39th Beaufort Squadron in Malta.
 

Hi,
Colleagues,
Please tell me in what time periods in 1942 - 1943 the 39th Beaufort squadron was in Malta.

Re: 39th Beaufort Squadron in Malta.
 

39 Sqn not 39th. Latter is American

Re: 39th Beaufort Squadron in Malta.
 

I'm interested No 39 Sqn RAF.

Re: 39th Beaufort Squadron in Malta.
 

39 Sqn operated Beauforts in Malta from around Dec41 until re-equipment with Beaufighters in Jun43.

Re: 39th Beaufort Squadron in Malta.
 

Hi Andy-Sergey. The detachments (not the full squadron) were at Luqa 27/12/41 --2/10/42 then 6/11/42--1/6/43. Then to Protville (there were 3 airfields there) near Tunis.
Beaufort I 8/42--11/42. Beaufort II 4/42--6/43 then Beaufighters as Andy says.
Nick

Re: 39th Beaufort Squadron in Malta.
 

Hello Sergey!
According to Jefford's RAF Squadrons
A detachment at Luqa (on Malta) 27 Dec 41 onwards (Beaufort Is)
Apr 42 Beaufort IIs
20 Aug to Luqa - absorbed elements of Nos 86 & 217 Sqns, dets Gianaclis, Helwan, Shandur
2 Oct 42 to Shallufa, det Gianaclis
6 Nov 42 to Luqa, det Shallufa
9 Dec 42 to Shallufa, det Luqa
21 Jan 43 to Luqa, dets Shallufa, Gianaclis
1 Jun 43 to Protville II
Jun 43 Beaufighter X

Juha

Re: 39th Beaufort Squadron in Malta.
 

Thank you all very much.
For the period that interests me, Detachment 39 of the squadron under the command of Pat Gibbs arrived at Luke on June 22. He was in Malta until October 2, after which he flew to Egypt, where another detachment was located. Here I would like to know why the Beauforts recalled from Malta to Egypt, if there were a detachment of No 39 squadrons and No 42 squadrons.
If I understood correctly, the squadron again returned to Malta on November 6 (13 aircraft) and flew back to Egypt on December 9. But was it the whole squadron, or just her squad?

Sergey

Re: 39th Beaufort Squadron in Malta.
 

Good source for 39 Squadron is The Winged Bomb: History of 39 Squadron, R.A.F.
by Ken Delve 4 Apr 1998

Bruce Lander

Re: 39th Beaufort Squadron in Malta.
 

The Squadron's Operations Record Books are currently free to download from the National Archives. (The Archives are reopening on 21 July, so that may mean the end of the free downloads).

Re: 39th Beaufort Squadron in Malta.
 

I know about this book, but I did not find it on the Internet, and it is not on sale in Ukraine.

Re: 39th Beaufort Squadron in Malta.
 

Six copies listed on ABEBooks.com. One of them available from an Italian book store.

Enjoy!

Frank.

Re: 39th Beaufort Squadron in Malta.
 

The detachments from Malta were from the main squadron headquarters in Egypt. Hence they would return there, until 1943 after the success of Operation Torch provided bases in the west.

Re: 39th Beaufort Squadron in Malta.
 

Many missions were long-range, may be called 'shuttle', starting in Egypt/Libya and ended in Malta, and vice-versa, usually after some missions were flown from Malta near Sicily, Southern Italy or Corfu.

L9894 Bu Amud and Malta IV.42.
N1002 Bu Amud and Malta IV.42. Damaged 14.4.42.
N1094 II.42. Crashed on takeoff from LG.86 1.6.42. Ralph Barker, the future author of numerous books on aviation, was then wounded.
N1100 Bu Amud IV.42. Also flew in 22 Sqn.
N1166 Bu Amud and Malta IV.42. S/D by Bf 109 (FW Ludwig Reibel, I/JG 53, witnessed by Cant Z.506, 170a Squa) during attack on a convoy near Sicily on 14.4.42. Pilot Way and crew killed.
AW240 Luqa, Malta, 42. Lost with the crew from 217 Sqn 3.7.42.
DD951 LG.86 VI.42. Malta VI.42.
DD976 Malta VI.42. Lost during convoy attack near Palermo 23.6.42.
DD989 Crashed immediately after takeoff from LG.226 10.7.42.
DD993 From 217 to 39 Sqn. Damaged 3.7.42. Destroyed in air attack on Luqa, 11.10.42.
DE111 Gianaclis, late 42. Desert scheme.
AW290 Lost attacking a convoy near Corfu on August 24, 1942.
AW295 Listed in both 86 (with which arrived to Malta) and 39 Sqn. Lost VIII.42.
AW300 Malta VI.42.
AW349 Malta II.43. FTR from the attack on ships off Sicily on 24.2.43.
DD892 FTR from a patrol near Sicily/southern Italy on 11.4.43.
DD896 Malta, end of 1942, and V.43. DSG/EDSG /Azure.
DD898 X.42.-V.43.
DD906 Luqa, Malta IV-V.43. Torpedoed the last ship sunk by the RAF's Beaufort (Italian "Aquino") on 24.4.43.
DD910 I-II.43. FTR from the attack on the convoy off the Italian coast on 25.2.43.
DD928 I-III.43. FTR from the attack on the convoy near Sicily on 12.3.43.
DD934 I-III.43. FTR from the attack on naval convoy near Palermo 13.3.43.
DD936 Crashed into the sea near Sicily on an anti-ship patrol on May 16, 1943.
DD942 Protville II, Tunisia, VI.43.

