Axis units making attacks on shipping in Med March - June 43

[Juha]

Hello
I have several questions after reading G.G. Connell’s Fighting Destroyer and Stephen Harper’s Capturing Enigma. Can anyone identify the attacking Axis unit/units?

At noon 17 March 43 6 Ju 87s with Bf 109 escort attacked a small convoy from Tripoli to Malta, the escorting DDs claimed 2 Ju 87s and the 3rd was shot down by the Beuafighters which arrived to help the convoy. 2 merchantmen were lightly damaged by near misses.

At dusk 24 April 43 a plane, either, Ju 88, Bf 109 or Savoia, surprised and strafed HMS Petard and decimated its Y gun crew and part of its ammo supply party (4KIA, 1 DOW, 10 WIA). Petard was with HMS Numibian and HMS Paladin on “Club run” from Malta against Axis shipping between Tunisia and Sicily.

In the evening of 5 June 43 the assembled shipping off Sfax was attacked by 11 Bf 109s, a hurried half-hearted attack causing little damage, but one of the Bfs was shot down.

Around 15 June 43 off Pantelleria 6 Ju 88s attacked HMS Petard, Paladin, a armed trawler and a large merchantman without result.

At 0600 on next day same place and target, attacking planes this time 8 Ju 87s. Now after part of Petard was near missed twice causing leaks and splinter holes in the ship’s side. Spitfires arriving from the direction of Cap Bon eventually saved the day. I’m also interested in the identity of the Spits. HMS Petard sailed to Bizerta for emergency repairs.

During the night 16/17 June 43 again seaworthy Petard was again twice near missed at Bizerta harbour, also Fleet Aux. Agatha was hit and caught fire.


I have checked
http://www.wlb-stuttgart.de/seekrieg
Alfred Price’s Bombers of the Luftwaffe Jan 1942-Sept 43, Kampfflieger Vol Three
Jochen Prien’s JG 53
Siegfried Radtke’s Kampfgeschw. 54
Peter C. Smith’s Junkers Ju 87 STUKA
Harold Thiele’s Luftwaffe Aerial Torpedo A/c and Operations in WWII
Weal’s Junkers Ju 87 Stukageschw. of North Africa and the Med. (Osprey Combat A/c 6)

I also have a copy of MajGen I.S.O. Playfair et al The Mediterranean and Middle East Vol IV History of the SWW. UK Milit Series but have not have enough time to check it properly.

TIA
Juha

[Jim P.]

I have no reported Stuka losses for 17-Mar. The only losses I have that may possibly be related to your dates are 2 109 losses from 5-Jun.

Bf 109G-6/trop, 16454, n.n., , II., 5., JG 27, , , DS+SQ, , 05-Jun-43, Crashed due to engine trouble., , Lfl.2/Mittelmeer, Gen.Qu.6.Abt. (mfm #10)-Vol.18; Prien, et al, Die Jagdfliegerverbände, XI.1, p.216; Prien/Rodeike/Stemmer, II./JG 27, p.534, , ostwärts Sciacca, 100%, F, , ,
Bf 109G-6, 16572, Landt, Uffz. Günther, 23, III., 8., JG 53, schwarzes, 9 + |, KT+ET, , 05-Jun-43, Injured in FSA due to engine trouble., 3-Jun-43 per loss. Engine damage per Prien, et al., Lfl.2/Mittelmeer, Gen.Qu.6.Abt. (mfm #10)-Vol.18; Prien, et al, Die Jagdfliegerverbände, XI.2, p.277; Prien, JG 53, II, p.926, , 20km südlich Sciacca, 100%, F, , ,

[Juha]

Thanks a lot, Jim!
Landt’s loss seemed to have been a genuine mechanical failure without enemy contact but I was not aware of the JG 27 loss before.

BTW Connell’s dates are sometimes a day or two off, any suitable Ju 87 losses on the couple days before or after 17-Mar, of course they could also have been Italian Stukas.

Thankfully
Juha

[Andrew Arthy]

Hi Juha,

From the book Focke-Wulf Fw 190 in the Battle for Sicily by Morten Jessen and myself:

16 June 1943
Seven Fw 190s of III./SKG 10 took off at dawn under Lt. Bruno Schäfer for an armed reconnaissance mission in the area between Cap Licata and Pantelleria, searching for enemy gunboats. Pantelleria harbour was the secondary target. Despite haze at low-altitude, the pilots spotted a cargo ship and a destroyer north of Pantelleria. This was the British destroyer HMS Petard, which was escorting merchant ships with food and supplies into the harbour. The Fw 190s carried out their attack at 05:55, and HMS Petard was badly damaged by near misses, but the crew controlled the flooding, and the destroyer later made it to Bizerta for much-needed repairs. The attack was witnessed by six patrolling Spitfires of the 309th FS/31st FG, but they failed to engage the Fw 190s due to the haze.


There was no evening attack by FW 190s on 5 June 1943, but there was one on the evening of 6 June.

Cheers,
Andrew A.

Air War Publications - www.airwarpublications.com

[Juha]

Hello Andrew
and thanks a lot!
I had already begun to think that it was possible that Connell’s Stukas on 16 June were in fact 190s, because of according to Prien’s JG 53, II. and III:/JG 53 escorted after 11 June many fighter bomber formations to Pantelleria but no dive-bomber formations, even if it sounds odd that one could confuse 190 and Ju 87. Also it is entirelly possible that Connell’s date 5 June is one off and it was much easier to confuse 109 and 190 than Ju 87 and 190.

BTW I liked much Your 190 in NA so probably I'll acquire a copy of Your new 190 in the BfS book.

Thankfully
Juha

[Andrew Arthy]

Hi Juha,

Glad to help, and I hope you enjoy our new book.


Cheers,
Andrew A.

Air War Publications - www.airwarpublications.com