Combat Over the Mediterranean

The RAF In Action Against the Germans and ItaliansThrough Rare Archive Photographs

Chris Goss

• Publisher: Frontline Books
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9781473889439
• eBook ISBN: 9781473889453
• Topic: Geschichte
• Subtopic: Militär- & Seefahrtsgeschichte

Drawing on an extremely rare collection of photographs taken by the camera guns of Bristol Beaufighters deployed on ground-attack and anti-shipping operations, this book will form a rare indeed unique view of what it was like to fly dangerous strike missions against German and Italian forces over North Africa and the Mediterranean between 1942 and 1945.Despite being reformed in the UK in November 1940 as Coastal Commands first Beaufighter squadron, 252 Squadron, which also operated Bristol Blenheims until April 1941, was destined to spend most of its service in North Africa and the Mediterranean before being disbanded in Greece in December 1946.One of the squadrons commanding officers, Wing Commander DOB Butler, DFC, had the foresight to keep perfect examples of the many thousands of gun camera stills taken by the Beaufighter pilots under his command. As a result, he has preserved a remarkable history of the air and sea war in the Mediterranean from October 1942 to May 1945. These dramatic stills show attacks against German and Italian aircraft, Axis warships and merchant men, harbors and other targets on what are now popular holiday destinations such as Rhodes, Naxos and Kos and across the Greek Islands, the Aegean and Ionian Seas.This book will be based around these remarkable and spectacular photographs and will include full details of key missions and the crews who participated, with information drawn from Squadron records and combat reports.

Part I
1942

WEDNESDAY, 7 OCTOBER 1942

On 6 October 1942, a force of six Beaufighters of 252 Squadron, led by Wing Commander Peter Bragg, carried out a strafing attack against the Italian seaplane base at Bomba in Menelao Bay, Libya. The crews involved claimed to have damaged seven Cant. Z.506 seaplanes, the latter probably from 148a Squadriglia Regia Marina.

The following day, four Beaufighters of 252 Squadron, this time led by Flying Officer Ian ‘Nipper’ Maclean and Sergeant Ernest Strange in Beaufighter T5052, lifted off from Edku in Egypt at 12.50 hours to carry out a repeat of the attack. It is this sortie that features in the following set of pictures.

On the 7th the RAF pilots claimed to have damaged five Cant Z.506 seaplanes. They then claimed to have damaged an F-boat and, in the Gazala area, strafed two lorries and trailers which they destroyed – as well as a further lorry full of troops. Finally, they attacked five tented camps, subsequently reporting that they had caused at least fifty casualties.

The first photograph, (1), shows two of the four Beaufighters of their way to the target on 7 October 1942. The next pair of images, (2) and (3), are of two Beaufighters strafing a mixture of Cant Z.501s and Z.506s in Menelao Bay. The next three photographs, (4), (5) and (6) respectively, show what appears to be Italian vehicles being strafed, whilst the final one, (7), was taken whilst on of the tented camps was under attack.

All four Beaufighters landed safely at 17.15 hours, although T5114, the aircraft flown by Sergeant G. Nettleship and Warrant Officer J.B. Blake, was damaged by Flak.

MONDAY, 12 OCTOBER 1942

At 13.40 hours on 12 October 1942, Flying Officer Charles McMills, a Canadian, and Sergeant H. Bicknell were at the controls of Beaufighter T5110 of 252 Squadron, when they led another three Beaufighters which were escorting Bristol Bisley bombers tasked to attack a train.

The train was not located so the Beaufighters went looking for other targets, during which they claimed to have destroyed a Junkers Ju 52, damaged a Messerschmitt Bf 110 and a twomasted schooner. They also destroyed several lorries and trailers and set thirteen railway trucks on fire. Photographs (8) and (9) graphically reveal one of the Beaufighters hitting the train. All four Beaufighters landed safely at 17.20 hours.

MONDAY, 19 OCTOBER 1942

A week later, on 19 October, a pair of 252 Squadron’s Beaufighters took off at 12.15 hours to undertake a further strafing mission. The two aircraft were T4932, flown by Sergeant G. Nettleship and Flight Sergeant S.G. Deacon, and T5036, which was crewed by Pilot Officer R.B. Watson and Sergeant G.D. Hudson. A further two Beaufighters took off at the same time to strafe enemy road vehicles.

The first pair hit and destroyed a locomotive and left six wagons smoking. They then destroyed a petrol bower before landing at Edku at 14.45 hours. Images (10) and (11) were taken during this sortie.

Part II
1943

SUNDAY, 23 MAY 1943

Just before midday on 23 May 1943, three Beaufighters of 252 Squadron, led by Flight Lieutenant Keith Faulkner and navigator Flight Lieutenant Frank Quinn in Beaufighter EL757, took off from Magrun landing ground in Libya on an offensive sweep of the Ionian Sea. Though not much was seen, a two-masted schooner was attacked, though no damage was seen to have been inflicted. The camera gun footage – examples of which can be seen in photographs (1), (2) and (3) – shows how lucky the schooner and its crew were.

TUESDAY, 25 MAY 1943

On the afternoon of 17 May 1943, a formation of six Beaufighters of 252 Squadron, led by Squadron Leader Ernest Meads, tried to locate and attack the seaplane base at Preveza in north-western Greece. Bad weather, however, forced them to turn back.

The next attempt to locate and attack Preveza was made on the morning of 25 May 1943. On this occasion, seven Beaufighters took off from Bersis for the first stage of the flight to Magrun. It was from the latter that, at 13.15 hours, six of the Beaufighters lifted off for Preveza. Once again the formation was led by Ernest Meads whose navigator was Sergeant Geoff Goodes – they were flying Beaufighter X8144.

Arriving over the seaplane base at high speed and low level, fourteen enemy aircraft were spotted. These were a mix of Italian and German types and all, apart from Red Cross-marked Junkers Ju 52s, were attacked – illustrated by pictures (4), (5), (6) and (7). The six RAF fighters claimed to have destroyed a Cant Z.501 and two Cant Z.506s. A Cant Z.506 was probably destroyed, with five Cant Z.506s damaged and two Ju 52s damaged.

The units that these enemy aircraft belonged to are not known. The attackers also set fire to a petrol dump, the smoke from which rose to 1,000 feet, being visible thirty miles away. To add further insult to injury, on the way back they attacked a schooner, also setting this o...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Part I: 1942
• Part II: 1943
• Part III: 1944
• Part IV: 1945