The Mysterious Air Attack on Tripoli, May 3, 1941
 

Colleagues, your help is needed to solve a historical mystery.
In serata, infine, ebbe inizio un attacco aereo britannico sul porto. Uno degli aerei attaccanti (probabilmente dei Vickers Wellington del 257th Wing della Royal Air Force, di base in Nordafrica) sorvolò più volte la Canopo; l’equipaggio della torpediniera ne sentiva il rumore prodotto dai motori, ma non riuscì ad avvistarlo. Alla fine, il velivolo avversario sganciò una bomba, che cadde sul lato sinistro, a proravia del fumaiolo.
https://conlapelleappesaaunchiodo.bl...05/canopo.html
This is the Italian description of the attack that resulted in the sinking of the torpedo boat Canopo in Tripoli harbor on May 3, 1941. The Admiralty War Diaries for May 3 and the night of May 3/4 mention only Wellingtons air raids on Benghazi; there are no reports of aircraft attacks from Malta on Tripoli. Nevertheless, the Italians unequivocally state that the cause of their ship's destruction was a bomb dropped by a British aircraft.
I would like to determine which squadron attacked Tripoli and who sank the Canopus.

sergey

Re: The Mysterious Air Attack on Tripoli, May 3, 1941
 

The Admiralty War Diary is incomplete. The German port diary also mentions Canopo sunk due to an incendiary bomb. The 204 Group instructions note that for 2 and 3 May Wellingtons had to load a share of incendiaries. Having noted that, the North African Wellingtons only noted ops against Benina and Benghazi that night, so whatever it was must have come from Malta.

The 5a Squadra war diary doesn't mention any attacks on Tripoli.

All the best

Andreas

Re: The Mysterious Air Attack on Tripoli, May 3, 1941
 

The German report on the Mediterranean situation here says for enemy activity:

On the night of 2/3 May enemy aircraft attacked Barce, Benghazi, the airfield at El Feteja Uadi (?) and Tripoli. 3 ships damaged.

On the night of 3/4 May enemy aircraft attacked Derna and Benghazi. 2 Ju 88s and 1 Ju 52 were damaged on the airfield at Benina.

Re: The Mysterious Air Attack on Tripoli, May 3, 1941
 

The Malta War Diary also makes no mention of operations against Tripoli on 3 and 4 May 1941, other than a mine-laying sortie by 3 Swordfish of 830 Squadron.

Re: The Mysterious Air Attack on Tripoli, May 3, 1941
 

In early May 1941, Malta was subjected to intense German air raids. There were no Wellingtons there at the time—only six Blenheims from 21 Squadron, Marylands from 69 Squadron, and Swordfish from 830 Squadron. There is no information about their bombing raids on Tripoli harbor.

Re: The Mysterious Air Attack on Tripoli, May 3, 1941
 

Should be Derna.

On the sinking of Canopo

The attack is in the German port commander's war diary for the time 2250-2340 (Berlin) on 3 May.

The Italian story is that she was hit by a single bomb near the stack, and then a fire developed. Apparently a single raider.

https://www.trentoincina.it/torpedin...nopo-e-perseo/ (some pictures of the wreck and first-hand accounts)

I have now checked the Malta Swordfish report, and intriguingly, a/c 'C' reported to have dropped its mine 'less than a cable off the northern-most ship of the outer group', so under 185m from the ship. As this would have been dropped at a low height of maybe 500ft, it is quite possible that this mine hit Canopo and exploded on impact.

Given that we can rule out anyone else I would be inclined to give credit to S/Lt Smith (pilot) and S/Lt Gordon-Smith (observer) of Swordfish C of 830 Sqn FAA.


All the best

Andreas

Re: The Mysterious Air Attack on Tripoli, May 3, 1941
 

In support of this theory, a question: From which North African airfields could British bombers have attacked Tripoli in early May 1941? But there are other questions: what type of mines were the Swordfish laying, and could these mines have functioned as impact-detonated bombs?

