FlyPast 06.2018

WAR IN THE DESERT BRISTOL BLENHEIM

48 FLYPAST June 2018

55, although technical problems

considerably reduced the numbers.

The Mk.IVs achieved a direct hit

on the cruiser San Giorgio which

caught fire and later beached, semi-

submerged.

Led by Flt Lt Garth Mills, the 45

Squadron element took off at 02:45

but had difficulty joining up. Fg

Off Dennis Rixon in L8524 gamely

pressed on with a damaged propeller

but, unable to find Tobruk, bombed

troops near Bardia before force-

landing short of fuel at Mersa

Matruh.

Meanwhile 211 Squadron started

badly when, in the dark, L1481

collided on the ground with a Bristol

Bombay transport. Gordon-Finlayson

in L8523 and Fg Off R W Pearson in

L1537 went on to hit fuel tanks and,

although hit, returned safely.

It was dawn by the time the

squadron arrived over Tobruk and a

trio of CR.32s from 92a Squadriglia

appeared. Crews of 211 claimed

two Fiats shot down, although

none were lost in the engagement.

Tenente Ranieri Piccolomini

damaged a Blenheim.

SURPRISE ATTACK

At 07:00 on the 13th, Blenheims

of 45 Squadron raided Sidi

Azeiz airfield and Italian motor

transports. Fg Off John Davies and

his crew in L8524 were shot down

and killed while making a lone

assault on Giarabub, deep in the

desert.

Eight aircraft of 211 Squadron also

attacked Fort Capuzzo, as Sqn Ldr

Judge recalled: “The first raid was

carried out in conjunction with the

army at 8am on June 14.

“The cloud was low, and on the

approach to the target we were

able to make a surprise attack. The

bombs were fused with 16-second

delays, but we were using old stock

and unfortunately they did not

work. The net result was that the

bombs exploded on impact causing

all our aircraft to be hit.

“All returned safely from the raid

although one pilot was unable to

get his undercarriage down due to

shrapnel damage, and landed at

Fuka.”

Fort Capuzzo fell later in the day

to the 7th Hussars and 1st Royal

Tank Regiment – the first British

victory of the campaign.

In the first five days of conflict

the Blenheim squadrons had flown

106 bombing raids. In 23 sorties

over three days, 45 Squadron had

suffered losses of almost 20%, and

stood down on the 15th, although

some crews were transferred to

reinforce 113 and 211 Squadrons.

On June 16, six Blenheims of

55 Squadron and nine from 113

attacked airfields near Tobruk.

Over El Gubbi three Fiat CR.42s

of 84a Squadriglia intervened and

Marachello Marion Bandini claimed

a bomber. At El Adem, Fiats of 91a

Squadriglia declared two more.

Three of 113’s aircraft returned

damaged.

As well as bombing sorties,

Blenheims flew submarine searches.

On the 27th several of 30 Squadron’s

Mk.Ifs were sent forward to Gerawla

to cover the nearby railway. Two

days later, 15 Blenheims from 55

and 113 hit El Gubbi East airfield,

destroying a number of aircraft and

killing several airmen.

SAVAGE BLOW

As dawn broke on June 29, nine

Blenheims from 113 returned to El

Gubbi East only to be intercepted

by around a dozen CR.32s and

CR.42s. Plt Off Percy Pike’s Mk.IV

L8436 was damaged and ditched off

Bardia. An Italian motor torpedo

boat captured the crew as they

attempted to row to Egypt in their

dinghy.

Fg Off Walter Mason in Mk.I

L8447 and F/Sgt Ralph Knott in

L8522 were killed along with their

crews after being shot down in

flames. Sottotenente Guilo Torresi,

S/Tenente Mario Ziccarini and

Sergente Magg Agostino Fausi all

made claims against the bombers.

It was a savage blow to Sqn

Ldr Keily’s squadron and bitter

proof that the Italians were skilled

opponents.

On the evening of July 4,

Blenheims from 55 and 113

attacked Libyan transport targets.

Over Bardia, flak hit one of 113’s

aircraft, killing the observer and

severely wounding the pilot, Flt Lt

A M Bensley, in the arm and legs.

Moving forward, gunner AC1 Albert

Meadows applied a tourniquet to

Bensley’s shattered arm and kept

him from passing out during the

long return to Sidi Barrani.

On approach he lowered the flaps

and undercarriage and assisted the

pilot with the landing. Meadows

was awarded an immediate

Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM)

for his actions – the first RAF

decoration of the desert war. On

October 13 he was killed in action

in Eritrea.

Eleven aircraft from 211 flew to

Tobruk’s airfields in a combined

operation with the Fleet Air Arm on

July 5, when torpedo-armed Fairey

Swordfish mounted an effective

strike on the harbour.

FIGHTER DEBUT

Early in July most of 30 Squadron’s

fighter-configured Blenheims

Above

Personnel of ‘A’ Flight,

211 Squadron at El Daba

in January 1940.

E BEVINGTON-SMITH

Above right

Blenheim I L8481 of

45 Squadron at Fuka,

1940. L N BOOT

Right

A Blenheim I of

55 Squadron and

a Bombay of 216

Squadron at one of the

airstrips around Fuka,

June/July 1940.

T T THEWLIS