B-25 in the Aegean Sea in 1943
 

Colleagues

I found this information
30/10 Detachment Squadron “G” Mission #18. Four aircraft, 2 B-25G’s (Flying aisson and Red nose Beckie) of 445BS and 446BS USAAF and 2 Beaufighters Mk.X (JM317/S and …./L) of 47Sqn. RAF, took off from Gambut #3 and El Adem at 13:50 - 13:47 for shipping strike mission in the harbour of Naxos island in the Aegean.
At 15:50 the formation reached Naxos island and attacked the German ships GA01 and GA54 that were anchored in the harbour as well as the GA92 that was out of the port. The German ships GA01 and GA54 heavily damaged
from attack but didn’t sink. Their crews acted fast and fire back at the time that the a/c’s turned off the target run and started to break for safety. Then they encountered a great deal of medium and heavy flak. Beaufighter JM317/S get damaged in one of the engines and forced to ditched 8 miles
North-east of the harbour (near Abraam bay) and B-25G “Flying Caisson” crashed in the sea 2 miles west of the port in position 37ο08'N, 25ο20’Ε.https://aviationarchaeology.gr/wp-co...in-Greece1.pdf Please help me determine how often American B-25s participated in anti-ship operations in the Aegean Sea in October-November 1943, and which units participated.

sergey

Re: B-25 in the Aegean Sea in 1943
 

There are a number of books out there on Kos and Leros-do you have access to them?

Re: B-25 in the Aegean Sea in 1943
 

Some of them are, but I'm more interested in the documents. I'm currently processing everything I found on 321th BG, then I'll tackle 310th BG, but I still have questions.

Re: B-25 in the Aegean Sea in 1943
 

Hi Sergey. The 12th, 310th and 340th BGs at this time were flying missions in Italy and Balkans; the 321st flew a few anti-shipping missions with B-25Gs ( they mostly had Cs and Ds) but most targets were airfields; this is their mission list for Oct.43. 2--"G-ships" flew sea sweeps on the 9th. for instance.
Note 50 missions were required then.
"Flying Caisson" was 42-64579, "Red Nose Beckie" was 42-64587.


https://57thbombwing.com/321stHistor...BG_1943-10.pdf


Regards
Nick

Re: B-25 in the Aegean Sea in 1943
 

Hi Nick.
I use this resource. On October 15th, all B-25Gs of the 321st BG were consolidated into G Squadron and flown to Gambut, Libya. On October 16th, they conducted two combined anti-shipping sorties in the Aegean Sea alongside Beaufighters. However, these documents don't indicate how many Mitchells flew to Gambut.
From November 1, all B-25G crews of the 321st BG were transferred to the 310th BG.

Re: B-25 in the Aegean Sea in 1943
 

The 379th Squadron, to which the B-25Gs were assigned, was stationed in El Adem on November 2. Search sorties began at sea on November 11. However, this document provides no details.
https://57thbombwing.com/310thHistor...BG_1943-11.pdf

Re: B-25 in the Aegean Sea in 1943
 

The 321BG summaries identify the Gs at Gambut, looks like 9 total.
42-64587, 42-64579, 42-64501, 42-64654, 42-32487, 42-32489, 42-64580, 42-64668, 42-32488.
20th. 4 a/c
24th. 4 a/c
25th. 6 a/c
26th. 7 a/c
27th. 4 a/c.
28th. 4 a/c
29th. 5 a/c
30th. 6 a/c
Sorry missed 4 missions....
16th. 4 + 4
17th. 5 +5 ( 1 flew 2 missions).
18th. 4
19th. 4 + 3.


Nick

Re: B-25 in the Aegean Sea in 1943
 

There's some kind of error with 42-32464. The first flight departed at 13:08, the second at 14:10. No one returned early. And this plane has a different crew listed for each flight.
It's better not to guess, but to look it up in the sources.

Re: B-25 in the Aegean Sea in 1943
 

Details have been found.
During the month of November we ran a total of 14 missions to various parts of the Aegean Sea in search of enemy shipping. Three of these missions succeeded in locating targets. On November 12th, 3 of our planes attacked a convoy of one 4000 ton M/V, one 2000 ton M/V and 5 E boats. Both M/V’s and several of the E boats were set on fire as a result of cannon hits scored by our planes in their attack. Again on November 15th, 2 of our planes succeeded in locating a target. This time two small destroyers were sighted and attacked. A direct hit in the boiler room of one of the destroyers caused it to explode and burst into flame. Two hits were also scored on the second destroyer causing some damage. Our last successful mission of the month was on November 18th when 3 of our planes sank a 140 ft. Caique
I would like to know the details of the attack by two destroyers on November 15 - the time and place of the attack and how many British aircraft took part in it.

Re: B-25 in the Aegean Sea in 1943
 

You are right 42-32464 is included twice for the 17th; this was "The Goon Bird" assigned to 2/Lt. G. M. Prior confirmed by his son Robert in a post online. Missing on return flight to US May 3 1944 off Brazil.There is a MACR. 2/Lt. R. A. McLaughlin was same squadron but evidently a different plane. Maybe confused with 42-64654 flown by McLaughlin on the 19th. (and flown by Prior on the 20th.).
Regards
Nick

Re: B-25 in the Aegean Sea in 1943
 

This is the German Naval War Diary for 1943, Nov.15 is on p.252; the 2 Torpedo Boats may be the "small destroyers". It says SW of Calino but that's in N. Italy, may be CALILO in the Aegean. Don't know if the time (1232) matches though.


https://archive.org/details/wardiary...ge/n1/mode/2up

Re: B-25 in the Aegean Sea in 1943
 

Thank you. I've already figured out the Germans. They were TA-15 and TA-16 destroyers. The time matches, the location is west of Kalymnos Island in the Aegean Sea. The only question is about the composition of the allied strike air group—how ​​many Beaufighters operated alongside these two B-25Gs?

Re: B-25 in the Aegean Sea in 1943
 

From the ORBs Nov. 15.
4 Beaufighters from 47 Sqn. and 3 from 603 escorted B-25s (didn't say how many) sweeping Leros area; B-25s attacked 2 "destroyers" with cannons (so B-25Gs).
The day before 4 a/c from each Sqn. had flown a similar sweep Leros area escorting 4 B-25s from 310BG.
Nick


(Also on 15th. 7 from 227 Sqn. and 1 from 46 flew offensive sweep Leros area; met 3 He.111s, 2 Me109s, 3 Macchi 202s.) No B-25s mentioned.

Re: B-25 in the Aegean Sea in 1943
 

The 47rd and 603rd Squadrons were based with B-25s in Libya, while the 46rd and 227rd were based in Cyprus. Incidentally, the 47rd Squadron was capable of using torpedoes.
Thank you very much, colleague. Basically, the matter is closed.

Re: B-25 in the Aegean Sea in 1943
 

46, 47, 227 and 603 are RAF squadrons so to be correct are 46 Sqn, 47 Sqn, 227 Sqn and 603 Sqn unlike their American counterparts. As a former RAF senior officer, I know that referring to them the American way gets former squadron members "hot under the collar"!!

Re: B-25 in the Aegean Sea in 1943
 

I apologize, but I have come across different variants of writing RAF squadron numbers, both those already listed and this one - No. 227 sqn.

Re: B-25 in the Aegean Sea in 1943
 

The full title would by Number 227 Sqn RAF but it is more usually written 227 Sqn, never 227th Sqn