The odds however continued to be against the Lysander and on 16th November a pilot and crew who had set off to take photographs of Maktila camp from 18,000 feet were intercepted by six Fiat CR 42s. The enemy were first sighted 5,000 feet below but although the pilot turned away he was eventually caught and attacked from astern repeatedly. The gunner was hit in the leg, which was broken, early in the combat, nevertheless he continued firing until his gun jammed after which he was unable to retaliate owing to the fact that his injuries prevented him from clearing the jammed gun. The engine then failed 100 feet up, however the pilot succeeded in crash landing the Lysander at almost the same instant as one of the CR 42s, hit by the gunner’s fire, crashed and was destroyed by fire. The pilot and gunner escaped however and although both were injured they quickly received treatment from the 11th Hussars.
On 22nd November part of the
long awaited promise to replace one flight of Lysanders with Hurricane Is was fulfilled, and five arrived from Abu Sueir. Five pilots immediately commenced a two week conversion course. These Hurricane aircraft were straight forward fighters with the exception of one which as yet had not arrived as it was being specially fitted for photography. They were to be used for reconnaissance purposes only, to cover the area considered to be too dangerous for the Lysanders. Such was the situation over the enemy’s forward areas that a protracted reconnaissance had become virtually impracticable.
In the first week of December information was received concerning the forthcoming combined Army and Royal Air Force offensive against the Italian dispositions in the Sidi Barrani area. On the dawn of the attack the Indian Division was to attack and take the camp at Nubeiwa, supported by “I” tanks. The southern flank was to be protected by the 7th Armoured Division which was to deal with any flanking movement from the Soffafi and Rabia camps, while the Matruh garrison was to protect the northern flank against any move from the Maktila camp. The Squadron was to provide tactical reconnaissance flights in the main battle area with Hurricanes and in the southern area, as far as Fort Maddalena, with Lysanders.
