Country
code

Sicily

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Messina: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 9, 1941 at 1555 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
Z7368
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Luqa - Luqa
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Luqa to attack naval targets in the southern Italian waters. Flying over the Strait of Messina, it collided with a second Blenheim registered Z7644 and carrying three crew members. Following the collision, both aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed into the sea. All seven occupants were killed.
Crew:
W/Cdr Frazer Apsley Harte, pilot,
P/O Charles Oscar Bloodworth, observer,
F/O Thomas Wewage-Smith, wireless operator,
Lt Ellis Edward Arthur Chetwynd Talbot.
Probable cause:
The exact circumstances of the collision remains unknown. It is possible that one or both airplanes were shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Messina: 3 killed

Date & Time: Oct 9, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
Z7644
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Luqa - Luqa
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Luqa to attack naval targets in the southern Italian waters. Flying over the Strait of Messina, it collided with a second Blenheim registered Z7368 and carrying four crew members. Following the collision, both aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed into the sea. All seven occupants were killed.
Crew:
P/O Neville Whitford Walders, pilot,
Sgt Stanley Jones, observer,
Sgt William Karl Hunting, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
The exact circumstances of the collision remains unknown. It is possible that one or both airplanes were shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II off Lampedusa: 5 killed

Date & Time: Aug 30, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
W5559
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Gibraltar - Luqa
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
Then airplane departed Gibraltar on a flight to Luqa with a crew of five on board. While cruising over the Mediterranean Sea, it was shot down by a Cr.42 and crashed into the sea some 15 km south of Lampedusa. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt William Francis Butler,
Sgt Thomas Preston Butterfield,
Sgt Maurice Henry Cope,
Sgt Donald Robert Arthur Garrick,
Sgt David Dawson Todd.
Probable cause:
Shot down by an Italian fighter.

Crash of a CRDA CANT Z.506 Airone off Sicily

Date & Time: Jun 11, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
I-POLA
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
MSN:
299
YOM:
1936
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While completing an ambulance flight, the three engine airplane was shot down by a British fighter and crashed in the Mediterranean Sea off Sicily. The occupant's fate remains unknown.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A-5 off Stromboli: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 4, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
4D+CT
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
4240
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The bomber crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea some 300 metres west of Stromboli, off Sicily. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Lt Albrecht Irion, pilot,
Gefr Paul Wulf, bomb aimer,
Uffz Paul Schledermann, radio operator,
Gefr Gerhard Urban, air gunner.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3m in Marina di Ragusa: 9 killed

Date & Time: Apr 13, 1941 at 1000 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
1Z+LU
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
MSN:
6235
YOM:
1939
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The airplane suffered an engine failure, lost height and crashed onto a house located 26-28 Cagliari Street in Marina di Ragusa, bursting into flames. All four crew members were killed as well as five members of the Carnemolla Family.
Crew:
Fw Theodor Rohmann, pilot,
Fw Kurt Bock, observer,
Fw Ernst Hahn, mechanic,
Uffz Willi Michael, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/mg5e off Messina: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 17, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
4V+EH
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
7055
YOM:
1940
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Messina. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Uffz Heinz Scherwarth, pilot,
Fw Heinz Clausen, radio operator,
Ofw Helmut Stein, flight engineer.
Gefr Helmut Gottschalk.

Crash of a Savoia-Marchetti SM.75C in Catania

Date & Time: Jan 17, 1941 at 0330 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
I-LUME
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Catania – Rome
MSN:
32032
YOM:
1939
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
13
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Some 30 minutes after takeoff from Catania-Fontanarossa Airport, the right engine caught fire, forcing the crew to return to Catania. After landing, the airplane went out of control, veered off runway and collided with two parked Junkers JU.88. Several explosions occurred and the SM.75C was destroyed by fire. Nevertheless, all 17 occupants evacuated safely and there were no injuries.
Probable cause:
Engine fire in flight.

Crash of a Martin 167 Maryland off Catania: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 11, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
AR707
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Luqa - Luqa
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Luqa at 0700LT to proceed with a check of the fleet based at Taranto Airport. While approaching Catania at an altitude of 10,000 feet, the bomber was shot down by the pilot of a Macchi M.C. 200 and crashed in the Mediterranea Sea off the Sicily coast. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt René Duvauchelle, pilot,
Sgt George Taylor, observer,
Sgt Jacques Méhouas, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Shot down by an Italian fighter.

Crash of a Savoia-Marchetti SM.73 in Stromboli: 14 killed

Date & Time: Mar 16, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
I-SUTO
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Tripoli – Catania – Rome – Milan
MSN:
30024
YOM:
1937
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
10
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
14
Circumstances:
While overflying the Tyrrhenian sea by night on a night flight from Catania to Rome, the crew was unaware that his altitude was insufficient and did not sea the volcano Stromboli. The three engine aircraft hit the south slope of the Stromboli volcano and was totally destroyed. First rescuers arrived on the scene the next morning and all 14 occupants were killed.