Subject: WWII-L Digest - 13 May 1993 to 14 May 1993

From: Automatic digest processor <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 15 May 1993 00:00:38 -0400

There are 5 messages totalling 390 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. USAAF 14 MAY 43 (2)
  2. LIBRARIES
  3. USAAF 15 MAY 43
  4. INFO: Italian Navy: Early 1942

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 14 May 1993 07:15:05 -0400
From:    [email-masked]
Subject: USAAF 14 MAY 43

COMBAT CHRONOLOGY OF THE US ARMY AIR FORCES
FRIDAY, 14 MAY 1943
FTP SITES
  1. ftp.rutgers.edu in directory pub/wwii/usaf
  2. byrd.mu.wvnet.edu (129.71.32.152) in pub/history/military/airforce/
     wwii_chronology

AIRCRAFT MENTIONED IN THIS REPORT:
  B-17, Boeing Flying Fortress
  B-24, Consolidated Liberator
  B-25, North American Mitchell
  B-26, Martin Marauder
  P-38, Lockheed Lightning
  P-40, Curtiss
  P-47, Republic Thunderbolt
  Wellington, Vickers (RAF)

AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eleventh Air Force)
  In the Aleutians, poor weather curtails bombings. The air-ground liaison
B-24 flies reconnaissance and photo reconnaissance over Attu throughout
the day. One B-24 carrying supplies for the ground forces hits a mountain
side 10 miles (16 km) W of the drop zone. Six B-24 s and 5 B-25's fly
ground support bombing missions over Attu. Two P-40's bomb Kiska through
the overcast.

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
  VIII Bomber Command Mission Number 56: A maximum force is put in the air
as part of a combined offensive against the Wehrmacht. 154 B-17's, 21 B-
24's and 12 B-26's are dispatched against 4 targets. The principal attack
is against submarine yards and naval installations at Kiel, Germany; 136
B-17's and 21 B-24's are dispatched with 126 B-17's and 17 B-24's hitting
the target at 1200-1203 hours local. We claim 62-24-27 Luftwaffe aircraft;
we lose 5 B-24's and 3 B-17's with 1 B-24 damaged beyond repair and 9
B-24's and 27 B-17's damaged. Casualties are 3 KIA, 17 WIA and 81 MIA. 42
B-17's are dispatched against the former Ford and General Motors plants at
Antwerp, Belgium; 38 hit the target at 1320 hours local; we claim 5-1-4
Luftwaffe aircraft; we lose 1 and 15 others and damaged; casualties are 3
WIA and 10 MIA; in the third raid, 39 B-17's are dispatched against
Courtrai Airfield, France; 34 hit the target; we claim 0-0-1 Luftwaffe
aircraft; we lose 2 B-17's and 10 others are damaged; casualties are 20
MIA. In the 4th raid, 12 B-26's are dispatched against the Velsen power
station at Ijmuiden, The Netherlands; 11 hit the target at 1100 hours; 1
B-26 is damaged beyond repair when it crashes upon returning to base and
9 others are damaged; casualties are 1 KIA and 7 MIA. This is first time
more than 200 US bombers are dispatched. The attack at Ijmuiden is made at
low level by the 322d Bombardment Group (Medium), the first US medium
bomber group to become operational in the UK.
  The Antwerp mission is escorted by 118 P-47's; they claim 4-6-11
Luftwaffe aircraft; we lose 3 P-47's and 1 is damaged; casualties are 3
MIA.
  A detachment of the 416th Night Fighter Squadron, VIII Fighter Command
is sent to Bristol, England for training with the RAF.
  The 417th Night Fighter Squadron, VIII Fighter Command transfers from
Ayr, Scotland to Cranfield, England. The squadron is training on
Beaufighters with the RAF and has detachments at Ayr, Uxbridge, Coltishall
and Bristol, England.

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force)
    P-40's fly sea patrol and escort for bombers.

  WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Northwest African Air Force)
    In Sardinia during the night of 13/14 May, Wellingtons hit Cagliari.
During the day, B-25's and P-38 escorts bomb the dock and town area of
Olbia claiming destruction of 3 vessels. B-26's hit Porto Ponte Romano.
    In Italy, B-17's bomb Civitavecchia.
    During the day, P-38's bomb tunnel, barracks, airfield, industry,
power station, and town areas at Sassari and Abbasanta, Italy; and Alghero
and Porto Torres, Sardinia.
    HQ 1st Air Defense Wing transfers from Casablanca, French Morocco to
Sousse, Tunisia. The unit will be redesignated the 62d Fighter Wing in Jul
43.
    The 10th Troop Carrier Squadron, 60th Troop Carrier Group, with
C-47's, transfers from Relizane, Algeria to Thiersville, Algeria.
    The 14th Troop Carrier Squadron, 61st Troop Carrier Group, with
C-47's, arrives at Lourmel, Algeria from the US.
    The 95th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 17th Bombardment Group
(Medium), with B-26's, transfers from Telergma, Algeria to Sedrata,
Algeria.
    The 347th Fighter Squadron, 350th Fighter Group, with P-39's,
transfers from Le Sers, Tunisia to Djidjelli, Algeria.

SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Thirteenth Air Force)
  In the Solomons, single B-24's fly early evening snooper strikes against
airfields at Kahili, Ballale, and Munda. During the night of 14/15 May,
B-17's on a snooper mission bomb Kahili

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force)
  In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-25's administer a thorough pounding to the
airfield and surrounding area at Gasmata while B-24's and B-17's pound
Rabaul Airfield.
  In Timor, B-25's bomb Penfoei Airfield and the Dili area.
  Single heavy bombers hit various targets in NE New Guinea, New Britain
and the Netherlands East Indies.
  The 475th Fighter Group and it's 431st, 432d and 433d Fighter Squadrons
are activated at Charters Towers, Queensland, Australia. The unit will be
equipped with P-38F and H aircraft and will enter combat in Aug 43.

SOURCES:
AIR FORCE COMBAT UNITS OF WORLD WAR II, Office of Air Force History,
  Headquarters USAF, 1961, ISBN 0-912799-02-1
COMBAT SQUADRONS OF THE AIR FORCE, WORLD WAR II, Office of Air Force
  History, Headquarters USAF 1982
THE ARMY AIR FORCES IN WORLD WAR II: COMBAT CHRONOLOGY, 1941-1945 by the
  Office of Air Force History, Headquarters USAF, 1973
THE MIGHTY EIGHTH WAR DIARY by Roger A. Freeman, ISBN 1-85409-071-2

Jack McKillop
USAF (Airways and Air Communications Service)
1955-59

----------------------------------------------------------------------
|  Jack McKillop      |  Those who have long enjoyed such privileges |
|  Bellcore           |  as we enjoy forget in time that men have    |
|  Piscataway, NJ     |  died to win them.     FDR                   |
|  USA                |  [email-masked]                        |
----------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 14 May 1993 17:05:44 +0200
From:    JOHN AUSLAND <[email-masked]>
Subject: LIBRARIES

FOR BOB GRANVIN
Thanks for the suggestion that I hike the price of the book and use
QUALITY BOOKS.  I had thought of that and decided it would be improper
to have two prices.  Also, to break even I would have to charge $40
and to make a modest profit $50, after QUALITY had taken its %55
cut.

FOR CARL THURMAN
Off hand, I do not know whether these Lies are related, and my
Norwegian encylopedia does not tell me.  I will check and get back
to you.

Regards, John Ausland, Oslo

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 14 May 1993 15:57:02 -0400
From:    [email-masked]
Subject: USAAF 15 MAY 43

COMBAT CHRONOLOGY OF THE US ARMY AIR FORCES
SATURDAY, 15 MAY 1943
FTP SITES
  1. ftp.rutgers.edu in directory pub/wwii/usaf
  2. byrd.mu.wvnet.edu (129.71.32.152) in pub/history/military/airforce/
     wwii_chronology

AIRCRAFT MENTIONED IN THIS REPORT:
  A-20, Douglas Havoc
  A-36, North American Apache
  B-17, Boeing Flying Fortress
  B-24, Consolidated Liberator
  B-25, North American Mitchell
  C-47, Douglas Skytrain
  P-38, Lockheed Lightning
  P-40, Curtiss
  Spitfire, Vickers Supermarine
  Wellington, Vickers (RAF)

AMERICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force)
    In the Aleutians, weather again curtails operations. The air-ground
liaison B-24 observes and directs air operations at Attu throughout the
day as visibility permits and directs a supply drop for ground forces by
another B-24 in 2 air-ground support missions. Six B-24's bomb Holtz Bay
and Chichagof Harbor and 6 P-38's strafe AA installations in the Holtz Bay
area.

  CARIBBEAN (Antilles Air Command)
    HQ VI Fighter Command transfers from Henry Barracks, Puerto Rico to
Waller Field, Trinidad.

CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Seventh Air Force)
  7 B-24's from Midway Island bomb Wake Island; 4 others abort and 7
others fail to find the target. 22 fighters intercept the formation; the
B-24's claim 4 shot down; 1 B-24 is lost.

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  CHINA (Fourteenth Air Force)
    In China,  25-35 Japanese bombers and 30-40 fighters attack Kunming.
Nearly all of the bombs fall in W and SW of the airfield, causing little
damage. 28 P-40's intercept, claiming 13 fighters and 2 bombers shot down.

