RAF fighter pilot Bob Stanford Tuck was on a visit to Northolt airfield when suddenly all fighters at the base were scrambled. Lacking official permission and even a radio with the proper frequency, Tuck nonetheless scrambled into the cockpit of his Spitfire and took off. He climbed to 15,000 feet and patrolled over Beachy Head, alone. Two Junkers 88 bombers appeared below him, heading home at high speed. Tuck dove down and met them head on. He opened fire and sent one of the German planes spinning into the sea. He aimed for the second airplane but was thrown off by cannon shells striking his Spitfire. These weren't Junkers... they were Messerschmitt Bf 110 fighters! Tuck tried to limp back to base but his airplane caught fire and he was forced to bail out. He returned to base safely.
