The Second Attack

The Prisoner Of War (POW) Interrogation Report of one of the crews of the He 111 H-6 bombers shot down during this attack revealed that the Catania based aircraft initially navigated their way to the Cap Carbon, Bougie and from there, the formation flew eastward along the coast some 10 miles out to sea for about 35-40 miles. Their landmarks gone and in darkness, the aircraft tried to remain together and locate the convoy. The Cap Carbon was a well known promontory in the area and as impressive and majestic from the ground as it appears, it was even more impressive from the air. Also interesting is the fact that none of the Axis reports on air activity at the time make mention of this flight of initially six aircraft.

Captain G.B. Kelly - Cameronia:

“At approximately 2330 another four enemy planes came in to attack and again a heavy barrage was put up”

The Cap Carbon

The Cap Carbon

From Captain Kelly’s comments, it would seem that by the time the attacking aircraft had located their target, two of them, rather like in the first attack (and again fortunately for the convoy), had managed to lose contact with the rest of the formation and had returned to base.

Captain D.W. Bone – Circassia:

“The moon was high in the nor’west and it could be reasoned that attack from the belly of an almost full moon could be expected. We heard the drone of the burdened planes as they came in from that quarter and were in good alert”

POW Interrogation Report – 1HBL:

“By the time the 1HBL had located the target, the moon was too high and it was impossible to attack down the moonpath [Sic] as is normally done where possible” 

The torpedo bombers split into pairs and the Circassia became the target of the first pair.

Captain D.W. Bone – Circassia:

“Through my binoculars, I could see the leading Heinkel of two that approached us curve in from the cloud and skim low down” 

POW Interrogation Report – 1HBL:

“After two unsuccessful runs, the aircraft made a fair beam approach at the third attempt and released its torpedoes” 

Captain D.W. Bone – Circassia:

“At about seven cables range, he dropped his left hand torpedo”

In fact, routinely, a torpedo bomber would release both torpedoes in reasonably quick succession (with its port torpedo first)  in an attempt to ‘Bracket’ the target. The crew of the torpedo bomber marked 1HBL followed the routine and the second torpedo was dropped seconds later.

Captain D.W. Bone – Circassia:

“At the same moment we opened fire with all port-side weapons. In the din of it, I heard the spotter call ‘Torpedo’. ‘Red’. ‘105’. (105° on the port bow – a position difficult of evasion as the enemy intended it would be)”

The text book manoeuvre in such a situation is to turn away to run with the track of the torpedo, but the proximity of the Cameronia prevented such an action. The Circassia was forced to turn towards the oncoming torpedoes. Despite this, both torpedoes “Passed harmlessly 50 feet astern”.

Captain D.W. Bone – Circassia:

“Our guns had not been silent as the Heinkel banked after dropping his torpedoes. As he turned almost in the face of our Gunners and at close range, every gun on the portside of the ship seemed to find a target”

Major Price of the 105th LAA Regiment was able to report to Captain Bone “In an even voice” that:

“Our fire from No.s 4, 8 and 10 ship positions to be hitting the first Heinkel as he swept up to us and roared overhead: black smoke was seen trailing probably from one engine and the fuselage and tail assembly had been hit. When last seen he was turning to the northward and losing height” 

POW Interrogation Report - 1HBL:

“The 1HBL located the target and released its torpedoes by the third run. The moon was high during the attack; the aircraft was hit by ship’s AA (Anti-Aircraft guns), and came down in the sea”

A Heinkel 111 H-6 on fire

A Heinkel 111 H-6 on fire

The above quote is taken from the earlier of two Interrogation Reports. A passage from the later of the two Reports (see below) suggests a slightly different account of what happened:

“As the pilot pulled up from the attack, the aircraft received a direct hit in the starboard wing from AA from an escorting Destroyer

Being shot down by a Destroyer rather than a Merchantman sounds better and maybe this later ‘Correction’ from the German crew was due to professional pride. The situation is unclear, but the evidence suggesting that this bomber was brought down by the Circassia, is compelling.

