The strange story of the Blenheims of 82 Squadron.
 

Colleagues, I read the following in the Malta War Diaries for June 25, 1941:
Malta’s Royal Navy and RAF commanders received urgent orders today to stop an enemy convoy ‘at all costs’. Intelligence reports had been received in London of a fast German troop convoy consisting of four large liners as well as merchant ships heading out of Naples for North Africa. In a combined sea and air operation, HM Submarines Urge, Unbeaten and Upholder were immediately sent to intercept while 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm were also ordered in to attack, followed by RAF Blenheim low-level torpedo bombers.

In view of recent Blenheim losses, 69 Squadron was also asked to assist in the attack. The Maryland reconnaissance squadron was given the task of dive-bombing the convoy to cause a distraction and enable the main attack to be pressed home. Four Marylands spent this morning practicing over Filfla; the aircraft of Flt/Lt Warburton was damaged in the exercise.

A group of Marylands took off from Malta this afternoon to shadow the convoy. The 13 Swordfish of 830 Squadron FAA followed at 6pm and used the Marylands to locate their target. A second flight of four Marylands took off ahead of the Blenheims to launch the main night attack on the convoy.

https://maltagc70.wordpress.com/cate...941/june-1941/
The most puzzling thing is that a) 23 (!) Blenheims of 82 Squadron arrived in Malta on June 18-20, and b) Marylands of 69 Squadron and Swordfish of 830 Squadron took part in the evening attack on the convoy, but the Blenheims didn't attack (there are no reports from either the British or the Italians), even though there are reports of the sortie in both the Malta Diaries and the Admiralty Diaries. Considering that I couldn't find any mention of operations in Malta in May-June in the War Diary of 82 Squadron, there's some kind of mystery. Please help me solve it.

sergey

Re: The strange story of the Blenheims of 82 Squadron.
 

The problem is with many of these short term detachments from UK to Malta that the F540 was either not completed or lost

Re: The strange story of the Blenheims of 82 Squadron.
 

These aircraft were ferried from England via Gibraltar, confirmation of their arrival is in the Malta Diaries and there are no reports of any accidents.

Re: The strange story of the Blenheims of 82 Squadron.
 

82 Sqn was based at Watton and was detached to a number of UK bases as well as Malta and did not leave Watton until March 1942 for the Far East. Paperwork tended to be secondary to operations in such cases-I have come across this many times with other units in 1941

Re: The strange story of the Blenheims of 82 Squadron.
 

Unfortunately, that's true. I'm trying to get information about the Blenheims' activities in Malta (I still have questions), but I haven't found any squadron logs for that period.

Re: The strange story of the Blenheims of 82 Squadron.
 

25 June. Convoy 4 large M /V’s 20,000 tons and 7 destroyers
35 miles south Cape ? Spartivento southbound 2
battleships entering Messina Straits from South.
Messina harbour 3 cruisers 8 medium M/V's.
Blenheims Marylands and Swordfish being
despatched to attack convoy.
(H.Q. R.A.F. Malta, 1730/25.)
Night 25/26 June
4 Maryands attacked Convoy 4 M.V.'s 20,000 tons,
6 D.R.'s off Sicily at dusk (25/6) 1 direct hit
at least 1,500 lb. M.Bomb cusing fire with much
smoke amidships . 1 Maryland missing. Later 7
Swordfish made Torpedoattack 2 M.V.'s hit with
third probable hit. Fur ther results unobserved
owing to darkness. One Swordfish missing.
(H.Q. R.A.F. Malta 1801/26.)
https://sccd.royalnavy.mod.uk/-/medi...bd09e960a227cc
This is information about the convoy attacks from the Admiralty War Diaries. There's no mention of Blenheims' involvement.

Re: The strange story of the Blenheims of 82 Squadron.
 

It is possible they did not find the convoy?

Seekrieg notes that this was a northbound convoy in which two ships were damaged (Wachtfels and Tembien) and none sunk.

All the best

Andreas

Re: The strange story of the Blenheims of 82 Squadron.
 

You might find something in National Archives AIR 24/908: AHQ Malta, ORBs with appendices (Jun 1940–Aug 1942) or AIR 22/392 Malta Daily IntSums (Jan 1942–Jan 1943)

Re: The strange story of the Blenheims of 82 Squadron.
 

No. It was the Esperia-Oceania-Neptunia-Marco Polo convoy to Tripoli. Maryland scouts continuously followed it and successfully targeted Maryland bombers and Swordfish.

Re: The strange story of the Blenheims of 82 Squadron.
 

For October onwards AIR24/908 is only a monthly summary with no detail on sorties.

All the best

Andreas

Re: The strange story of the Blenheims of 82 Squadron.
 

Actually, there's more than that. The few pages I photographed (from Summer 1942) include detailed lists of aircraft movements through Malta, aircraft casualties (with date, type, serial numer and circumstances), honours & awards to personnel, and timetables of the escorts provided to a convoy on 14 and 15 June.

Re: The strange story of the Blenheims of 82 Squadron.
 

We are talking about the Naples-Tripoli convoy from June 25 to 29, 1941. I drew attention to this story because, despite the categorical order of the Command and the presence of a large number of Blenheims of the 82nd Squadron in Malta, the convoy was not attacked by them either during the sea crossing or during the temporary stop in Taranto on June 26-27.

https://conlapelleappesaaunchiodo.bl...6/esperia.html

Three or four (!) Marylands of 69 Squadron, armed with 500-pound bombs, were used as a strike force. 82's attack on this convoy did not occur until June 30, when 6 Blenheims attacked liners in Tripoli harbor, hitting the Esperia with... 25-pound bombs!

There is no explanation for these events in either the Malta Diaries or the Admiralty Diaries.

Re: The strange story of the Blenheims of 82 Squadron.
 

Yes, I know that. I was just answering Andreas' point about what was on a particular file.

Re: The strange story of the Blenheims of 82 Squadron.
 

I looked at the War Diary for June 1941 for 69 Squadron. It states that the convoy's departure from Taranto was spotted by a Maryland reconnaissance aircraft on the evening of June 27th. On June 28th, Maryland reconnaissance aircraft spotted the convoy heading south before noon. But the Blenheims didn't attack it again (they didn't even take off)! The next morning, 10 miles from Tripoli, three Marylands dropped bombs on the convoy, but nine Blenheims failed to find it and bombed a coastal target. That evening, the Marylands bombed Tripoli harbor, and five Blenheims bombed Salman airfield!
It seems that aircraft with completely inexperienced crews were sent to Malta, and command decided not to throw them into an attack against a strong convoy to avoid heavy losses. So, the problem was probably with the crews.

Re: The strange story of the Blenheims of 82 Squadron.
 

Oh yes sorry, I was purely referring to sortie detail in the context of this discussion, but you are right to point this out. Agreed there's a wealth of information in other aspects even earlier than what you have, although at least for the early month the a/c casualties are not included.

All the best

Andreas