Ju 87s, five were reported by Lt
Harry Hanna and three more plus
a probable by Lt Homer Sprinkle,
while Lt Wayne Blue took the
credit for the Ju 88 and Lt Robert
Margison, his wingman, for one
other Ju 87.
STUKA CLAIMS
According to Luftwaffe records,
seven Ju 87D-3s fell to fighter
attack southwest of Rhodes. Both
crew members of S7+HN were
wounded: Lt Otto Hecht (pilot)
and Uffz Hans Krajacic (wireless
operator) were picked up by air-sea
rescue. And Lt Heinz Spielmann
(pilot) was killed and Feldwebel
Rudolf Malina rescued, injured,
when Ju 87 S7+MP was shot down.
The remainder of II./St.G 3 who
died or were reported missing were
Lt Rolf Metzger (pilot) and Uffz
Hans Sonnemann in S7+GM;
Uffz Heinrich Manger (pilot) and
Obergefreiter Erfried Primissl in
S7+DN; Uffz Josef Rose (pilot) and
Gefr Franz Neumann in S7+FP; Lt
Horst Skambraks (pilot) and Uffz
Georg Peters in S7+KP; and Hptm
Peter von Heydebrand und der Lasa
(pilot) and Obfw Herbert Bluschke
in S7+AU.
A Ju 87D-3, S7+BC of 6./St.G
3 made an emergency landing at
Rhodes; the pilot survived but not
the air gunner, Ofw Hans Birkner- and Einsatz-Kampfgruppe Ju 88/
General der Flieger Ausbildungs
lost one Ju 88A-4 (WkNr 4579)
south of Kos, reportedly due to
engine trouble, but the crew
were rescued.
At about the time the 37th FS
intercepted the Luftwaffe bombers,
three Beaufighters of the RAF’s 252
Squadron were attacked in error by
three P-38s. Hit in both engines
and the hydraulic system, one of
the British aircraft crash-landed on
returning to Lakatamia, Cyprus,
the crew escaping injury.
The next day, a warning order
was issued for American B-24
and P-38 squadrons on loan from
Mediterranean Air Command to
stand by to return to Tunisia. The
37th FS arrived back at Sainte
Marie du Zit on October 12:
without the Lightnings, British
forces in the Aegean would once
again be at a disadvantage when
dealing with the Luftwaffe.
Bill Leverette was subsequently
decorated for his achievement. Later,
his CO, Oliver B ‘Obie’ Taylor,
wrote: “Bill’s exploits on this day
established what turned out to be a
theatre record, for which he received
the Distinguished Service Cross.
“I tried unsuccessfully to persuade
XII Bomber Command that Bill
should get the Medal of Honor...
of course the DSC was subject to
meeting pretty stiff requirements
and something of a rarity itself.”
Fifty years after the event, Bill
Leverette learnt from a former
squadron colleague that the 37th
FS had gone into action with just
350 rounds of .50-cal ammunition
per gun, as opposed to the standard
500 rounds. When enough rounds
had been expended, causing
ammunition to fall below a certain
level, g-forces could affect the feed,
resulting in a stoppage. To alleviate
this, rounds were removed to enable
wooden blocks to be placed at the
bottom of the ammunition trays.
Bill lamented: “I was credited
with seven Stukas destroyed, or 50
rounds (per gun) per kill, on average.
Another 150 rounds (per gun)
would have meant another
three kills, at least.”Rudolf Malina rescued, injured,
when Ju 87 S7+MP was shot down.
The remainder of II./St.G 3 who
died or were reported missing were
Lt Rolf Metzger (pilot) and Uffz
Hans Sonnemann in S7+GM;
Uffz Heinrich Manger (pilot) and
Obergefreiter Erfried Primissl in
intercepted the Luftwaffe bombers,
three Beaufighters of the RAF’s 252
Squadron were attacked in error by
three P-38s. Hit in both engines
and the hydraulic system, one of
the British aircraft crash-landed on
returning to Lakatamia, Cyprus,
the crew escaping injury.wooden blocks to be placed at the
bottom of the ammunition trays.
Bill lamented: “I was credited
with seven Stukas destroyed, or 50
rounds (per gun) per kill, on average.
Another 150 rounds (per gun)
would have meant another
three kills, at least.”Left
Lt Robert Margison,
Maj William Leverette,
Lt Homer Sprinkle, Lt
Harry Hanna, Lt Wayne
Blue and Col O B ‘Obie’
Taylor (CO 14th FG) in a
staged publicity shot.Below
October 1943: Capt
McCarthy (left), a World
War One pilot, was the
37th Fighter Squadron’s
intelligence offi cer.November 2018 FLYPAST 45