KG30 sunk HMS Trinidad 14/5/42

[BrianC]

Hi guys

Apparently one specific Ju88 was responsible for the sinking of HMS Trinidad on 14 May 1942.

Do we know the identity of the pilot/crew?

Were any aircraft lost during this action?

Cheers
Brian

[Buckeye30]

Hi Brian. Not sure if you know that TRINIDAD was sunk by the destroyer HMS Matchless after the major damage was done by her own torpedo? The bomb added to it.
Nick

[igorrB]

HMS TRINIDAD was temporarily repaired after self-torpedoing and can make 20 knots. At 21.46-22.46 Berlin time 23 Ju.88 attacked cruiser and escorting destroyers. 20 planes didn't see any results because clouds. Only 3 machines see their results: two claims hits on destroyers at 22.14 and 22.16, and only one at 22.41 hit with 2 SC 250 or 500 in central part of cruiser. Looks like they started heavy fires which lead to abandondment of ship at 02.00 (?) 15.5.42. Burned and abandoned ship was finished by HMS MATCHLESS.
Alas code of Ju.88 and names of crew not known to me. There was no losses among germans.
There was also attack of 6 He.111 from 2./KG 26 (+one plane returned). Noone claims hits for sure, but have no losses.

[Laurent Rizzotti]

This is what is written in the British Admiralty War Diaries (available on fold3 in the WWII War Diaries section) for 14 May 1942:

"Trinidad was reported by enemy aircraft at 1750 today. In the evening she was attacked by dive bombers and torpedo bombers and was hit by a bomb in approx. 73° 37' N 23° 25' E and at 2327B reported that she was stopped and set badly on fire."
https://www.fold3.com/image/1/301330313

More details some pages later:
"Have been hit by a bomb. My P.C.S. at 2255, 73° 37' N. 23° 25' same.
(TRINIDAD 2254B/14)
TRINIDAD hit by bomb in 073° 37'?, 023° 27' E.
(Capt.D.6. 2255B/14 to Admty, C.S.10, C. in C.H.F.)"
https://www.fold3.com/image/1/301330327
(then followed the message of 2327B reported above)

This seems to confirm that the Trinidad was hit by the latter attack, as it reported the bomb hit 14 minutes later, while the two claims against destroyers were done 30 minutes earlier. By the way, the latter were in error, as no other ship than Trinidad was hit in the action.

In the translated War Diary of the German Naval Staff Operations Division for May 1942, the sunk cruiser is identified as an US Pensacola-class one, with the following remark:
"This sinking is all the more gratifying since it involved an American cruiser; this is the first engagement of an American cruiser with German forces in European waters, and the outcome was a bitter lesson for the U.S."

As for identifying the crew who scored the fatal hit, maybe you can check the awards of the Knights Cross to KG 30 crews in the next months.

[BrianC]

Hi guys

Thanks a million!

I should have rephrased my enquiry!

Cheers
Brian

[andrus]

Luftflotte 5 Abendmeldung with three Nachmeldungen: http://wwii.germandocsinrussia.org/d...inspect/zoom/5

[Dan History]

Andrus,

Thank you for the link to this document!

Regards,

Dan

[BrianC]

Most interesting

But I don't see pilot/crew identity.

Cheers
Brian

[BrianC]

Most interesting

But I don't see pilot/crew identification

Cheers
Brian

[igorrB]

I use this docs when i write my post. This report never says pilot's/crew's name. I'm afraid that specific name was lost forever.