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Action off Cape Bougaroun

Coordinates: 37°10′N 6°0′E / 37.167°N 6.000°E / 37.167; 6.000
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Action off Cape Bougaroun
Part of the Battle of the Mediterranean of World War II

USS Beatty in January 1943.
Date6 November 1943
Location
off Cape Bougaroun, Algeria, Mediterranean Sea
37°10′N 6°0′E / 37.167°N 6.000°E / 37.167; 6.000
Result German victory
Belligerents
 United States
 United Kingdom
Kingdom of Greece Greece
Netherlands Netherlands		  Germany
Commanders and leaders
United States Charles C. Hartman
Strength
1 cruiser
10 destroyers
4 destroyer escorts
26 transports		 25 aircraft
Casualties and losses
17 killed
~9 wounded
1 destroyer sunk
2 merchant ships sunk
1 destroyer damaged
2 merchant ships damaged		 ~10 killed
6 aircraft destroyed

The action off Cape Bougaroun (Cap Bougaroûn), or the Attack on Convoy KMF 25A was a Luftwaffe operation against an Allied naval convoy off the coast of Algeria during World War II. The convoy of American, British, Greek and Dutch ships was attacked on 6 November 1943 by 25 German land-based aircraft. Six Allied vessels were sunk or damaged and six German aircraft were destroyed. German forces achieved a tactical victory, though the Allied warships involved received credit for defending their convoy and reacting to their losses quickly. The quick response led to the rescue of over 6,000 servicemen and civilians without further loss of life.

Background

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Task Group 60.2

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US convoy escorts occasionally sailed all the way across the Atlantic and supplemented British convoy escorts; Task Group 60.2 (Captain Charles C. Hartman USN) escorted Convoy UGF 10 across the Atlantic to Oran and then escorted several convoys in the Mediterranean. On 3 September 1943, the convoy being escorted was attacked by the Luftwaffe, which failed to hit any of the merchant ships but managed to torpedo the destroyer USS Kendrick in the stern, the destroyer making its own way to port. The task group escorted two more convoys and was then assigned to cover a troop convoy from Britain, Convoy KMF 25A.[1]

Luftwaffe

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example of a Hs 293 rocket-boosted glide-bomb

{{Kampfgeschwader 26]] began operations over the Mediterranean as a torpedo-bomber unit in early 1941. II./KG 26 was equipped with He 111 torpedo-bombers and III./KG 26 flew Junkers Ju 88 torpedo-bombers and practised Zangenangriffe (pincer-attacks) when a Staffel of torpedo-bombers swarmed targets, to prevent them from manoeuvring as they could to evade torpedoes dropped from one direction.[2] A specialist Luftwaffe unit, Kampfgeschwader 100 (KG 100) had been transferred from Italy to a base near Marseilles in July 1943, having received more than fifty Dornier Do 217 Sonderkampfflugzeuge (special combat aircraft). II./KG 100 received Dornier Do 217 E 5 aircraft, equipped to use the Henschel Hs 293 (Hs 293) a wireless guided glide-bomb, accelerated by a rocket motor and Dornier Do 217 K 2 bombers, adapted to use the Fritz X guided bomb, equipped III./KG 100.[3] Both Gruppen went into action in July 1943 against shipping in the Bay of Biscay and the Mediterranean. On 25 August 1943 twelve Do 217E‑5s of II./KG 100, escorted by seven Ju 88C‑6s, attacked the sloops HMS Egret and HMS Bideford and the frigate HMS Waveney. One man killed and 16 injured on Bideford. Two days later, Egret was hit by an Hs 293 from II./KG 100 30 nmi (56 km; 35 mi) west of Vigo and sunk with 198 men killed; the Canadian destroyer HMCS Athabaskan was severely damaged.[4]

Prelude

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Convoy KMF 25A

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Convoy KMF 25A consisted of 26 merchant ships and troop transports escorted by 15 warships, from Liverpool to Alexandria.[5] The ships carried roughly 28,000 American, British and Canadian soldiers, war supplies and nurses. The American and Dutch ships had parties of the United States Navy Armed Guard who manned anti-aircraft and anti-submarine weapons.

