stg 44 wrote:The bases from Tunisia were not in range, ...
The P40E had a combat radius between 250 & 300 miles depending on the circumstances, condition of the aircraft and sources. Scaling off the map link below places the better part of Sicilly & Sardinia in range. 200 miles still places half those islands in range. The P38 had a combat radius of close to 500 miles. All the Allied twin engine bombers could cover both islands.
... the ones in Malta and the captured Italian islands off the coast of Sicily though were and IIRC provided the fighter cover that the African bases could not, but limited numbers that could reach Sicily AFAIK. One of the islands is Pantelleria.
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/europe/italy_pol96.jpg
As to Sardinia Allied fighters couldn't reach the island in 1943. Perhaps the P-38 could, but it didn't do well against Italian or German fighters.
It did very well vs Axis bombers. The bad numbers vs fighters are influenced by early use of inappropriate tactics. If the Axis air forces are to matter they are going to have to come out. If they sit tight the Allies can use the Mediterranean sea route without significant losses. If they sit tight The Allies can build up their air base structure on the Tunisian airfields unmolested. If they sit tight the Allied air forces can concentrate against one area destroy the defenders there & the concentrate against another. If the Axis air forces are active against the Allies they are recreating the same conditions as when they were active against the Allies over Tunisia & Sicily in the Spring and Summer of 1943.
Panaterlleria reduces the trip by seventy or eighty miles, useful, so it is a incentive to capture that island at the earliest opportunity.
They can play the attrition game even if they let Sicily get bombed.
How would the Afrika Korps and Italians from Libya do defending Sicily compared to the historical defenders? As it was Murray points out the LW lost over 2000 aircraft in Tunisia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisia_Campaign
2,422+ aircraft lost (41% of the Luftwaffe)[12]
At least 1,045 aircraft destroyed[nb 4]
600+ aircraft captured[1]
Accidents & other operational losses added another 30% minimum to those losses. Overall between 60 & 70 % of the German aircraft losses in 1943 were to the Allied AFs.
Between 22–30 November 1942 the Luftwaffe flew 1,084 sorties losing 63 aircraft including 21 planes on the ground. The Regia Aeronautica recorded the loss of 4 aeroplanes.[3] Between 1–12 December the Luftwaffe flew 1,000 sorties and lost 37 aircraft, including 9 on the ground while the Italians recorded the loss of 10.[4] Between 13–26 December the Luftwaffe flew 1,030 sorties losing 17 planes while the Italians lost 3.[5] Between 27 December 1942 – 17 January 1943 the Luftwaffe lost 47 planes while the Regia Aeronautica losses are unknown.[6] Between 18 January – 13 February the Luftwaffe lost 100 planes while the Italian losses are unknown.[7] During the remainder of February to 28 March 136 German planes were lost while the Regia Aeronautica lost 22.[8] Between 29 March and 21 April 270 Luftwaffe planes were destroyed while 46 "operational aircraft and almost their entire remaining air transport fleet" was lost.[9] Between 22 April till the end of the Luftwaffe lost 273 aircraft; 42 bombers, 166 fighters, 52 transporters, and 13 Storch. The Italians recorded the loss of 17 planes.[10]
Add to that the historical defenders:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allied_invasion_of_Sicily
1,400 aircraft[4]
[/quote]
The "historical defenders" reflect in part replacement aircraft & crew sent as the losses over Tunisia rose. Part were survivors that retreated from Tunisia as the situation collapsed, some were from the Balkans, others from the replacement sources in Germany. A portion of the Axis bomber units participating in the tunisian battle never based there, but flew from Sicillian airfields to their targets.
