadron RAF, based at RAF Tangmere in West Sussex, where 197 Squadron was operating, in conjunction with 486 (N.Z.) Squadron, as part of the recently formed Tangmere Typhoon Wing. Up until the formation of the Typhoon wing, 197 Squadron had been operating as a fighter squadron in the air superiority role conducting fighter sweeps, bomber escort and “Roadstead” anti-shipping operations into France and over the Bay de Seine. Shortly thereafter, though, the Typhoon’s limitations as a fighter and its better potential in the ground-attack role led to the rapid conversion of the Tangmere Typhoon Wing’s aircraft into “bombphoons”, carrying two 250lb or 500lb bombs in their new role as ground attack squadrons. 

Typhoon JP843, code OV-T, served with B Flight, 197 Squadron until February 22, 1944, undertaking approximately 44 operational sorties (see table below). JP843’s early sorties were primarily in the fighter role including one notable Roadstead on October 1, 1943. Bounced by two Me.109., JP843, flown by Plt Off. K. Ham was hit in the starboard aileron.

JP843’s first operation as a bombphoon took place on October 31, 1943. Thereafter the majority of JP 843’s sorties were as part of “Ramrods” – pin-point dive-bombing attacks on specific targets such as airfields, railway yards, suspected headquarters such as the HQ of the Todt Organisation in the village of Audinghen and “Special” targets. Special targets, later code-named “Noball”, were those associated with the V-Weapons – V1, V2 and V3. JP843 took part in eight-ten attacks on Special / Noball targets between November 1943 and January 1944.

Interspersed with the larger squadron and wing operations were a smaller number of “Rhubarb” operations. Generally flown when poor weather precluded larger-scale operations these were low-level search and destroy missions conducted by two to four aircraft. Flying so close to the ground not only exposed Typhoon pilots to heavy anti-aircraft fire, it also left them vulnerable to enemy fighters patrolling at a higher altitude.

On January 3, 1944, JP843, piloted by Flying Officer K. J. Harding, was flying a Rhubarb over Yvrench, France with three other Typhoons when he became separated from his flight. Isolated above hostile territory, Harding was easy prey for a flight of Fw 190s. Though hit twice by enemy cannon fire, Flying Officer Harding was able to harness the Typhoon’s superior speed to outrun his pursuers and get both himself and JP843 safely back to base. The Cat B (minor) damage was quickly repaired, and the aircraft was back in operations by the January 11, 1944

February 1944 saw an influx into 197 Squadron of new Typhoons fitted with sliding hoods. As an older aircraft, is likely that JP843 was sidelined for a short period before being sent for upgrading to 13 MU on February 22, 1944, and Gloster Aircraft on April 25, 1944.

After spending the spring of 1944 being refitted by Gloster Aircraft, JP843 was assigned, in June 1944, to 609 Squadron RAF based at RAF Duxford. The re-fit included canopy and RP (rocket projectile) modifications allowing JP843 to carry up to eight 60lb rocket projectiles. After briefly being loaned to 198 Squadron RAF in June of 1944, JP843 (PR-K) returned to 609 Squadron the following month. On July 27, 1944, when supporting Allied troops around Caen, JP843 and its pilot RZNAF officer Peter Price were lost during a sortie against an Axis troop concentration near Tilly-la-Campagne, France.

JP843 was later found crashed near Poussy-la-Campagne, 7 km SE of Tilly-la-Campagne. Plt Off. Peter Price was buried at the scene but later reinterred at Ranville, 9 km NE of Caen.

JP843 – OV-T is currently in the process of being painstakingly rebuilt by a group of enthusiasts called Typhoon Legacy Co. Ltd. in Canada.