Convoy escorts

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Task Group 60.2 (TG 60.2) comprised the British light cruiser HMS Colombo, the destroyers USS Mervine, Davison, Parker, Laub, Beatty, Tillman, McLanahan, the destroyer escorts USS Frederick C. Davis and Herbert C. Jones and the Hunt-class HMS Croome, HMS Haydon, HMS Tetcott, HS Kanaris and HS Themistoklis (Hellenic Navy). On 27 October 1943, Convoy KMF 25A sailed from Britain for Egypt and ultimately to Italy.[5]

Voyage

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After passing Gibraltar, the ships were escorted by the Royal Air Force (RAF) but its aircraft were short-ranged and flew in relays. The convoy went without air support for several minutes until the next relay arrived. The convoy sailed in columns of seven to nine ships each from Mers-El-Kebir to Naples but formed three columns to pass through the Tunisian War Channel. Laub was alone and 5 nmi (9 km; 6 mi) ahead of the fleet to provide a radar screen. Mervine led the warships in a circular course around the three columns. Beatty and Tillman were astern and Mervine was 2,000 yd (1,800 m) ahead.[1] Just after sunset, at about 17:45 on 6 November, the convoy was sailing in overcast weather, 35 nmi (65 km; 40 mi) away from Philippeville off Cap Bougaroûn in Algeria (37° 05′ 16″N. 6° 28′ 03″E) when Laub detected six German aircraft to the north. Hartman signaled the destroyers to make smoke and prepare for action. The thousands of soldiers and civilians were also ordered to go below deck and remain there until the threat was over. A moment later, Tillman picked up an Axis aircraft and opened fire at a range of 8,000 yd (7,000 m), too far to be accurate but the fire served as a warning to nearby escorts.[6]

Action

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SS Monterey in the 1930s

The German aircraft comprised eight Do 217 E 5 of II./KG 100 with Hs 293 glide-bombs in the first wave, then 17 He 111 torpedo-bombers of I./KG 26 and Ju 88 torpedo-bombers of III./KG 26 in three waves at about 1,000 ft (305 m).[7][8][9][10] The Americans sent out friend or foe signals to the approaching enemy, but when one of the aircraft was identified as German, Hartman ordered the escorts to open fire. As the German aeroplanes came within range, the escorts and the transports opened fire with machine guns, anti-aircraft guns and naval gunfire. Seconds later, the Germans began bombing and launching torpedoes. Beatty (Commander William Outerson), first observed machine-gun fire at 18:03 and picked up five incoming aircraft followed by a bomb explosion at 18:04. At 18:05, she opened fire on two more Ju 88 torpedo planes, 16,000 yd (15,000 m) away, which were trying to pass themselves off as friendly.

Most of the attacking aircraft seemed to be after Tillman but the captain steered his ship through the bombing. The first aircraft sighted by Tillman was a Dornier, which dropped a glide-bomb about 1,000 yd (900 m) off the beam while under fire from the destroyer's main battery. When the projectile was 600 yd (550 m) from the ship, machine-gun fire from Tillman struck the bomb and it fell into a steep dive, crashing 150 yd (140 m) off the port side. The bomber was then struck and blown up by Tillman's 5-inch (130 mm) guns while another bomb exploded 500 yd (460 m) off the starboard beam. Tillman escaped being hit but concussion damaged the destroyer's fire-control radar and aft plates. At 18:13, one of the German torpedo bombers launched a torpedo at Beatty from 500 yd (460 m) which struck the after engine room near frame 124. The explosion blew a relatively small hole in Beatty; 11 men were killed, one died later of wounds and a third sailor, Radioman 3rd Class Samuel Poland was blown overboard along with a K-gun and a depth charge, which did not explode. One officer and six men were wounded and Beatty slowly began to sink at 27° 12'N, 06° 16'E, 40 nmi (74 km; 46 mi) west-north-west of Philippeville.[11] Damage control parties were sent out to patch the torpedo hole and extinguish fires while others jettisoned topside weight, ammunition and even the tow cable. The engine room flooded and the electrical systems failed. One of the magazines flooded, leaving Beatty with a list of twelve degrees to port. The destroyer remained afloat for over four hours before her crew abandoned ship at 19:00 and she broke in half and sank at 23:05 at 37º 10'N, 06º 00'E.[8] The wounded were transferred to Parker.

