Pantelleria: Luftwaffe angriff 15/6/1942

Enrico Cernuschi · 18 November 2009, 08:01:54

Good morning Gentlemen,

I'm looking for any info (first of all times) of the Luftwaffe bomber attacks in the Narrows on 15 June 1942 against the British convoy and its escort bound from Gibraltar to Malta.

Thank you

EC

TD · 18 November 2009, 09:31:43

Hallo Enrico,

unten habe ich einmal alle gemeldeten Verluste und Beschädigungen im Mittelmeer an diesen Tag aufgeführt.

Sicher ist die eine oder andere Angabe inzwischen veraltet, aber so hat man etliche Namen als Ausgangspunkt für weitere Ermittelungen.

Gruß

Theo

15. 6. 42

B DE Airedale 42 1050 + D/Ju 87 StG 3 33.50 N 24.00 E B
B CL Arethusa 5250 = D/Ju 87 no Malta B
B CL Birmingham 9100 = D/Ju 87 no Malta B
B AZ Centurion 25500 = D/Ju 88 400 o. Malta B
B CM Manxman 2650 = D/Ju 87 no Malta B
au DD Nestor 41 1760 + D/Ju 87 33.46 N 24.30 E B
B DD Antelope 1360 = I/CL Montecuccoli,Savoia v. Pantelleria A
B DD Bedouin 39 1870 + I/CL Savoia etc 36.12 N 11.37 E A,T
B da Burdwan 28 6069 + I/DD Ascari, Ju 87 35 s. Pantelleria B,A
A ma Chant 38 5601 + D/Ju 87 36.25 N 11.40 E B
B PM Hebe 830 = I/CL Savoia etc v. Pantelleria A
A dt Kentucki 41 9308 + I/DD Oriani, Ju 87 36.37 N 12.10 E B,T,A
B DD Partridge 1540 = I/CL Savoia etc v. Pantelleria A

15. 6. 42

I CH Trento 29 10500 + B/SS Umbra 36.10 N 18.40 E T
I BB Littorio 41300 = B/Fl n. Pantelleria T
J

Enrico Cernuschi · 18 November 2009, 12:40:12

Hello Theo,

thank you for such a swift answer.

What I'm looking for are the times of the German Air Force attacks only against the western Convoy.

According your datas the ones against Welsham (not Manxman)
Burdwan, Chant, kentucky and, on the 15 June afternoon, Partridge.

That action was a confused one and the ability to discover the timing of the Lufwaffe attacks would help greatly to havem at elast, a correct full picture. Any other detail (the Geshwader and Gruppe of those Ju 87), the place ect. would be very helpful indeed.

By the way I'm yet able to suggest a correction at that record:

Antelope was not hit by the Italian cruisers, but by FIAT CR 42 dive bombing on 15 June 1942.

With a renewed Danke Shoen

EC

t-geronimo · 18 November 2009, 14:22:57

According to Hümmelchen, "Seekriegsatlas Mittelmeer & Schwarzes Meer, 1940-43" at 7.05 eight Ju87 attacked the convoy at approximately 36°30'N 11°25'E which is southwest of Pantelleria. During this time the convoy was almost without AA protection because of the surface action.
Chant was sunk and Kentucky damaged (the latter scuttled at about 11.45).

At 10.20 another air attack commenced (number and types of aircraft not given) during which Burdwan was heavily damaged (and also scuttled at 11.45).

All Ju 87 came from Stukageschwader 3.

According to Richard Woodman, "Malta Convoys", another dive bombing attack by a dozen planes took place at 13.15 without result. One plane was shot down by AA fire and two by Spitfires from Malta.
Hümmelchen does not mention this attack.
Woodman says that two of the aircraft attacking at 10.20 were downed, one by gunfire and one by Spitfires.

Bedouin was torpedoed and sunk at 14.25 by a SM 79 which was shot down by the destroyer.

Woodman the writes that Da Zara in the confusion around the surface action with the destroyers Partridge and Bedouin came under air attack by german bombers.
According to him two more air attacks on the remnants of the convoy came in the afternoon (without further details) and two more at 19.10 (12 bombers) and 20.40. The last two were driven off by AA fire and Spitfires and are also mentioned by Hümmelchen.

Sorry for not having more details as I guess you already have them.

crolick · 18 November 2009, 15:47:41

1/ First wave of 7 Ju.88 (KG 54/I.) at 07.10 - 1 Ju.88 downed by Troilus
2/ Second wave of 2 SM.79 (279ª Sq.) at 10.30 - 1 SM.79 downed by Beduin
3/ Third wave of 9 SM.79 (? Sq.) and 11 Ju.88 (KG 54/I.) at 11.20 - 2 SM.79 downed by Spitfires
4/ Fourth wave of 10 Ju.87R (102° Gruppo) at 13.15 - 2 Ju.87R downed by Spitfires
5/ Fifth wave of 8 Ju.88 (Kü.Fl.Gr. 606) at 19.10
6/ Sixth wave of 11 Ju.88 (Kü.Fl.Gr. 606) at 20.40

This is all I known. I'm deeply interested in any AA claims and confirmed losses from Italian and German side.
I'm also looking for losses of Axis bombers from 14 VI 1942 on the same convoy.

