The RAF provided a certain extent of fighter cover with the Gloster Gladiators of No. 263 Squadron RAF and the Hawker Hurricanes of No. 46 Squadron RAF, although these were too few to continuously patrol the entire front line.
In February 1944 he was posted to 263 Squadron to carry out ground-attack operations, still with the Typhoon.
During the Second World War during the Namsos Campaign the British No. 263 Squadron RAF operated with 18 Gloster Gladiator biplane fighters from the frozen surface of Lake Lesjaskogsvatnet at Lesjaskog.
No. 263 Squadron RAF operated with 18 Gloster Gladiator biplane fighters from a landing strip on the frozen Lesjaskogsvatnet in late April 1940 as part of the Norwegian campaign.
RAF Bomber Command | The Sabre Squadron | RAF Sculthorpe | RAF Northolt | RAF Coastal Command | No. 33 Squadron RAF | No. 263 Squadron RAF | RAF Ringway | RAF Lakenheath | RAF Brize Norton | squadron | RAF Leuchars | Pacific Squadron | RAF Mount Pleasant | RAF Mildenhall | RAF Greenham Common | RAF Fighter Command | No. 45 Squadron RAF | No. 127 Squadron RAF | RAF Wyton | RAF Welford | RAF Valley | RAF Tangmere | RAF Search and Rescue Force | RAF Molesworth | RAF Lossiemouth | RAF Leeming | RAF Honington | RAF Coningsby | RAF Alconbury |
Not long after D-Day (6 June 1944) on her fourth sortie, she was attacked by no less than 12 Hawker Typhoon strike attack aircraft of No. 263 Squadron RAF while leaving St. Peter Port, Guernsey on 14 June.