Some different fate's of Hurricane losses
 

Hi Folks,
I have some different fate's of Hurricane losses.

1.) P 2653 Lost with Hal Far Flight on 13.07.40
S/D by Capitano Guido Bobba 23°Gruppo over Malta
P 2653 Lost with 261 Sqn on 22.03.41
S/D by JG 26 over Malta

2.) P 3722 Lost with 274 Sqn on 26.01.41
S/D by A. Ricotti 151°Gruppo over Northafrica
P 3722 Lost with 274 Sqn on 22.04.41
S/D over Northafrica

3.) P 3977 Lost with 3 RAAF Sqn on 17.06.41
S/D over Tobruk
P 3977 Lost with 274 Sqn on 17.06.41
S/D over Northafrica

4.) V 7757 Lost with 3 RAAF Sqn on 19.02.41
S/D by ME-110 of ZG 26 over Northafrika
V 7757 Lost with 73 Sqn on 07.07.41
S/D over Northafrica

Know's anybody the fact's

TIA
Fireship

Re: Some different fate's of Hurricane losses
 

Dear fireship,



According with Brian Cull and Christopher Shores, on 13 July 1940, Hurricane P2653, flown by Pilot Officer Dick Sugden of Malta Fighter Flight was attacked twice during an engagement against Fiat CR 42s of 23° Gruppo. The Hurricane was badly damaged during the last engagement but Sugden -although with the engine of his kite smoking and spluttering- was able to land on its undercarriage at base.

The Italians that day claimed two victories. One shared among four pilots of 75a Squadriglia and another individual for Capitano Guido Bobba (CO of 74a Squadriglia). It seems that they all attacked the same Hurricane in different moments and from the report of Sugden it seems that it was this last pilot (Bobba) that was responsible for the heavy damage suffered by his plane. The Hurricane however was not lost.



P3722 instead was indeed shot down and forced to land in the desert South of Derna in the afternoon of 26 January 1941. At the controls was no less than “Imshi” Mason who surprised, together with Flying Officer Patterson, a mixed formation from 151° Gruppo C.T. strafing Australian troops. Mason boldly enter dogfight against the whole Italian formation –composed by seven CR 42s of 368a Squadriglia and three of 366a Squadriglia and succeeded in shooting down two of them –those piloted by Maresciallo Guido Paparatti and Sottotenente Alfonso Nuti- killing both the pilots, before the rest of the now five strong 368a Squadriglia’s formation was able to react and damage the engine of his Hurricane that necessitated a force landing that became a crash landing when the Hawker tipped onto its nose in rocky ground near the Aussie troops. From the Italian report it seems that neither Nuti nor Paparatti (an expert and brave pilot who had recently won a silver medal for bravery), probably too intent in the strafing attack, were able to see who hit them while an individual victory was claimed by Sergente Maggiore Annibale Ricotti and a probable one was claimed by Tenente Giuseppe Zuffi .

Mason on his part, after the successful combat and the crash landing didn't admit being shot down but reported only that the engine of his fighter cut immediately after the combat (reason unspecified ).

It is however possible that this plane was later recovered by the highly efficient salvage units of the RAF.



Now firship, if you can be so kind to tell me the source of Your infos regarding the shooting down of P2653 and P3722.



Kind regards



Ludovico.

Re: Some different fate's of Hurricane losses
 

Hi,


From Hurricanes over Malta

page 280

Roll of Honour 1940-42

22/3/41.....F/O. James H. T. Foxton.....261 Sqdn......Hurricane P2653

Page 80

Plt Off Jock Barber was not flying on this occasion and saw what happened to Foxton.
"I was swinning when a battle started overhead. Suddenly a Hurricane came down in a screaming dive and splashed into the sea. This turned out to be P2653 , the aircraft I had ferried to Malta in June of the previous year. Terry Foxton was killed ".

Four others went down in this fight, P/O. Tom Garland (V7493); F/O. Johnny Southwell (V7799); P/O. Dennis Knight (V7358); Sgt. Dick Spyer (V7672).


From Hurricanes over Tobruk

from Page 202

Claims & Roll of Honour

5/1/41......Flg Off. E. M. Mason......P3722......274 Sqn......2 CR 42, SM 79,
(Plus 3 CR 42's damaged , ground ).

8/1/41......Flg Off E. M. Mason......P3722......274 Sqn......2 SM 79 (ground).

9/1/41......Flg Off E. M. Mason......P3722......274 Sqn......CR 42.

