INTERCEPTION ENEMY AIRCRAFT NORTH OF DERNA — Operations

Operational Record

Duty: Interception enemy aircraft North of Derna.
Committed: 8 Glenn Martin Maryland
Airborne: 1040 hrs
Returned: 1507 hrs
From: L.G. 76
Map: Cyrenaica 1:2,000,000
Day / night: Day
Casualties: One crew missing, but with considerable possibility that they may have landed amongst friends.
Air defences: –
Results: –

A total wash out assigned to this squadron to-day. When pairs of Marylands were ordered to patrol a stretch of sea 40 miles North of Derna, with the intention of intercepting J.U. 52s, known to be carrying petrol and stores from Crete to Tripolitania. The first pair arrived at the patrol area at 1320 hours, and engaged 4 camouflaged? J.U. 52s from 1420 to 1447 hrs. finally breaking off owing to lack of ammunition. One Maryland of this pair, was considerably shot about xxx xxxx attacks, and only just managed to get home, after flying on one engine over enemy positions at a low height. The second pair started their patrol at 1412 hours, and a few minutes later attacked 3 J.U. 52s, which were heading North South East, very low down. One of them was seen to be in flames within 3 minutes, as a result of bursts from our front guns, and plunged into the sea. Within 5 minutes a similar fate overtook another of the enemy aircraft, in this case as the result of good shooting by the rear top Gunner of the same Maryland. The other Maryland was hit about this time, very probably by the rear Gunner of the sinking enemy aircraft, and he was not seen again. A W/T message was received at base it forced landed one mile North of Gazala. The third pair made four attacks, between 1505 and 1526 hours on one J.U. 52, heading North. Both crews said that the enemy aircraft was repeatedly hit. The fourth patrol saw five enemy aircraft, flying Northwards above them. They were unable to intercept before the Junkers got into the cloud. All the J.U. 52s encountered were excellently camouflaged black and green. The pilots found difficulty in engaging them from the front as the enemy aircraft would turn away. So all attacks were from the beam and astern. The enemy aircraft used heavy machine gun situated close behind the Pilot as well as a rotatable cannon in the rear cockpit and also G.H.G. (?) from the rear, which appeared to be fixed.