Re: B-24 missions on August 21, 1942.
 

21 agosto 1942
La nave viene attaccata da 16 bombardieri Consolidated B-24 Liberator, dieci dei quali dell’USAAF, ma non riporta alcun danno. L’attacco è stato determinato da intercettazioni di “ULTRA”, che il 19 hanno permesso ai comandi britannici di apprendere della prevista partenza della nave, il 21 dell’avvenuta partenza ed il 22 della scorta aerea assegnata alla cisterna.
https://conlapelleappesaaunchiodo.bl...Alberto+Fassio
The table in the History of the Italian Navy, Convoys to North Africa, Part 2, refers not to the 80th MZ flotilla, but to eight MZ self-propelled landing craft (in fact, there were six). I am in contact with Lorenzo, and the information comes from him.

Re: B-24 missions on August 21, 1942.
 

Actually 7 MZ according to the KTB Admiral Aegean, the 80 is likely an error in the machine-translated copy of La Difesa I am using while not in Italy. MZ 741, 745, 747, 756, 739, 757 and 759.

https://crusaderproject.wordpress.co...t-15.35.57.jpg

As you will have seen in the Italian OH the only reference to an attack is from the Sportivo convoy. I have an inquiry out with someone who may know more, but won't know for a few more days. The log of Turbine hasn't survived it seems.

The war diary of Comando Supremo states however that it was the Fassio convoy that was attacked 'repeatedly without results, late 22 August and early morning 23 August'.

All the best

Andreas

Re: B-24 missions on August 21, 1942.
 

If you don't know them already, Italian naval ULTRA messages for 12–27 August are in DEFE 3/848 which you can download from the National Archives.

Re: B-24 missions on August 21, 1942.
 

These are Wellingtons of 38 Squadron RAF attacking.

Re: B-24 missions on August 21, 1942.
 

Brilliant, thanks a lot.

Unfortunately just confusing the matter further, as it first states that Lince was sailing with Stige and Bianchi, and a later message then states that Lince left with Sportivo, and another later message that Turbine arrived in Athens with some defects.

:confused:

All the best

Andreas

Re: B-24 missions on August 21, 1942.
 

Okay, I now have some decent information from Enrico, based on the war diaries of Comando Supremo and Supermarina.

Still some confusion.

1) The heavy escort noted for Pugliola and the identical time of arrival at 11.45 hours at Tobruk would indicate to me that her and the Fassio convoy were basically travelling together at least on the last stretch.
2) There seem to be at least four separate air attacks, three on Fassio and one on the Sportivo convoy. Noting the time difference these would have been 22/23 August mid-afternoon/mid-evening/night (Fassio) and 21 August 02.40 hours (Sportivo)
3) Sportivo convoy's stop in Crete is not mentioned.

MS 41 was an Italian boat, but based on a German design (explaining the labelling as 'Tedesco'), S-2, based on which Germany built eight boats for the Kingdom of Yugoslavia which were captured, taken into the Regia Marina in 1941, and used as blueprint for the Regia Marina's MS design:

https://regiamarina.net/mas-vas-and-ms/

https://schnellbootnet.jimdofree.com...-s-boot-typen/

Hope this helps. I have alerted Lorenzo to this discussion.

All the best

Andreas

Re: B-24 missions on August 21, 1942.
 

I was more interested in German electronic jamming operations when I looked at this period but I do have a couple of relevant thngs, not that they seem to answer the questions:

ULTRA CX/MSS/1310/T17 says there will be a Lichtenstein operation on the night of 20/21 August, looking for submarines "in front of the route of Fassio".
CX/MSS/1313/T24 from Fl.Korps X at 1500 on the 21st orders continuous dawn-dusk escort of Fassio with 5 or 6 aircraft. Zerstörer are to he kept ready in case enemy reconnaissance spots the convoy. A note adds that Alberto Fassio was to leave Suda for Tobruk at 0200 on 21 August and join the Pigafetta convoy; Sportivo was to leave Tobruk for Piraeus provisionally at 1700/20th; Davide Bianchi and Stige were to be on passage from Tobruk to Piraeus on the 21st.
CX/MSS/1314/T14 says at 1900/21st that five Bf 110 had been scrambled to protect "one of own convoys" and had shot down two 4-engined American aircraft, "escort of 4 convoys in progress".
CX/MSS/1317/T12 that on 22 August "A Ju 88 escorting Fassio convoy attacked and forced away a British shadowing aircraft."
CX/MSS/1317/T27 says that at 1410 on the 22nd a Beaufort was chased away from the Fassio convoy by two escorting aircraft.

Nine Beauforts of 39 Squadron on 21 August attacked a convoy of 1 Tanker, 5 destroyers and a Flak ship 003º 12 miles off Patos. Claimed 3 hits on starboard side of tanker, "which was ;eft with steam comng from it, stationary." Aircraft "V" failed to return.
38 Squadron's Wellingtons on the night of 22/23 August: pilots differed over the convoy's ships, either 7 merchants and a large destroyer, or 5 destroyers and 5 F-lighters. Torpedoes and bombs dropped but direct hits claimed.

Re: B-24 missions on August 21, 1942.
 

Thanks Nick.

T17: Hermes reports exchanging recognition signals with a high-flying aircraft on the 20th, and this was noted in comments on the log as being an ASV (term used by the Germans) aircraft securing the route to the east as Hermes brought in U-83.
T14: The four convoys seem really to just have to have been two convoys, with both the convoys north- and southbound merging.
39 Sqdn - would assume that the MZ were mistaken for destroyers.
38 Sqn - again confusion on what vessels they were attacking

All the best

Andreas