Mitralexis — out of ammunition

Once the Italian invasion is under way, the small Royal Hellenic Air Force confronts a Regia Aeronautica far more numerous and modern. Greek pilots fly outdated aircraft, like the Polish PZL P.24, but multiply their sorties to defend the cities and the columns on the ground. Against them, the Italian bombers target population centers and the rear of the Greek front, hoping to break the morale of an enemy judged inferior.

On November 2, 1940, second lieutenant Marinos Mitralexis intercepts above the Thessaloniki region a formation of Italian bombers come to strike the city. In the fight, he empties his ammunition without having shot down his target — a bomber that holds its course toward the objective. The PZL P.24, sturdy but obsolete, carries only light armament whose rounds run out quickly in a prolonged engagement.

The pilot faces a split-second choice: break off and return, since he has nothing left to fire with; keep harrying the enemy by his mere presence to disturb its aim; or attempt something more radical with the aircraft itself. The decision involves his own survival as much as the protection of the city.