159 Sqn Liberator in combat with Luftwaffe night fighter 28/29 June 42

[phasselgren]

Hi,

I found the following information in the ORB of No.242 Wing:
On the night 28/29 June 1942 5 Liberators of No.159 Squadron bombed zig-zag road at Halfya Pass and Sollum escarpment. On the same night 7 Liberators of Halvorsens detachment attacked Tobruk between 0100 and 0135 hours.
“One of 159 squadron attacked by ME 110 and one engaged monoplane. Aircraft damaged by burst from ME. Two gunners hurt – one killed. Rear gunner saw direct hit from return fire and ME 110 going down. Another unidentified aircraft a/c firing tracer seen at Sollum. Four aircraft of Halvorsens saw fighters – one claiming hit with return fire.”

Is it possible to identify the Liberator damaged by the Bf 110 and its crew? Neither of the ORBs of the 159 and 160 Sqns has anything on this operation.

The CWGC site has no loss for 159 Sqn on this night but air gunner Sgt Benjamin Thompson, RAFVR 1096378 of 160 Sqn was killed on this night. Thompson is only mentioned once in the 160 Sqn ORB. On the 1 June he flew a convoy escort with the following crew:
W.O. Adam (pilot), Sgt Wilson (2nd pilot), F/Sgts Winfield and Smith, Sgts Bain, Morrison, O’Shea and Thompson. Aircraft was fired on by convoy. Sgt O’Shea was killed and aircraft damaged. Wilson later had his own crew often flying with Bain and Morrison.

A History of the Mediterranean Air War mentions the attack on Tobruk by Halvorsens detachment but has nothing about the operations by 159 Sqn (probably because it was missing in the squadron ORB). It seems likely to me that the attacking “ME 110” was a Ju 88 C-6 or did the Zerstörers operate by night?

Comments are welcome.

Regards,
Peter