POW Interrogation Report – 1HBL:

“It was only possible to keep the aircraft on an even keel by use of full opposite rudder, and it lost height gradually. It was finally ditched in the sea a few miles north of Djidjeli at about 0100 hours; the crew took to their rubber dingy and were rescued by one of the Escort vessels of the convoy”

In the meantime and whilst his ship was being attacked, Captain Bone was able to observe that:

“The second Heinkel (Of the pair) had apparently attacked the Cameronia on our starboard side and seemed to have met a hearty reception”

Captain G.B. Kelly – Cameronia:

“All my Gunners behaved magnificently throughout and kept up an effective and heavy barrage”

‘Cipher Sam’ Field – Royal Signal Corps Cameronia:

“Even where we were, you could ’ear the guns and you could ’ear the screeching of the aircraft neeeooowwwww !”

Lt P. Royle – Royal Artillery Cameronia:

“I was down with the men from about midnight until 3a.m. and most of them were sleeping but some were awake and I chatted with them about the events which were happening outside”

Actual photo of a shot down torpedo bomber

Actual photo of a shot down torpedo bomber

Jim Lafferty – Steward Cameronia:

“Our forward Bofors gun scored a direct hit on a raider coming over our bows and our spirits were raised at the sight of that machine bursting into flames and nose diving into the sea. This seemed to signal a cessation to the attacks”

Captain G.B. Kelly – Cameronia:

“The engine of one of the Heinkels must have been hit and set on fire, causing the machine to crash into the sea, as a bright flash followed by a column of black smoke was seen on the horizon”

Onboard HMS Scylla the after director quartered the seas astern in search of enemy aircraft when:

“There came a blinding flash of light followed some seconds later by a dull roar”

The Navigator’s Logs of both HMS Aurora and HMS Scylla put the explosion of the Heinkel 111 H-6 that was shot down at 2333.

From German records two He 111 H-6s (marked 1HBL & 1HNL) and belonging to I/KG 26 No. 3 Staffel failed to return from Operations on the 21st December 1942. Their crews are listed here:

1HNL

Leutnant (Lt) Sebastian Suchanek (Missing)
Oberfeldwebel (Ofw) Georg Lachenbacher (Missing)
Feldwebel (Fw) Ewald Namyslo (Missing)
Unterofficier (Uffz) Georg Pikerek(Missing)

1HBL

Uffz Hermann Meinel (POW)
Uffz Wolfgang Kurzer (POW)
Obergefreiter (Ogefr) Heinz Leuner (POW)
Ogefr Josef Pietschmann (POW)

[The normal crew complement for a Heinkel 111 H-6 is five however, the fifth man, the Bordschütze (gunner), was almost always omitted from the crew on night missions. The spelling in the Interrogation Report is Pintschmann].

Jim Lafferty and Captain Kelly are emphatic about who was responsible for the shooting down of one of the enemy aircraft. It is clear that it was by the DEMS Gunners onboard the Cameronia:

Captain G.B. Kelly – Cameronia:

“Major Wost, who was attached to the AA Regiment onboard, gave every possible assistance, supervising his own men, and assisting our Gunners throughout the attacks. He was with our Gunners on the Bridge when they definitely shot down an enemy plane during one of the early attacks” 

Given the vivid nature of the reporting of the explosion, the author believes that the crew listed as ‘Missing’ perished in this, the second attack on KMF-5/TE-10 when their plane was shot down by the Cameronia. Given the times involved and the available evidence, the other crew that were to become POWs were probably shot down during this same (second) attack.

