Operation Corkscrew

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Operation Corkscrew
Part of the Battle of the Mediterranean & the Allied invasion of Sicily

Men of the 1st Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment, part of the 3rd Brigade of the British 1st Division, advancing inland during Operation Corkscrew.
Date11 June 1943
Location
Pantelleria island
36°47′15″N 11°59′33″E / 36.78750°N 11.99250°E / 36.78750; 11.99250
Result Allied victory
Territorial
changes		 Allied Occupation of the islands
Belligerents
 United Kingdom  Italy
Commanders and leaders
United Kingdom Walter Clutterbuck Kingdom of Italy Gino Pavesi
Strength
14,000 12,000
Casualties and losses
15 aircraft shot down[1] 40 killed
150 wounded[2]
11,000 prisoners

Operation Corkscrew was the code name for the

Second World War.[3] There had been an early plan to occupy the island in late 1940 (Operation Workshop) but it was cancelled when the Luftwaffe arrived in the Mediterranean.[4][5]

Background

The Allied focus returned to Pantelleria in early 1943. The radar installations and airfield on the island were seen as a threat to the invasion of Sicily (

gun batteries. There was an opportunity to assess the impact of bombardment upon fortifications.[6]
It was decided to see if the island could be forced into submission by aerial and naval bombardment alone. Failing this, an incasion was planned for 11 June.

Landings

Starting in late May, the island was subjected to steadily increasing bombing attacks. In early June, the attacks intensified and 14,203 bombs weighing 4,119 long tons (4,185 t) were dropped on 112 Italian batteries.[7] On 8 June, a Royal Navy task force of five cruisers, eight destroyers and three torpedo boats carried out a bombardment of the main port on the island.

The engagement was observed by

Mediterranean, and Admiral Andrew Cunningham from the flagship HMS Aurora.[6][8] From 8 May to 11 June 5,285 bombing sorties were flown by fighter-bombers, medium and heavy bombers, dropping a total of 6,202 long tons (6,302 t) of bombs on the island.[6][9]

Two demands for the

British Commandos
landed, the Italians had already surrendered and the landing was unopposed.

Aftermath

The Italian gun positions were reduced to 47 per cent effectiveness by the intense ten-day air bombardment. Out of 112 guns bombed, 2 had suffered from direct hits, 17 were near misses and 34 were damaged by debris and splinters (10 beyond repair). All control communications were destroyed, along with many gun emplacements and ammunition stores.[10]

The Italian garrisons on the nearby islands (Lampedusa and Linosa) quickly fell over the next few days. The operation cleared the way for the invasion of Sicily a month later.

References

  1. ISBN 9781783462605
  2. ISBN 9788817015851
    (in Italian)
  3. ^ Christopher Chant (1986) The Encyclopedia of Codenames of World War II, p. 34
  4. ISBN 0-395-41056-8
    .
  5. ISBN 0-395-41057-6
    .
  6. ^ a b c d Rogers, Edith C. (1947). The Reduction of Pantelleria and Adjacent Islands, 8 May-14 June 1943 (PDF). monograph 52. US Air Force, Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
  7. ^ IL⭐2 8th May 1943 Corskcrew op bombing Pantelleria Margana airfield h 11:45 AM, retrieved 2022-01-11
  8. ^ "The Evening Independent - Jun 11, 1943". Google News Archive. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  9. ^ Lockheed P 38 Lightning Corkscrew op IL⭐2 Pantelleria 8-5-1943 USAF 82nd FG NASAF 8th May 1943, retrieved 2022-01-11
  10. ^ Rodgers, Edith (1943-06-01). "The Reduction of Pantelleria and Adjacent Islands, 8 May – 14 June 1943" (PDF). Defense Technical Information Center. Retrieved 22 March 2023.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Operation_Corkscrew&oldid=1220983472"