Loss of GM Kurt Thomas in 1943

[Dan History]

Originally Posted by Mark R.

off the Aegadean [sic?] Islands early on the morning of 6 May.

Mark,

Great to see you here again! Might the incident that you mention be related to the following event described in MAW Volume III? This took place on the morning of 7 May, not 6 May, but the location is a close match. See below, text from page 576:

Thursday-Friday, 6/7 May 1943
"At 0235 a Beaufighter of 600 Squadron crewed by Flt Sgt Hutton/Sgt Carlaw took from Monastir to investigate a 'bogey'. At 0505 they claimed to have shot down an S.79 16 miles south of the Egadi Islands. It seems likely that their victim was in fact an S.75 of the Sezione Autonoma T which was shot down and crashed into the sea."

Italian Casualties
Sez Aut T - S.75 'SA-21' shot down, crashed to sea; pilot Ten Giorgio Cambise, copilot Serg Franco Grimaldi and crew MIA


For reference, the Aegadian Islands or Isole Egadi are located west and south-west of Trapani, Sicily. Axis aircraft flying along the direct route from the Trapani area to airfields in north-east Tunusia would have flown south and south-west of these islands. Therefore, the aircraft carrying general Thomas and the other Ju 52 lost on the same night may have flown along this route, but it does appear more likely that these transports were shot down by Kendall and Nedahl above Tunisia, rather than lost to some other cause over the sea.

Regards,

Dan