Palm Sunday Massacre: Cutting the Axis Air Supply Line to North Africa

 

Curtiss P-40K Warhawk, serial number 42-46040, 64th Fighter Squadron, 57th Fighter Group, White 13, Johnson Cash, Tunisia, 1943.

by Harry Holmes

It was Palm Sunday, 18 April 1943, just another day in the North African campaign. In Tunisia, less than 50 miles from the sea at the desert town of El Djem was the headquarters of the 57th Fighter Group, U.S. Ninth Air Force, commanded by Colonel Arthur G. Salisbury. The 57th’s three squadrons, the 64th, 65th and 66th, had made an uneventful fighter sweep during the morning and the pilots were not very enthusiastic about having to repeat the operation later that afternoon.

At 1630 hours, forty-eight Curtiss P-40 Warhawks took off on the final sweep of the day, relieving the 79th Fighter Group. The formation consisted of twelve aircraft from each of the 57th’s three squadrons, plus twelve from the 314th Squadron of the 324th Fighter Group. Top cover was to be provided by Spitfires of No. 92 Squadron, RAF, and the rendezvous point was over Hergla, north of Sousse. The whole formation was then to proceed to the Gulf of Tunis and patrol east and west of Cape Bon.

Soon after take-off one of the Warhawks had to return to the airfield due to engine trouble and the other forty-seven aircraft climbed northwards following the road that led to Sousse. At 8,000 feet the P-40s picked up the twelve Spitfires and the formation was soon over Cape Bon, where enemy flak began to fill the sky. Out over the Mediterranean the aircraft flew in flights of four but all fitting into one large formation. The formation was stepped as each squadron took its position at different altitudes. The bottom of the “flight of stairs” was at 7,000 feet with the 66th Squadron being led by Captain James G. Curl while the top flight was No. 92’s Spitfires at 15,000 feet.

For an hour and a half, the formation had patrolled, and the shadows of the islands below grew around them as the sun began to sink. Captain Curl had just estimated that the formation had enough fuel to do one final sweep before heading back to El Djem, when Captain Roy Whittaker of the 65th Squadron suddenly broke radio silence: “Bandits at two o’clock low.”

Sure enough, two Messerschmitt Bf 109s were climbing out of Tunis and just as the P-40 pilots were wondering who would get a crack at the Germans they were met by a staggering sight—over ninety Junkers Ju 52 transports in three large ‘V’ formations with a top cover of approximately fifty Bf 109s, Bf 110s and Italian Macchi 202s. “They were flying the most beautiful formation I’ve ever seen,” one of the American pilots recounted later to the debriefing officer. “It seemed like a shame to break them up as it looked just like a wonderful propaganda film.”

The German transports were flying at about 1,000 feet above the water and their camouflage of dark hues of gray, green and blue blended with the dark sea. However, as it was near sundown the bright orange light hit the enemy planes at such an angle that each transport was etched sharply against the water.

Captain Curl quickly sized up the situation and ordered the 65th, 66th and 314th Squadrons to go for the transports while the Warhawks of the 64th and the Spitfires of No. 92 Squadron took on the fighters. The P-40s were armed with .50-caliber machine guns in each wing and each gun was loaded with belts holding 2,500 rounds. As the Warhawks slashed into the transports the action became almost too confused to follow.

The wild dogfight was perhaps best described by Captain Roy Whittaker’s report to the 57th’s intelligence officer. “I attacked the Junkers from astern at full throttle and fired at two planes in the leading formation. The bursts were short and the only effect I saw was pieces flying off the second ship. I pulled away, circled to the right and made my second attack. I fired at two more Ju 52s—again in the leading formation. They both burst into flames. The second flew a little distance before crashing into the water, but I lost sight of the first and didn’t see it crash. I made a third pass and sent a good burst into the left of the formation at another Junkers and as I pulled away it crashed into the sea. By this time the Messerschmitt 109s were among us and as I pulled up I saw a ‘109 dive through an element of four P-40s and I tagged on to his underside, gave him a long burst, and he crashed into the sea from a thousand feet.”