197 Squadron RAF Typhoon Ib – Srl. No. JP843 (OV – T) – Operational Record Sep 43 – Jan 44

	DATE	PILOT	OPERATION TYPE	TARGET	REMARKS
	22/09/43		Typhoon Ib JP843 enters service with 197 Squadron RAF
1	24/09/43	Flt Sgt Adey J C	Fighter Sweep	Bernay, Beaumont & Triqueville	Dogfight with 20+ Me 109 / Fw. 190’s
2	26/09/43	Flt Sgt Richardson L	Bomber Escort (Mitchells)	Rouen – Sotteville	RTB poor weather
3	27/09/43	Flt Sgt Adey J C	Bomber Escort (Mitchells)	Rouen – Sotteville
4	01/10/43	Plt Offr Ham K	Roadstead	Pointe de Barfleur	Attacked by 2 x Me 109. Starboard Aileron hit and damaged
5	08/10/43	Flt Sgt Richardson L	Bomber Escort (Mitchells)	St. Omer	RTB poor weather
6	16/10/43	Flt Sgt Richardson L	Roadstead	Le Havre – Alderney
7	17/10/43	Flt Sgt Watson J	Scramble	St Catherine’s Point – Beachy Head	No contact
8	18/10/43	Flt Sgt Adey J C	Scramble		Nothing to Report
9	19/10/43	Flt Sgt Richardson L	Roadstead	Le Havre – Fecamp
10	20/10/43	Flt Sgt Richardson L	Roadstead	Alderney – Cherbourg – Fecamp
11	21/10/43	Flt Sgt Richardson L	Fighter Sweep		Spare
12	21/10/43	Fg Offr Turton	Fighter Sweep	Bernay
13	22/10/43	Flt Sgt Richardson L	Withdrawal Escort	Renaix	No R/V effected with bombers owing to bad weather
14	25/10/43	Flt Sgt Richardson L	Fighter Sweep
15	31/10/43	Flt Sgt Richardson L	Ramrod	Lessay – airfield	First Op as Bombphoon
16	10/11/43	Flt Sgt Newcomb D B	Fighter Sweep		Spare
17	11/11/43	Flt Sgt Newcomb D B	Ramrod	Audinghen
18	16/11/43	Flt Sgt Richardson L	Roadstead	Cherbourg to Le Havre
19	19/11/43	Flt Sgt Richardson L	Ramrod	Bernay
20	23/11/43	Flt Sgt Richardson L	Ramrod	Audinghen	HQ Todt
21	25/11/43	Flt Sgt Richardson L	Ramrod	Audinghen	HQ Todt
22	25/11/43	Flt Sgt Richardson L	Ramrod	Martinvaast	Special Tgt ?
23	26/11/43	Flt Sgt Richardson L	Ramrod	Audinghen	HQ Todt
24	26/11/43	Flt Sgt Richardson L	Ramrod	Martinvaast	Special Tgt ?
25	01/12/43	Flt Sgt Richardson L	Bomber Escort (Mitchells)	Albert
26	02/12/43	Flt Sgt Richardson L	Ramrod	Martinvaast	Special Tgt?
27	14/12/43	Flt Lt Mulliner R	Ramrod	Ligecourt	Special Tgt
28	20/12/43	Flt Sgt Watson J	Close Escort (Marauders)	Boulogne	RTB poor weather
29	31/12/43	Flt Sgt Kyle J	Ramrod	Montorqueil
30	31/12/43	Flt Sgt Kyle J	Fighter Sweep	Bernay – Beaumont – Evereaux -St. Andre
31	01/01/44	Flt Sgt Richardson L	Ramrod	Lingham	Special Tgt
32	02/01/44	Flt Sgt Richardson L	Rhubarb
33	03/01/44	Fg Offr Harding K J	Rhubarb		Attacked by 3 x Fw. 190. Hit twice, minor damage
34	07/01/44	Sqn Ldr Ironmonger J H	Ramrod		Provided fighter cover for bombphoons
35	11/01/44	W/O Jones R H (RCAF)	Ramrod	Longuemont	RTB poor weather
36	14/01/44	Fg Offr Harding K J	Rhubarb	107 Grand Parc
37	14/01/44	W/O Jolleys E	Ramrod / Fighter Sweep	Target 11/A/107 & Paris area	Dogfight with 6 – 8 Me. 109 / Fw. 190
38	20/01/44	W/O Jolleys E	Roadstead	Gap Griz Nez	RTB poor weather
39	23/01/44	Flt Sgt Kyle J	Ramrod	St Josse au Bois	Noball
40	24/01/44	Flt Sgt Kyle J	Ramrod	Beaulieu/Ferme
41	25/01/44	Flt Sgt Kyle J	Ramrod	Le Plouyé/Ferme	Noball
42	25/01/44	W/O Jones R H (RCAF)	Ramrod	Boie de Huit Rues
43	26/01/44	Flt Sgt Lallemand	Ramrod	Belleville-en-Caux	Noball
44	29/01/44	Fg Offr Coles H W	Ramrod	Belleville-en-Caux	RTB poor weather
	22/02/44		Typhoon Ib JP843 returned to 13 M.U.