Quote:
Originally Posted by Nick Beale
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I suppose this was another "El Biar". On 20 April 1944, the small convoy CAF 31, consisting of the French ships Marrakech, Medie II and El Biar, escorted by three French warships, the destroyer Tigre and the torpedo boats Tempete and Forbin. They were sailing from Ajaccio to Algiers.
Around 2000 hrs both CAF 31 and UGS 38 convoys were warmed of the approaching German bombers. Several Allied fighter units scrambled to defend the convoys, including two Spitfires of French GC I/7 "Provence". These found a formation of 5 JU 88s and prepared to attack them, but were himself attacked by a dozen of other Ju 88s (probably of ZG 1) and evaded them, but were then unable to find again the German bombers.
The French convoy was attacked at 2034 hrs by about twenty Ju 88s and Do 217s. Heavy AA fire disrupted the attack and three German bombers were claimed shot down, but a 2037 hrs the El Biar was hit by a torpedo and was abandonned. One AA gunner was killed, 3 other men wounded but the Tempete rescued the crew and the 280 passengers. The ship sank in two hours. Other ships were only slightly damaged, especially the Tigre that suffered several near misses by glider bombs.
The attack report for UGS 38 reports no use of glider bombs, but "normal" bombs and torpedoes, so it seems that KG 100 crews only attacked the French convoy.