WAR IN THE DESERTWAR IN THE DESERT CONVOY ATTACKSCONVOY ATTACKS
56 FLYPAST June 2018
attacked an Axis convoy heading
for Tobruk, setting the Proserpina,
a 4,809-ton oil tanker, on fire.
Another tanker in the convoy, the
5,809-ton Tergestea, escaped damage
and continued. Out of ten aircraft in
the operation, six were lost.
A further afternoon sortie by
Beauforts on the convoy failed
to stop the Tergestea. With the
vessel some 50 miles (80 km) from
Tobruk, and estimated to dock by
nightfall, it was critical to mount
another attack quickly and stop its
fuel reaching the Axis army. Even
though dusk was not far off, a
decision was taken to make another
strike at once.SINK THE ‘TERGESTEA’
The afternoon of October 26 was
fine, with good visibility and little
cloud. Three crews of Wellington
torpedo-bombers, the leader Flt Lt
Wiggins in HX633 , Plt Off R H
Bertran in HF595, and Sgt Viles in
HF912, were briefed on a desperate
attempt to stop the Tergestea
reaching the safety of Tobruk
harbour.
Flt Lt Wiggins, 25, was from
Middleton, South Australia, where he
had worked as an auctioneer. He had
enlisted in the RAAF in November
1940, and after going through the
Empire Air Training Scheme, was
posted to 38 Squadron in North
Africa. The unit’s Wellington
bombers were armed with two
torpedoes each, while some were
radar equipped to locate and attack
targets at night from very low level.
It was a role described by Wiggins as
‘not for the faint-hearted’.That description was particularly
apt for the mission on that fateful
afternoon in October 1942. To
evade interception by German
fighters and keep below enemy
radar, the plan was for the three
aircraft to first fly due north out
to sea for about 60 miles, trying
to keep as low as 100ft. Then
they were to turn west and fly
approximately parallel to the coast
until they reached position some 60
miles northeast of Tobruk. At that
point the formation was to turn
onto a southwest heading and fly
directly towards Tobruk to take the
enemy air defences by surprise. By
making their attacking runs out of a
darkening sky, it was hoped to catch
the Tergestea before it could dock.
At 1540hrs Flt Lt Wiggins led
the trio of aircraft into the air and
brought them down towards the
waves as they sped north out intothe Mediterranean. If their raid
was successful, it would paralyse
Rommel’s Panzerarmee Afrika.THE LAST CHANCE
Helped by excellent work from
his navigator, Wiggins spotted the
Tergestea only a few miles from
Tobruk. In the first dusk attack
ever attempted by 38 Squadron,
the three aircraft headed straight
for the vessel, a tanker/freighter
carrying cargo that included 1,000
tons of petrol, and 1,000 tons of
ammunition. Wiggins’ bombers
came in with fading light behind
them, whereas their target stood
out against the sun setting in the
west. There were many destroyers
escorting the tanker, but they were
taken completely by surprise. It was
not until the aircraft were beginning
their run less than two miles from
their target that frantic signallingAbove
A line-up of three
types used in the
desert confl ict.
Nearest is a torpedo-
carrying Bristol
Beaufort, while next
in line is a similarly
equipped Bristol
Beaufi ghter, and fi nally
a Martin Marauder. KEY
COLLECTIONRight
An undated image
of a 38 Squadron
Wellington in the
desert theatre. The
aircraft is yet to have
its ‘HD’ codes painted
out. KEY COLLECTION