16th April 1943 - Mediterranean Spit losses

[CENTURION]

Hello Adriano,

Except for Duke, the other two pilots of the 92nd Squadron, F. O. Savege and PO. G. Wilson, were successful in shooting down respectively 2 and 1 SM82.
Claims of the 145th Squadron are:
1 Me109 destroyed by Fl. Lt. Shand
1 Me109 destroyed by PO Small
1 Me109 destroyed by WO McKinnon
2 Ju52 destroyed by FO Laing-Meason
1 SM82 destroyed by F/Sgt. Anderson

The Spitfire of the 145th Squadron attacked 13 SM82s of the 44th and 45th Stormo. In addition to the losses described by Gianandrea Bussi, other three SM82s were forced to land at Soliman.

The 243rd Squadron was in combat about at the same time west of Medjez-El-Bab against Me109 of I/JG53 and shot down one Me109 G-4 flown by Fw. Arno Fisher who force landed south west of Tebourba.

Unfortunately I don't have the claims of the Italian pilots.
I was mislead by one source to write that those pilots were from the 151st Gruppo. They actualy were from the 54th Stormo.

Regarding the losses suffered by the 92nd and 145th Squadrons near Cap Bon that day, there is a discrepancy between the book Fighters over Tunisia (2 losses) and the website mentioned by Leendert (three losses).


Regards
Marco