Anti-ship level bombing successes by R.Aeronautica

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Dili
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Anti-ship level bombing successes by R.Aeronautica

#1

Post by Dili » 29 Mar 2017, 05:38

Against maneuver-able naval units only, merchants at sea are excluded as also naval units and merchants in port.


I have found these:

CVL HMS Eagle(damaged) prevented her to be present in attack against Taranto.


HMS Gloucester(damaged) had the whole bridge including the commander destroyed by Italian level bombing. Wiki: The next day, a bomb dropped by Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 bombers struck the ship's bridge, killing 18 crew members instantly, including the captain.[11] As a result of the attack, the ship could not be steered from the bridge and was uncontrolled for a time before the aft steering position could take over. Despite an inoperable bridge, the ship remained with the fleet and participated in the Battle of Calabria on the 9th, although she was ordered away from the battleline to escort the aircraft carrier Eagle. It seems there were other hits afterwards with duds in other battles.

HMS Juno(sunk) was sunk by level bombing by Cant 1007.

HMS Imperial(scuttled) near missed by level bombing of S.84
One of the bombs near-missed Imperial's stern, detonating in the vicinity of her propellers, with no immediately apparent consequences. Keeping station, Imperial arrived at Iraklion around 2030 hrs, embarked 300 troops and sailed for Alexandria at 0320 hrs, 29 May.
Shortly after 0345 hrs, while working up speed and already making 29 kn, the rudder, evidently damaged by the earlier near-miss, jammed, and the out-of-control destroyer cut across the bow of Orion, barely missing a catastrophic collision(from uboat.net). Was scuttled shortly after.

HMS Havok(damaged)- this was probably by S.81 based on Rodi(Rhodes)
During the Battle of Cape Spada on 19 July, the ship escorted the Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney and rescued some of the 525 survivors from the Italian cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni together with the other escorting destroyers. Her boiler room was flooded after an attack by Italian aircraft after this battle and she was repaired at Suez from 29 July to 15 September.


HMS Nestor(scuttled)
Wiki:. At around 18:00, while off Crete, an Italian bomber successfully attacked Nestor, killing four sailors and seriously damaging the destroyer's engine rooms.[3][5] HMS Javelin began to tow Nestor, but by 05:30 on 16 June, the quantity of water taken on by the Australian ship meant that recovery was no longer practical.[3][5] The ship's company transferred to Javelin, and Nestor was scuttled with depth charges.[3][5] Nestor was the only major RAN ship to never visit Australia.[1]
Uboat.net: In the meantime, the 8 Cant.Z. 1007 bis attacked the convoy, at the time located some 100 nautical miles north of Tobruk, in position 33°36'N, 24°30'E. At 1806 hrs two bombs, dropped from 17000 feet (5000 metres) fell very close to Nestor's hull, causing a large hull breach in way of the engineering spaces abaft the stack, causing her to go dead in the water with severe engine damage and immediate flooding of #1 boiler room. All personnel in this section was killed, power failed and a fire broke out.


I think it is interesting the comparative number of the destroyers hit and sunk which are more maneuverable ships. Bigger units were protected by fighters, but cruisers were often not, so i might give their HAA a reputation increase.

Missed any?

gttf
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Re: Anti-ship level bombing successes by R.Aeronautica

#2

Post by gttf » 29 Mar 2017, 23:37

Hello, something to add:

- cruiser Liverpool (UK), direct hit, 1 bomb (unexploded), 12/07/1940
- destroyer Fortune (UK), 10/05/1941, Operation Tiger, 6,5 months under repair
- destroyer Firedrake (UK), 23/07/1941, Operation Substance, 6 months under repair (in USA)
- destroyer Lively (UK), Cant Z 1007 35. Stormo BT, 100 nm NE from Tobruk, 11/05/1942, sunk (most sources give it as sunk by Luftwaffe)

Regards

Fabrizio


Dili
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Re: Anti-ship level bombing successes by R.Aeronautica

#3

Post by Dili » 30 Mar 2017, 08:04

Thanks.

