by 69th Rgt) and established cooperation with RAF and Italian Co-belligerent Navy and AA HQs, though the small signal detachment struggled to set up and maintain all the necessary communications. As AADC, Lt-Col Burns organised Taranto as an 'Inner Artillery Zone' in which AA guns had priority over fighters, with 233/75 (later 70 and 72/22) LAA Bty and the Royal Navy warships in the harbour included in the AA defences. 323 (Surrey) S/L Bty of 30th S/L Rgt ringed the harbour with 21 lights equipped with searchlight control radar (SLC or 'ELSIE') and 112 Company, Pioneer Corps, manned smoke dischargers. One Troop of 192 HAA Bty was sited on the island of San Pietro outside the harbour, and one Troop of 200 HAA Bty was detached to Lecce Airfield some away, with additional 20 mm guns. There were occasional engagements of high-flying single Junkers Ju 86 and Junkers Ju 88s or pairs of Bf 109s, probably on reconnaissance, but no major air raids – which was lucky, because RAF radar was unable to provide early warning and the gunners had to rely on their GL Mk II sets. 3 AAOR (later 48 AAOR) arrived in November to take over from 69th Rgt's GOR, and 1981 Bechuana Co, APC, took over the smoke defences. All the AA gun and S/L sites around the harbour were given a role in spotting mine-laying. After the disastrous Air raid on Bari in December, Lt-Col Burns laid great stress on training, blackout precautions, and improving communications and liaison, including using Italian Co-belligerent Army AA units. The first No 3 Mk II AA Radar and No 4 Mk III Local Warning Radar sets began to arrive in May 1944, but Taranto was now so far behind the front lines that only the occasional reconnaissance aircraft using a photo flash bomb was seen. In the summer the regiment began mobile exercises, and 25 AA Bde (based at Bari) took over responsibility for Taranto as 8 AA Bde HQ moved north to be nearer the fighting. However, 69th HAA Rgt never followed. Allied Forces in Italy had an excess of AA units and the air threat to the southern Italian cities had diminished: by November the AA defences of Taranto were being run down. Meanwhile, the ground forces were suffering a manpower shortage, so a number of AA units and formations were disbanded and their personnel redistributed. 69th