Alghero, Fertilia airfield, Sardinia, Spring 1944. RAF’s armourers arm a Bristol Beaufighter TF Mark X of No. 328 Wing Royal Air Force with 3-inch rocket projectiles prior an air-to-ground attack mission. The 328 Wing RAF was formed in Tunisia during June 1943 in readiness for the Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily, and consisted of three Beaufighter Squadron: No 39, No 47 Squadron and No 144 Squadron. During the German withdrawal from Sardinia and Corsica in September and October 1943, 328 Wing was involved in attacking air transport used in the evacuation. Victor Sierra

Beaufighter’s rocket projectiles

A formation of three Bristol Beaufighter TF Mark Xs of No. 272 Squadron RAF based at Alghero, Fertilia airfield, Sardinia, in flight on an armed reconnaissance patrol over the western Mediterranean. LZ521 “G” leads NE552 “O” (nearest) and NE581 “L”. The No. 272, code XK, core mission ground attack, reached the Sardinia from Sicily in February 1944 it moved to Sardinia, from where it could reach targets in the north of Italy and the south of France. In September 1944 it moved to the Italian mainland, prior at Foggia, Apulia, and after at Falconara, Ancona, over the Adriatic coast, and carried out attacks on targets around the Adriatic. The squadron flew its last operation on 18 April 1945, and was disbanded two weeks later, on 30 April 1945. Victor Sierra

In flight over Sardinia

Bristol Beaufighter Mark IC, T4982 “U”, of No. 252 Squadron RAF (code PN) is secured in its flying position by a crane at Idku, Egypt, as armorers prepare the machine guns for an alignment test. The no 252 was based at Idku from 14 November 1941 until 1 March 1943when it moved west to the newly captured airfields in Libya. Its area of operation changed to Greece and the Aegean, and it was occupied with anti-shipping patrols over those waters for the next two years as well for ground attack missions against the Communist rebels during the civil war that followed the German retreat. The squadron remained in Greece after the war, until being disbanded on 1 December 1946. Victor Sierra