Luftwaffe air raids on Corsica May 1944
 

Please, do you know the number of allied aircraft destroyed during luftwaffe raids on corsican airfields on 12/13 May 1944 ?

Thank you very much

Alain

Re: Luftwaffe air raids on Corsica May 1944
 

Alain

At least 23 destroyed and 82 damaged. This is not the complete total, but was an initial report the next day, when obviously things were chaotic..

Some details: 251 Wing at Poretto: 451 Sqn lost two pilots killed, and the wing 6 mechanics killed, all but two of 451's Spitfires were destroyed or damaged, 154 had 11 Spits hit. In all 14 Spitfires were destroyed and 70 damaged. The 340th BG lost 15 B-25's and at least 15 damaged, this gives 84 Spitfires and 30 B-25's at least damaged.

Source: Mediterranean Air War Vol 4 p 606.

Regards

Russell

Re: Luftwaffe air raids on Corsica May 1944
 

Probably the best performance of the Lwf for the whole 1944 in this area, which units participate ??Seems no losses were registred from german side

...


Rémi

Re: Luftwaffe air raids on Corsica May 1944
 

Thank you very much. According to vol 2 of Peter Taghon book about LG1 65 to 100 aircrafts would have been destroyed or damaged during these raids.
Have a nice day.
Alain

Re: Luftwaffe air raids on Corsica May 1944
 

CX/MSS/T183/90

From Luftflotte 2 (Roman) IC on 13/5:-

Own ops night of 12–13/5.

115 a/c in concentrated attacks on strongly occupied a/f's at Borgo-Poretta and Alistro (04 East – 9336 04 East – 9359). Very good results from attack … (smudge) … complete surprise for the enemy.

A/F Borgo-Poretto [sic], 16 to 18 a/c — fires and explosions. About 80% of the parked a/c were damaged, of which at least 25% were a total loss.

Alistro a/f, 10 large fires, many smaller fires with explosions.

Our losses nil.

(TNA HW 5/482)

Re: Luftwaffe air raids on Corsica May 1944
 

Thks, for the confirmation, Nick, seems that the allies in this case,has been accabled by a sin of confidence excess....


Rémi

Re: Luftwaffe air raids on Corsica May 1944
 

"Accabler" is one of the few French words that the English didn't adopt! The equivalent is "overwhelm" (I had to look it up).

Re: Luftwaffe air raids on Corsica May 1944
 

Right i hv been lazy, in that case, maybe I could try to send this "vocable" to one of the "guy" working on the english dictionnary at Cambridge, seems they accept everything for the new one :DRémi:D

Re: Luftwaffe air raids on Corsica May 1944
 

Hi chaps

My thoughts as to why some German raids were very successful was the fact they were attacking bases that the Luftwaffe had operated from for most of the previous few years, hence they knew how to find them, the topography, and the likely dispersal areas etc. Such instances would include Lentini in August 43, the Corsica raids and a few others. The other common factor appears to be the successful target marking by flares. The issue then is why were they so few and far between? I suppose that is just how hard it was to make night raids if they was organised opposition. Major changes were made to the RAF night fighter defenses in the Med, including Corsica over the next few months, I wonder if this raid triggered a review?

Russell.