Eagles Over North Africa and the Mediterranean, 1940–1943

By Jeffrey Ethell

Although the Luftwaffe achieved a great deal of success in North Africa between 1940 and 1943, it was hampered by the constant demand for men and machines elsewhere, logistical problems, such as a crippling lack of fuel, and the harsh desert conditions. An impressive selection of photographs from archives and private collections reveal the German and Italian aircraft used and developed in this theatre as well as the people involved. With insightful captions and supporting text, this offers a fascinating perspective on the Luftwaffe at war.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Mar 30, 2016
• ISBN: 9781473883901

Book preview

LUFTWAFFE AT WAR

EAGLES OVER NORTH AFRICA AND THE MEDITERRANEAN, 1940–1943

Shortly after Italy had declared war on Great Britain on 10 June 1940, combat between the two countries began in the Middle East as a series of skirmishes in Egypt and Libya. Escalating into a full-blooded confrontation, this resulted in a thrashing for the Italians that lasted through the rest of the year. Consequently in February 1941 Axis partner Adolf Hitler sent Generalleutnant Erwin Rommel to Tripoli with the Afrika Korps, to help Benito Mussolini get his lost territory back. Thus began a long, hard slog in the Mediterranean theatre which would stretch the Luftwaffe to its very limits, both sides quickly discovering that aircraft operating in this harsh, hot, sandy environment were more often rendered unserviceable by the conditions than by the enemy.

Hitler had by now committed himself to multiple theatres of war without either the logistics or the equipment this called for. His most technology-dependent service, the air force, quickly began to suffer the consequences, even while Reichsmarshall Hermann Göring kept assuring his Führer that the Luftwaffe could still achieve the impossible. Nevertheless, the Luftwaffe’s pilots and ground crews proved more than capable of meeting the Allies on equal terms. Many pilots became top aces here, most notable among them being Hans-Joachim Marseille, who seemed to thrive on the hardships. When the inexperienced US Army Air Force’s units arrived in this theatre in mid-1942, the Luftwaffe quickly chopped them to shreds, an early indication that the ‘soft underbelly’ which Winston Churchill liked to talk about was in reality going to prove anything but.

This book traces the rough Mediterranean campaign from its beginnings in the Balkans, through the German surrender in North Africa, and on to Sicily and the first combats over Italy. Reflecting Rommel’s skill, not only was the Luftwaffe able to stem the Allied tide but on occasion even turned it back in the face of encroaching defeat.

Author’s note: For years controversy has raged regarding what prefix should be used when describing Messerschmitt aircraft — Bf or Me? Wartime German documents use both, though the Me prefix predominates. The following explanation is provided by Dr Winfried Heinemann of the Militärgeschictliches Forschungsamt, Potsdam: ‘In 1927, Professor Willy Messerschmitt began a co-operation with the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG. He increased his share in the business during and after the Great Depression, until, m September 1938, the entire firm was renamed Messerschmitt AG. Any aircraft designed before that time were officially designated as Bf. This applies to the Bf 108 Taifun — even those models built after the Second World War — and also the Bf 109A-D series, whereas the F.-Z versions bore the designator Me. Similarly, the Bf 110A and B bore the former prefix, whereas the Me 110C-G bore the latter.’ I have long subscribed to this convention, and follow it here.

Malta

When the Italians found that their Regia Aeronautica (Air Force) and Navy could not stop British convoys from resupplying Egypt, Mussolini quickly called on his Axis partner to come to his aid. The Luftwaffe, with a mission in Italy since June 1940, had been flying a number of tentative sorties but a formal co-belligerent status was not formalised until January 1941. Hitler’s prime interest was in assuring the security of his southern flank in the coming war against Russia, not helping Italy. In the face of strong protests from his generals, Hitler gave Mussolini his commitment.

Initially, the Luftwaffe presence was mainly in the form of transport aircraft, but combat units began to filter in steadily. The first objective was the subjugation of the island stronghold of Malta, a real thorn in the side of German sea supply lines. On 7 January 1941,