After Tungsten, 881 took part in further operations intended both to protect Normandy and to keep German attention fixed on Norway. It then supported Operation Dragoon in southern France. The squadron's Wildcats performed artillery spotting as well as dive-bombing, a reminder that carrier fighters could be pressed into varied battlefield roles. Three Wildcats were lost to enemy fire, two after exhausting their fuel, and two in landing accidents largely connected to battle damage. This breakdown separates combat damage from the final circumstances in which aircraft were written off.
Chapter · 34:24-35:40
From Normandy protection to southern France support
Trace 881's work protecting the Normandy invasion approaches and supporting Operation Dragoon with artillery spotting and dive-bombing from Wildcats.