WAR IN THE DESERTWAR IN THE DESERT CONVOY ATTACKSBRISTOL BLENHEIM
50 FLYPAST June 2018
until all the front gun ammunition
was exhausted, and left about a dozen
flying boats destroyed or damaged. Fg
Off Derek Walker in K7180 destroyed
a CANT Z.506B floatplane on the
water.
Two SM.79s of 44a Squadriglia were
destroyed on the ground and others
damaged when the Blenheim units
struck at Tmimi, halfway between
Tobruk and Derna, on the 21st.
Shipping was bombed at Derna on
the 27th and on the last day of the
month three raids targeted Tobruk,
Gazala and Bardia, although cloud
precluded seeing the results.
Shortly after taking off from Mersa
Matruh, Mk.I L8397 of 55 Squadron
suffered an engine failure and crashed,
killing Welshman Plt Off Robert
Smith and his crew.CLOUD OF DUST
As the RAF maintained pressure on
the Italians it became evident at the
beginning of September that Marshal
Rodolfo Graziani was planning an
imminent offensive with his 10th
Army. Attacks on transport andSTRAFING SEAPLANES
Sqn Ldr Bax led 211 Squadron
in a nine-aircraft raid on Tobruk
harbour on August 3. Three sections
took off mid-morning and achieved
a successful strike – Flt Lt G D
Jones in L8532 hitting the end of a
jetty.
During the early evening of the
4th, Tobruk was again the objective
for nine Blenheims, this time drawn
from 55, 113 and 211 Squadrons.
Intercepted by a large number of
CR.42s, they engaged in a running
fight over Bir Taib el Esem. Four
bombers were damaged, but the
gunners hit several Fiats in return.
With his wounded gunner, Sgt Dennis
McIntosh, Flt Lt Jones had to crash-
land L8532 at Sidi Barrani.
Just over a week later six of 30
Squadron’s Mk.Ifs – led by the CO,
Sqn Ldr U Y Shannon, in L1120- escorted 11 bombers from 55
Squadron to the seaplane station at
Bomba. They hit the slipway and
some of the anchored aircraft and set
fire to a fuel dump.
The Blenheims dived in to strafe
Flt Lt Gordon-Finlayson, flying
L8523, led a successful attack that
night on a landing ground near
Derna, where most bombs were seen
to impact. The following day Sqn
Ldr Gordon Bax became 211’s CO.
Early on the 28th, Mk.Ifs of 30
Squadron escorted four Mk.IVs
from 113 on separate reconnaissance
sorties. The CO of 113, Sqn Ldr
Keily was awarded a Distinguished
Flying Cross, the citation reading:
“The reconnaissance had to be
carried out at low altitude owing
to clouds. He was attacked by five
enemy aircraft but, displaying great
skill, he destroyed one of them
“During the engagement the
observer was hit; notwithstanding
the handicap Sqn Ldr Keily
continued with the sortie, returning
with information of great value.”
Additionally, more CR.42s from
90a Squadriglia engaged one of
the 30 Squadron fighters, Tenente
Franco Lucchini shooting down
K7178 with the loss of F/Sgt Innes-
Smith, Plt Off Fisher and Cpl
Stewart.“The Blenheims dived in to strafe until all the front gun
ammunition was exhausted, and left about a dozen fl ying boats
destroyed or damaged”Above
A 113 Squadron crew
shelter from the sun
at Ma’aten Bagush,
June 16, 1940.
SQN LDR D W WARNE