Flying Officer Kyte
04-30-2015, 08:26
The Malta Blitz.
For four days after the Illustrious limped into Valletta harbour mysteriously there were no air raids by Axis aircraft.
However, all this was about to change. With a target of such importance helpless and within striking distance the Luftwaffe were determined to finish the job. The lull did give time to unload the convoy which had broken the blockade, and improve the AA defences around the carrier.
In addition some of the ships aircraft were now deployed in the defence of the harbour.
163765
After the Early warning system picked up the first wave of the inevitable attack it was in fact two Fulmers from the Illustrious that made first contact out at sea with the enemy incursion.
163767
Whilst they were engaged with the escorts, a wave of heavy bombers sneaked into the vicinity of the harbour.
163766
163768
Here they met a trio of Hurricanes scrambled from Hal Far led by Peter Bouncer-Smythe, and accompanied by Ronnie Sanderson and Ginger Blaney. With their aircraft freshly refurbished from the supplies newly arrived, and after two days rest, Peter was in no mood to stand for any Axis nonsense. Issuing a curt " Let's get 'em chaps" he lead his Flight into the thick of the bomber swarm.
163769
Within seconds a well aimed burst from Ronnie, aided by the AA battery on the point, hit the port engine of an oncoming BF 110 and set it ablaze, and it banked steeply away from the onslaught.
163770
On the other flank, Peter and Ginger dealt it out to another Me.
163771
Return fire did little to either Hurricane, although Ronnie did take some damaging flack from the aircraft he had torched.
163772
As the bomber and fighter escort broke up, it was next the turn of an oncoming JU 88 to cop a packet.
163773
As the hurricanes dived through the gaggle of bombers, Ronnie got another squirt in on the one which he had set on fire.
163700
At this point, with the Hurricanes clear, the Harbour AA and ships guns took up the discussion, and flack began to burst all around the German and Italian aircraft.
163702
One Bf110 taking engine damage from a near miss as shrapnel ripped through its wing.
163701
The Hurricanes were now engaging the second wave of bombers and escorts.
163704
163705
Whilst the first wave were creamed by the Harbour defences.
163703
Italian fighter escorts could do little against the onslaught, which was taking a steady toll on the bombers.
163713
163708
Meanwhile, the second wave were getting the same from the British fighters.
163706
It was at this point that Peter, in the thick of the action, got hits from both a Macchi fighter and an oncoming Stuka which damaged his rudder.
163707
As the bombers closed, the warships added their fire to the mix.
163710
163711
Ronnie and Ginger now nearly came to grief as they both performed a banking turn to sweep in behind the same bomber.
163709
Only the fact that they were at slightly different altitudes saved them from a three-way collision with their quarry.
163720
Although Illustrious sustained some near misses.
163763
A combination of steady Flack barrage and continual harrying from the Hurricanes now accounted for the first wave of bombers as one by one the took a bath in Valletta harbour.
163712
163718
163715
163714
So close had they come to success that one bailed out airman almost landed on the deck of the Illustrious itself.
163719
Another fighter took some serious.
163717
Ronnie gave a squirt to a passing Stuka, which fortunately was suffering a rear gun jam after its action with the Fulmers.
163721
As Ronnie continued to chase it down, Peter and Ginger hammered the other bombers.
163723
163722
Once again ably assisted by the Harbour defences.
163716
163725
Although Ronnie was relentlessly chasing down his Italian, it managed to release its payload right on target.
163726
163724
The bomb hit the Illustrious on the waterline and added to the damage sustained during the race for the harbour two days earlier.
163727
163728
Whilst Peter and Ginger continued to harry the next wave of bombers, Ginger finally managed to drop his in the drink just short of the Carrier.
163729
163730
Its pilot just getting his canopy open in the nick of time. Unfortunately there was no sign of the rear gunner.
163731
The action continued with the RAF boys either diverting bombers, or chasing them off target repeatedly.
163747
163732
Ginger took a hit from another marauding Stuka, but with a flick roll reversal soon turned the tables on his adversary.
163748
163749
His was also the next aircraft to score a kill when he flamed another 88.
163758
163759
Two of its crew managed to deploy their chutes.
This was the final score as the rest of the attack now petered out, either because the aircraft had been forced to jettison bombs or because they were too badly damaged to press their attack.
The exhausted trio, broke off to refuel and replenish ammo, with the satisfaction of a kill apeice, and the knowledge that although the might of the Luftwaffe had been thrown at the Illustrious once again, it had only sustained a few buckled plates and a deck fire to add to its damage.
This was by no means the last bombing raid on the ship whilst it remained in Valletta, but it was by far the most serious. A mixture of bad weather and stalwart defence ensured that on the 23rd of January Illustrious managed to steam out of the harbour at a speed of 23 knots and reach the comparative safety of Alexandria, where this photograph was taken of the damage sustained to her bow section.
163764
This escape was very propitious, because by the 19th of January fighter cover over Malta had been reduced to just six Hurricanes, a single Fulmer, and a Gladiator.
The Butcher's Bill.
261 Squadron (Hal Far)
Flt. Lt. Peter Bouncer-Smythe RTB. One Kill.
Flt. Lt. Patrick "Ginger" Blaney RTB. One kill.
Flt. Lt. Ronald Sanderson. RTB one kill.
HMS Illustrious. 31 damage sustained.
Two Fulmers SD.
163760
Axis Forces.
Five aircraft lost.
163761
163762
Scores by Fulmers on any other aircraft were not counted as this was just fluff.
