Kyte stared out of his Office, over the bay, and mused pensively.
Since the Swordfish attack on Taranto which had driven the Italian fleet North, earlier in the month, air attacks on the island had dwindled significantly. This was in part also due to the beefing up of the air defences. Not only were the Fulmars from Illustrious now settled in, but
several Marylands, and two Sunderlands had joined the handful of Hurricanes, to relieve the remaining two Gloucesters of their burden.
On November 17th Air commodore Maynard had passed over to Kyte a letter from Admiral Cunningham. It read as follows:-
I hasten to write to you a line to thank you for the most valuable reconnaissance work carried out by your squadrons, without which the successful attack on Taranto would have been impossible. I well know what long monotonous flying time they have had to put in and I am very grateful to them. The work over Taranto has been particularly valuable and gave us all we wanted to know. Good luck and my thanks again for your cooperation.
Kyte regarded the letter again for a moment, phrasing in his mind the order in which he would transmit it to the Officers and men, then carefully folded it and placed it back into the pending tray on his desk.
Turning back to the window, he caught the sound that he had been expecting for half an hour. The drone aero engines in the distance came to his ears. A few minutes later four Hurricane re-enforcements from the carrier HMS Argus swept over the Drome and landed. Kyte had been expecting 12.
Well they would be sorely needed. It would not be long before the Regio Aeronautica were back in force, he was certain of that.
Ginger Blaney and Tubby Elliot were out on patrol near the FAA base at Kalafrana. The last few days had been a bit of an anti climax, with the Regio Aeronautica restricting themselves mainly to night bombing missions and the odd single daylight Intruder usually on photo recon.
It was thus a bit of a shock to Ginger when the R.T. sprang to life.
"Banjo to Orange two, Banjo to Orange two."
"Orange two here Banjo here." Replied Ginger." Go ahead Banjo."
"Banjo to Orange two. Bandits detected in sector four vector 157 flying at 8000. Probably about four machines, heading towards Tomato. Are you in a position to intercept Ginger?"
"Orange two to Banjo. We are onto it sir. Over and out."
With that both Hurricanes turned on a heading to intercept the hostiles right over Kalafrana bay.
Unaware that they had been detected on Radar the two Stukas, accompanied by Sottotenente Emanuele Luciarno in his C200 are homing in to attack the FAA Swordfish and Sea plane station at Kalafrana in retaliation for Taranto.
They are soon spotted by Ginger, who gives a quick "Tally ho" to Tubby and both aircraft peel off into an attacking dive.
Although Luciarno spots them and turns to intercept, the Hurricanes are too quick for the laden Stukas to react, and catch the nearer one in a blistering attack.
Luciarno's return fire catches Ginger's aircraft but does little damage to the rugged machine.
Ginger already had the second Stuka in his sights, and treated it to a short burst on the turn.
Right amongst the scattering Stukas, both Tubby and Ginger started to create havoc.
Despite return fire from the rear gunners, both Hurricanes seemed to be glued to their tails.
Within seconds Ginger had put the first one into the Bay.
Both Hurricanes now closed on the second Stuka, and as Ginger sat on its tail, the rear gunner, despite bullets zipping around his canopy put a carefully aimed burst into Ginger's engine and a small tongue of flame blossomed from the air vents.
Still on the turn, both machines continued to pump in rounds, and this time as Tubby walked his bullets up the side of the Stuka it was he who delivered the coup de grace.
What neither pilot had noticed during the melee was the Fiat B.R. 20 Cicogna sneaking in low along hugging the coastline.
The RT soon sprang into life again.
"Banjo to Orange two, Big job on your eight o clock range one mile, height two thousand."
"Roger that Banjo. We'll take a shufti, if I can get this fire out" Ginger said as he threw his machine into an overdive. "Did you get that Tubby"
"Loud and clear Ginger. I'll go and take a pop at him. Good luck with the fire. Orange three out."
Just at that second Luciarno materialised from the cloud base and gave Tubby a reminder that he still had unfinished business by damaging his rudder.
As quick as a flash, Elliott whipped his machine around and repaid the Macchi pilot with a burst of his own without any effect, as the rapid turn threw his deflection shot off.
Overdiving to try and extinguish the fire seemed to be working for Ginger as the flame never developed, and gradually burnt out as he passed over a Sunderland moored in the bay.
Having given best to Tubby, Luciarno was now hastening to catch up with Blaney as he looked like the easier nut to crack.
Meanwhile, Elliott had spotted the interloping Big job and identified it as a Fiat BR 20. and he started to turn towards it in order to attack it on the rear quarter.
His fire finally out, Ginger spotted the Macchi diving onto his tail, and used the momentum of the overdive to climb away from his assailant.
With a higher velocity and engine speed Blaney gradually pulled away from his pursuer.
Tubby was now diving to close on the Bomber but was still out of range.
As it turned to begin a run at the moored Sunderland, Tubby out turned the lumbering BR and fired a deflection shot from just ahead of his quarry until it marched down the length of the fuselage.
He was pleased to note the port engine giving off sparks and leaking oil.
So pleased that he hardly noticed the bullet holes in his wing supplied courtesy of the Italians rear gunner.
Luciarno was now attracting the attentions of the Kalafrana AA batteries, and he was buffeted by a near miss as, in his turn, he passed the moored Sunderland.
His mind on the passing shell fragments, distracted him for just enough time, to give Ginger the drop, Executing a wing over he made a head on pass and hammered the nose of the Macchi.
Luciarno felt his aircraft shudder uncontrollably for the second time within seconds.
The Fiat BR under cover of all this action had approached the moorings, and let go its deadly load above the Sunderland, as it gently swung around its buoy.
As the bombs struck home all hell broke loose.
It's fuel tanks erupted in flames, and within seconds, rounds of ammunition were discharging in all directions, like some demented giants firework display.
Undeterred by the mayhem below,Tubby struck again, giving the enemy his full attention.
Right in its blind spot he whittled away at the bomber's structural integrity.
Following it into a turn through the hail of bullets, flames and Flack, he continued to pour rounds into the aircraft.
Ginger was doing exactly the same to Luciarno who could not shake him either.
Throttling back, the Italian tricked Ginger into over flying him, and in the confusion Ginger now came under fire from the escaping bomber.
In a fraction the tables were turned as the bomber smote Ginger and damaged Tubby's Merlin by fire from its rear machine gun.
This was, however, its swansong as Tubby's return fire finally compromised the wracked frame of the BR too much and it failed structurally, and it descended gently into the harbour with one wing flapping in close imitation of a wounded seagull.
"Two" said Tubby with a chuckle over the R.T.
Ginger, was far too busy concentrating on Luciarno to reply.
The Italian was playing a crafty game. Having first turned away, he then side slipped, and Ginger's fire almost missed entirely.
However, when the Italian tried the trick for a second time, Ginger was ready for it, and ripped the tail off the Macchi with one long sustained burst, exhausting his magazine at the same time.
As the plane rolled over onto its back and started its final dive, Ginger saw Luciarno fall away from his machine, and then a ripple of silk told Ginger that the Italian had deployed his umbrella.
Turning away, the exhausted Blaney just summoned up enough energy to flick his RT switch. "Two! Let's go home Tubby."
"Roger that Orange Leader."
The Butcher's Bill.
261 Sq. Hal Far. 4. Regio Aeronautica 1.
P.O. Robin "Tubby" Elliott. RTB. 2 kills. Moderate damage.
Flight. Lt. Patrick "Ginger" Blaney. RTB. 2 kills. Moderate damage.
Regio Aeronautica.
Mission carried out.
Four aircraft SD.
Rob.
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