Versenkung durch brit. Kriegsschiff

[TW]

Am 17. Dezember 1940 wurden das ital. Motorschiff "Galata" und sein Escort "Vincenzino" (V.43) bei Bardia von einem britischen Kriegsschiff versenkt. Trotz meiner Bemühungen, im Admiralty War Diary oder in Naval-History.net Aufklärung zu finden, bin ich nicht fündig geworden. Kann Jemand helfen?
Ich wünsche noch einen erholsamen Sonntag 

[Sprotte]

World War II: The coaster was shelled and sunk at Bardia, Libya by HMS Ladybird, HMS Terror (both  Royal Navy), HMAS Voyager and HMAS Vendetta (both  Royal Australian Navy).

https://www.naval-history.net/xDKWW2-4012-25DEC02.htm

[BE Corijn]

According to the Italian Official History (USMM / Ufficio Storico della Marina Militare, publication), the naval schooner V 13 / Giuseppina D. (431 GRT, built 1920) was also sunk at Bardia on that day.


Kind regards,
Brian Corijn

[cam]

Trotz meiner Bemühungen, im Admiralty War Diary oder in Naval-History.net Aufklärung zu finden, bin ich nicht fündig geworden.

Tuesday,  17 December
Monitor TERROR and gunboat LADYBIRD, escorted by Australian destroyers VOYAGER and VENDETTA bombarded Bardia.

Italian steamers GALATA (618grt), GIUSEPPINA D. (431grt), VINCENZINO (190grt) were sunk in the bombardment.
https://www.naval-history.net/xDKWW2-4012-25DEC02.htm

Operational Summary No.191 up to 1200/18.
1. Egypt. Night 16-17/12. 7 Blenheims
bombed Bardia starting several small fires
on the outskirts and destroying 2 A.A.
gun posts. 1 Blenheim bombed Derna
aerodrome. Day 17/12. 14 Blenheims bomba
Bardia. Hurricanes continued to harry
retreating enemy columns on road near
Tobruk making low-flying machine-gun
attacks and inflicting heavy personnel
casualties and damage to M.T. Hurricanes
shot down 1 CR.42 and 1 Macchi 200 confirmed
and probably destroyed 1 CR.42 and 1 Macchi
200. Reconnaissance of coast from Derna to
Bardia and of Bardia area. G.H.Q.M.E.
report our troops entered Bardia on 17/12
but situation is still obscure.
(E.Q. S.A.F. M.S. 1321/18).

https://sccd.royalnavy.mod.uk/-/media/rnweb/locations-and-operations/navy-historical-branch/pdfs/1940/war_diary_naval_1940_12---day-16---day-31.pdf?rev=4f0da80184534f488b5f85f7edde8b9b s.95

Die britische Luftfahrt geht nicht davon aus, dass dies der Fall ist.

Off the coast of Libya, naval
units and supporting units have been
working in coOoperation with the Army
and R.A.F. Solium was bombarded as
necessary to assist the army in its
capture and similar support is now
being given against Bardia. On 17/12
a  close range attack was made inside
Bardia Harbour during  which 3 small ships were left sinking.
(CinC Med 1232/19 Adnty)
https://sccd.royalnavy.mod.uk/-/media/rnweb/locations-and-operations/navy-historical-branch/pdfs/1940/war_diary_naval_1940_12---day-16---day-31.pdf?rev=4f0da80184534f488b5f85f7edde8b9b s.132

[cam]

On the night of 16/17 December the Aphis crept stealthily along the coast towards Bardia. By 06:30 she had reached the harbour entrance undetected and glided inside. Within, she found three supply ships at anchor, using just six rounds of 6-inch to reduce them to blazing wrecks. During the next hour Campbell's main armament fired a further 100 rounds, turning a fuel depot into an enormous fireball and engaging every likely target within sight. Each time the guns fired, the cliffs sent back a quadruple echo, so that the cumulative noise level was deafening. Out at sea, those aboard the watching Terror could also see dense black smoke clouds boiling up out of the enclosed harbour.
https://warhistory.org/article/inshore-squadron-i
Dies ist eine kurze Beschreibung des Angriffs auf italienische Schiffe im Reedegebiet von Bardia in der Nacht vom 16. auf den 17. Dezember 1940.