Ju 88s over the Mediterranean in 1943

SS Monterey, 18,017 GRT, (Captain Elis R. Johanson), was a War Shipping Administration (WSA) allocated Ocean Steamship Co. ocean liner, operated as a troopship, was armed with 20 mm anti-aircraft guns.[12] One torpedo-bomber attacked Monterey but her gunners shot it down before a torpedo could be dropped. The aircraft began to lose altitude and as it passed over Monterey, it tore off some radio equipment. Johanson later received the Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal. Santa Elena 9,135 GRT (William C. Renaut), a WSA allocated Grace Line liner converted to a troopship, was hit twice at 37° 12'N, 06° 16E and sank hours later at 37°13′N 6°21′E / 37.217°N 6.350°E / 37.217; 6.350 while being towed into Philippeville Harbor. Santa Elena was carrying 1,965 Canadian troops and nurses.[13] Four crew were killed and the American armed guard on board freed several men who were trapped below, there were 2,163 survivors.[14] The Dutch troopship MS Marnix van sint Aldegonde, with 2,924 troops on board, was severely damaged but with none killed.[15] Aldegonde stayed afloat long enough to make it to shore, where she grounded and sank in Philippeville's outer harbor as her commander was trying to beach her. Thousands of soldiers, merchant sailors and US Navy sailors went into the water. The other damaged Dutch ship was the steamer SS Ruyz; one man was killed but the ship made it to port.

At around 18:30, a German bomber close to SS Almanzora, was hit by concentrated fire form the armed transport, the aircraft struck abreast of No2 hatch, port side. A portion of wing landed on the bow, the pilot's log book and other items from the cockpit were later discovered and handed to Military Intelligence at port. Both transports were seriously damaged but sustained enough to cause a sinking. The Germans dropped dozens of glider-bombs and torpedoes but most of them failed to hit further targets. At least four hits were made on the convoy which destroyed six aircraft in return, an estimated ten German aviators were killed. British and Greek forces sustained no damage or casualties. Colombo steamed ahead of the center column of ships and provided accurate anti-aircraft fire, shooting down at least one German aircraft. Davison destroyed one German aircraft. By 18:20, all of the torpedo bombers and glide-bombers had left. Seventeen Americans and Dutchmen had been killed and at least nine others were wounded. Hartman reported that the German aircraft conentrated on the escorts so they could attack the transports unopposed but because the Allies returned fire accurately, the Germans suffered many losses and only six vessels of 41 were damaged.

Aftermath

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HMS Colombo in July 1943

The rescue of survivors began immediately. American destroyers came alongside the damaged transports and helped evacuate the crews while British policy dictated that no survivors were to be rescued until after the fighting had ceased.[citation needed][a] Because the British escorts failed to rescue survivors immediately, 1,016 American soldiers drowned with 122 crewmen.[b] Beatty's crew was rescued at about 20:00 by Laub and Parker. Four more U.S. Navy destroyers and tugs from Philippeville and Algiers were sent to help. The minesweeper USS Pioneer rescued men from Santa Elena and the destroyer USS Boyle rescued Radioman Samuel Poland the following morning. Other survivors were saved by Ruyz and Aldegonde before she grounded. While Monterey was picking up survivors, a nurse fell from the netting she was climbing on and a Chinese cook jumped overboard and saved her. In all, 6,228 people were rescued without further loss of life.

