[Monaco]

Hello gentlemen,
reading the meticulously researched "History of the Mediterranean Air War Vol.4" is a pleasure for the interested, but I was a little bit disappointed when it came to the light spotter aircraft of the allies...several of which were claimed by Jagdwaffe pilots (with Spenner the leading "ace") in the period winter/spring 1944 - no hint of the allied units involved. I ordered two books on this theme and came upon a interesting case in "The fighting grasshoppers" by Ken Wakefield p.75 when an L-4 was lost in a collision with a Bf.109:
On 22.11.43 an L-4 spotter (US 5th Army) flown by Staff Sergeant H.G. Wadell with his mechanic T/3 R.D. Cannon was attacked and damaged by a Bf.109 fighter near Alano, the crew was unhurt. Less fortunate was Staff Sergeant James T. Smith of 10th FA Battalion (3rd I.D., VI Corps, US 5th Army), who´s L-4 collided with an attacking Bf.109 whilst maneuvering at low level. The L-4 lost a wing and crashed near Pietramelara with Smith KIA. 1st Lt. Ross S. Fleming of 151st FA Battalion suffered an engine failure on t/o and crashed (KIA).
An unidentified german unit (MAW Vol.4) claimed 2 „Lysanders“ shot down on 22.11.43.
Amongst the german losses were Bf.109G-4 WNr.20268 „Yellow 4“ of 3./JG.77 crashing near Monte Romano, cause unknown, with Uffz. Wolfgang Spading MIA and Bf.109G-6 WNr. 140054 „White 5“ crashing 25km WNW Rome on scramble, cause unknown, Fhr. Paul Gossling MIA.
Monte Romano is far off Pietramelara, but 4 km E of Pietramelara there´s a village and mountain called Roccaromana (rocca = mountain in italian language). Could Spading have collided with Smith´s L-4 and 3./JG.77 be the unit claiming 2 "Lysanders"?

Cheers

Michael