HMS Liverpool:
From wiki seems to have been 2 hits:
Italian aircraft attacked Liverpool with bombs on 12 July(1940) while she was returning to Alexandria, Egypt, causing fatalities and wounding three, including the cruiser's commander.[34]

Later in July, Liverpool escorted convoy AN.2 from Egypt on its way to Greek ports in the Aegean and the southward-convoy AS.2 from the Aegean. The latter convoy came under substantial attack by Italian aircraft on the 29th; Liverpool was the only vessel hit when an unexploded bomb penetrated two decks,[35] killing a rating.


HMS Fortune:
(From wiki)During the return voyage on 10 May(1941), the ship was badly damaged by a 250-kilogram (550 lb) bomb that detonated nearby. The shockwave ruptured the hull, knocked out her engines, slightly bent her propeller shafts, and caused a lot of flooding. Her crew jettisoned nearly 18,000 pounds (8,200 kg) of topweight and she was able to reach a speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) en route to Gibraltar for temporary repairs. Fortune then sailed to Chatham Royal Dockyard for permanent repairs that lasted until November.[21]


HMS Firedrake:
(From wiki)During Operation Substance, Firedrake and Foxhound were each leading a column of the convoy, streaming their TSDS minesweeps, through the Sicilian Narrows on 23 July when an Italian 100-kilogram (220 lb) bomb near missed Firedrake and detonated off her port side. The shockwave blew in the plating over No. 1 boiler room and disabled her so that she had to be towed back to Gibraltar by the destroyer Eridge. Temporary repairs were made in Gibraltar and she was transferred to the Boston Navy Yard for repair on 23 September.


Yeah the attack on Lively is said to be done by Ju-88.

CAM1964
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Re: Anti-ship level bombing successes by R.Aeronautica

#4

Post by CAM1964 » 09 May 2021, 15:56

Colleagues,
Please tell me, on the basis of what documents is it known that Lively was sunk by Ju-88 (Otto Leupert?) From I./LG 1 and Cant Z1007 35. Stormo? All information about this is described in studies without links.

At 16.34 8 Ju-88 of I/LG 1 struck, each armed with two 250-kg bombs. Engagement lasted f quarter hour after which germans returned, appreciating correctly that all their bombs had missed. A few minutes later, a hundred miles northeast of Tobruk, six Cant 1007 bis bombers of 35° Stormo from Barce attacked from out ot the sun, benefiting from fact that British formation was scattered as a result of just concluded attack. They dropped their bombs unseen from high altitude. One stick of twelve 100 kg bombs straddled Lively. She tooka direct hit on B gun deck just abaft gun that exploded at a lower deck level and several near misses occurred abreast A mounting. Vessel immediately settled by bow listing heavily to starboard. A heavy explosion occurred forward and ship sank stern first within three and a half minutes. 77 of ships company were killed or missing. They never knew what hit them. RAF escort, formed by a pair of just arrived Beaufighters, could not reach three-engined italian aircraft at 8000 meters, moreover, with their bombs away and with tanks half empty. At 17.09 another German strike by 9 Ju-88 dive bombers combined with 4 high level He-111 of II./LG 1 arrived overhead. Ordeal of destroyers lasted until 17.33, but three ships came through unscathed. Air escort, now 4 Beaufighters, continued to be ineffective. At dusk I./LG1 attacked again with 10 Ju-88.This time dives were held until 500 meters from target and Kipling sustained one direct hit in aft engine room. She flooded immediately and within 10 minutes ship sank by stern. Another bomb penetrated Jakal, despite 30 knots she was making during attack, passing through upper deck over aft boiler room before exploding beneath keel. She lost all steam and electrical power. Nearly 9 hours later Jervis scuttled Jakel with a torpedo before returning to Alexandria crowded by.
https://ru.calameo.com/read/000796297a8346931da74

Dili
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Re: Anti-ship level bombing successes by R.Aeronautica

#5

Post by Dili » 14 May 2021, 02:15

8000m level bombing make me put that account in doubt.

At this time i have no information regarding this.

CAM1964
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Re: Anti-ship level bombing successes by R.Aeronautica

#6

Post by CAM1964 » 14 May 2021, 20:13

The CANT Z.1007 could climb to that height.

Dili
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Re: Anti-ship level bombing successes by R.Aeronautica

#7

Post by Dili » 29 May 2021, 10:01

So? it is at limit and not a typical operation altitude for naval bombing.

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