The Beaufighters and their escort of Mustang Mk III fighters from 65 Squadron RAF , were intercepted Preventing_or_letting by twelve Focke-Wulf Fw 190s of `` Jagdgeschwader 5 '' ( Fighter Wing 5 ) of the `` Luftwaffe '' .

Two Beaufighters and a Mustang were shot down Use_firearm by the Fw 190s and four or five of the FWs were shot down Use_firearm by the Allied aircraft , including that of the German ace Rudi Linz .

However , the USAAF introduced Choosing the P-51 Mustang , a fighter capable of escorting Patrolling the USAAF bombers to and from their targets Aiming in daylight .