Andrzej

Enrico Cernuschi · 18 November 2009, 20:17:45

Hello Gentlemen,

as you can see there are some very different versions.

The first and most important air attack was made by Ju 87s of the Stukageshwader 3 or by Ju 88s of the KG 54?

hummelchen used the British Admiralty hour (7.05) published in The RN and the Mediterranean Convoys, 1957, but the original documents at the PRO give a different hour.

The German datas become, so decisive. Is there any German source which could resolve these doubts?

Sincerely

EC

PS For Crolick. I'm going to write you withinn the next Friday both the claimes aircrafts shot down by the British from the documents of the time for 14 and 15 June 1942 and the real numbers about the Regia Aeronautica. Unfortunatly I have not got the Luftawwe infos about these actions (and, as a matter of fact, I'm just looking for them)

Enrico Cernuschi · 18 November 2009, 21:01:47

Hello Crolick,

a further detail. The time you indicated in your e mail is the one of the leaving of the aircrafts from their bases or the hour of the attack at the British ships?
For example the 2 SM 79 leaved at h 10.30 and attacked the Bedouin at about h 14.15.

Greetings

EC

crolick · 19 November 2009, 01:47:23

Enrico,

the hours are given after report by cpt C.C. Hardy (Senior Officer of X Force).
BTW. I made a mistake. It should be 10.40 and not 10.30 in 2/

Andrzej

Enrico Cernuschi · 19 November 2009, 07:10:54

Thank you Crolick,

this explain the difference. Captain Hardy's report (the one which was published by the London Gazette on 11 Aug 1948 I presume) is fiction once you have got the chance to study his proceedings.

What's really necessary are the German records of that day.

EC

Kuestenjaeger · 19 November 2009, 11:02:51

I found many informations in the second book "Die Geschichte des Lehrgeschwaders 1" from Peter Taghorn.
Only for 15.06.1942:

against "Vigorous" convoy

all units from 1.group LG (Hptm.Helbig) from 15:46 -17:54

Helbig fly with the "own" plane ( L1+AM ) ,later he fly with a other Ju88 ( L1+NH)

second raid from 18:19 - 21:16 ,then landing all Ju88 in Derna,later in Catania

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

II.LG 1 (Hptm. Kollewe)

against the "Harpoon" convoy

Kollewe hit 11 o'clock a merchant vessel southern Pantelleria

12.Staffel (squadron) fly from 04:41 - 09:02 from Derna to Catania,prepared for the raid against "Harpoon" convoy

search over 4 hours for the convoy

start again 12:38 under Hptm. Heinrich Boecker search near Linosa and Pantelleria,no convoy found,are the italian AA guns shot against the german bombers

last start on 19:20 and 21:30 fly to southeast Lampedusa

"meet" western Gozo 4 Kittyhawks (250.Squadron)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

i translate in my words,hope you can read this,Enrico!

You have more questions,send me a pm...

Enrico Cernuschi · 19 November 2009, 14:03:02

Hello Kuestenjaeger,

your infos are precious ones.

Now the terms of the matter are the following ones:

The German air attacks made on 15 June 1942 against the covoy from Gibraltar to Malta were:

- about h 7.00 AM by Ju 87 of the STUG 3
( Questions: a) Is this raid confirmed by any German source beyond Hummelchen who actually used the London Gazette ?
b) Were instead Ju 88 of the KG 54/I ? Any german source again?

- about h 11.00 by Ju 88 of the KG 54/I or II/LG. I (according the last info it would be the KG 54/I was not present that day over Pantelleria is.)

- about h 7.00 PM Ju 88 by Kü.Fl.Gr. 606 (any german sources?)

- about 08.40 PM Ju.88 by Kü.Fl.Gr. 606 (idem)

I think we are near the solution of this mistery, Gentlemen, and I can grant you, after this last answer, an indedit piece of news.

Greetings

EC

Enrico Cernuschi · 19 November 2009, 19:53:53

According the "Storia Militare" magazine, Oct. 1996, the German air attack at about 7.00 AM 15 June 1942 off Pantellaria could have been made by some Ju 88 (and so no Ju 87) of the I/KG 54.

May this piece of news be useful?

Greetings

EC

t-geronimo · 19 November 2009, 20:39:38

Woodman also mentions that the first attack was made by Ju 88, not Ju 87.
But he gives no unit.

I don't have the book here with me so until tomorrow I can't check which sources he used.

crolick · 19 November 2009, 21:50:06

Malta - The Spitfires years claimes:
11 Ju.88 I./KG.54 at 11.20
9 Ju.88 Kü.Fl.Gr. 606 at 18.00

Why Hardy's report is fiction?

BTW. It should be Sturzkampfgeschwader 3 (or StG 3)

Andrzej

Enrico Cernuschi · 19 November 2009, 21:51:14

Hi Geronimo,

I believe that the British invented the Ju 87 as they were not even aware of what hit them.
If this path is right the Hummelchen datas are based on the London Gazette report and not on the German proceedings and the Stug 3 was quoted as it was the only Ju 87 unit in the med. in June 1942 (actually it was in North Africa). i.e. we would be in front of a typical mix of wrong datas which gains with the past of times the colour of truth.

If you would translate in German this last statement maybe some other member of the forum could add his suggestions.

Waiting for your further infos from Woodman (what book please?)

Greetings

EC