Braham found himself under attack by a Bf 109—his presence clearly detected by German radar. His Mosquito was hit in the port wing and the fuel line were ruptured. The Bf 109 then disappeared. Ignoring the damage he closed on the Fw 190. At zero feet his Mosquito bounced off a mound but he managed to hit the enemy aircraft which burst into flames, stalled and crashed near Aalborg. The range was so close—around 100 yards—the Focke-Wulf nearly collided with Braham. The loss of fuel from the chase and damage coupled with his damaged propellers upon his collision with the ground, meant that the chances of reaching England were slim. He climbed to high altitude 70 miles from the coast and broadcast an emergency message which was received. He ditched the Mosquito which broke in half. They took the dingy and watched the tail and wings remain afloat. He was retrieved with Gregory by air-sea rescue. Royal Navy trawlers sank the sections of aircraft remaining afloat. Regardless of the venture, on 13 June 1944 he received his final award—a second bar to his DSO. Braham was summoned to see Basil Embry. The commanding officer made Braham wait until he had cleaned himself up and was properly dressed. Embry gave Braham a stern rebuke for risking himself in such a fashion. He had not given his agreement to the operation and Braham had taken off before he could give a definitive answer. Nevertheless, his 29th victory eased the tension and Embry invited him to the bar for a conciliatory beer. Bill Gregory did not fly with Bob Braham again. His DFC and bar with DFM reflected his contribution to Braham's success. He may also have taken the events of 12 May 1944 as a warning. For Braham, the thrill of ranger operations was addictive. On 25 May 1944 he attempted another but turned back because of poor weather. His last operations were flown with both Embry and Walsh on 6 June 1944 during the Normandy landings. The Western Front, dormant since 1940, was now re-activated. Braham flew over Normandy several times with Mosquito bomber groups in June 1944. These counted as his last successful operations. Prisoner of war Unlike Gregory, Braham was unperturbed by the events of 12 May 1944. Braham believed that while the war continued a trained combat pilot must engage the enemy at all costs. His experience allowed