ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 69108
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| Date: | Saturday 25 January 1941 |
| Time: | |
| Type: | Gloster Gladiator Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 3 Sqn RAAF |
| Registration: | K8022 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Mechili aera -
 Libya
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | |
On 25 January 1941, four Gladiators of 3 RAAF Squadron flown by Flight Lieutenant D. Campbell (N5857), Flight Lieutenant Alan Rawlinson (K7963), Flying Officer Peter Turnbull (L9044) and Pilot Officer J. C. Campbell (K8022) took off from Tmini at 07:30 to carry out a protective patrol over the Armoured Brigades operating in the Mechili area. Whilst flying at 2,000 feet, 8 miles south-east of Mechili, five G.50s, which were flying at 10,000 feet, attacked and broke the Gladiators formation. During the combat was 22-year-old Pilot Officer James Chippindall Campbell (RAAF no. 634) shot down and killed, while D. Campbell was forced to make an emergency landing in the desert and the other two biplanes were damaged. Flying Officer Turnbull recalled:
“My position in the flight was astern of the vic formation. Each time I was attacked from astern and above, to avoid being hit I made a side-slipping turn back underneath. As the E/A passed overhead, it made a climbing turn to the left, and I was able to get well within range by turning right. I was attacked nine times, and each time I carried out the above action, but three of my guns ceased to fire owing to stoppages during the first attack and the fourth after the fifth attack. I could see bullets hitting E/A during the third, fourth and fifth attacks, which were at close range. The E/A appeared to be similar to that of a Breda 65 but the pilots cockpit was well back near the trailing edge of the main planes. This being the only outstanding point which could be seen at the time. They were very fast, and by the dust made by their fire on the ground, they appeared to be armed with two.5’s."
Rawlinson claimed two more G.50s damaged. These three claims for damaged aircraft are, however, not officially credited in the unit’s ORB. After the smooth force landing, D. Campbell was able to inspect the plane and assessing the damage suffered as light, took off again and landed back in Tmini. The Gladiators were all back by 08:45.
The Italians were in fact four Fiat G.50s from the 358a Squadriglia, which had taken off from Maraua at 07:30 to fly a protective patrol over El Mechili. Capitano Annibale Sterzi led the formation with Tenente Bruno Mondini, Tenente Giorgio Gasperoni and Maresciallo Marco Aicardi. Over Mechili they discovered four Glosters flying lower and bounced them claiming two by Tenente Mondini, one by Maresciallo Aicardi and one by Capitano Sterzi. The Italian fighters were back at 09:30 after having used 1130 rounds of ammunition. Damage suffered by the three surviving Gladiators should had been light indeed because they were repaired during the day and were able to flew to Martuba during the evening.
Sources:
http://web.archive.org/web/20120207072413/http://www.3squadron.org.au/subpages/roll.htm
http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/commonwealth_turnbull.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechili
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 16-Oct-2009 14:06 | JINX | Added |
| 18-Mar-2012 13:36 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator, Phase, Source, Narrative] |
| 26-Jun-2012 14:52 | Nepa | Updated [Operator] |
| 03-Aug-2013 23:05 | JINX | Updated [Operator] |
| 20-Oct-2015 17:46 | Jixn | Updated [Operator] |
| 25-Jan-2017 08:23 | Laurent Rizzotti | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative] |
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