Casualties

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Three He 111 torpedo-bombers of I./KG 26 and four Ju 88 torpedo-bombers from III./KG 26 were shot down, including the commander (Staffelkapitän) of 8.Staffel, Hauptmann Eberhard Peukert.[16] The US Navy Armed Guard gunners on board the US ships claimed five aircraft shot down and one probable.[9]

Merchant ships and troop transports

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Merchant ships and Troopships (Data taken from Arnold Hague Convoy Database unless indicated.)[17]
Ship Year Flag GRT Notes
SS Almanzora 1915  United Kingdom 15,551 Troopship[18]
USS Andromeda 1943  United States Navy 6,556 Andromeda-class attack cargo ship, Oran to Bizerta
USS Anne Arundel 1941  United States 7,796
MV Aorangi 1924  United Kingdom 17,491 Troopship to Algiers[19]
SS Argentina 1929  United States 20,614 WSA troopship, 4,770 soldiers[20]
Aronda 1941  United Kingdom 9,031 Troopship[21] Oran to Augusta
USS Dorothea L. Dix 1940  United States 6,736
USS Edmund B. Alexander 1905  United States 21,329 Troopship
Hai Lee 1934  Norway 3,616 Troopship to Philippeville[22]
SS Hawaiian Shipper 1941  United States 7,775
USNS Henry Gibbins 1943  United States 12,097
USAT James Parker 1939  United States 10,021 2,095 troops
MS John Ericsson 1928  United States 16,552 5,336 troops to Naples
MS Marnix van Sint Aldegonde 1930  Netherlands 19,355 2,924 troops, sunk by torpedo-bombers
SS Monterey 1932  United States 18,017 WSA troopship, 3,966 troops[12]
USS Oberon 1942  United States Navy 7,371 Arcturus-class attack cargo ship, Oran to Bizerta
Ruys 1937  Netherlands 14,155 Troopship, via Gibraltar, Algiers and Philippeville[23]
Santa Elena 1933  United States 9,135 WSA transport, 1,848 troops, 101 nurses, sunk, 4 killed[14][c]
SS Santa Paula 1932  United States 9,135 WSA
SS Santa Rosa 1932  United Kingdom 9,135 WSA United States Marine Corps transport[24]
Sloterdijk 1940  Netherlands 9,340 HAL British government charter[25]
MV Staffordshire 1929  United Kingdom 10,683 Troopship, 1,823 troops[26]
SS Strathmore 1935  United Kingdom 23,428 Troopship, 5,336 troops[27]
Tegelberg 1937  Netherlands 14,150 Ministry of War Transport charter, troopship[23]
USAT Thomas H. Barry 1930  United States 11,350
USS Thurston 1942  United Kingdom 6,509

Convoy escorts

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Task Group 60.2 (Data taken from Arnold Hague Convoy Database unless indicated.)[17]
Ship Flag Type Notes
HMS Colombo  Royal Navy Cruiser Escort, 4–8 November
HMS Croome  Royal Navy Destroyer Escort, 6 November
HMS Haydon  Royal Navy Destroyer Escort, 6–11 November
HMS Tetcott  Royal Navy Destroyer Escort, 6–11 November
HS Kanaris  Hellenic Navy Destroyer Escort 6–11 November
HS Themistoklis  Hellenic Navy Destroyer Escort, 6–11 November
USS Beatty  United States Navy Destroyer Escort, 27 October – 6 November, torpedo-hit, 12 killed, sank 23:05[11]
USS Boyle  United States Navy Destroyer Escort, 27 October – 11 November
USS Champlin  United States Navy Destroyer Escort, 27 October – 11 November
USS Davison  United States Navy Destroyer Escort, 27 October – 8 November
USS Frederick C. Davis  United States Navy Destroyer escort Escort, 5–8 November
USS Herbert C. Jones  United States Navy Destroyer escort Escort, 5–7 November
USS Laub  United States Navy Destroyer Escort, 27 October – 6 November
USS McLanahan  United States Navy Destroyer Escort, 27 October – 8 November
USS Mervine  United States Navy Destroyer Escort, 27 October – 6 November
USS Nields  United States Navy Destroyer Escort, 27 October – 6 November
USS Ordronaux  United States Navy Destroyer Escort, 27 October – 6 November
USS Parker  United States Navy Destroyer Escort, 27 October – 6 November
USS Tillman  United States Navy Destroyer Escort, 27 October – 6 November

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ This protocol proved deadly a few weeks later off Algeria when the same German squadron attacked and sank SS Rohna.
  2. ^ Contemporary accounts by British and U.S. officers state that a substantial number of the casualties, half has been suggested, were a direct result of the bomb strike and others resulted from the unauthorized release of lifeboats by U.S. soldiers who were untrained in the launch procedure.
  3. ^ 7 November, foundered off Philippeville, 2,163 survivors[14]

