WAR IN THE DESERT CONVOY ATTACKS
54 FLYPAST June 2018
“Of the six torpedoes launched, three ran
well, striking the Tergestea, and causing an
enormous explosion”Above
The commander of
47 Squadron , Wg Cdr
Richard A Spague DFC,
in front of his Bristol
Beaufort DE108, which
was damaged in the
attack on the tankers.
VIA ANDY THOMASRight
Armourers bomb
up a 38 Squadron
Wellington. Note
the painted over
‘HD’ codes on the
fuselages, obscured
after the unit’s arrival
in the desert theatre.
WW2IMAGES.COMBelow
Bristol Beaufort
DW830 ‘T’ of 47
Squadron. VIA ANDY
THOMASthat one issue of petrol was required
for each day of battle, without which
an army was hamstrung.
After leaving Rome at midday on
October 25 in a Fieseler Storch,
Rommel landed in the twilight at
his headquarters. There he was told
the fuel shortage was constraining
Axis forces to only localised and
tactical counter-attacks against the
Eighth Army. He had a feeling of
impending doom and felt the supply
situation was approaching disaster.
Rommel’s troops had only enough
fuel for transport vehicles to keep
various general supplies moving
from Tobruk to the front lines. They
had no new fuel for tanks and other
armoured vehicles. If some Italian
tankers could reach and off-load
at Tobruk, it would give front-line
armour and motor transport another
week’s supply of fuel in battlefield
conditions. It was a pivotal moment.
Rommel’s last hope of fuel resupply
hung in the balance.October 24 when he was telephoned
by Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel.
He was told of the massive attack
by the Eighth Army on the previous
evening and asked to again take
command of the Afrika Korps and
Panzerarmee Afrika. At 0700 the
next day, Rommel’s aircraft left
Germany for Rome.
On arrival in Italy in the late
morning he was briefed by General
Enno von Rintelen, who was
attached to Italian forces: the British
Eighth Army attack was still pressing
forward, General Stumme was
reported missing, and because of
ships sunk by the Royal Navy and
the RAF only three issues of petrol
remained for the Axis army. Rommel
was furious and demanded that all
Italian naval resources be tasked
with the immediate shipment of fuel
and ammunition to Axis-held ports
in North Africa, and particularly
Tobruk, which was the nearest to his
positions at El Alamein. He knew