Spitfire v Me 109 over Malta

21 April 1942: A true baptism of fire as newly arrived pilots are thrust into the action, outnumbered above Malta

Ground crew refuel a Supermarine Spitfire Mark VC of No. 601 Squadron RAF, using four-gallon petrol tins, in a sandbagged revettment at Luqa, Malta, while two armourers service the Spitfire's cannon. In the cockpit, conferring with other squadron personnel, is Flight Lieutenant Dennis Barnham.

Denis Barnham¹ had arrived on Malta after flying off the USS Wasp on the 20th April. With regular air attacks on the island it was not long before he was in action, scrambled to deal with the latest wave of bombers to appear.

Supermarine Spitfire Mark VB(T), EP257, being operated by No. 126 Squadron RAF, taxies along the dusty perimeter track at Luqa, Malta, for a sortie. A member of the groundcrew runs alongside to warn the pilot of obstacles ahead. There was considerable interchange of aircraft between squadrons on Malta at this time, and EP257 shows evidence of hastily painted-out identification letters.

As usual they were heavily outnumbered:

We are climbing higher into a rusty purple void: in all this haze I can’t see the island or the sea, only the two Spitfires ahead of me and the glaring Cyclopian eye of the sun staring down at us. Fifteen thousand feet, still in haze - Gracie turning left. I follow in a long stern chase as we dive back in the direction we’ve come from. I stare through the windscreen at Gracie’s tiny Spitfire closely followed by the C.O.’s, both turning slightly right in the distance. In front of the two retreating planes a faint brown trace of the island with bursting anti-aircraft shells is looming towards us. Gracie steepens his dive, continues turning. We are plunging vertically but I can see no enemy planes.