Italian SM.82 loss July 15th 1943 off Sardinia

[wwrsimon]

Hello again everyone

I've posted this in my other thread about an Italian loss on June 15th but thought I'd give it its own thread.

An SM.82 was claimed by 14 Squadron on July 15th 1943, if anyone can help.

From the ORB:

Marauder FK147 'B' [W/C Maydwell]
Shipping recce
Up: 17.40 [Protville]
Down: 23.36
19.30 UCHA 4250 [off Sardinia coast?] sighted Svoia [sic] 82 course 82º 50 feet. Marauder attacked enemy aircraft from above abeam. Fired bursts from 1000 yards to 500 yards – tracers seen to enter Savoia 82. Enemy aircraft plunged into the sea.

Stig Jarlevik very kindly gave me some details:

"MAW 4 do have a corresponding loss, when a S.82 (unknown MM number) from 609 Sq, 146 Gr, 44 St.T with Ten Giuseppe Breasola, Ten Renato Zelari + crew were lost.
The author calls the W/Cdr Maydwell and place their claim at 20mls NE Punta Chiappa."

I'm struggling to find Punta Chiappa (I assume it's not the one east of Genoa?), and if anyone has any further details of the incident I'd be grateful.

Regards

Simon

[Gianandrea Bussi]

The book about Servizi Aerei Speciali written by Massimo Civoli reports that the SM.82 of Ten. Giuseppe Bresaola was shot down on 15 july 1943 during a flight from Roma- Ciampino to Alghero, Sardinia with the loss of all 5 crewmembers.

No mention of this loss in the Diary of the Comando Aeronautica Sardegna.

Winged Promises includes the memories of the W/C Maydwell's tail gunner, Gil Graham, that writes that the italian transport aircraft was attacked "just off the coast of Sardinia" and that "the pilot deliberately ditched the aircraft before we did too much damage to it".

Punta di a Chiappa is near Porto Vecchio, in the south of Corsica: because Alghero is in the north of Sardinia, it could fit.

Ciao

Gianandrea

[wwrsimon]

Grazie molto Gianandrea, very much appreciated.

Regards

Simon

[tanzebau]

Hello,

from Operational and Intelligence Summary nr. 147 of 1943:

Night 15/16, day 16 July (Add).
...
e. Reconaissance
A Marauder of 14 Sqdn on dusk reconaissance of coastal waters ITALY, CORSICA and SARDINIA show down 1 S-82 lat. 1730 hrs. 20 miles NE CHIAPPA.

[wwrsimon]

Many thanks tanzebau for your replies to this one and to my other thread, they're very helpful indeed.

Regards

Simin

[tanzebau]

Hi Simin,

I'm glad it helped. Just a small correction from "show" to "shot", that means:

e. Reconaissance
A Marauder of 14 Sqdn on dusk reconaissance of coastal waters ITALY, CORSICA and SARDINIA shot down 1 S-82 lat. 1730 hrs. 20 miles NE CHIAPPA.