3rd PRU detachment - Malta 1943

[Mark R.]

As promised........

First, recapping the 683 Squadron Form 540 for March 1943 (AIR 27/2209/4):

28 March Entry - "Capt Richardson, O.C. No. 3 Photo Group, Adv. Unit 3, USAAF detachment reported missing over Sicily. Three sorties were flown by this unit. W/Cdr Warburton reported A.A. intense over PALERMO and Bocca di Flaco [sic] a/drome. Enemy fighters seen taking off to intercept."

My question - did fighters looking for Warburton find Richardson? I don't know if their mission times overlapped.

End Note after 31 March entry: "A detachment of Adv. Unit. 3 No. 3 Photo Group, USAAF, arrived this unit on temp duty (equipped with Lockheed Lightnings (P-38s), Capt Richardson, O.C. detachment was unfortunately reported missing after the units first sortie from the island. Lt. Scalpone assumed command."

I then looked at the mission profiles from 28 March through 29 April to see if it appeared as if 683 Squadron was making a special effort to locate a captured U.S. aircraft. I also tried to keep track of Philpott's mission taskings. The April information is from AIR 27/2209/5 and 27/2209/6.

28 March Wx bad Warburton and Philpott flew port missions 0930 - 1230.

29 - 31 March - all 683 Sqdn missions during this period are TARANTO MESSINA NAPLES PALERMO port reconnaissance tasks. Note: Philpott flew TARANTO mission on 0920 - 1140 on 30 March.

1 April Philpott flew B Sortie (ports) 0935 -1200 hours.

1 April F/Sgt Lewis flew A Sortie (airfields) 1015 - 1145 but clouds obscured most airfields.

First mention of Gerbini is "A Sortie" mission on 3 April. Apparently A Sorties cover all airfields in Southeastern Sicily. It was flown by Flt/Lt W.G. Brown from 1520 - 1745 hours. On that same date, Philpott is photographing ports 0745 - 1110 hours.

Philpott next mission is 10 April 0920 - 1300 hours to MESSINA and TARANTO.

Philpott flies "B Sortie" on 13 April - ports again - 1035 to 1325 hours.

Next mission mentioning Gerbini is 11 April - F/Off Maloney flies A Sortie 1430 - 1650.

On 17 April, Philpott flies a Sortie A mission in which Gerbini is mentioned again. Mission times 0945 - 1205 hours.

Philpott's next mission is 18 April photographing ports.

Same on 20 April.

On 21 April, Philpott flies a dinghy search.

On 23 April, Philpott flies a photography mission over Italian ports.

Next "Sortie A" mission is recorded on 26 April - Flt/Lt Brown.

Last mission for Philpott in April is on the 29th - "X Sortie" which seemed to be a sea search task.

Not making any judgments, but it doesn't seem as if 683 Squadron dropped everything to find the missing F-4. Perhaps they found it during the course of an "A Sortie" in April. These were flown on 1, 3, 11, 17, and 26 April. Doesn't seem to be a regular schedule but they are at least a week apart with the exception of 1 and 3 April which seem to reflect the former's lack of success due to weather leading to the mission profile being repeated the next time the weather supported photo runs over S/E Sicilian airfields.

If I had to hazard a guess, I would think the 11 - 17 April time period might be when a divebombing mission may have occurred. Pre and post strike photos? Would be willing to look into Malta Spitfire ORBs if I could be pointed in the right direction as to which unit might have flown that mission. I don't think the Germans or Italians would have let Captain Richardson hang around his plane that long after it may have landed.

Based on previous similar incidents - where USAAF fighters destroyed B-17s captured intact after forcelanding in Tunisia on two occasions - the fighter units usually don't make a secret of their mission or its results.

Best, Mark