I./StG1 and HMS Latona 25-10-41

[AndreasB]

Thanks to Andy Mitchell for providing this very interesting document that once more shows the difficulty in identifying ships from the air.

https://crusaderproject.wordpress.co...a-25-oct-1941/

All the best

Andreas

[Andy Mitchell]

Andreas,

many thanks for the credit - hope that the files will be of further use.

Here is something extra from H. M. SHIPS DAMAGED OR SUNK BY ENEMY ACTION 3rd. SEPT. 1939 to 2nd. SEPT. 1945

M I S C E L L A N E O U S S H I P S - 1941
SHIP |DATE OF INCIDENT |NATURE OF ATTACK| TIME OUT OF ACTION |BRIEF ACCOUNT OF DAMAGE AND LESSONS LEARNED
LATONA
(Fast Minelayer] | 25th Oct, 1941 |(i) One Direct Hit 250 lbs, delay action fuzed Bomb. (ii) Torpedo fired by own forces| Sunk |LATONA was on passage to Tobruk at 26 knots when enemy aircraft attacked and one bomb passed through the port side and burst in the engine room. A serious fire broke out amongst the cargo of munitions and in the engine room. The firemain was cut and out of action, *Y’ gun and pom-pom were also out of action. A heavy explosion aft caused the fire to spread.
LATONA was abandoned and sunk by own forces.

[AndreasB]

Thanks Andy!

It's interesting they underestimated the size of the ordnance more than four-fold.

Some discrepancies there between the account in "Very Special Ships" and the official information.

I'll add this to the article.

All the best

Andreas

[James A Pratt III]

Note ship ID as well as plane ID were poor in WW II. Since the Latona was a new class of minelayer the Axis may not have had any info on the ship. So I would say some German aircrew looked at his ship ID book and found a picture or drawing of a County or London class cruiser which have 3 funnels and said this is what I attacked.

[AndreasB]

Originally Posted by James A Pratt III

Note ship ID as well as plane ID were poor in WW II. Since the Latona was a new class of minelayer the Axis may not have had any info on the ship. So I would say some German aircrew looked at his ship ID book and found a picture or drawing of a County or London class cruiser which have 3 funnels and said this is what I attacked.

Yes, that's my thinking as well. Followed by confirmation bias tripling her in size. It's not just the air crew, but also the U-Boat captain who struggled.

All the best

Andreas