Turin Raids 1943

[smudger3]

Following on from my posts regarding the No.3 Group attack on Turn on the night of August 16/17th 1943.

Although the main target was “Turin”, 25 selected crews drawn from each of the participating squadrons attacked target T.67 without PFF support.

Unfortunately I have been unable to determine the identity of T.67, I have checked the squadron, station and group ORB’s. The squadron’s mention a “special” target.

Any assistance on this will be welcome.

Regards

Steve

[veltro]

That mission was treated in an article I published on January 1995 on the Italian "JP4" magazine.

The mission involved, among the others, eighteen Lancasters of Sqn. 467 and Sqn. 207. Their objective was the bombardment of the electrical power plants of Brugherio (Milan), Cislago (Varese), Trezzo (Milan) and Traversetolo (Parma).

It was a "shuttle" mission with one-way-only route and landing in Algeria.

Two Lancasters were damaged by the one of the four Italian Do-217Js operating on that night and was the J-1 flown by ten. De Michelis of 233^ Squadriglia : the first to be attacked at 03.25 hrs was the one flown by Flight/Officer Carmichael (Sqn. 467) which sustained hits under the belly (which killed the navigator Sgt. Murray) followed a few minutes later by the Lanc flown by F/O Locke of the same unit, which received hits on the wing/fuselage attach pointa and was compelled to drop its load managing to evade its attacker and to reach Blida four hours later, effecting there a crash-landing which resulted in no losses but for the write-off of the bomber.

The second Dornier Do-217J-1 flown by Cap. Aramis Ammannato managed instead to intercept and to shoot down at 04.15 hrs the Lancaster III “EM-W” serial ED692 flown by P/O L. E. Stubbs after that the bomber had already dropped its load of thirteen 500 lbs bombs e ninety 4 lbs incendiaries on Cislago power plant. Only the dorsal gunner Sgt. W. O’Brien survived from the crash and was found almost unharmed among the wreckage laying on the shingle bed of river Ticino.

Considering the above data, it could be guessed that the "special" Target T.67 should have been the power plants already quoted.

HTH

[veltro]

Sorry, my fault. Do not consider my post above. I mis-read your reference to 16/17 August 1943 for 16/17 July 1943. Hope it is no problem.

[smudger3]

No problem my friend.

Regards

[smudger3]

Dear Ferdinando,

I would be interested in any details you have regarding the 12/13th August & 16/17th August operations. I have all the No.3 (B) Group ORB's, Station and group records for the period.

[veltro]

As reported in my post, I studied only the mission of 16/17 July 1943, since it involved the only (confirmed) Italian claim while flying German night fighters.

[smudger3]

Hi Veltro,

You maybe aware that a Stirling Stirling crew had an encounter with an Italian Breda 65 over Turin 16/17th August, there was also two other encounters, both with twin engine fighters in the area of Turin. I have Combat Reports (Air50) for all three encounters.

Perhaps someone would be interested in copies of these reports.

Regard

[veltro]

Originally Posted by smudger3

You maybe aware that a Stirling Stirling crew had an encounter with an Italian Breda 65 over Turin 16/17th August

There must have been a clear misidentification problem, as I seriously doubt that a Breda 65 could be operational (of for what is worth, even in the air) in Northern Italy by the summer of 1943, let alone by night...

[smudger3]

Ferdinando,

Appreciate that the identity of the fighter was incorrect; nevertheless a “Night-fighter” did make three determine attacks on the aircraft resulting in superficial damage to the Stirling. If it was not a Breda what could it have been? ? Comments appreciate.

Regards

[veltro]

If we navigate in the realms of the "might have been", the single-engine fighter could even be a Fiat Cr.42 (one of 234^ Sq. was in the air in the night of 16/17 July...), about the twin-engine fighters, if those sightings do refer to 16/17 August 1943, then those could only be the Dornier Do-217J-1s or J-2s of 235^ Squadriglia (233^ Sq. had delivered its three Do-217s - one only operational - to 235^ Sq. on that very 16 August). The two surviving Bf 110s (W.Nr.1358 - 1804) of 235^ Sq. had ceased to be operational since early summer, so it's unlikely their presence.

Hope this helps.