Footnotes

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  1. ^ a b Morison 1984, p. 261.
  2. ^ Forsyth 2021, p. 207.
  3. ^ Hinsley 1984, pp. 338–339.
  4. ^ Forsyth 2021, p. 198.
  5. ^ a b Hague 2000, p. 173.
  6. ^ Morison 1984, pp. 261–262.
  7. ^ Hinsley 1984, p. 338.
  8. ^ a b Rohwer & Hümmelchen 2005, p. 286.
  9. ^ a b Shores & Massimello 2018, p. 303.
  10. ^ Molony 2004, p. 560.
  11. ^ a b Brown 1995, p. 100.
  12. ^ a b Jordan 2006, pp. 404, 593.
  13. ^ Hague 2000, p. 174.
  14. ^ a b c Jordan 2006, pp. 394, 585.
  15. ^ Jordan 2006, pp. 281, 552.
  16. ^ Goss 2006, p. 153.
  17. ^ a b Kindell 2005.
  18. ^ Jordan 2006, pp. 178, 518.
  19. ^ Jordan 2006, pp. 194, 518.
  20. ^ Jordan 2006, pp. 405, 590.
  21. ^ Jordan 2006, pp. 98, 518.
  22. ^ Jordan 2006, pp. 301, 567.
  23. ^ a b Jordan 2006, pp. 277, 556.
  24. ^ Jordan 2006, pp. 396, 595.
  25. ^ Jordan 2006, p. 285.
  26. ^ Jordan 2006, pp. 92, 522.
  27. ^ Jordan 2006, pp. 170, 522.

References

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  • Brown, David (1995) [1990]. Warship Losses of World War Two (2nd rev. ed.). London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 978-1-85409-278-6.
  • Goss, Chris (2006). Sea Eagles: Luftwaffe Anti-Shipping Units 1942–1945. Luftwaffe Colours. Vol. II. Burgess Hill: Classic Colours (Ian Allen). ISBN 978-1-903223-56-7.
  • Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945: Its Organisation, Defence and Operation. London: Chatham. ISBN 1-86176-147-3.
  • Hinsley, Harry; Thomas, E. E.; Ransom, C. F. G.; Knight, R. C. (1984). British Intelligence in the Second World War: Its Influence on Strategy and Operations (Part I). History of the Second World War Military Series. London: HMSO. ISBN 0-11-630935-0.
  • Jordan, Roger W. (2006) [1999]. The World's Merchant Fleets 1939: The Particulars and Wartime Fates of 6,000 Ships (2nd ed.). London: Chatham/Lionel Leventhal. ISBN 978-1-86176-293-1.
  • Kindell, Don (2005). "KMF Convoy Series: KMF 25A". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  • Molony, C. J. C.; Flynn, F. C.; Davies, H. L.; Gleave, T. P. (2004) [1973]. The Mediterranean and Middle East: The Campaign in Sicily 1943 and The Campaign in Italy, 3rd September 1943 to 31st March 1944. History of the Second World War, United Kingdom, Military Series. Vol. V (Facs. pbk. Naval & Military Press, Uckfield ed.). London: HMSO. ISBN 978-1-84574-069-6.
  • Morison, Samuel Eliot (1984) [1962]. The Atlantic Battle Won: May 1943 – May 1945. History of United States Naval operations in World War II. Vol. X. Boston: Little, Brown and Company Inc. pp. 261–264. OCLC 1018166599 – via Archive Foundation.
  • Forsyth, Robert (2021). Luftwaffe Special Weapons 1942–45 (ebook ed.). Oxford: Osprey. ISBN 978-1-4728-3983-1.
  • Rohwer, Jürgen; Hümmelchen, Gerhard (2005) [1972]. Chronology of the War at Sea, 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (3rd rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 1-86176-257-7.
  • Shores, Christopher; Massimello, Giovanni (2018). A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940–1945: Sicily and Italy to the Fall of Rome, 14 May 1943 – 5 June 1944. Vol. IV. London: Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-911621-10-2.

Further reading

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