Buchanan’s daily scoring continued on 28 November. During a morning sortie he spotted a Savoia-Marchetti SM79 flying low over the sea and dived to carry out his customary astern attack, his fire causing the Italian’s starboard engine to burst into flames before it fell into the sea and quickly sank. Climbing away Buchanan saw a large formation comprised of some 60 JU52s with Bf109 escorts and decided descretion was the better part of valour for a lone Beaufighter in the circumstances, but shortly after he came across an SM81 off Cap Bon and immediately bore in for a kill, only to be driven off by a determined Macchi 202 fighter. Later that day 272 Squadron switcehd to ground-strafing attacks on airfields and vehicles in the Tripolotanian zone and a particualary succesful strike against the enemy seaplane base at Bon Chemmakh despite fierce flak oppostion from the base defences. This latter base was again the Beau’s target early next morning with Buchanan destroying one of four moored Cant Z506bs which sank and riddled the other three.
December 1942 began with a determined German offensive in the Tebourba area, causing the Allied First Army to withdraw. RAF activities concentrated on opposing this “push” despite appalling weather condtions of heavy rain which reduced most allied airstrips to bogged mud, while the Malta-based units maintained their scouring patrols of the Mediterraean seeking Axis resupply aircraft. On 9 December Buchanan was leading four Beaufighters at low-level in the Lampsedusa area when at least 30 JU52 transports, escorted by two Bf110s and a pair of JU88s, were seen. Buchanan led his men in a head-on attack, his cannons knocking chunks of metal off one JU52 before a Bf110 fastened on his tail and damaged his Beaufighter. Shaking off the Bf110 Buchanan again attacked a JU52 from astern, chewing piece out if its wings and fuselage, only to be jumped again, this time by the two JU88s. This pair chased him for some ten minutes, their fire causing yet more damage to Buchanan’s aircraft before he was able to outrun them and return to base.
Within 48 hours of that narrow escape from destruction Buchanan extracted “revenge” when, in the early morning of 11 December, he led six Beaufighters, accompanied by eight spitfires from 249 Squadron, to sweep Pantellaria-Lampion-Kirkenna and eventually encountered 32 JU52s with at least five escorts near Lampion. While the spitfires tackled the enemy excorts, Buchanan led his Beaus into the gaggle of JU52s, personally shooting one into the sea and creating severe damage to two others. The other Beaus and Spitfires soon claimed a further eleven destroyed, one probably, and three damaged, but one lost Beaufighter.
On 14 December Buchanan again co-operation alongside 249 Squadron, flying his lone Beaufighter at the head of five spitfires over the Lampedusa area in the mid-morning and attacking a JU88 of II/KG30 which was finally destroyed by the spitfires, due to Buchanan’s cannons jamming. Three hours later he left Malta again, with four of 249’s Spitfires, and shared in shooting down a second JU88 from II/KG30 west of Lampedua which flamed and spun to a watery grave. This daily routine of patrols off Tunisia and North Africa continued apace, with the Malta squadron flying two, sometimes three sorties per man each day, with increasingly fruitful results. December 19 saw Buchanan take off with one other Beau crew and four 249 Squadron Spitfires for an offensive patrol at 0840 hours, and just after 11 am a Dornier Do24 flying boat and a Ju88 were engaged near Delimara; the flying boat being quickly shot down by a spitfire. Seconds later Buchanan saw his companion Beaufighter explode into the sea and joined with the two spitfires in destroying its victor, the Ju88 from III/KG76.
SUnday, 27 December, brought a VIP flight for Buchanan when he took off from Malta to excort a second Beau from 272 Squadron which had on board Air Vice Marshal K.R. Palmer for a flight to Egypt. En route their flight path was crossed by two Focke Wulf Fw200 four-engined aircraft and Buchanan instantly swung into attack on these. Making four attacks on one Fw200 Buchanan’s aircraft was damaged by return fire, though he had at least damaged it sport outer engine before being forced to break off. The second Beau also attacked, only to be similarily damaged by Fw200 gunners, and both Beaufighters returned to Malta. Two days later Buchanan, at the head of four Beaus and four spitfires, trapped a JU88  of II/KG54 near Pantelaria and shot it down, three of its crew taking to parachutes.