hms Chakdina

[cpaige5@hotmail.com]

The Chakdina was used to transport troops between Tobruk and Alexandria when she was sunk in an evening aerial attack on Dec 5th 1941. Could anyone give me the details about the attack, unit involved and how many planes?

[Doug Stankey]

A search of the Arnold Hague convoy database,
http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/ports/index.html?search.php~armain

states:

CHAKDINA (Br) 3,033 tons, built 1914

Departure / Convoy / Arrival

TA.1/M (Tobruk - Alexandria) Alexandria, Dec 5, 1941 Tobruk,

Dec 5, 1941 TA.1/M (Tobruk - Alexandria) Bandar Abbas,

Dec 5, 1943 PB.65A (Bandar Abbas - Karachi) Karachi, Dec 9, 1943 Bombay,

Jan 8, 1944 BM.80B (Bombay - Colombo) Colombo, Jan 13, 1944 Madras,

Feb 3, 1944 JC.35P (Madras - Vizagpatnam) Vizag, Feb 6, 1944 Vizag,

Feb 8, 1944 JC.35P1 (Vizag - Calcutta) Calcutta, Feb 11, 1944


Apparently a new ship later received the same name.

The encyclopedic "Chronology of the War at Sea" by Rohwer states on page 119 that the "transport Chakdina (3,033 tons) is lost to a torpedo from an Italian aircraft" while being involved in a Tobruk supply operation.

As for possible German attacking air units, I assume that only bomber/torpedo units were involved, thus after consulting "Bomber Units of the Luftwaffe", the possibilities are:

II./KG 26 - a definite possibility
KG 30 - not in the area
KG 40 - not in the area
II./KG 54 - very briefly in the area
II./KG 77 - arrived a couple of weeks later - op mainly in the central/western Mediterranean
KGr. 606 - just arrived - op in this area
KGr. 806 - arrived mid Dec - op in this area
I., II/LG 1 - op in this area
III./LG 1 - possibly op in this area

Thus the most likely candidates for the unit involved in sinking this vessel are:
most likely: II./KG 26, KGr. 606
some chance: I. and II/LG 1
slim chance: II./KG 54, KGr. 806, III./LG 1, II./KG 77

I hope that all this helps

DGS

[Martin Gleeson]

Hallo,

According to an index of ships attacked by the Regia Aeronautica in COURAGE ALONE; The Italian Air Force 1940-1943 by Chris Dunning (1998) the unit involved was the 284 Squadriglia Sil. Nothing more I'm afraid.

Regards,

Martin.

[Ludovico Slongo]

Three torpedo bombers of 284 Sq. took off at 19.50 on the evening of the 5th of December 1941, (perhaps from Derna) and attacked a small British convoy heading for Tobruk. They were piloted by the torpedo ace cap. Massimiliano Erasi (that had already hit the cruisers Liverpool and Glasgow in 1940) and by ten. Guglielmo Ranieri and ten. Alfredo Pulzetti. The three pilots attacked individually, Ranieri and Pulzetti at around 21.30 and Erasi before them. All three claimed to have hit their target. One of them probably hit the Chackdina. The source is the book of gen. Carlo Unia : Storia degli aerosiluranti Italiani.
Regards
Ludovico

[cpaige5@hotmail.com]

That confirms the information from the book "Ravenstein Potrait of a German general". General v Ravenstein was a pow on this ship as it left Tobruk. He said it was was Italian planes that attacked the ship. The British survivors mentioned it was the Luftwaffe. He was lucky to have survived the sinking.

For any trivia buffs, v Ravenstein was the first German general captured in WW2. (late Nov/42). He spent the majority of his captivity time in Canada coming via Egypt and South Africa.

[AndreasB]

Here is some info on the actual sinking:

http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/te...rti-c7-17.html

All the best

Andreas