INTERCEPTION OF ENEMY TRANSPORT PLANES NORTH OF DERNA — Operations

Operational Record

Duty: Interception of enemy Transport Planes North of Derna.
Committed: 8 Glenn Martin Maryland
Airborne: 0530 hrs
Returned: 1005 hrs
From: L.G. 76
Map: Cyrenaica 1:2,000,000
Day / night: Day
Casualties: Two crews missing, one crew with wounded observer safely forced landed.
Air defences: –
Results: 4 x 250 lbs. = 1000 lbs.

Again 21 Squadron was detailed for interception work and four pairs of Marylands set off at half hour intervals, commencing at 0730 hours, for their patrol area 40 - 50 miles North of Derna. With yesterdays experience of J.U. 52s hugging the water, our aircraft each carried bombs. One machine of the first pair, sighted a D.O. 24 at 33 deg. 30 min N and 23 deg. 50 min E, heading South at 300 ft., and attacked from 2000 ft. with a stick of four bombs. These were very accurately timed, but the D.O must have seen the bomb doors opening, and took immediate evasive action, turning and rising and then opened fire. The Maryland was only able to fire one short burst, to which the enemy replied, before the Dornier was lost in cloud. This Maryland then returned to base, with engine trouble, and the other one which had not been near enough to engage the D.O., continued to patrol without seeing any other Enemy aircraft. The second pair did not return to base, but late in the evening a signal was received from the leader to the effect that he had forced landed at Tobruk, badly shot up by 3 J.U. 52s, his observer being slightly wounded. The third pair returned with a nil report. The fourth pair encountered 2 M.E. 110s almost immediately after commencing their patrol - at 1013 hours. Both M.Es attacked the leader's machine from above, then one turned to attack the other Maryland ("H"). "H" evaded by turning steeply to port into cloud. It was then seen to be shallow-diving, with a 110 on its tail firing long bursts of cannon. On emerging from cloud, "H" could see no sign of "D", and continued his patrol. "H"'s pilot stresses the fact that the M.E. 110 appears to be considerably faster than the Maryland.