National Experiences - British Commission for Military History

128 ai r p o w e r in 20 t H Ce n t u ry do C t r i n e s a n d em p l o y m e n t - nat i o n a l ex p e r i e n C e s
During the last two weeks of November, air warfare continued all along the front.
On November 18, 5 P.Z.L.S of Nos 22 and 23 Fighter Squadrons were entangled in
air combat. Sergeant G.Valkanas, its only pilot with no success to his credit so far, after
having exhausted his ammunition during an attack against Italian fighters, threw
his aircraft onto an Italian fighter. The crash was fatal for both, yet again indicative
of the determination of RHAF pilots 6 .
On November 18, 3 aircraft of No.32 Squadron took off heading towards
Argyrokastron in a scheduled bombing mission. Due to heavy fog, one of the bombers
abandoned the approach and headed towards the auxiliary Italian airfield at
Premeti to release its bomb-load not being aware that the Italian Army had stored
large quantities of ammunition at that particular airfield. For three days and nights,
the airfield was set ablaze as a result of this unplanned bombing, destroying large
ammunition depots and supplies 7 .
On November 22, 15 bombers (Potez 633s, Bristol Blenheims and Fairey Battles)
in co-operation with three reconnaissance Henschel Hs 126s undertook bombing of
8km-long retreating enemy columns along the Korytsa - Maliki Lake - Pogradets
route. The Hellenic aircraft attacked the Italian fighters which had scrambled to intercept
them. As a result one Henschel was shot down.
On December 2nd, the RHAF received from the British government 8 Gloster
Gladiators of the Mk II version. According to an Army Air Command report to the
Chief of Air Staff, these aeroplanes were regarded as “extensively used”.
In early December, Argyrokastron and Premeti were occupied and the Italians
were retreating towards Tepeleni. The RHAF continued the bombardment of retreating
Italian units. The Italian Headquarters, in view of the unexpected successes of
the Hellenic Army and the RHAF, decided to reinforce the Italian Air Command of
Albania with transport aircraft as well as fighters and bombers.
The RHAF, on the other hand, was faced with problems caused by weather conditions.
Landing grounds had been rendered useless due to the rain, frost and snow
which made aircraft vulnerable to air strikes. Wing Commander Emmanuel Kelaidis,
Chief of the Fighter Command, ordered that all P.Z.L.s should be moved to Sedes airfield
near Thessaloniki within four days. Despite short notice and within the deadline
set, working 24 hours per day, the personnel of the airfield and the squadron managed
to dismantle the P.Z.L.s, load them on lorries and drive them to Thessaloniki 8 .
As the Hellenic Army advanced northwards into the Albanian territory the exist-
6 Report on War Action of No23 Fighter Squadron during the Hellenic- Italian and Hellenic- German
War 1940-1941, under the Group Captain Vet (ex Commander) G. Theodoropoulou, 3-11-1977,
Archive of the History Museum, HAF.
7 Report of Squadron Leader G. Sakki concerning the action of No32 Bomber Squadron during the
Hellenic- Italian War 1940-1941, during which he served in the Squadron as a Reserve Warrant Officer
Bomber - Gunner, Archive of the History Museum, HAF.
8 E. Kelaidis, Air Force Memories, Athens 1972, p. 40.