Whittaker lost his wingman and joined up with two P-40s sparring with six German fighters. He hit one with a long burst, knocking large pieces from the enemy plane which left a trail of smoke as it climbed out of the fight. Whittaker finally claimed three Ju 52s destroyed and one damaged and one Bf 109 destroyed and one damaged.

Everybody in the 57th had a crack at the Luftwaffe, including Second Lieutenant Dick Hunziker, another 65th Squadron pilot who was fresh from the U.S. and only on his second combat mission. He attacked a Ju 52 in the first ‘V’ and followed it down until it hit the water in a great sheet of spray and then exploded. He didn’t get a chance for another go at the transports as he was bounced by a ‘109 and it was more by luck than good flying that he was able to shake it off. He soon found himself over the shoreline and to his amazement sitting on the tail of another Bf 109 which was serenely flying along unaware of Hunziker’s presence. He gave the German fighter a short burst and was delighted to see it nose over into a steep dive and crash into a field.

The action was harder than it first appeared because the P-40 pilots found themselves with not only the fighter escorts to cope with but broadsides from the many rifles and machine guns carried by the troops aboard the enemy transports which were fired through portholes and open doors. In less than fifteen minutes it was all over and with fuel running short after the full bore of combat, the P-40s and Spitfires reformed to return to their bases.

It wasn’t until forty-one Warhawks returned to El Djem—six pilots were lost—that the pieces could be put together. Claims were naturally duplicated, and many had to be dismissed. However, the final tally was fifty-nine Ju 52s, fourteen Bf 109s and Macchi 202s and four Messerschmitt Bf 110s destroyed, seventeen Ju 52s, nine single-engined fighters and two Bf 110s damaged, plus an unknown number of Rommel’s elite Afrika Korps. Allied losses were six Warhawks and a Spitfire.

Three of the 57th’s pilots became aces in a day, including Lieutenant Arthur B. Cleaveland and Lieutenant Richard E. Duffey, each with five Ju 52s, and Lieutenant MacArthur Powers with four Ju 52s and a Messerschmitt Bf 109. Dinner was forgotten in the excitement and once the pilots were debriefed a party was organized. Needless to say, it was a party to end all parties!

Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder, Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Air Command (left), in conference with Major General Carl Spaatz, Commander of the North-West African Air Forces, at Tedder’s Headquarters in Algiers.

 

Junkers Ju 52/3m9e, KGrzbV 700 (7V+CJ) over the Mediterranean, February 1943.

Junkers Ju 52 transports over Africa. The type suffered very heavy losses.

With Italian supply ships unable to supply Afrika Korps, the Luftwaffe sent dozens of Me 323 “Gigant” powered gliders, but almost all were shot down in the Palm Sunday Massacre.

Me 323 transport showing turrets in the wing.

Me 323 being fired on by Allied fighter over the Mediterranean.

Messerschmitt Me 323 unloading a Renault UE in Tunisia.

Ju 52s that crash-landed to avoid being shot down that day.

Another view of some of the five Ju 52s that landed at Cape Bon to avoid being shot down. They were later rebuilt by South African Air Force mechanics and flew again for the Allies.

During this action, Capt. Roy Whittaker of the 57th Fighter Group destroyed three Ju 52s and one Bf 109G, plus was credited further with one “damaged” Ju 52 and one “damaged” Bf 109G.

Major Jim Curl of the 57th Fighter Group is credited with downing two Ju 52s and one Bf 109 that day. Killed when he was shot down by heavy flak while strafing a German airfield on 18 March 1945.

211 Group Intelligence Summary, 18 April 1943.

Stars and Stripes headline about the action that day.

Colonel Arthur Salisbury reads a telegram of congratulations from Gen. Marshall to the pilots of the 57th Fighter Group regarding the 18 April mission.