RAF Middle East Losses Wk ending 29-11-41

[AndreasB]

Many thanks everyone! Leendert - do you know what they were used for? Regarding the date the DC-2 was lost, this could maybe be established by looking up where LG138 was? If "Ridotto" refers to Ridotta Maddalena (which I think is quite likely), 25 Dec is pretty much impossible, since German fighters would not have operated there on that date, but they still would have been quite active on 8 December - when Gazala and airfields west of it were still in Axis hands and they still had gasoline. The Dutch website with the production list and history of all DC-2 has 25 December 41 shot down over Iraq. I seriously doubt that. All the best Andreas

[Henk Welting]

LG138 was 30°52.0'N 25°12.0'E

[AndreasB]

Thanks a lot Henk.

That in my view completely rules out 25 December, since the frontline was at Agedabia at that point, and makes it certain this happened on 8 December, when the frontline was east of Gazala.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...7E&ie=UTF8&z=8

All the best

Andreas

[AndreasB]

Originally Posted by Leendert

Andreas,

As far as I could find, then 90 Squadron sent four Fortresses to Egypt.
A fifth one had engine problems and stayed in England (AN527).
Of the four Fortresses two were lost: AN529 on 8 Nov 41 (forced landing)and AN521 on 10 Jan 1942 (engine fire).

The other two (AN518 and AN532) survived their Mideast adventure.

Regards,

Leendert

Coming back to this after a while. Further looks into various papers have confirmed that there were four sent (via Malta, in groups of 3 and 1), and that they were used for high-level daylight raids on Tripoli. Apparently there was strong counsel against this, but Tedder wanted to have them in any case. In the end the effort was probably not worth it. There's a bit in Tedder's papers on it.

The forced landing in the desert on 8 November ended well for the crew, they were rescued. They burned the plane to prevent it from falling in Axis hands. Does anyone know how the other Fortress was lost?

All the best

Andreas

[AndreasB]

And coming back to it again. The war diary of 8 R.T.R. confirms a Douglas shot down by 3 Messerschmitts on 8 December, says however it took off from L.G.75. 6 wounded, including the colonel and adjutant of 8 R.T.R. It also states an air ambulance and a Bombay shot down.

The De Havilland Air Ambulance is confirmed here:

http://www.3squadron.org.au/subpages/st%20leon.htm

All the best

Andreas

[niallc]

Andreas
To add to this – or possibly hijack it:-) - the Wellesley lost on 29 November (and referenced in your first post) was not lost in East Africa, but appears to be one of a pair in transit between Heliopolis and Malta and which ditched off Malta (possibly lost or out of fuel, although the latter would seem unlikely in a Wellesley). The crew, recorded as Sgts Cunnison, Scholar and Taylor, were picked up safe by HSL128 and landed at Kalafrana.
Additionally there is a note on the Middle East Weekly State Report for Jan 2nd, 1942 that on Malta there was “in addition a special flight consisting of 1 Wellesley, 1 Whitley and 1 Halifax.” Presumably this Wellesley is the other one of the pair that set off from Helio on November 29th? And presumably the “special flight” refers to 138 Squadron’s detachments to the island to drop agents into Yugoslavia? Can anyone identify either of the Wellesleys or add any more about what they were supposed to be doing?
Niall

[AndreasB]

Added. Very nice info, many thanks!

Was there also a German floatplane with German markings used for covert operations (I have in my memory a Norwegian He 115). And do you happen to know what happened to the captured Italian Cant flying boat?

All the best

Andreas