June 2018 FLYPAST 55SEARCHING FOR AXIS OIL
TANKERS
Soon after 2200hrs on October
25, ten Wellingtons – one bomber
and nine torpedo-bombers – from
38 Squadron took off to intercept
a convoy of enemy merchant ships
and destroyers. They planned to
proceed in conjunction with a special
Wellington from 221 Squadron to
search for and locate the convoy at a
position north of Derna.
Soon after take-off Sgt George
Viles’ aeroplane suffered engine
trouble, forcing him to jettison its
torpedoes and return to base. All
remaining aircraft and the special
Wellington stayed on course and
made landfall over Cap El Tin.
As expected, the special
Wellington spotted the convoy
north of Derna and dropped its
flares. Despite the illumination it
was still very dark and there were
numerous patches of cloud which
made the weather unfavourable for
torpedo attacks. In addition, less
than ideal positioning of the flares
resulted in only two merchant ships
and five destroyers being sighted,
and prevented some aircraft, which
were unable to see the convoy, from
striking.
Of those aircraft able to make an
attack on a ship, Flt Lt Gillingham
dropped one torpedo on his first
run at 1,000 yards (914m) and
found that the second had hung
up. One splash was observed but
nothing else was seen. Against
anti-aircraft fire from all the enemy
vessels, Gillingham circled around
five times to make further runs
to release the remaining torpedo,
before he was forced to abandon his
strikes. Meanwhile Wg Cdr Pratt
attacked the largest merchant ship,
dropping two torpedoes, one at 800
yards and the other at 600 yards.Neither hit the vessel, and as Pratt
pulled away his aircraft came under
heavy flak.
Sgt Jones made his run at one of
the merchant ships, dropping a
torpedo as close as 400 yards and,
like Gillingham, also found his
second had hung up. Although no
result from the launched torpedo
was seen, Jones claimed a hit since
he and his crew felt the effect of
an explosion on their aircraft. Sgt
Page, pilot of the sole Wellington
to be carrying bombs, took his
aircraft into a low-level attack
at about 150ft above the sea. All
bombs were released in a single
stick, falling either side of the vesselwithout a hit. Despite receiving
anti-aircraft fire and some attacks
by enemy night-fighters, all the
RAF machines returned safely to
base. The last to land at 0855,
delayed by his repeated attempts to
launch his second torpedo, was Flt
Lt Gillingham.
Meanwhile at El Alamein, during
October 24 and 25, the Eighth
Army’s X Corps (armour) and
XXX Corps (infantry) failed to
break through the Axis lines. In
the 48 hours against determined
defences, they had been unable to
even reach the positions planned
to be taken by the morning of
October 24. General Montgomery’s
offensive was teetering on the
verge of collapse. On October 26,
while Montgomery remained at his
headquarters reviewing and revising
his plans, the RAF pressed on with
its well-established strategy.
Around noon on October 26,
Bristol Beauforts of 47 Squadron,
together with Bristol Bisleys of
South Africa’s 15 Squadron,north of Derna and dropped its
flares. Despite the illumination itstick, falling either side of the vesselwithout a hit. Despite receiving
anti-aircraft fire and some attacks
by enemy night-fighters, all theAbove left
The groundcrew of 38
Squadron pose for a
group shot in front
of Wellington ‘O for
Orange’ in North Africa
during 1942.
WW2IMAGES.COMLeft
A rare image of a 38
Squadron Wellington
being loaded with
torpedoes on Malta.
WW2IMAGES.COMLeft
An offi cial view of
Bristol Blenheim
V DJ702. The type
became known as the
Bisley in service.
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