Posted by Frederick Galea on 17/03/2023 on Facebook
Saturday, 13 December 1941 – In the morning, six Blenheims of 107 Squadron took off from Luqa to strike at enemy shipping at Argostoli in the Ionian island of Kefallonia. A low-level attack was made on two merchant vessels and two warships. There was intense return fire by AA guns and the aircraft were engaged by at least one Italian fighter. Two Blenheims failed to return. None of the bombs was seen to land on target.
An hour later there was a follow-up mission by five Blenheims of 18 Squadron. On reaching their destination, the crew of one Blenheim could find no suitable target. The pilot therefore turned out to sea to attack a merchantman sighted previously. However, the Blenheim jettisoned its bomb load when it encountered fighters. Another Blenheim approached the port from the south and was singled out by shore batteries. The aircraft turned west overland, encountering two MC.200s. This Blenheim, too, jettisoned its bombs. The Macchis carried out five attacks over twenty-five minutes, during which the bomber was hit and severely damaged in the port engine. Just two Blenheims succeeded in reaching the target area, where they each dropped two 500-lb general-purpose bombs, albeit with unobserved result. Subsequently, all four aircraft returned to Malta.
The fifth, Z7858/M, encountered a Macchi, which prevented it from reaching its objective. The wireless operator/air gunner, Sergeant Dennis Mortimer, was unable to retaliate as the mid-upper turret with its twin 303 Browning machine guns had jammed and could not be rotated. The Italian fighter swept in and opened fire. A bullet or metal fragment struck the head of the pilot, Sergeant Frank Jury, causing a nasty gash. The outcome could have been far worse were it not for Jury’s unusual habit of wearing a steel helmet during operations. The bomber’s port engine was also shot up, causing the propeller to spin off.
Eventually, after pursuing his quarry for many miles, the Italian broke contact. The Blenheim was left with smoke pouring from the destroyed engine and flying at little more than 100 feet above sea level. To lessen the weight and enable the aircraft to gain height, the bomb load and heavy equipment were jettisoned.
None of the machine-guns could be removed, but the ammunition and even the crew’s parachutes were sacrificed. Even so, Sergeant Jury had to struggle to maintain control during the long return trip to Malta.
When a Maltese dghajsa (fishing boat) was seen just offshore, it was decided to ditch nearby. The Blenheim descended and touched down on the sea, tail first, and perfectly done. The Blenheim remained intact and floated on an even keel, allowing the crew time to escape. All three were quickly taken on board and ferried to the Kalafrana seaplane base. En route they passed a Royal Air Force Air Sea Rescue (ASR) launch, which continued to the crash site.
The Blenheim wreck lies at a depth of 42 metres, a few hundred yards off Xrobb il-Ghagin. The tail unit lies partially buried in sand in front of what is left of the cabin, there is no sign of the nose section. Today, the wreck is a popular dive destination for scuba divers.
NOTE: Today, in place is Maltese legislation protecting underwater cultural heritage.