Rob.
For four days after the Illustrious limped into Valletta harbour mysteriously there were no air raids by Axis aircraft.
However, all this was about to change. With a target of such importance helpless and within striking distance the Luftwaffe were determined to finish the job. The lull did give time to unload the convoy which had broken the blockade, and improve the AA defences around the carrier.
In addition some of the ships aircraft were now deployed in the defence of the harbour.
163765
After the Early warning system picked up the first wave of the inevitable attack it was in fact two Fulmers from the Illustrious that made first contact out at sea with the enemy incursion.
163767
Whilst they were engaged with the escorts, a wave of heavy bombers sneaked into the vicinity of the harbour.
163766
163768
Here they met a trio of Hurricanes scrambled from Hal Far led by Peter Bouncer-Smythe, and accompanied by Ronnie Sanderson and Ginger Blaney. With their aircraft freshly refurbished from the supplies newly arrived, and after two days rest, Peter was in no mood to stand for any Axis nonsense. Issuing a curt " Let's get 'em chaps" he lead his Flight into the thick of the bomber swarm.
163769
Within seconds a well aimed burst from Ronnie, aided by the AA battery on the point, hit the port engine of an oncoming BF 110 and set it ablaze, and it banked steeply away from the onslaught.
163770
On the other flank, Peter and Ginger dealt it out to another Me.
163771
Return fire did little to either Hurricane, although Ronnie did take some damaging flack from the aircraft he had torched.
163772
As the bomber and fighter escort broke up, it was next the turn of an oncoming JU 88 to cop a packet.
163773
As the hurricanes dived through the gaggle of bombers, Ronnie got another squirt in on the one which he had set on fire.
163700
At this point, with the Hurricanes clear, the Harbour AA and ships guns took up the discussion, and flack began to burst all around the German and Italian aircraft.
163702
One Bf110 taking engine damage from a near miss as shrapnel ripped through its wing.
163701
The Hurricanes were now engaging the second wave of bombers and escorts.
163704
163705
Whilst the first wave were creamed by the Harbour defences.
163703
Italian fighter escorts could do little against the onslaught, which was taking a steady toll on the bombers.
163713
163708
Meanwhile, the second wave were getting the same from the British fighters.
163706
It was at this point that Peter, in the thick of the action, got hits from both a Macchi fighter and an oncoming Stuka which damaged his rudder.
163707
As the bombers closed, the warships added their fire to the mix.
163710
163711
Ronnie and Ginger now nearly came to grief as they both performed a banking turn to sweep in behind the same bomber.
163709
Only the fact that they were at slightly different altitudes saved them from a three-way collision with their quarry.
163720
Although Illustrious sustained some near misses.
163763
A combination of steady Flack barrage and continual harrying from the Hurricanes now accounted for the first wave of bombers as one by one the took a bath in Valletta harbour.
163712
163718
163715
163714
So close had they come to success that one bailed out airman almost landed on the deck of the Illustrious itself.
163719
Another fighter took some serious.
163717
Ronnie gave a squirt to a passing Stuka, which fortunately was suffering a rear gun jam after its action with the Fulmers.
163721
As Ronnie continued to chase it down, Peter and Ginger hammered the other bombers.
163723
163722
Once again ably assisted by the Harbour defences.
163716
163725
Although Ronnie was relentlessly chasing down his Italian, it managed to release its payload right on target.
163726
163724
The bomb hit the Illustrious on the waterline and added to the damage sustained during the race for the harbour two days earlier.
163727
163728
Whilst Peter and Ginger continued to harry the next wave of bombers, Ginger finally managed to drop his in the drink just short of the Carrier.
163729
163730
Its pilot just getting his canopy open in the nick of time. Unfortunately there was no sign of the rear gunner.
163731
The action continued with the RAF boys either diverting bombers, or chasing them off target repeatedly.
163747
163732
Ginger took a hit from another marauding Stuka, but with a flick roll reversal soon turned the tables on his adversary.
163748
163749
His was also the next aircraft to score a kill when he flamed another 88.
163758
163759
Two of its crew managed to deploy their chutes.
This was the final score as the rest of the attack now petered out, either because the aircraft had been forced to jettison bombs or because they were too badly damaged to press their attack.
The exhausted trio, broke off to refuel and replenish ammo, with the satisfaction of a kill apeice, and the knowledge that although the might of the Luftwaffe had been thrown at the Illustrious once again, it had only sustained a few buckled plates and a deck fire to add to its damage.
This was by no means the last bombing raid on the ship whilst it remained in Valletta, but it was by far the most serious. A mixture of bad weather and stalwart defence ensured that on the 23rd of January Illustrious managed to steam out of the harbour at a speed of 23 knots and reach the comparative safety of Alexandria, where this photograph was taken of the damage sustained to her bow section.
163764
This escape was very propitious, because by the 19th of January fighter cover over Malta had been reduced to just six Hurricanes, a single Fulmer, and a Gladiator.
The Butcher's Bill.
261 Squadron (Hal Far)
Flt. Lt. Peter Bouncer-Smythe RTB. One Kill.
Flt. Lt. Patrick "Ginger" Blaney RTB. One kill.
Flt. Lt. Ronald Sanderson. RTB one kill.
HMS Illustrious. 31 damage sustained.
Two Fulmers SD.
163760
Axis Forces.
Five aircraft lost.
163761
163762
Scores by Fulmers on any other aircraft were not counted as this was just fluff.
Rob.