B-24 missions on August 21, 1942.
 

Colleagues. I have information that on the evening of August 21, 1942, B-24 bombers, six from the RAF and ten from the USAAF, attacked an enemy convoy off the coast of Crete. Could you please tell me which squadrons they belonged to and whether one American bomber was actually shot down by a German fighter in this battle?

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

This is described in MAW2 page 644: "11 B-24Ds from 344th and 345th BS, 98th BG attacked between 1920 and 1935 hrs a convoy of "3 merchants" SW Crete, claiming four hits, two probale hits and 11 near misses, resulting in two ships probably sunk. 3 fighters intercepted them and the B-24D 41-11763 of 345th BS that was straggling was shot down off Gavdos Island (2 POW, 7 MIA). Pvt Tom F Hattaway, the rear gunner of 41-11806 of 345th BS, claimed a German fighter (Bf 109 or 110) probably shot down.

Two pilots of III./ZG 26 (a Bf 110 unit) claimed B-24s, Uffz Fritz Lauff at 1820 hrs (German time) and Obfw Walter Weiss at 1830 hrs SW Gavdos. No German aircraft was lost according to the book.

As for the convoy target, I think it was the "sportivo" convoy. The Kriegsmarine Naval Staff KTB reports only this convot attacked in the area (the Italian tanker Pozarica was torpedoed that day S of Corfu by Malta-based RAF aircraft). The ships suffered no damage.
According to the links below it was composed of Italian cargos Sportivo and Davide Bianchi and tanker Stige, escorted by four warships Turbine, Lince, Hermes and S 41. S 41 was sunk in November 1941 in Channel so that part is false. Hermes, a former Greek destroyer taken over by the Germans, could have been there but in the above cited KTB is reported to have assisted U-83 on the 18th and is not cited on the 21st.

The onlise story of some of the ships involved, but with few details:
https://conlapelleappesaaunchiodo.bl...5/turbine.html (listing the ship discussed above)
https://conlapelleappesaaunchiodo.bl.../sportivo.html (same ship list)
https://conlapelleappesaaunchiodo.bl.../09/lince.html (no mention of this convoy)

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

Nothing to be add from the official history of Italian Navy vol 7 (covering convoys to North Africa in 1941-1942). This conovy is not in the narrative and the tables at the end of the book give the same composition of escort as above (including S-41) but does not list the tanker Stige (maybe becasue it was a naval unit and not a merchant one). No details about air attacks, only that they did no damage. The convoy reached Suda in the morning of 22nd and Piraeus the next day.

The RAF part of the raid was flown by 159 Sqn RAF (see AIR 27/1060/1) that dispatched 9 B-24s, only six reaching the convy and bombing it without claiming any hit. The saw 'a Ju 88 and a Breda" but were not intercepted. Attack was reported to be between 1817 and 1832 hrs, so one hour before the US bombers if they used the same time zone.

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

There were two groups of three ships going leaving from Tobruk on 20 August.

1) Stige and Davide Bianchi, left Tobruk 1800 for Piraeus
2) Sportivo left 1900 for Suda

The vessels had arrived in Tobruk a few days before and had been discharged with some difficulties. The Italian history states that they were formed into a single convoy off Tobruk on 21 August at 0900 with the escorts as mentioned being Turbine as lead, Lince, ZG3 and S-41. So this is likely where the error occurred. The OH states it was attacked from the air without result.

Convoy formed, with the addition of tanker Stige under the lead of DD Turbine at 0900 on 21 off Tobruk. Subjected to air attacks without results. Overnight in Suda morning of 22 to rearm with torpedoes.

Regarding the escorts.
1) S-41 as noted cannot be right. It is unlikely to be an error in the boat's number too, as 3. S-Flotille was based in Sicily in the second half of August with the exception of S-33 and S55 in Suda, but the Suda group reports no tasks at the end of August.
2) 6. R-Flotille does not report such an escort task (they had R-14 on strength).
3) ZG-3 Hermes (renamed 21 August 1942) reports being in port in Salamis on 20-23 August, so again cannot have been part of the escort.

The whole of the Italian navy war diary looks quite questionable in relation to this.

Some background on the Turbine-class (won't help with this question): https://rommelsriposte.com/2025/03/2...ckers-turbine/

All the best

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

An interesting point on the 159 Sqn ORB is that the British crew reported the convoy as 2 merchant vessels, one tanker and one escort (probably a destroyer), so possibly onluy Turbine was actually present when the attack(s) took place.

The lack of details in Italian documents is a pity, because I would like to know if there were two attacks one hour apart or if there was only one, Allied units using two different time zones.

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

Here are some of the relevant ULTRA intercepts.

Afraid I cannot add pictures easily, so the PDF will have to do.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2up3u...1n7egnw85&dl=0

All the best

Andreas

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

If anyone holds the logbooks of Turbine, that would probably be the only way to clear it up now.

All the best

Andreas

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

Thank you, colleagues.
As far as I know, the Alberto Fassio-Pugliola convoy from Piraeus to Tobruk was attacked. In the works of the Italian researcher Lorenzo Colombo, I saw mention of a single attack by 16 Liberators of the RAF and USAAF.
A couple more questions. Were the 158 and 160 RAF squadrons, which operated B-24s, one or two units?
Were the aircraft for the 98th BG specially ferried to the Middle East from the US, or were they assigned the same B-24s that had arrived there in June?

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

Based on the Italian OH, Pugliola came with Kreta from Piraeus at 09.20 20 August, Kreta was re-routed to Suda at 14.45 21 August, and Pugliola joined Fassio with escort Tp Lupo (coming from Suda, which was a fuel hub at this point) and the 80th MZ Flotilla at 17.35 21 August off Crete. None of the two groups reported an air attack. I can check with Lorenzo, but suppose this maybe an error.

As for the British bombers, earlier in July all the heavies operated from Aqir in Palestine. They were probably serviced by mixed personnel, but would need to look into that more.

All the best

Andreas

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

The RAF no 158 & 160 squadron operated under the no 205 Group,. The 98BG and 1 Provisional Bomb Group (later 376BG) was under British command, MAC.
Two squadron of the 98BG arrived in early August. 343BS and 344BS I think. Flown by the crew them self. Not air force ferry command (later ATC). 415BS and 345BS arrived few weeks later in August.
Need to double check in which order the bomb squadrons of the 98BG arrived Palestine.


/JohanSWE

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