After that Beaufighters, part of the first Coastal Strike Wing.

Re: 39th Beaufort Squadron in Malta.
 

Hi Zoran

Always interesting to check your lists provided!
Can you please explain what you mean with Bu (you can't mean broken up)

Also some aircraft you list were never with No 39 Sq (as per the Air Britain book)
Are N1100 and DE111 confirmed from ORBs, and if yes, more than once?

That book also says:
DD934 lost 12.3.1943 (ie same day as DD928) Did 39 Sq actually have two missions in a row attacking the same type of target in the same area?

Likewise DD936 is stated as lost 15.3.1943

Your comments appreciated
Cheers
Stig

Re: 39th Beaufort Squadron in Malta.
 

Hello Stig,
Bu Amud is a place in Libya (LG 147). See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...g_World_War_II
Most of the data is from orbs, but also from books or individual logbooks or published interviews in some form.
At this moment I cannot remember the other questions, so I'll answer later.
Zoran

Re: 39th Beaufort Squadron in Malta.
 

I have to confess Zoran, I had a laugh at that! :D
So much for my geography knowledge.....:o

Cheers
Stig

Re: 39th Beaufort Squadron in Malta.
 

https://i.postimg.cc/Gt586Gbq/039-Sq...rt-Bu-Amud.jpg
Bu Amud 1942

https://i.postimg.cc/GmktxZTM/039-Sq...rt-Malta-A.jpg

Malta

https://i.postimg.cc/t4tRxW8w/039-Sq...ille-Tunis.jpg

Beaufighters, Protville, Tunisia


https://i.postimg.cc/RZVCwN90/039-Sq...611-valjda.jpg


Marauder 'A', I believe HD611.

Re: 39th Beaufort Squadron in Malta.
 

Thanks friends.
Tell me how true the statement is that No 39 Squadron, which returned to Malta in January 1943, was engaged exclusively in night raids against enemy ships and ground targets. Were there daytime attacks?

Re: 39th Beaufort Squadron in Malta.
 

The Operations Record Book would tell you that. As I posted above, it’s free to download at the moment. Worth taking advantage while the opportunity lasts!

Re: 39th Beaufort Squadron in Malta.
 

Hello all,
the best way to search orbs is http://www.rafcommands.com/database/air27/index.php

And to Stig:
N1100 was at Bu Amud IV.42, (listed as 1100) and flew with 39 Sqn, crews were from 22 Sqn on at least one occasion.

https://i.postimg.cc/9fsLyptz/039-Sq...-Gianaclis.jpg

DE111 There is a profile (could be wrong caption). Confirmed as 'V' in 47 Sqn, as late as IV.43 at Misurata West.
DD928 I-III.43. Coded 'C'. FTR from the evening attack on the convoy near Sicily on 12.3.43., the same as bellow.
DD934 I-III.43. Coded 'C'. FTR from the attack on naval convoy near Palermo 13.3.43. That was evening mission 12/13.3, hence difference in dates. 'C' and 'N missing, and 'A' DD943 was also badly damaged.
DD936 Crashed into the sea near Sicily on an anti-ship patrol on May 16, 1943. Also probably coded 'N'. Summary says that 'N' was missing, but no serial. 'V' DD940 searched, but with no results. Monthly records are dark and serials unreadable.

Zoran

Re: 39th Beaufort Squadron in Malta.
 

Thread resurrection time! I was searching for LG 1 and somehow found this but I thought it may be worth adding and didn't see it mentioned earlier in the thread, Pat Gibbs wrote a fantastic book about his time in charge of 39 Squadron - "Torpedo Leader". I have just finished it and it covers the period in personal detail, highly recommended for an account of 39 sqn operations during the period.