Death In The Desert: Lady Be Good

By

Scott Schwartz

Radio Operator La Motte sent another message to the Malta station.  He was looking for confirmation that Lady Be Good's course (140 degrees) was correct, and he wanted to be sure that the aircraft was heading to Benghazi.  The response from Malta is unrecorded.  Nonetheless, La Motte transmitted again at 8:59 PM, and this time, he received confirmation that his aircraft was on the correct heading.  

Bombardier Woravka was told to jettison the bombs.  With a tailwind and less weight, Lady Be Good was being bowled along at two hundred miles per hour.  The ride was rough, though, and Lady Be Good, cruising at 8,000 feet, passed in and out of clouds.  

La Motte contacted a Benghazi aircraft control station at 10:05 PM.  He wanted an exact vector back to the base at Soluch.  La Motte apparently received the vector, but whether it was being adhered to is unclear.

More to come.