▁you ▁personally ▁for ▁the ▁most ▁excellent ▁ob lique ▁photograph s ▁you ▁took ▁on ▁August ▁ 6 . ▁ ▁These ▁photograph s ▁were ▁required , ▁as ▁I ▁expect ▁you ▁know , ▁for ▁a ▁project ▁which , ▁to ▁our ▁inten se ▁regret , ▁the ▁powers ▁that ▁be ▁cancel led . ▁ ▁Although ▁the ▁sortie ▁was ▁therefore ▁in ▁vain , ▁I ▁can ▁ass ure ▁you ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁not ▁have ▁been ▁possible ▁to ▁carry ▁out ▁the ▁operation ▁without ▁the ▁information ▁obtained ▁from ▁the ▁photograph s , ▁which ▁incident ally ▁are ▁the ▁best ▁I ▁have ▁ever ▁seen .” ▁ ▁Italy ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁S ici il an ▁campaign ▁ended ▁on ▁ 1 8 ▁August ▁ 1 9 4 3 , ▁the ▁squad ron ▁started ▁on ▁long ▁range ▁rec ce ▁of ▁the ▁toe ▁of ▁Italy ▁and ▁low ▁level ▁ob lique ▁phot ography ▁of ▁the ▁Italian ▁coast . ▁Some ▁Naval ▁Ar ty . R s ▁were ▁also ▁carried ▁out ▁on ▁gun ▁positions ▁in ▁the ▁toe ▁of ▁Italy , ▁including ▁sho ots ▁with ▁HMS ▁Rod ney ▁and ▁. ▁ ▁The ▁squad ron ▁ceased ▁operations ▁early ▁in ▁September ▁and ▁with d rew ▁to ▁North ▁Africa ▁to ▁re - equ ip ▁with ▁the ▁Sp it fire ▁IX ▁in ▁its ▁cli pped - wing ▁form . ▁Even ▁before ▁the ▁move ▁was ▁completed , ▁one ▁Fl ight ▁recom men ced ▁operations ▁under ▁the ▁oper ational ▁control ▁of ▁ 3 2 9 ▁Wing ▁R AF , ▁for ▁whom ▁numerous ▁Path find er ▁T ac . R s ▁were ▁flow n . ▁During ▁this ▁period ▁the