June 2018 FLYPAST 57have sunk. Nothing remained of
the convoy except for the tanker
Proserpina, now settling low in the
water and still burning after the
earlier attack.ROMMEL LEFT
POWERLESS
The same evening, unaware of the
attack on the Tergestea, Rommel
wrote to his wife Lucia that the loss
of the Proserpina made the supply
situation critical. The next day,
after hearing of the confirmed loss
of Tergestea and its fuel supplies,
Rommel wrote to Lucia again – in
near defeatist mood he doubted
he would survive. Starved of fuel,
running out of other supplies,
and powerless to withstand the
Eighth Army’s renewed attack
in Operation Supercharge,took place from the escorting
warships to the tanker. Ignoring
the flak, Wiggins held his strike
force dead on course.
It was the last chance for the RAF
to sink the tanker before it reached
Tobruk harbour and its anti-aircraft
defences – a second bombing run
without the element of surprise,
and in the dark, would almost
certainly be unsuccessful. All three
Wellingtons dropped two torpedoes
each at a distance of around 500-
600 yards from the target. Of the
six torpedoes launched, three ran
well, striking the Tergestea and
causing an enormous explosion.
After dropping his salvo Wiggins
chose to take his climbing aircraft
straight over the top of the
Tergestea, attracting the greatest
concentration of anti-aircraft fire
from the escort destroyers. Despite
his bomber suffering multiple hits,
Wiggins was able to maintain his
escape flight beyond the range
of the defending guns. Plt Off
Bertran banked his Wellington
away to starboard and received
lighter anti-aircraft fire. The RAF
crews observed a huge column of
black smoke, surging up from the
Tergestea to an estimated 3,000ft.
After releasing its torpedoes,
Sgt Viles’ aircraft was seen to
stagger, probably from receiving
fire from the destroyers, and was
last observed breaking away to
port. Both Wiggins and Bertran
completed their return flights
safely to base by 2200hrs. A search
sortie that night reported that there
was no sign of Viles’ Wellington
nor of the Tergestea, which must“It was not until the aircraft were beginning their run less than two
miles from their target that frantic signalling took place from the
escorting warships to the tanker”Above left
A group of 15
Squadron armourers
pose with Bristol
Bisley BA233 ‘A’. It
was written off when a
tyre burst on take-off
on November 21, 1942.
VIA STEVE MACLEANAbove
Bisley BA393,
nicknamed ‘The Jeep’,
on detachment at
Kufra oasis.
VIA STEVE MACLEANBelow
Bisley ‘The Jeep’,
about to depart Kufra,
Libya, on a dawn
patrol. The aircraft
survived until March- VIA STEVE MACLEAN