Elba attack September 1943

[Andrew Arthy]

Hi guys,

I've checked HW 5 ULTRA and the Y-Service reports for 16 September 1943, and could find nothing about an attack on Elba. K.G. 100 and S.K.G. 10 operated against the Salerno landings, and J.G. 77 and J.G. 53 were also active over Italy. II. Fliegerkorps, based in central Italy, flew a total of 52 fighter sorties (with 38 of those by J.G. 77 and IV./J.G. 3) and 31 ground-attack sorties (all by S.K.G. 10).

The Ju 88 units were all operating by night at this stage.

A variety of aircraft types based on Corsica flew missions on 16 September 1943, but these were all reconnaissance, and no aircraft reported operating over Elba.

So it is a complete mystery to me.

Cheers,
Andrew A.
Air War Publications - www.airwarpublications.com

[costiero]

Hi everybody
thanks so much for you help, it's very important for me!
Andrew do you have a copy of HW 5 ULTRA and the Y-Service reports from 15th to 30th September 1943? I know the resarch need time and money, I don't wont to stole your documents, it's only to know if there's something about Elba, then I'll ask the copies to NA.
It's possible that mission could be authorized the 15th or the days before?
Or as Larry and Nick says it could be "decripted" after 16th and insert in the reports written after 16th.

At least 150 people died after the attack and it determine the capitulation of Italian garrison on Elba. The AA defense was unable to alert the population and start firing only when aircraft comes, because the AA chain on italian mainland was unactive, because already handled by german troops. People talk about Stukas, but for Italian civil of 1943 probaly each german bombers is a "Stuka", official Regia Marina and Regio Esercito reports speaks in general about "german aircraft" and not specify the type.

It's a mistery usolved....aicraft involved could be take off from France or other country close to Italy, but it's a no sense because Luftwaffe have a lot of aircraft near Elba ready to move, and people remeber 5 or 7 aircraft not more.

Thanks guys for your help
Costiero