FlyPast – August 2018

(John Hannent) #1
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”

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