"Hijacked!!" Topic

Here is something you don't hear everyday LOL.Could be interesting to try and game. Robert

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"This seaplane was the protagonist of a dramatic history in the Mediterranean's sky. On July 29, 1942 an Italian maritime reconnaissance floatplane Cant-Z-506B Airone of 139th Squadriglia after the rescue of the four crewmen of a RAF's Bristol Beufort shot down on the sea near Corfu, flew to Taranto with the prisoners, one British, one South African and two New Zealander. But during the flight, the prisoners overwhelmed the Italian five crewmen and hijacked the aircraft to Malta where the Italians were declared POW. At Malta the plane was commandeered by RAF, repainted in British colors and markings and registered HK977. Afterwards the floatplane, in this photo still at Malta, moored at Kalafrana, was transferred in Egypt, at Alexandria. Victor Sierra"

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"Side view of Italian floatplane Cant-Z-506B hijacked to Malta on July 29, 1942, now RAF'HK977 still at Kalafrana, Malta, before the departure for Alexandra. The Royal Air Force captured and employed for rescue at least two others Cant-Z-506s, Victor Sierra"

Well, that's one way to explain beute thingies.

I guess in 1942, hijackers weren't returned to the offended party. "Thete's a war on, you know."

Rather unsporting of them. Could have left them to drown after all. Necessity of war, every prisoner's duty to try to escape, but I can't help but wonder how it would be viewed if they were Japanese airmen who were rescued and tried to overpower their captors. Cries of treachery and assorted racial epithets I would imagine.

When in Malta I herad this story. it helps I think when `rescuing' military personnel if you check that they are no longer carrying their sidearms…..

I believe the Italian crew of this aircraft were court martialled in their absence on a charge of surrendering too easily or somesuch. Its mentioned in Spitfires over Malta – Cull & Galea.

The World's First Air Hijack!
by Strever

People in story:
Lieutenant-Colonel Ted Strever
Location of story:
Off Malta in the Mediterranean
Background to story:
Royal Air Force

Over the last few decades eand specially after the September 11 hijackings of aircraft seem like common occurrences. This astonishing story is about the first known occurrence of a hijacking of an aircraft and took place in WW2 by my Grandfather Ted Strever.

Ted Strever was a Royal Air force pilot and was based in Malta during the spring of 1942. Ted took off in his Bristol Beaufort bomber on one particular mission in late July to intercept an Italian supply ship. He was shot down at sea after scoring a direct hit on the supply ship, which managed to do enough damage to Ted's plane before sinking.
Not long after scrambling into their dingy after the crash Ted and his crew where picked up by an Italian sea plane and made prisoners of war.
It did not take them long to learn that they would be taken to Taranto in Italy where they would spend the rest of the war as prisoners.
The thought of their approaching doom spurred them into taking action against their captors. With the watchful eyes of the guard on them and limited communication the worlds first skyjack swung into action.
They started straight for the radio operator, clearly to make sure no contact was made to the base and successfully took him out. They then overpowered an unexpected guard and managed to get his weapon off him. The first part of their attack was successful but the turning point came when the co-pilot pulled a pistol on them. Luck was on their side however as it was one the Italian's own comrades that knocked the weapon from his hands in the frantic struggle to regain control. It was after that bit of fortune in the frenzied chaos that they knew the plane was theirs, and Ted wasted no time in taking over the controls.
New problems now became apparent. The first and more immediate issue was that they were fast running low on fuel. After asking the Italian Engineer kindly (at gunpoint) to switch to reserves and by changing their route, flying rather to their base at Malta instead of the African coast, this first problem was quickly taken care of. Next was the problem of flying an Italian plane. Ted's experience was sufficient to fly an Italian plane but to the allies this was an enemy aircraft fast approaching the Malta coast. Soon there were spitfires gunning them down. Normally the sight of spitfires off the wing of his torpedo bomber would have been comforting, however this was clearly not a Bristol Beaufort bomber and with holes being shot in his tail this was definitely not comforting. Ted hurled the first pilot back into his seat and ordered him in hurried sign-language to land in the sea.
One of the men then whipped off his shirt and took his vest — the only white article he had — and waved it out of the window making it clear that they had come to surrender — albeit to their own side!
The first wave of spits managed to do fair damage to the plane but they landed safely and the worlds 1st skyjack was over.
Astonished to see four RAF's in the Italian plane a member of the launch team towing them back to St Paul's Bay said "We thought it was old Mussolini coming to give himself up!"

Ted Strever received a DFC for his achievement in the war. He died in Haenertsburg, South Africa in 1997 at the age of 77.

You can read more about it in PB Lucas (ed.): Wings of War (Hutchinson, London, 1983) and also in The Reader's Digest Illustrated Story of World War 2, vol.I.

its found on BBC2's peoples war ..

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I guess it was an ok trade for the Beufort LOL. Robert

And I guess there was even a reply to the article too.
"Hi!

Reference the article about your grandfather and his crew being shot down at sea in the Bristol Beaufort and their subsequent escape from the Italians in a cant.

I have managed to cross-reference this event in my father's own diary entries for the 28th/29th July 1942. It could well be that my father was talking to your grandfather at the camp concert on the evening of the 29th July 1942 about this!

For further information have look at my father's (RAF Sgt Thomas Barker) diary entries for those dates at:-

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Robert

Could be a neat quick skirmish game…

Designating a reconnaissance aircraft "Cant Z" must be considered some kind of blunder.

"Designating a reconnaissance aircraft "Cant Z" must be considered some kind of blunder."

Only when fighters were around lol. Robert