Accordingly H.M.S. Terror, having replenished after bombarding Maktila, began on the 14th to engage targets systematically in the defended area of Bardia, and continued to do so for the next three days. On one night she was unsuccessfully attacked by a M.T.B., and by torpedo-bombers on another. At dawn on the 17th she supported an impertinent adventure by the Aphis, which entered Bardia harbour and remained inside for an hour while she engaged targets at point blank range. The Terror remarked that the volumes of black smoke rolling out of the harbour entrance indicated that the Aphis 'was having a good time'.1 An attempt to repeat the exploit next day found the Italians on the alert, and the gunboat was pursued along the coast with fire from mobile artillery, her withdrawal being covered by the Terror.
https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK/UK-Med-I/UK-Med-I-15.html

[Jan-Olof]

Hello Thomas and Brian,

found this on the web:

GIUSEPPINA D.: motor-sail boat (ship-schooner) - cargo -431 tsl

Constructed in 1920. Pertaining to the shipowner Alfredo dell'Acqua of Genoa. Enrolled in the
Naval district of Genoa, matriculation n. 906.

Requisitioned by the Royal Navy from 11 June to 17 December 1940 and, for the same period,
enrolled, with acronym V. 13, in the role of the auxiliary ship of the State, and destined to the service of
outer vigilance.

Sunk, with the gun, from enemy surface ships, at 06:45 hours, of 17 December 1940, in the bay of
Port Bardia (to the east of Tobruk).

Quelle/Source: https://archive.org/stream/usmm-9-traffic-with-albiania-greece-the-aegean/USMM3_Merchent%20%20Ships%20Lost_djvu.txt

Best regards,

Jan-Olof

[TW]

It does not seem quite clear whether Ladybird, Terror, or Aphis were responsible for the loss of the three ships.
Well, I agree that R.A.F. obviously did not claim the success.
Thanks a lot, guys, for all your contributions.
Best regards, Thomas

[Jan-Olof]

Hallo Thomas,

I was hoping to find something here

https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5460.html  Terror
https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/13117.html  Aphis
https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/13112.html  Ladybird

Perhaps Brian has something hidden somewhere that has not yet been made available.

MfG Jan-Olof

[Darius]

Hallo zusammen,

bin gerade die Tage nicht zu Hause. Ich meine aber, dass in den austral. Archiven es zu diesen Einsätzen evtl. etwas geben könnte.



Darius

[cam]

Möglicherweise, obwohl australische Zerstörer nicht als Teilnehmer des Angriffs am Morgen des 17. Dezembers aufgeführt werden.

[Darius]

Hallo zusammen,

leider keine weiteren Details in den australischen Unterlagen aus NAA + AWM:
Daily Operational Narratives 1939-1954, Band 15.06.1940-31.12.1940, Eintrag 22.12.1940:

H.M.S. APHIS: Entered the inner harbour at Bardia 17th December under heavy machine gun fire and sank 3 small ships.

HMSO Battle Summary No. 52 - The Tobruk Run:

From the 14th to the 18th the Terror and Aphis were continually in action, bombarding Bardia or Sollum. The 17th might be described as their field day. At dawn the Aphis penetrated
right into Bardia harbour and at a range of 600 yards set three ships on fire with six rounds of her 6-inch guns. During the next hour she engaged various targets at point blank range. Although under heavy rifle, Breda and machine gunfire she suffered no casualties and sustained no serious damage. The
Terror lay outside the harbour, and reported that " volumes of black smoke continued to roll out of the entrance, indicating that the Aphis was having a good time ". She engaged batteries seen to be firing at the Aphis, closing to 9,000 yards.

Darius

[cam]

Hallo Martin,
unter diesem Link findest du ein Foto mit dieser Bildunterschrift

https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK/UK-Med-I/UK-Med-I-15.html

Photo 17.  View of Bardia harbour showing the damage done
by H.M.S. Aphis on 17th December 1940.

[BE Corijn]

Hallo Thomas,

I was hoping to find something here

https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5460.html  Terror
https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/13117.html  Aphis
https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/13112.html  Ladybird

Perhaps Brian has something hidden somewhere that has not yet been made available.

MfG Jan-Olof

Hi all,

I have quite a lot of data available that is not the problem. I just don't have the time to go through it all and add it to the site.

As a matter of fact, I am writing this from London. I have just completed my second 10-day trip to the National Archives of this year and will go back home tomorrow (Sunday 26th April). In this trip I have shot 78000 to 79000 photographs to add to my collection. Main focus this trip had been convoy files from the ADM 237 series but I have also photographed some other material. This is all for future use (I hope) as the my main focus is currently revising the Allied submarine operations in the Mediterranean, this with the invaluable assistance of Platon Alexiades and his knowledge of operations by the Italians.

Two more trips are planned in late May / early June and the last two weeks of July. Main focus will be to complete photographing the entire ADM 237 series (as well as some other files).

Photographing the data is one thing, but to go through all of it and add the useful info to uboat.net is another story. Unfortunately there are only 24 hours in a day and the more data I have available the longer it takes to check all the sources.

If some of you have some time at hand and would like to add content to the site by using my data, I am more than willing to share the data I have gathered so far.


Kind regards,
Brian

[TW]

Thank you very much, Brian.
Have a good return journey back home.