10/1/41....Flg Off E. M. Mason......P3722......274 Sqn......2 SM 79, G50 damaged (plus CR32 ground).

26/1/41......Flg Off. E. M. Mason......P3722......274 Sqn......3 CR 42s

30/1/41......Flg Off E. M. Mason......P3722......274 Sqn......CR 42.

What one man and his 'plane could do!

Air Britain P1000-R9999 has-

P3722 as 274 Sqn Destroyed on evacuation, El Adem, 22/4/41.
and
P2653 as 261 Sqn Dived into sea off Malta, 22/3/41; presumed shot down by Bf109.

Night

Alex

Re: Some different fate's of Hurricane losses
 

Hello Ludovico and Alex,

to Alex many thanks for info.

to Ludovico thanks for info.
My information came from internetsides and forums

1. www.3squadron.org.au
2. www.dalnet.se/~surfcity
3. rafcommand board

and a few more

Reargards
Fireship

Re: Some different fate's of Hurricane losses
 

Dear firship and Alex,



Those contained in “Hurricanes over Tobruk” aren’t the only combat claims of the couple Flying Officer Ernest Mason – Hurricane P3722. In fact it seems that Mason claimed almost all his victories flying this plane. More in detail (all this victories were claimed on P3722) :



DATE

HOUR

CLAIM

CORROBORATION

9.12.40

12.30

1 S79 shared

Conf. S79 of 22a Sq. 45° Gruppo 14° Stormo

9.12.40

16.08

1 CR 42

Likely 9° Gruppo 4° Stormo, lost three CR 42s force landed and one shot down in exchange for five-seven R.A.F. claims.

11.12.40

15.40

1 CR 42

Unconf. CR 42 of 368a Sq. 151° Gruppo only damaged.

14.12.40

10.30

1 S79

Likely four RAF claims around this hour in exchange for one S79 shot down, one crash landed and four damaged all of 41° Stormo.

23.12.40

9.15

1 Ca 310

Possible a machine of APC. There is a lack in Italian records.

23.12.40

9.40

1 S79

Unconf. S 79 of 15° Stormo only damaged.

5.01.41

12.20

2 CR 42

Conf. Tenente Oscar Abello and Sergente Pardino Pardini of 70a Sq. 23° Gruppo K.I.A.

9.01.41

16.00

1 CR 42

Conf. In fact CR 32 of an “ad hoc” composite fighter unit formed at Derna with disbanded pilots. Pilot safe.

10.01.41

10.00

1 S79

Unconf. Possibly only a returning plane making an hurriedly landing.

10.01.41

16.05

1 S79

Unconf. Possibly only a returning plane making an hurriedly landing.

26.01.41

15.10

3 CR 42

2 Conf. 1 unconf. Already detailed



Just a last couple of notes. These data came from Form 541 of the 274 Squadron’s ORB, from Italian Squadriglie’s war diaries and from the existing literature. It is interesting to note that according with the ORB Mason claimed fourteen victories during the first Libyan thus making his grand total of sixteen individual confirmed victories (Shores in “Aces High” spoke of only fifteen victories downgrading to a “damaged” the CR 42 claimed on 9 December. In the official documents –instead- it seems that Mason claimed a confirmed, producing also a Combat (Fighter) Report to substantiate it).



The victory of 30 January over a CR 42 is unconfirmed, the 368a Sq. 151° Gruppo’s plane of Sergente Mario Turchi was only damaged when colliding in a desperate head on attack with the plane of Mason and Turchi landed (not force landed) on Benina immediately after, being welcomed like a hero by his Squadriglia comrades that had witnessed his solo (and quite successful) combat against Mason and Patterson. Turchi claimed two damaged, his plane M.M. 6255 was slightly damaged.

This claim is not comprised in the above list because Mason in this occasion was flying P3723. This information is given in “Aces High, volume 2” and is also consistent with the data present in 274’s ORB.

This gives another clue on the fate of P3722. In my opinion the Hurricane was shot down by Ricotti on the 26th. Then it was recovered but was still not back in action when the Germans invested El Adem and was lost there. In accordance with this there is the fact that up to 31 March 1941, 274 didn’t flew any more P3722, (I don’t have data for April).



Regards



Ludovico.

Re: Some different fate's of Hurricane losses
 

Sorry for the format of my answer, originally the data were in a word table. I really have to learn better how to write in this forum....

Ludovico

Re: Some different fate's of Hurricane losses
 

Hi Ludovico,

i have no problem with the format.
The airwar in MTO has to many questions
that i'am happy about any answer.
Sorry for my bad english.

Regards
Fireship