Fantasque Time Line (France Fights On) - English Translation

[Wings]

March 5th, 1941

Albania - The first Italian units engaged have lost a lot of men (killed, or prisoners) since the beginning of the fighting, both because of the extreme weather conditions as well as the ferocity of the fighting in defensive actions, often heroic, but doomed to failure... Thus, the 3rd Alpine Division Julia is reduced to less than 2,000 men after fierce fighting. The units brought back from northern Albania (19th Mountain ID Venezia and 53rd Mountain ID Arezzo), transported to the front regiment by regiment, or even battalion by battalion, scattered and engaged in a disordered way, suffer very heavy losses and the 53rd DIM Arezzo is even destroyed as a unit. The 131st Division has to be withdrawn from the front line: it i the main target of the British tanks and lost most of its equipment and its commander, General Giovanni Magli, was wounded on February 26th (although he refused to leave his post).
Nevertheless, the Greek troops progress along the main roads and in the valleys, after having reduced the rear-guard resistance points, come up against the line of defense towards Chimara, Tepeleni, Klissoura, in the valley of the Devoli and at Pogradec. The Italians succeed in organizing this line with the survivors of the defeated units and the first reinforcements that arrived from Italy (an infantry regiment of the 47th ID Bari, the Po artillery regiment of the 101st motorized DI Trieste and two battalions of the 2nd Alpine DI Tridentina).
Having noted the stiffening of the enemy defense, the Greeks organize a pause in their offensive to allow their logistics to follow and the British reinforcements to enter the scene: indeed, if at this date the 2nd and 7th Armoured Brigades (of the 7th Armoured Division) are already on the front line, the 7th RTR (with its Matilda II), the rest of the 7th Armoured Division and the 5th Indian Brigade (vanguard of the 4th Indian Division) are still landing or on their way to the front. The RAF has now deployed many squadrons in Greece and its bombers start to hit targets in Italy (Wellington raids hit Ancona in particular).

 

[Wings]

March 5th, 1941

Rome - Mussolini, in search of a scapegoat, dismisses general Sebastiano Visconti Prasca, guilty of not having stopped the Greek troops at the border, and brings out of his recent forced retreat general Ubaldo Soddu to appoint him at the head of the Italian forces in Albania. Soddu is supposed to be familiar with the theater of operations, having,
as deputy chief of the general staff, supervised the study of various plans of action against Greece. He is ordered to hold the current line at all costs, until the reinforcements arrive: several Italian divisions are on their way, and Hitler announced for next week the arrival of two German armored divisions in Northern Italy, from where the Regia Marina could transport them to Albania.
One of the first acts of the new head of the Albanian theater is to provide the 9th and 11th Armies with temporary commanders: respectively, General Gabriele Nasci and Visconti Prasca himself.

 

[Wings]

March 6th, 1941

West: The Return of the Lion of Judah - Débré-Marquos - The Allies' harassment tactics finally pay off. Colonel Maraventano leaves Débré-Marquos, leaving the citadel to the troops of Ras Hailu, his main Ethiopian ally. His retreat soon turns into a rout. As Colonel Wingate had hoped, the Italian column is caught several times by ambushed troops. And despite the betrayal of one of the leaders of the Ethiopian irregulars,* the presence of the French goumiers, who are very comfortable on this terrain, transform what could have been just another skirmish into a real victory.
Indeed, surrounded north of the Blue Nile, the Italian column is in a desperate situation, especially since its leader, harassed by the goumiers, is convinced of the numerical superiority of the allied troops. Commander Salan, who commands the allied troops on the spot, having promised to give military honors to his troops and to protect the civilians (nearly two thousand women and children) against the probable exactions of the Ethiopian partisans and civilians, Colonel Maraventano surrenders. This is how 400 French and Sudanese soldiers and 2,000 Ethiopian partisans take 2,000 Italian soldiers and 5,000 Ascaris prisoner.
Despite the administrative and logistical headache generated by the taking of 7,000 prisoners of war and 2,000 Italian civilians** , any serious Italian military presence disappears in the west, with the exception of Fort Mota, which surrenders at the end of the month after a siege.

* Carnets du commandant Salan: "The Ethiopian matrimonial policy almost changed the result of the operations. One of the rebel leaders, named Lij Belai, abandoned his position, in agreement with the chief Ras Hailu, who supported the Italians. A simple commoner, Belai wanted to enter the family of Ras Hailu, a nobleman."
** The civilians would be evacuated to Addis Ababa, and then to Italy with the rest of the Italian civilian population.