Re: The Mysterious Air Attack on Tripoli, May 3, 1941
 

Wellingtons used Fuka as a jumping-off point and that would have enabled them to reach Tripoli. (I think - Edit: checked and no Tripoli missions from either Fuka or L.G. 09, a new forward LG they occupied during May, which enabled them to go to Greece.)

But the 38 Sqn ORB is clear that it wasn't them, and 37 Sqn detachment still operating in Egypt doesn't report sorties that evening.

Agree on your next question.

As a note, it could have been the other crew, I thought the aircraft listing was alphabetically, but apparently that isn't the case. That crew was S/Lt Holmes (pilot) and L/A Evans (air gunner)

All the best

Andreas

Re: The Mysterious Air Attack on Tripoli, May 3, 1941
 

Gonna guess the answer is 'yes it could'

https://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WAM...launched_Mines

All the best

Andreas

Re: The Mysterious Air Attack on Tripoli, May 3, 1941
 

Andreas. Thank you for your help. The mine dropped by 830 Squadron's Swordfish (most likely a magnetic one) is the only explanation for the sinking of the Canopo. However, it's surprising that the aircraft crew didn't record the explosion upon impact; otherwise, it would have been mentioned in the Malta War Diary.

Re: The Mysterious Air Attack on Tripoli, May 3, 1941
 

I carefully reread the Admiralty War Diaries again and found the following entry from May 4: 3 Swordfish 830 Sqdn. F.A.A, despatched lay Cucumbers in Tripoli
harbour approaches. Arrived while airraid in progress b y Wellingtons from Mid East. First aircraft dropped flares. Other 2 dropped Cucumbers in channel between harbour entrance and 5 or 6 M/V’s.
stopped apparently awaiting raiders passed. Operation hindered by smoke screen laid 50 yards outside h a rbour and heavy smoke
from damage by Wellington bombs. A.A. fire heavy and accurate at least 12 search lights operating. 1 terrific flash and explosion
on or near refuelling Mole and several fires 1 edge of harbour. All aircraft returned safely.
So, there were Wellingtons in Tripoli, but it's unclear from which squadrons. Not 38, not 37, not 148, not 40, not 70. ???????????

Re: The Mysterious Air Attack on Tripoli, May 3, 1941
 

I again doubt that entry.

At squadron level

40 and 140 were still in England. Detachments may have been in North Africa or Malta, but no records I have seen.

70 is missing before 4 May but there isn't a single Tripolis raid for the rest of the month so I doubt that.

At Group level
No. 204 Group only mentions that 9 Wellingtons went to Benghazi, Berca, Derna. There isn't a single attack on Tripoli for the first half of May 1941 at least.

I cannot find any evidence for this Wellington raid.

All the best

Andreas

Re: The Mysterious Air Attack on Tripoli, May 3, 1941
 

There is a note about a message (that I do not have) relating to the explosion in the 830 Sqn report that went to Admiralty.

The magazine explosion happened a bit after the initial hit, and the initial explosion may have occurred internally so not necessarily visible.

A mining expert on Facebook (Project Vernon Group) noted that the mine used could be rigged as a bomb.

All the best

Andreas

Re: The Mysterious Air Attack on Tripoli, May 3, 1941
 

Another possibility is that the Swordfish reported that they arrived during an air raid by Wellingtons, but actually saw smoke and damages coming from the accidental explosion of Birmania earlier during the day.

Re: The Mysterious Air Attack on Tripoli, May 3, 1941
 

Yes. Indeed, at 10:10, while unloading German aerial bombs, the "Birmania" exploded, followed by the auxiliary cruiser "Citta di Bari," onto which the explosives were being transferred. Fires broke out. On the "Reichenfels," the fire was extinguished only at 19:00.
https://conlapelleappesaaunchiodo.bl.../birmania.html