FlyPast – August 2018

August 2018August 2018 FLYPAST 51FLYPAST 51

reinforcements continued to arrive
until the last possible moment.
Personnel of the Royal Artillery
and a detachment of 2901
Squadron RAF Regiment landed
on October 2.
German forces invaded the next
morning and by then, just a few
serviceable Spitfires remained,
most or all of which seem to have
been concentrated at Tingaki. The
Spitfires there were captured intact.
British forces, in some areas joined
by Italian infantry, conducted a
series of fighting withdrawals but
the Germans advanced rapidly,

assisted when necessary by Ju 87
‘Stuka’ dive-bombers.
Aircraft from both sides clashed
over the sea, as Beaufighters
harassed the German invasion fleet.
An initial low-level strike by four
Beaufighters from 46 Squadron was
undertaken. All returned safely.
The next attack by the RAF was
carried out by three 227 Squadron
Beaufighters, one of which was shot
down in flames, resulting in the
deaths of both pilot and observer.
Just over an hour later, seven more
aircraft from 252 Squadron braved
an intense flak barrage to bomb
and strafe shipping; four aircraft
were damaged.
Two 89 Squadron machines and
one from 46 Squadron were en
route home after
another attack
when the latter
was shot down
and crashed off
the Turkish coast.
The pilot, unit CO
Wg Cdr George

Reid, was killed, but his observer

was rescued.

During a low-level strike in

the afternoon by 46 Squadron,

a Beaufighter was seen to hit its

target but disappeared in the

explosion... the crew was killed.

Two more were severely damaged

by AA and came down in the sea

off Turkey although both crews

survived. Just one Beaufighter

returned to base.

The Luftwaffe acknowledged

losing three Stukas and one crew

during operations on October 3,

all to AA. Two of these may have

been victims of 227 Squadron

Bristol Beaufighters.

STUKA SLAUGHTER

By the evening of October 4, Kos

was in German hands. Over the

next few weeks, German forces

swiftly seized other islands,

including Kalymnos, Symi and

Astipalaea and overwhelmed a

detachment of the Long Range

Desert Group at Levitha.

So far, the British and their Italian

co-belligerents had come off worse

when engaging enemy forces on

land. The war at sea was costly

to all involved. Luftwaffe aircraft

continued to preside in the skies,

but just for a brief period after

USAAF P-38 Lightnings supported

British efforts.

On the 9th, the cruiser HMS

Carlisle was withdrawing south

with the Greek destroyer Miaoulis

and the British destroyers Panther,

Petard and Rockwood. Beaufighters

provided air cover in conjunction

with Lightnings. Towards midday,

there was a period of several minutes

during which there was no air cover.

As fate would have it, Ju 87s of

I Gruppe Sturzkampfgeschwader 3

(I./StG 3) arrived overhead at this

opportune time.

One Stuka after another dived on

their chosen targets and at 12:02,

Carlisle was struck aft and damaged

severely. Panther received a direct

hit, breaking in two and sinking

soon afterwards. The Stukas of

I./StG 3 departed, narrowly

avoiding contact with the P-38s of

the 37th Fighter Squadron, led by

Major William Leverette.

Minutes later, three flights of

II./StG 3 Stukas also arrived. The

slower Ju 87 was no match for the

P-38. Leverette was credited with

the destruction of seven Stukas,

Lts Harry Hanna with five; Homer

Sprinkle three and a ‘probable’;

Robert Margison with one. Lt

Wayne Blue was attributed with

downing a Ju 88.

Luftwaffe records list seven

Ju 87s of II./StG 3 shot down

by fighters. All but three of the

14 crew members perished. A

battle-damaged machine made an

emergency landing at Rhodes, the

pilot died, and yet another returned

with wounded crew.

During the day, a Stuka of I./StG

3 was also lost to AA fire with no

survivors and a Ju 88 was written

off, reportedly due to engine

trouble; its crew was rescued.

The situation in the

Aegean would have

been very different if

the US had agreed to

extend air support,

Minutes later, three flights of

II./StG 3 Stukas also arrived. The

Above left

This photograph, taken

at Tingaki by a German

war correspondent,

is something of a

mystery. There is no

explanation as to why

this Spitfi re’s motor is

running, or who the

fi gure (apparently an

Allied serviceman)

might be.

Above

Present-day Tingaki.

“Wilson’s Spitfi re was set upon by fi ve Bf 109s, which he evaded

successfully, causing two to collide”