 

[Wings]

March 6th, 1941

From South to North: the French offensive - From Addis Ababa to Amba Alagi - Having left Addis on March 4th, Group R occupies the town of Débré-Sina. There is little opposition from the Italian troops, except for the systematic demolition of the roads north of the Mussolini tunnel. The progression of the troops continues towards the
Combolcia pass.

 

[Wings]

March 6th, 1941

South Central: The East African Offensive - From Addis Ababa to Dalle and Gimma - The operations undertaken by the 11th and 12th East African Divisions in the province of
Galla-Sidamo province are to run into a strong party. The Italian forces represent in theory seven divisions - in practice 20,000 to 30,000 men, supported by about one hundred artillery pieces and 20 to 30 armored vehicles (ten or twelve L3/35 tankettes and about fifteen Fiat 611). Fortunately, these troops are very hard hit by the fighting.
As the control and protection of Addis Ababa immobilizes part of the forces of the 11th Division, it can only use three battalions offensively. One of them will be positioned on the Omo River to encourage partisan action in the rear of the Italian positions in Albati. The other two battalions form the 22nd Brigade. Starting from Ponte Malcasa, it is to advance southwards towards Aselle and Cofole.

 

[Wings]

March 6th, 1941

Corsica - The battle for Corte replaces the one for Bastia. The German forces attack south of the city towards Venaco to cut the Corte-Ajaccio road. They are contained by the alpine fighters of the 22nd DBCA. In spite of continuous assaults led by Stukas and Fiat CR.42AS, Kœnig's men break a new attack against the Col de Bavella.
The airfields of Ajaccio and Propriano (Sartène-1) are bombed and the second British radar set up above Ajaccio is destroyed at the end of the day. The Armée de l'Air reacts by bombing the German installations in the region of Solenzara, but the losses are heavy, especially since the fighters are too busy defending their grounds to ensure an escort and that the local flak is considerably reinforced. Four LeO-451, five DB-7 and seven Martin 167 are lost. The Aléria airfield i again damaged, but the JG 27 fighter group manages to set up there in the afternoon.

 

[Wings]

March 6th, 1941

Sardinia - The French evacuate Macomer. The last units pass on the south bank of the Tirso and consolidate the defensive line, while the Italians regroup to try once again to cross the Tirso once again. During this time, engineering units complete the construction of the Venafiorita airstrip, near Olbia, where Caproni Ca.311, Fiat G.50 and Macchi
MC.200 will be able to land at the end of the afternoon. The Ca.311s prove to be quite efficient to harass the infantry, in the absence of the enemy's fighters and of a proper flak, while the G.50s and MC.200s try to protect the ground and the harbor.
"Macomer was one of the toughest moments of the campaign. Two men were cited in the army order, and even though we were not after military honors, I must admit that it warmed our hearts. One, Maréchal des logis Gaston Dion, of the 67th African Artillery, had held his position under a hail of machine gun fire and pushed the Spezzins* back with
two-thirds of the men in his battery out of action. The other, the ambulance driver Dominique Bartolini, had died under aerial strafing while trying to get the wounded out of his burning ambulance: a gesture of fraternity all the more memorable because these wounded were Italian prisoners, and therefore enemies. "(Sulpice Dewez, op. cit.)

* The French, after the fall of Olbia, have kept some respect for the 80th DI La Spezia.

 

[Wings]

March 6th, 1941

Excerpts from the logbook of the I/3 Fighter Group - We undergo again two raids, that we counter each time by a double patrol (6 planes) and another similar device of the II/3 [NDE - Also 6 planes]. These devices are not articulated in 2 x 3 but in 3 x 2 planes. It should be noted that this type of device appears several times in the newspaper of the unit and corresponds to the state of the manpower which makes it impossible to send 8 or even 12 planes. The 3 x 2 aircraft system proved to be almost as flexible as the 4 x 2 aircraft. During the first raid, Barberis and Boutarel illustrate themselves, shooting down 2 Heinkel 111s for the first and 1 Bf 109 for the second, who shares a second Bf 109 with Gérard. During the second raid, it was Albert, again and again, who did the tough work with 1 Ju 88 and 1 Bf 109 confirmed and another 109 probable while Guillaume shot down a Ju 88 and Blanck a 109. On the other hand, Fleurquin was shot at by two vicious 109s and had to parachute. He was badly hit and broke his leg. He had to be evacuated in the evening.
Our bombers went to attack, without escort, the field that the Boche were building on the eastern plain and succeeded in damaging it, but they could not prevent the latter from positioning 109s there. [NDE - It is about the JG II/27]. It is annoying, because we lost the new British radar.

