B-24 missions on August 21, 1942.

[sergey]

21 agosto 1942
La nave viene attaccata da 16 bombardieri Consolidated B-24 Liberator, dieci dei quali dell’USAAF, ma non riporta alcun danno. L’attacco è stato determinato da intercettazioni di “ULTRA”, che il 19 hanno permesso ai comandi britannici di apprendere della prevista partenza della nave, il 21 dell’avvenuta partenza ed il 22 della scorta aerea assegnata alla cisterna.
https://conlapelleappesaaunchiodo.bl...Alberto+Fassio
The table in the History of the Italian Navy, Convoys to North Africa, Part 2, refers not to the 80th MZ flotilla, but to eight MZ self-propelled landing craft (in fact, there were six). I am in contact with Lorenzo, and the information comes from him.

[AndreasB]

Actually 7 MZ according to the KTB Admiral Aegean, the 80 is likely an error in the machine-translated copy of La Difesa I am using while not in Italy. MZ 741, 745, 747, 756, 739, 757 and 759.



As you will have seen in the Italian OH the only reference to an attack is from the Sportivo convoy. I have an inquiry out with someone who may know more, but won't know for a few more days. The log of Turbine hasn't survived it seems.

The war diary of Comando Supremo states however that it was the Fassio convoy that was attacked 'repeatedly without results, late 22 August and early morning 23 August'.

All the best

Andreas

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Laurent Rizzotti

The lack of details in Italian documents is a pity, because I would like to know if there were two attacks one hour apart or if there was only one, Allied units using two different time zones.

If you don't know them already, Italian naval ULTRA messages for 12–27 August are in DEFE 3/848 which you can download from the National Archives.

[sergey]

Originally Posted by AndreasB

The war diary of Comando Supremo states however that it was the Fassio convoy that was attacked 'repeatedly without results, late 22 August and early morning 23 August'.

These are Wellingtons of 38 Squadron RAF attacking.

[AndreasB]

Originally Posted by Nick Beale

If you don't know them already, Italian naval ULTRA messages for 12–27 August are in DEFE 3/848 which you can download from the National Archives.

Brilliant, thanks a lot.

Unfortunately just confusing the matter further, as it first states that Lince was sailing with Stige and Bianchi, and a later message then states that Lince left with Sportivo, and another later message that Turbine arrived in Athens with some defects.



All the best

Andreas

[AndreasB]

Okay, I now have some decent information from Enrico, based on the war diaries of Comando Supremo and Supermarina.

COMANDO SUPREMO
21 Aug 42 Samsonetti communicates that he has given orders to refuel Sportivo and Bianchi.

Fassio convoy leaves Piraeus, followed by Pugliola which is sailing alone.

Fassio was attacked from the air on 22 Aug, afternoon and late evening, and during the night 22 and 23 August.

23 Aug 42 06.15 hours convoy Sportivo, Bianchi and Stige reaches Piraeus.
23 Aug 42 Fassio arrives at Tobruk unscathed.

SUPERMARINA
20 Aug 42 09.20 hours Pugliola leaves Piraeus. Arrives Tobruk23 Aug 42 11.45 hours escorted by Ct Pigafetta and da Verrazano and the Tp Procione.
21 Aug 42 Tanker A. Fassio leaves Suda 21 August at 14.30 hours arrives Tobruk 23 August at 11.45 hours, together with the 8th Group of Motozattere (8 units Marinefährprähme - F-Lighters) [my note: there were only seven registered as arriving in Tobruk] Escort: Tp Lupo.
21 Aug 42 [my note: this is a date error and should be 20 August] Convoy Sportivo, Bianchi, Stige escorted by Ct Turbine and Tp Lince leaves Tobruk between 18.20 hours and 19.20 hours direct to Piraeus. Attacked by aircraft at 03.40 hours 21 August without results [my note: this would have been while off Tobruk]. 21 Aug 12.50 hours 12.50 hours Turbine and Lince chase a submarine contact following notification from an escorting plane.
23 Aug 42 06.15 hours convoy arrives at Piraeus, during the last stretch also escorted by MS 41.

Still some confusion.

1) The heavy escort noted for Pugliola and the identical time of arrival at 11.45 hours at Tobruk would indicate to me that her and the Fassio convoy were basically travelling together at least on the last stretch.
2) There seem to be at least four separate air attacks, three on Fassio and one on the Sportivo convoy. Noting the time difference these would have been 22/23 August mid-afternoon/mid-evening/night (Fassio) and 21 August 02.40 hours (Sportivo)
3) Sportivo convoy's stop in Crete is not mentioned.

MS 41 was an Italian boat, but based on a German design (explaining the labelling as 'Tedesco'), S-2, based on which Germany built eight boats for the Kingdom of Yugoslavia which were captured, taken into the Regia Marina in 1941, and used as blueprint for the Regia Marina's MS design:

https://regiamarina.net/mas-vas-and-ms/

https://schnellbootnet.jimdofree.com...-s-boot-typen/

Hope this helps. I have alerted Lorenzo to this discussion.

All the best

Andreas

[Nick Beale]

I was more interested in German electronic jamming operations when I looked at this period but I do have a couple of relevant thngs, not that they seem to answer the questions:

ULTRA CX/MSS/1310/T17 says there will be a Lichtenstein operation on the night of 20/21 August, looking for submarines "in front of the route of Fassio".
CX/MSS/1313/T24 from Fl.Korps X at 1500 on the 21st orders continuous dawn-dusk escort of Fassio with 5 or 6 aircraft. Zerstörer are to he kept ready in case enemy reconnaissance spots the convoy. A note adds that Alberto Fassio was to leave Suda for Tobruk at 0200 on 21 August and join the Pigafetta convoy; Sportivo was to leave Tobruk for Piraeus provisionally at 1700/20th; Davide Bianchi and Stige were to be on passage from Tobruk to Piraeus on the 21st.
CX/MSS/1314/T14 says at 1900/21st that five Bf 110 had been scrambled to protect "one of own convoys" and had shot down two 4-engined American aircraft, "escort of 4 convoys in progress".
CX/MSS/1317/T12 that on 22 August "A Ju 88 escorting Fassio convoy attacked and forced away a British shadowing aircraft."
CX/MSS/1317/T27 says that at 1410 on the 22nd a Beaufort was chased away from the Fassio convoy by two escorting aircraft.

Nine Beauforts of 39 Squadron on 21 August attacked a convoy of 1 Tanker, 5 destroyers and a Flak ship 003º 12 miles off Patos. Claimed 3 hits on starboard side of tanker, "which was ;eft with steam comng from it, stationary." Aircraft "V" failed to return.
38 Squadron's Wellingtons on the night of 22/23 August: pilots differed over the convoy's ships, either 7 merchants and a large destroyer, or 5 destroyers and 5 F-lighters. Torpedoes and bombs dropped but direct hits claimed.

[AndreasB]

Thanks Nick.

T17: Hermes reports exchanging recognition signals with a high-flying aircraft on the 20th, and this was noted in comments on the log as being an ASV (term used by the Germans) aircraft securing the route to the east as Hermes brought in U-83.
T14: The four convoys seem really to just have to have been two convoys, with both the convoys north- and southbound merging.
39 Sqdn - would assume that the MZ were mistaken for destroyers.
38 Sqn - again confusion on what vessels they were attacking

All the best

Andreas