Kennedy and the Squadron CO, John Lynchm took off on a daring, long-range raid up the east coast of Sicily, across the Straits of Messina, then down onto the sea again north of Sicily heading west towards Palermo. Only two aircraft would go, carrying 90 gallon drop tanks under their fuselages. They were airborne at 0610 hours flying "on the deck" maintaining strict radio silence.

Tiger Green One. Green Two here. There are three small aircraft, possibly 109s, twelve o'clock deck level. I don't know if they're approaching or going away. They're several miles away. Over.
Green Two, keep your eye on them. I don't see them yet. Over.
Roger, Green One.
Green One. Green Two here. Those three aircraft are still dead ahead and going the other way. We'll have to open up. Over
O.K. Green Two. Lead me to them.

I caught up to the three transports flying in open formation about two hundred feet above the water. Now I could see that they had a third engine on the nose like Junkers 52s. He moved in on the port quarter of the nearest aircraft at good speed, but for a second he noticed the mid-upper gunner's gun pointing to the sky. Then I saw his head on his chest; he was snoozing. There was no time to think about the gunner, and anyway I wasn't interested in him. My target was the port engine which I hit a good clout, and which promptly caught fire. As I pulled out I thought, "I reckon that woke him up!" The aircraft descended quickly to the sea.

The C.O. was still out of range, but coming in quickly now. I had a belt at the second aircraft, another port engine with profuse black smoke, while Johnnie attacked the third which went down on fire. Then I hesitated. I held off while Johnnie hit the second aircraft another clout before it settled down on the water. I was not angry with the transport crews. There was nothing difficult about these clumsy aircraft, but they were enemy aircraft, and I had clobbered some port engines, and they were down in the water.