Re: A History of the Mediterranean Air War, 1940-1945 Volume 4
 

I've just received my copy. Looks majestic. Thank you for all your work, and I'm looking forward to the next volume.

Re: A History of the Mediterranean Air War, 1940-1945 Volume 4
 

I have a question about the photo at the bottom of p. 24. Is that guy really Kesselring? He does smile, but he doesn't look much like "the smiling Albert".
Also, I'm pretty sure that on p. 158, where units of Luftflotte 2 are listed, "III./Schl.G 2" should read "II./Schl.G 2". AFAIK, Sch.G 2 didn't have III. Gruppe at all.

Re: A History of the Mediterranean Air War, 1940-1945 Volume 4
 

The MAW Team has concluded, after due deliberation, thousands of emails, much gnashing of teeth and pulling of hair (neither a good idea at our ages), that the picture on page 24 is not Smiling Albert, but probably Smiling Hans (last name unknown). Further the reference to III./SchlG 2 is in fact a typo. Both corrections (and hopefully a correct picture) will be listed in the final MAW volume with all other corrections from the earlier volumes.

Do please keep informing us of any corrections. It helps to keep us humble. cough, cough.

Enjoy!

Frank.

Re: A History of the Mediterranean Air War, 1940-1945 Volume 4
 

I also have a tidbit :) Recently, while reading "Long Range Desert Group. Behind Enemy Lines in North Africa" by W.B. Kennedy Shaw (the unit's intelligence officer), and cross-checking it with the MAW books, I’ve found an interesting piece of info. The MAW says of 17th November 1941 (vol. I, p. 310): “272 Squadron’s Beaufighters were out again during the day, one trio strafing many vehicles”.
Here’s what Kennedy Shaw recorded: “Simms had some excitement, caught in one of those unfortunate incidents which happened two or three times in LRDG’s life. On November 17th he was moving up to position on the Tariq el ‘Abd when three Beaufighters roared over the horizon and opened fire on the patrol. […] The Beaufighters strafed the Y1 patrol till their ammunition was finished and the W/T truck ablaze”. Fortunately, there were no casualties!

Regards, Tom

Re: A History of the Mediterranean Air War, 1940-1945 Volume 4
 

Tom

Nice pick up, thanks for that.

Russell

Re: A History of the Mediterranean Air War, 1940-1945 Volume 4
 

I don't know if this account appears in volume 4 but I hope so.

WWII Diary of Capt. Samuel T. Moore, MD - 81st Fighter Group

Thursday, August 5, 1943, Bizerte [Tunisia]

"Also I had a nice chat with a P-40 pilot, Richard E. Cone by name, of Columbus, Ohio. He was shot down by an ME-109 over Sicily and miraculously lived to tell his tale. Cone was flying escort for a formation of bombers at 13,000 feet when he spotted a ME-109 closing on on his element leader's plane. He turned to meet the ME, and as he did so he saw the ME's guns blinking at him. He watched helplessly as a row of bullet holes ran up one wing and shattered his windshield. Then a 20-mm shell exploded on the canopy adjacent to his head.

In the split second before darkness came he saw blood splatter the glass and instrument panel, and he released his safety harness. He regained consciousness momentarily and found himself falling free in the air. He pulled the rip cord but passed out again before the chute opened. The next time he awoke he was in the Mediterranean with a burning pain in his jaw. Somehow he managed to inflate his dingy and pull himself into it.

But his troubles were not over. His lower jaw was falling apart. He repositioned it and held it in place by pressing his chin against his chest. Again he lapsed into darkness. This time he awoke in an Italian operating room at the business end of a large drill going through his mandible. Without anesthetic or analgesics, he was in excruciating pain. The Italian surgeons finished their drilling and sewed the mandible together. For three days he had no sleep or surcease from the pain, as they would give him no sedative.

Sixteen days later the Americans captured the town and Cone walked out in his borrowed silk pajamas to flag down an American ambulance. The ambulance was on its way to the front and he had to ride with them for almost 20 hours before getting to a hospital.

Cone's mandibular fragments were in very poor position; two teeth with the bone were removed, and his remaining teeth wired. Tomorrow he leaves for a base hospital and then to the States for plastic surgery. He asked me if he'll ever fly again. Poor chap, I think not. But he has a wife and child to return to." p. 144

Flight Surgeon: With the 81st Fighter Group in WWII
(Macedon Publishing Co., Oklahoma 1999)
by Samuel T. Moore, MD with James Edwin Alexander

Re: A History of the Mediterranean Air War, 1940-1945 Volume 4
 

Edward,
Thanks for the note. Cone's loss is noted on page 145 of MAW4, but with no further details. We may be able to include a reference to the book you quoted in the errata in the final volume. MAW4 was just under 700 pages long, and we have to limit the number of personal anecdotes included (although I don't believe I knew of the book you quoted).

Enjoy!

Frank.

Re: A History of the Mediterranean Air War, 1940-1945 Volume 4
 

HI Frank,

Glad to pass that along. You really helped me out the last time I was doing research at College Park.

Another published diary which might be of use is:
The War Diaries of Sgt. Robert L. Covington: November 1942 - February 1945
(Pocahontas Press 1998)
Covington served as an aviation mechanic with the 60th Fighter Squadron / 33rd Fighter Group where he primarily worked on P-40's.

Edward

Re: A History of the Mediterranean Air War, 1940-1945 Volume 4
 

If you are looking for errata, in Vol. 2 there's a typo in the entry for 27 August 1942:

The reference to "He 111 GH+JH" should read "GJ+JH", see the attached extract from TNA HW 5/129 — ULTRA CX/MSS/1370 para. 21.

Re: A History of the Mediterranean Air War, 1940-1945 Volume 4
 

Thanks Nick. I have passed this on to our "collection agency".

Enjoy!

Frank.