Sinking of (hospital?) ship Armeniya by He 111

[Larry deZeng]

Originally Posted by egbert

I found here
https://www.wlb-stuttgart.de/seekrieg/41-11.htm

that the He111 came from KG 28 not from KG 26

Besides the fact that I still look for KG 28 involvement, I'd like to state here, that the Russian Armenya was not classified a hospital ship.
1. Russia did not cooperate with the International Red Cross- they in fact officially refused axis (and allied) hospital ships being safe from Russian military actions. The Germans responded with same non-recognition of Russian transporters. Subsequently Russia never reported any own ships to IRC that supposed to be classified as hospital ship
2. The Armenya during the Crimea campaign was always used to transport combat troops, like the 157th InfanteryDivision (Schützendivision), and armament out of Sevastopol the preceding days , weeks and month before she was sunk
3. She was armed with 4 guns cal4.5cm
4. She always sailed under naval convoy protection except on her final voyage.
5. She did not represent a protected hospital ship under the Geneva Convention marked white hull, green stripe with red cross.

This may help a tiny bit:

I./KG 28

Attack on the Soviet Union - Central Russia. (Jul 41 - Dec 41)
Jul – Sep 41: on arrival at Terespol, took part in the first night attack on Moscow (21/22 Jul), these continuing to the end of Jul. On 2 Aug transferred from Terespol to Bobruisk/C Russia and flew attacks on troop and supply trains, artillery positions and motor transport columns in the vicinity of Bakhmach, Konotop, Ovruch and Chernigov during Aug and Sep as the battered remnants of the Red Army withdrew East. No aircraft combat losses were reported during these two months of action, although there were several take off and landing accidents. From 23-27 Sep night raids were flown on Moscow. Meanwhile, 1.Staffel (Lufttorpedo) had been detached from the rest of the Gruppe and sent to Buzău/Romania for operations under Luftflotte 4 against Soviet Black Sea shipping off Odessa and around Crimea. (T-312 roll 1144¹; Ultra; LRs; Karlsruhe Collection; A.I.).
Oct – Nov 41: transferred from Bobruisk to Seshchinskaya on 10 Oct and flew attacks on marshalling yards and rail junctions at Kursk and Orel during early Oct. Night raids were flown on Moscow 12 and 28 Oct without loss. Night raids on Kashira/SSE of Moscow on 21 and 29 Nov each cost I./KG 28 one plane. Poor flying weather reduced operations during much of Nov. (Ultra; T-312 microfilms; Karlsruhe Collection; A.I.; LRs).

¹ Source NARA T-312 roll 1144 is the IV. Fliegerkorps Tagesmeldung that includes the torpedoing of the Armeniya.

L.