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Info EDUARD 03/2023, Page 25
Info EDUARD 03/2023, Page 26
The Spitfires Mk. Vb/Vc had their most
glorious time during the battles for the small,
but strategically important, island of Malta.
One of the most successful Spitfires to fight
there was the Mk.Vc serial number BR301.
The aircraft came from a consignment
of Spitfires taking off on May 9, 1942,
from the carrier USS Wasp (CV-7) during
Operation Bowery. Like most Spitfires
from the Bowery delivery, BR301 had Dark
Mediterranean Blue color applied to the
upper surfaces while still on the aircraft
carrier’s deck. But the original desert
color scheme was slightly visible under
this new paint. The lower surfaces were
repainted in Sky Blue. This aircraft had also
the national roundels overpainted with this
color. The original four-cannon armament
was reduced to two cannons, mounted in
inner position in the armament bay and
two inner machine guns. Codenamed
UF
-
S, BR301 served first with No. 601 Sqn.,
but its pilots achieved most of their success
with it in July 1942 after transferring to No.
249 Sqn. There it became the “aircraft of the
aces”.
P/O John McElroy (10 victories plus three
shared in total) claimed one MC.202 with
BR301 on July 7, one Ju 88 shared on July 9
and one Bf 109 on July 13, damaging another
one in the process. No. 249 Squadron
Leader Richard Mitchell (5 + 3) shot down
a Ju 88 on July 23, while F/Sgt John
Rae (11 + 2) shot down a Bf 109 probably
and a Ju 88, in addition to damaging
a Re.2001 and a Ju 88 on July 27 and
28. The greatest success with the BR301
was achieved by Canadian pilot in the
ranks of the RAF Sgt. George Beurling,
who destroyed four opponents during one
mission (two MC.202 and two Bf 109) and
added one Bf 109 on July 27 two days later.
For our boxart, created by Piotr
Forkasiewicz, we chose to depict Beurling’s
first kill. His victim, a Macchi MC.202, is very
well documented both photographically
(after the crash landing) and also by combat
reports of the two combatants. Thanks
to that, we know how it all went down:
At 0855 hours on July 27, 1942, No. 249
Sqn. sent out six Spitfires to join other
six patrolling Spitfires from Nos. 126 and
185 Sqn. A formation of seven Ju 88s,
accompanied by more than forty fighters
was approaching Malta, flying at 25,000
feet (7,600 m). Beurling was the first to
spot the enemy and radioed to warn the
others: “Enemy aircraft at four o’clock,
slightly below us!” He immediately
launched an attack. The enemy fighters
noticed Beurling’s action and went into
a left climbing turn. Beurling then got on the
starboard side of one MC.202 and fired his
characteristic short burst.
Beurling later recalled: “I saw four Macchis
flying in a row and I focused on number 4.
I fired a short burst that went into its engine
and radiator.” The pilot of MC.202 Sergente
Magg Falerio Gelli of 378-11 Squadriglia
turned his aircraft towards home base,
but immediately realized that the smoking
engine would not last long enough. He
therefore chose a place and belly-landed
in a field outside Victoria on the island of
Gozo. Later, when questioned, he said:
“I saw a Spitfire firing at me, but I didn’t
feel any impacts. I was performing evasive
maneuvers and noticed that the engine
temperature was rising rapidly. In an
attempt to reach my base, I turned north,
but soon realized I couldn’t make it as
the oil tank and radiator had been hit. So,
I turned back and landed at Gozo”.
Some pilots and ground staff went to see
Gelli’s Macchi. The aircraft was relatively
intact, and the battle damage was consistent
with Beurling’s report. The rudder was
removed and the emblem of the 51° Stormo
unit was also cut out of the fuselage as
a war trophy. Beurling later posed with the
trophies for photographs.
During the five months of fighting in Malta,
Sgt. George “Screwball” Beurling scored
a total of 28 kills (including one shared) of
Axis aircraft, becoming the most successful
Allied pilot of the Battle of Malta. These
achievements earned him another unofficial
nickname: “Falcon of Malta”. It was meant to
characterize his straightforward predatory
instinct in combat.
Spitfire BR301 was irreparably damaged
on July 29 and decommissioned with
54 flying hours.
BOXART STORY #82126
Text: Michal Krechowski
Illustration: Piotr Forkasiewicz
The Maltese Falcon
INFO Eduard26
March 2023
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