MC 202 loss

[stefaan]

Hi Guys.
On 15 Aug 1942 a force consisting of Bisley's from 15 SAAF and Beaufighters from 252 and 272 RAF Sqdns were attacking barges in the Med when they were intercepted by 3 MC 202's.One of them was shot down by 15 sqn gunners.Can anybody please tell me if they know which unit the MC 202's were from and who the Pilot was??
Thanks
Stefaan

[alessandro bray]

Hi Stefaan

are you sure the action took place on 15.8.42?

alessandro

[stefaan]

Yep.
They were intercepted between Sidi Barani and Mersah Metruh.
Stefaan

[Ludovico Slongo]

Dear Stefaan,
I was quite interested by your request so I made a little search into my books by I wasn't able to find positive corroboration for the event you described. However there are some hints that you may find interesting.
First of all, according with an OOB of Regia Aeronautica in North Africa, dated 1st August 1942 (very close to the date of your interest)there were in that sector only five units equipped with Macchi MC 202s: 9° and 10° Gruppo of 4° Stormo and 23° Gruppo of 3° Stormo were completely mounted on the type while it was in service in very small numbers also in 13° Gruppo of 3° Stormo that had three and 150° Gruppo Autonomo.
The combat history of the Gruppi of 4° Stormo is related in a "classic" Italian book that is : "Quelli del Cavallino Rampante" written in the late seventies on the basis of the surviving records of the unit and of the remembrances of the (then) many survivors. The combat history of 23° Gruppo is told in "Il 23° Gruppo caccia" by Nicola Malizia while it is possible to find some details also in "Dai biplani agli aviogetti" a more recent pictorial history of the whole 3° Stormo. Well...The above mentioned sources don't report any action that could be even partially connected with the action you described, and no losses at all are noted for the day.
Regarding 13° Gruppo it was then based in Bu Amud, slightly south-east of Tobruk and at approximately 300 Km from Mersa Matruh, possibly too much far a relatively short-ranged fighter as was the MC 202, the combat history of 13° Gruppo is however related in the book: "Il 2° Stormo" and even here no losses at all were noted nor no action for the three MC 202s of the Gruppo. Finally regarding 150° Gruppo it was then based in Bhengazi so clearly out of the fight. So apparently no MC 202 involvement at all, but, reading the pages of the book about 2° Stormo I found that the other Gruppo of the Stormo (the 8°) that was based at Abu Haggag in the Mersa Matruh region and was equipped with radial-engined Macchi MC 200s had -as primary task during August- the escort of barges between Sidi El Barrani and Mersa Matruh and on August the 15th the following action occurred (it follows a loose translation): "Sergente Maggiore Ottorino Lancia and Sergente Maggiore Bartolo Palumbo were escorting a convoy bound for Mersa Matruh when they saw in distance an enemy formation composed by nine Beaufighters, they manoeuvred to reach a favourable attack position and then fell on the enemy's formation. Sergente Maggiore Lancia claimed one of the twin-engined planes in flames then the two Italian pilots continued in their attacks hitting seven more of them and obliging the British raiders to retreat without having caused any damage to the convoy. The Italian fighters then, damaged by the enemy's reaction had to come back before the end of their covering patrol, landing safely at Sidi El Barrani".
No hour is reported in the book for this engagement that looks quite similar to that you described.
Hope it was of interest.
Ciao.

Ludovico.

[stefaan]

Hi
That helps thanks.
The a/c that was claimed as destroyd by the Italians was in fact a Beaufighter that had a flare that was set alight and caused smoke to come out of the turret opening.
They managed to stop the smoking flare and landed safely at home.
I will then also have to accept that the Macchi was not shot down.
Can I quote the paragraph you sent in my book??
Thanks again
Stefaan

[Ludovico Slongo]

Dear Stefaan,
as you probably already know, according with Christopher Shores and Hans Ring, two Messerschmitt 109 of III/JG 53 were present during the day in an action very similar to the one you described (perhaps the same) and according with the claim-list of Tony Woods a Beaufighter was claimed shot down at 12.45 by Lieutenant Hermann Munzert of 9./JG 53, so -if the Macchis and the German fighters took part in the same action- they probably attacked the same plane each one unware of the other, a plane that at the end survived.
Back to the Italian losses, what I wrote you was only a collection of secondary sources that -altough interesting for your research- doesn't imply that -for sure- no Macchi was lost in the circumstances you described. A superior level of accuracy, together with the hour of the engagement and detail of the damage suffered by the planes of Lancia and Palumbo, you could find in the Italian Records of the time, that should be held in Rome.
Finally, yes, obviously you can quote my (very) loose translation without problems, just correct the English please.
The original source from which it was taken is: "Il 2° Stormo, note storiche dal 1925 al 1975. -Gino Strada- S.T.E.M. Mucchi/USSMA, Modena/Roma 1975".

Ciao.

Ludovico