Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum - Question about a Spanish SM 79

From Savioia-Marchetti S.79 Sparviero Bomber Units by Marco Mattioli p28

Quote:

Spanish S.79 units subsequently reported a handful of losses during World War 2, despite the country's strict neutrality. In one instance, on 8 November 1940, S.79s 28-59 and 28-62 of 2a Escuadrilla, Grupo 5-G-28 of Regimento 12 de Bombardeo - unit tasked with defending the Baleric Islands- took off from San Juan at 1436 hrs and headed south on a routine surveillance patrol. At 1536 hrs the crew of 28-59 lost sight of 28-62. Just a few minutes before 28-59's return to base, Son San Juan's control tower intercepted a mayday message from 28-62, followed by silence. A search immediately started, and floating wreckage from the doomed S.79 was found the next day.
British reports help to reconstruct what happened to the aircraft. At 1734 hrs the S.79 had chanced upon the Royal Navy's Force 'H', busy launching strikes against southeren Sardinia, in the Cagliari area - a diversionary tactic for Operation Judgement (the strike on Taranto). At 1746 hrs 28-62 made a second pass to the starboard side of the British squadron, following the Force 'H' ships for six minutes. For the British this was enough to justify treating the solitary S.79 as a hostile reconaissance aeroplane, so the trimotor was attacked by a Fulmar fighter of 808 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) flown by future ace Lt. Rupert Tillard. His first attack seemingly killed the S.79's dorsal gunner, after which a second burst sent the trimotor crashing into the sea. Later, having received a British report describing the action, Spanish authorities declared that 28-62's aircrew had 'fallen in air service'