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
  VIII Bomber Command Mission Number 57: 113 B-17's are dispatched against
various targets in Germany as well as airfield and naval installations on
Helgoland Island and the naval base and submarine construction works at
Wilhelmshaven; 76 bomb the targets at 1050-1055 hours local; we claim 29-
20-30 Luftwaffe aircraft destroyed; we lose 5 B-17's, 1 is damaged beyond
repair and 26 damaged; casualties are 1 KIA, 7 WIA and 51 MIA. 80 B-17's
are dispatched against the U-boat yard, marshalling yard and airfield at
Emden, Germany; 59 bomb at 1056-1103 hours local; they claim 14-3-1
Luftwaffe aircraft; we lose 1 B-17 and 9 others are damaged; casualties
are 10 MIA.
  116 P-47's are dispatched on a high altitude sweep of the
Amsterdam/Rotterdam area prior to the bombing raids; they claim 2
Luftwaffe aircraft damaged; 1 P-47 is lost and the pilot is listed as MIA.
  The 109th Observation Squadron, 67th Observation Group, with Spitfire
VB's, transfers from Atcham, England to Membury, England.

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS

  EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Ninth Air Force)
    In the Mediterranean, P-40's fly sea patrol.

  WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN (Northwest African Air Force)
    In Sicily, Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF) Wellingtons
bomb Palermo during the night of 14/15 May.
    In the Mediterranean, the Northwest Coastal Air Force (NACAF) maintains
sea patrol and reconnaissance over large area from the W coast of Italy
over Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia, and as far N as Marseilles, France.
    HQ 31st Fighter Group transfers from Le Sers, Tunisia to Korba,
Tunisia.
    HQ 61st Troop Carrier Group and it's 15th, 53d and 59th Troop Carrier
Squadrons, with C-47's, arrive at Lourmel, French Morocco from the US.
    The 58th Fighter Squadron, 33d Fighter Group, with P-40's, transfers
from Ebba Ksour, Tunisia to Menzel Temime, Tunisia.
    The 307th Fighter Squadron, 31st Fighter Group, with Spitfires,
transfers from Le Sers, Tunisia to Korba, Tunisia.
    The 309th, 310th and 312th Bombardment Squadrons (Dive), 86th
Bombardment Group (Dive), with A-36's, transfer from La Senia, Algeria to
Mediouna, French Morocco.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Fifth Air Force)
  In New Guinea, B-25's pound the airfield at Lae; A-20's strafe the
aircraft and building at Lae; and B-24's hit Nabire.
  In the Bismarck Archipelago, B-25's pound the airfield at Gasmata; B-
24's bomb the airfield at Rabaul; and single heavy bombers hit Gasmata,
Cape Gloucester, and barges SW of Ubili.

SOURCES:
AIR FORCE COMBAT UNITS OF WORLD WAR II, Office of Air Force History,
  Headquarters USAF, 1961, ISBN 0-912799-02-1
COMBAT SQUADRONS OF THE AIR FORCE, WORLD WAR II, Office of Air Force
  History, Headquarters USAF 1982
THE ARMY AIR FORCES IN WORLD WAR II: COMBAT CHRONOLOGY, 1941-1945 by the
  Office of Air Force History, Headquarters USAF, 1973
THE MIGHTY EIGHTH WAR DIARY by Roger A. Freeman, ISBN 1-85409-071-2

Jack McKillop
USAF (Airways and Air Communications Service)
1955-59

----------------------------------------------------------------------
|  Jack McKillop      |  Those who have long enjoyed such privileges |
|  Bellcore           |  as we enjoy forget in time that men have    |
|  Piscataway, NJ     |  died to win them.     FDR                   |
|  USA                |  [email-masked]                        |
----------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 14 May 1993 16:55:22 -0400
From:    "M. Joseph Barone" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: USAAF 14 MAY 43

What are snooper missions?
--
Joe Barone
[email-masked]
I'm a first generation Italian.  They would shoot me as a traitor.

------------------------------

Date:    Fri, 14 May 1993 17:04:26 -0400
From:    "M. Joseph Barone" <[email-masked]>
Subject: INFO: Italian Navy: Early 1942

        The beginning of 1942 saw the situation deteriorating in Malta.
The British decided to attempt to resupply the island by running a
convoy from Alexandria.  On March 20, four ships, escorted by an anti-
aircraft cruiser and six destroyers began the journey from Alexandria.
Supporting the convoy were three light cruisers and four destroyers,
as well as another force of destroyers.  A cruiser based at Malta also
sortied to provide assistance.

        An Italian submarine spotted the convoy and the Italians responded
swiftly, sending two heavy and one light cruiser with four destroyers from
Messina, and the 15-inch gun battleship "Littorio" and four destroyers from
Taranto, to intercept the British.  The Italian forces were spotted by a
British submarine and the convoy was ordered south to delay or avoid contact.
At sea, the weather was rough.  On March 23, 1942, at 2:24PM, the Italian
cruisers found the British, who turned away, under smoke.  The Italians
did likewise, hoping to draw the British onto "Littorio".  Not observing
a battleship, the British followed.  At 4:18PM, "Littorio" joined the
cruisers.