A shot down He 111 H-6 torpedo bomber

A shot down He 111 H-6 torpedo bomber

Meanwhile, the other pair of torpedo bombers had also been busy attacking other elements within the convoy

Oberbefehlshaber Süd (OBS) Report No. 389 – Axis Report (Italian) attacks of the 21st:

“Fired two torpedoes at a Destroyer. No hits observed” (Although not a Destroyer, it is possible that the attacking torpedo bomber mistook the Light Cruiser HMS Scylla for a Destroyer)

Navigator’s Log book – HMS Scylla:

“2357 Took avoiding action A/C seen to drop two objects in water on starboard quarter”

Around midnight, a Hudson probably from 500 Squadron also based at Blida began providing air and A/S cover for the convoy which forced the Axis reconnaissance aircraft in the area to finally retire

Navigator’s Log book – HMS Aurora:

“Midnight. All quiet. Hudson A/C escorting convoy” 

Richard Day – The Rifle Brigade Cameronia:

“Once the guns fell silent, an impromptu concert (guys doing impressions, sing songs etc) broke out on our messdeck (In fact, this was probably a continuation of the earlier concert mentioned by Major Pettit given the very brief lull between the first and this second attack)and a Naval Petty Officer stuck his head around the door and said ‘You chaps seem to be having a good time, just to let you know, a torpedo has just missed the ship 25 yards astern !’”(Jim Lafferty puts the miss much closer at 15 feet)

Major P. Pettit – 17th Field Regiment Cameronia:

“At midnight I was called by the OC Troops who told us that a torpedo attack had been made by an enemy aircraft at 2330 missing our stern by 30 yards” 

The author is of the belief that the torpedo attack being referred to was carried out by the shot down Heinkel 111 H-6 with the markings 1HNL.

A Heinkel 111 H-6 releasing a torpedo - Harold Thiele Collection

A Heinkel 111 H-6 releasing a torpedo - Harold Thiele Collection

The ability to view a torpedo track in the water is dependent upon the depth setting of the torpedo and whether it is night or day. The track of aerial torpedoes once they have entered the water can in principle be spotted as these torpedoes are set to travel at such a depth that their track could be seen and although it was night, one needs to remember that visibility was aided by a full moon. Accordingly, it is not too surprising that their tracks were indeed visible. Interestingly, the track or wake of a torpedo follows the actual torpedo several metres behind the actual torpedo so it is theoretically possible to see the wake of a torpedo hit a ship but the torpedo miss the ship. Such a close call, however, does not bear thinking about for the poor unfortunate on watch forced to witness such a horrifying event.

My father was able to witness at least one of the tracks of a torpedo that was fired at the Cameronia during such an attack.

David Chissel – Cadet Cameronia:

(From his ‘Action Station’) I saw a torpedo miss the ship, believe you me that was the start of brown trouser time”

Lt P. Royle – Royal Artillery Cameronia:

“The second raid had finished and we had been told that one of the planes had been shot down. I was relieved and went back to my cabin and lay on the bunk fully clothed”

Captain G.B. Kelly – Cameronia:

“After this attack things quietened down and at 0150 the “All Clear” signal was given”

Major P. Pettit – 17th Field Regiment Cameronia:

“We went back to our cabins. The troops were all asleep anyway and were left in their comfort such as it was. Hammocks had been struck to clear decks”

As already mentioned, torpedo bombers drop pairs of torpedoes in rapid succession and consequently, it should be remembered that so far, the Cameronia had managed to avoid four (and not two) torpedoes that had been fired at her by skilled and brave aircrews who knew what they were doing.

WO2 Jones – Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Cameronia:

“We settled down again for the night”

George Chadwick – Steward Cameronia:

“The ‘All Clear’ is sounded at 1.30a.m.” 

Although the “All Clear” had been given, all that was really clear was that it was going to be a long night.

Richard Day – The Rifle Brigade Cameronia:

“At some point the bells rang sounding the ‘All Clear’ but we were not allowed to put up hammocks, so sleeping was difficult, we were all quite tense and nervous but at some point I must have nodded off because I was awoken by the ‘Action Stations’ bells”