Aerial Torpedo Attack on Ajaccio Harbour.

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

Anyone know which force made an Aerial Torpedo Attack on Ajaccio Harbour, Corsica on the 30th September 1943 ?
Was it by Italian Forces, the Luftwaffe, RAF, RN, USAAF, USN, or Free French Forces ?

Thanks
Alex

[Larry deZeng]

Did you check here?

http://www.wlb-stuttgart.de/seekrieg/chronik.htm#Z

[dp_burke]

Alex, the island had been invaded by French forces earlier that month through this port, there is no doubt the attacking forces were luftwaffe.
A vessel sank was the LST79, there are plenty of online resources which should leave no doubt that it was a Luftwaffe attack.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1_Army_Corps_(France)

http://books.google.ie/books?id=Kk0T...Bw&redir_esc=y

[Larry deZeng]

From the web site above:

Ab dem 11.9. werden franz. Soldaten von Algier nach Ajaccio (Korsika) transportiert: am 11.-13.9. 109 Mann durch das franz. U-Boot Casabianca (FKpt. D´Herminier), am 13.-14.9. 500 Soldaten und 60 t Material durch die franz. Zerstörer Le Fantasque und Le Terrible (KKpt. Perzo), am 14.-16.9. 30 Soldaten und 7 t Material durch das U-Boot Perle, am 16.-17.9. 550 Mann und 60 t Material durch die Zerstörer Le Fantasque, Tempête und L´Alcyon, am 16.-18.9. 5 t Material durch das U-Boot Aréthuse, am 17.-18.9. 400 Mann eines US Kommandos sowie 20 t Material durch die ital. Zerstörer Legionario und Oriani, am 19.-21.9. 1200 Mann, 110 t Material, 6 Geschütze und 6 Fahrzeuge durch den Kreuzer Jeanne d´Arc und die Zerstörer Le Fantasque, Tempête und L´Alcyon, am 22.-23.9. 1500 Mann und 200 t Material durch den Kreuzer Montcalm und Zerstörer Le Fantasque, am 23.-25.9. 350 Soldaten, 100 t Material, 21 Geschütze und 30 Fahrzeuge durch die Zerstörer Le Fortuné, L´Alcyon, das Landungsschiff LST 79 sowie die Minensucher MMS 1 und MMS 116, am 25.9. 850 Mann und 160 t Material durch die Jeanne d´Arc, am 26.9. 750 Mann, 100 t Material, 12 Geschütze und 10 Fahrzeuge durch die Montcalm und den brit. Zerstörer Pathfinder, am 28.-30.9. 200 Mann, 4 Geschütze, 70 Fahrzeuge durch die Le Fortuné und LST 79 (beide bei dt. Luftangriff beschädigt, letzteres sinkt), am 30.9.-1.10. 700 Mann und 170 t Material durch die Jeanne d´Arc und L´Alcyon.

[Alex Smart]

Thank you both,
Thats just what I was looking for.
Also from the U-boat site LCT 2231 was lost, she was loaded aboard LST 79.
From the RN Casualties site 4 crew were lost and from the RAF Commands site it looks as though 5 possibly 7 airmen aboard LST-79 were also killed.
Alex

[Larry deZeng]

Ajaccio Harbor Bombing 30 September 1943
Prospects:
I./KG 54: bombed harbor on 12 October.
II./KG 54: same.
II./KG 100: BINGO!! “Two British landing craft were sunk in the Corsican harbor of Ajaccio during an attack by 11 planes on 30 September, 2 of which failed to return.” II./KG 100 was based at Istres at the time.

Source:
de Zeng, Henry L. IV and Douglas G. Stankey. Bomber Units of the Luftwaffe 1933-1945: A Reference Source. Volume 2. Hersham/Surrey: Ian Allan Publishing Ltd, March 2008. ISBN: (10) 1 903223 87 3. Hb. Dj. 204p. Profusely illustrated. Copious source notes. Color art work. Glossary/Abbreviations. Index.

[Alex Smart]

Thank you Larry, now will have to look for the two Luftwaffe losses .
Alex

[Nick Beale]

In "Kampfflieger Volume Four" (Classic Publications, 2005) I wrote:

"On 30 September, French Spitfires intercepted ten of KG 100’s Do 217s, 12 miles off Ajaccio, shooting down three. The survivors attacked the harbour from about 3,000 m and set on fire an LST (Landing Ship, Tank) which was a total loss as well as scoring a near miss on a French destroyer. The one relative success amongst these setbacks was the employment of 'a weapon whose novelty came as a surprise to the Allies', Fritz-X , whose successes against Allied warships are described in Kampfflieger Vol. 3. These attacks had all but ceased by the end of the month, however."

[Matti Salonen]

1943-09-30, 5./KG 100, Do 217E-5, 5605, 6N+AN, Hafen Ajaccio, Bordwaffenbeschuß. Bruch 100 %.
Flugzeugführer Uffz Bachmann, Ernst, verletzt
Beobachter Ogfr Doerper, Joachim, verletzt
Bordfunker Ogfr Werner, Kurt, verletzt
Bordschütze Ogfr Huß, Günther, verletzt
1943-09-30, 6./KG 100, Do 217E-4, 1169, 6N+KA, (Hafen Ajaccio), Unbekannt. Bruch 100 %.
Flugzeugführer Lt Baumert, Joachim, vermißt
Beobachter Uffz Bernheimer, Rudolf, vermißt
Funkbeobachter Lt Donat, Hagen, vermißt
Bordfunker Ogfr Wydra, Arno, vermißt
Bordschütze Uffz Bauer, Franz, vermißt
Donat von 7./Ln.-Rgt.Ob.d.L.
1943-09-30, 6./KG 100, Do 217E-5, 5667, 6N+MP, (Hafen Ajaccio), Unbekannt. Bruch 100 %.
Flugzeugführer Uffz Ruland, Rudolf, gefangen
Beobachter Olt Wolf, Friedrich, gefangen
Bordfunker Uffz Liegig, Wolfgang, gefangen
Bordschütze Uffz Kratz, Hugo,gefangen

Matti

[Larry deZeng]

Oblt. Hagen Donat from 7./Ln.-Rgt. Ob.d.L., who was aboard 6N+KA, was Führer of a special signals detachment responsible for observing and jamming enemy radar transmissions. No doubt this had to do with the Fritz-X weapons system.

[Source: ADI(K) interrogation report 272/45; Hoffmann, Karl-Otto - Ln., Band II/2, p.578.]