        By now, there was a 30 mph wind, high seas and mist, and the
British continued making smoke.  Admiral Iachino kept his forces between
the convoy and Malta, avoiding the smoke, but closing the range.  The
opposing destroyer forces exchanged attacks.  By 7:00PM, as darkness
closed in, the action concluded.  Iachino turned northwards, to home,
while the British forces turned east, back to Alexandria.  That night
the storm worsened and the Italians lost two destroyers which foundered
on the way home.  The convoy, escorted by two cruisers and six destroyers
headed back toward Malta.  Due to the Italian action, the convoy was still
at sea the next morning and suffered losses due to air attacks and only
limited tonnage reached the island.

        The Italians had performed well and suffered minimal losses and
those were to the weather, not the British.  Again British operations were
hindered by the lack of a carrier.  The engagement became known as the
Second Battle of Sirte.

        Meanwhile, in North Africa, after building up its supplies, the
Axis ground forces recommenced their offensive in May 1942 and by the
end of June, were within 100 kilometers of Alexandria and the Suez Canal.
These successes were directly related to the continued pressure on Malta.
In April and May, the British made great efforts to reinforce the island's
air defense, flying in Spitfires from carriers, including the U.S.S. "Wasp".
However, the Axis pressure continued.

        During June, 1942, the situation in the Mediterranean was favorable
for the Axis.  Rommel's forces stood at El Alamein, Malta was under attack
and neutralized as an offensive base, and the Italian Navy was seeing convoys
through successfully.  However, with the US in the war, the balance was
shifting and it was clear that little time remained for the Axis to resolve
the situation before American strength began to exert influence.

        When provisioned and supplied, Malta stood as a bastion from which
offensive strikes could be launched against Axis convoys.  The Italo-German
command recognized that the best solution for neutralizing the island was
to occupy it.  A joint air and amphibious operation involving German
paratroopers and Italian marines was planned, but at Rommel's urging,
it was temporarily postponed so he could continue his advance towards
Egypt with no diminution of supplies.

        Malta was in desperate need of supplies, by this time.  It was
planned to run convoys from both Alexandria and Gibraltar in June in the
hopes that the Axis would spread their resources too thinly to intercept
either effectively.  The convoy from Alexandria consisted of nine merchant
ships and a tanker, escorted by eight cruisers and twenty-two destroyers.
The convoy was spotted on June 13, shortly after sailing and was subjected
to several air attacks.  On the 14th, "Littorio", "Veneto", and six
destroyers in one group and four cruisers and four destroyers in a second
group sailed to intercept the convoy.  The Italians were spotted and the
convoy turned away and loitered while air attacks were made on the Italians
without success.  On the morning of June 15, the heavy cruiser "Trento"
was hit by a torpedo.  This convinced the British that the Italians had
been stopped and they turned again towards Malta.  High level bombing
attacks continued against the Italians and, at 8:16AM, "Littorio" took
a bomb hit from an American B-24 on her forward turret with no damage.
The British convoy was harassed by submarines and motor torpedo boats
and, when informed that the Italians were still coming on, turned back
to Alexandria.  Later that day, "Trento" sank after taking a second
torpedo hit and "Littorio" was hit by a torpedo around 11:30PM without
sustaining significant damage.

        The convoy from Gibraltar sailed on June 12 and included six
merchantmen with strong close escort and a covering force of a battleship,
two small carriers, and eight destroyers.  The Italians decided to counter
the convoy with light units from Sicily, supported by air attacks and a
cruiser division.   The cruisers attacked on June 15, near the island of
Pantelleria, with great tenacity and accuracy.  Only two freighters
survived the gauntlet of attacks to deliver their supplies to Malta.

        These convoy engagements, preventing large-scale resupply of
Malta, are known as the Battles of Mid-June.  They were clear Axis
victories, won in large part by the Italian Navy.

        During these engagements, on June 14, 1942, the latest Littorio
class battleship, "Roma", was handed over to the Navy and immediately
began crew training in the Adriatic.  The ship was identical to her
sisters except for a higher bow with greater sheer.  The fourth Littorio
class ship, "Impero", was still under construction and towed to Trieste
in order to avoid air attack while construction continued.  Construction,
however, was soon suspended and her only armament was a number of anti-
aircraft machine guns.
--
Joe Barone
[email-masked]
Crap Game: Have you tried to make a deal?
  Big Joe: A deal?  What kind of deal?
Crap Game: A deal deal.  Maybe the guy's a Republican.

------------------------------

End of WWII-L Digest - 13 May 1993 to 14 May 1993
*************************************************