I'll preface this by saying that I never knew my father. My parents divorced when I was very young and all I ever heard about him was negative stuff. I don't doubt that a lot of it was true but still, it would have been nice to have a more balanced picture. Anyway I found out recently that he'd served in the Navy during WW2 on a submarine chaser, PC-625, in the Mediterranean. I sent a request to the National Archives for more info on that vessel and they sent back a link to several of its monthly War Reports, one of which had this about a patrol off Anzio on 10 March 1944:
"2238 obtained radar contact believed to be aircraft flying low, 060 deg relative from ship, range 6000 yards. Ship's head 300 deg(t). Sounded general quarters. Opened fire at low flying plane.
"Plane appeared to be circling 3-5 miles on our port quarter, as reported by radar, which was able to maintain contact. 2250 plane flying very low on course 000 deg(t) approached from bearing 190 deg relative (ship's head 300 deg). When plane was visible in bright moonlight (range approximately 2000 yards) fire opened with 20-mm guns Nos 1, 2 and 4, with 40-mm automatic cannon, and with 3" 50 cal gun. Plane turned to course 300 deg(t), passed up our port side, caught fire and crashed 700 yards on relative bearing of 330 deg. Ammunition expended: 114 rounds 20-mm HET, 57 rounds 20-mm HEI, 13 rounds 40-mm AA tracer, 2 rounds 3" 50 cal AA (fuse setting 1.5 sec). 2300 near burning plane, looking for possible survivors, circling torpedoes, etc. Unable to approach plane closer than 200 yards because of illumination from plane and danger of further explosions. Picked up one survivor; identified as Lieut. Sioli Omalcare (?), a Fascist Italian. Prisoner spoke no language other than Italian; halting interrogation indicated that plane was a 3-engined Savoia-Marchetti torpedo bomber (later corroborated by recovering manufacturer's name plate from wreckage); that plane carried no mines but carried one torpedo; that torpedo was not fired; that plane tried twice to torpedo this ship but was compelled to shear off owing to gunfire; that his attack group consisted of five torpedo bombers (based at Turin, Italy; 11th Squadriglia A.S., a unit of the Italian Fascist Air Force) each manned by five men. Prisoner examined medically and found unharmed except for slight bruises and shock."
The prisoner was transferred to HMS Brecon and PC-625 went back to the scene of the engagement the next day:
"0850 passed floating wreckage of plane (two main landing wheels and fragments of fusilage [sic] in which several shell holes were evident. 1021 hoisted wheel on board; salvaged rubber tire and discovered on mounting thereof a metal tag reading as follows: 'Areo Freno (Standard) Rivoli Torino, Tipo S79N. 16349".
It seems like that was a very odd place to find the aircraft's ID information, but anyway I pass it along for what it's worth. I built a model of an SM.79 fifty years ago, never realizing that there was a connection to my family! Maybe I should build another, in the colors of that squadron...some research needed now...
"2238 obtained radar contact believed to be aircraft flying low, 060 deg relative from ship, range 6000 yards. Ship's head 300 deg(t). Sounded general quarters. Opened fire at low flying plane.
"Plane appeared to be circling 3-5 miles on our port quarter, as reported by radar, which was able to maintain contact. 2250 plane flying very low on course 000 deg(t) approached from bearing 190 deg relative (ship's head 300 deg). When plane was visible in bright moonlight (range approximately 2000 yards) fire opened with 20-mm guns Nos 1, 2 and 4, with 40-mm automatic cannon, and with 3" 50 cal gun. Plane turned to course 300 deg(t), passed up our port side, caught fire and crashed 700 yards on relative bearing of 330 deg. Ammunition expended: 114 rounds 20-mm HET, 57 rounds 20-mm HEI, 13 rounds 40-mm AA tracer, 2 rounds 3" 50 cal AA (fuse setting 1.5 sec). 2300 near burning plane, looking for possible survivors, circling torpedoes, etc. Unable to approach plane closer than 200 yards because of illumination from plane and danger of further explosions. Picked up one survivor; identified as Lieut. Sioli Omalcare (?), a Fascist Italian. Prisoner spoke no language other than Italian; halting interrogation indicated that plane was a 3-engined Savoia-Marchetti torpedo bomber (later corroborated by recovering manufacturer's name plate from wreckage); that plane carried no mines but carried one torpedo; that torpedo was not fired; that plane tried twice to torpedo this ship but was compelled to shear off owing to gunfire; that his attack group consisted of five torpedo bombers (based at Turin, Italy; 11th Squadriglia A.S., a unit of the Italian Fascist Air Force) each manned by five men. Prisoner examined medically and found unharmed except for slight bruises and shock."
The prisoner was transferred to HMS Brecon and PC-625 went back to the scene of the engagement the next day:
"0850 passed floating wreckage of plane (two main landing wheels and fragments of fusilage [sic] in which several shell holes were evident. 1021 hoisted wheel on board; salvaged rubber tire and discovered on mounting thereof a metal tag reading as follows: 'Areo Freno (Standard) Rivoli Torino, Tipo S79N. 16349".
It seems like that was a very odd place to find the aircraft's ID information, but anyway I pass it along for what it's worth. I built a model of an SM.79 fifty years ago, never realizing that there was a connection to my family! Maybe I should build another, in the colors of that squadron...some research needed now...
