Salerno Invasion September 1943 - attack on USS Savannah

[Rabe Anton]

Timothy,

A couple of points about your post concerning the USS Savannah, the Salerno landings, and attacks on this warship by Luftwaffe aircraft.

First, the cover or project name for the Salerno landings was AVALANCHE, not TORCH. TORCH had been the cover name for Allied landings in North Africa in November 1942.

Second, a very quick look at Craven and Cate, The Army Air Forces in World War II, Vol. III, suggests that the USS Savannah was attacked by "radio-controlled bombs." Intuitively and without further research, this may connect with the employment of Dornier 217s armed with the Hs 293 standoff missile. If the Dornier 217 + Hs 293 connection proves out, this will dramatically improve your chances of identifying the Luftwaffe unit in question since only one or two units (1) operated Dornier 217s (2) employed the Hs 293 on anti-shipping operations, and (3) operated in the Mediterranean area in the late summer and fall of 1943.

Bottom line: Be sure that the aircraft involved were Dornier 217s and that the ordnance used against the Savannah was the Hs 293 missile. If these elements prove true, it's for sure that a reader or readers of this board can tell you much more.

RA