 

[Wings]

March 6th, 1941

Tyrrhenian Sea - A large convoy loaded with men and equipment belonging to the Ariete division leaves Naples. It is protected by a strong escort commanded by Vice Admiral Sansonetti. The heavy cruiser Bolzano is held up in port by a damaged engine, so he chooses to put his mark on the light cruiser Bande Nere.
Around noon, the convoy is detected by a French Bloch MB-174. It is attacked twice in the afternoon by Martin 167s, but the damage is limited.
A strong Franco-British squadron is then formed, under the command of Rear Admiral André Marquis: CA Colbert (Admiral) and Foch, French CL La Galissonnière and Marseillaise, British CLs Fiji, Aurora, Arethusa and Perth (Australian), British CLAA Dido and Naiad, French DD L'Audacieux, Le Fantasque and Le Terrible and British DD Kelly, Kandahar, Kashmir, Kelvin and Kipling. The squadron quickly leaves Bizerte to enter the Tyrrhenian Sea at nightfall. To provide air cover the next day, the Armée de l'Air sends the long-range fighter GC I/13 to Cagliari-Elmas. At same time, the aircraft carrier Eagle, escorted by the cruiser Jean-de-Vienne and six L'Adroit-class destroyers, leaves Algiers to take position the following morning west of the Gulf of Valinco. From there, its fighters can intervene above the fleet without the carrier being too much at risk of being caught. The Eagle carries 16 French Grumman G-36A (including the EV2 Lagadec, rescued from the Béarn) and 11 British Fulmar I, plus 6 Swordfish used for anti-submarine patrol. The G-36As are permanently stored on the flight deck.
In addition, the Aéronavale temporarily deployed two flotillas of Laté-298s in the port of Cagliari for a night attack.
At nightfall, the MB-174s and 175s that were monitoring the Italian convoy give way to a Martin 167 Maryland of the Aéronavale equipped with a British radar (a modified AI Mk IV). Shortly afterwards, the French command launchs 21 Laté-298s (18 armed with torpedoes and 3 carrying flares).
21:00 - Guided by the Maryland, the French seaplanes attack the convoy in the dark, but the results are meagre. In fact, only one transport is hit; it would sink at dawn.
"However, this attack persuaded Admiral Luigi Sansonetti (on the Bande Nere), who commanded the whole operation, that the worst was yet to come. He ordered the convoy and its escort (commanded by CV Paolo Melodia, on the Pigafetta) to head north. This escort was composed of the large DD Antonio Pigafetta, the DD Folgore and Fulmine (Folgore class) and the TB Libra, Lince, Lira, Lupo (8th squadron) and Pegaso, Procione, Orione and Orsa (4th squadron - all Spica class torpedo boats). On its side, with the main escort, he headed southwest and then south, heading 180, to the Tyrrhenian Sea and attempts to draw any new threat away from the convoy.
The main escort - CA Trento and Trieste, CL Luigi Cadorna, Giovanni delle Bande Nere and Raimondo Montecuccoli, in this order, with, on a parallel line to port, the large DD Nicoloso da Recco and Giovanni da Verrazzano and the DD Dardo, Freccia, Saetta and Strale (Freccia class) was commanded by Rear Admiral Antonino Toscano, on the Trento, seconded by Rear Admiral Guido Porzio Giovanola, on the Cadorna." (Jack Bailey, A Great Blue Graveyard - The Naval Air Battle of the Mediterranean, New York, 1955).

 

[Wings]

March 6th, 1941

In the west of the island of Kasos, 06:00 GMT (08:00 Italian time) - Sent to patrol between Crete and the southern Dodecanese islands to attack the Egypt-Greece convoys and return, the submarine Anfitrite (LV Bruno Ghersina)* is well placed to intercept a Piraeus-Port Said convoy. Unfortunately, a capricious functioning of its hydrophones forces him to hunt on sight, thus to stay in periscope immersion and to use his periscope more often than it would be wise. He is spotted by one of the French seaplanes Breguet 521, based in Porto Lago, which ensure the ASM watch over the convoy.
Rather than bombing the submarine immediately, allowing it to escape in case of failure, the captain chooses to guide one of the escort vessels, the destroyer HMS Greyhound. When the latter is very close, the Breguet releases its depth charges, which frame and shake the Anfitrite. The Greyhound then manages to get a good Asdic contact and will lead the hunt during three good hours. At the end, the damaged submarine is forced to surface and to scuttle. Its commander and 28 crewmen are taken prisoner (seven men are killed by the destroyer's light artillery fire while evacuating the boat).

 

[Wings]

March 6th, 1941

Port Tewfiq - Having just arrived at the southern entrance of the Suez Canal, in the escort of a convoy coming from Bombay, the auxiliary patrol boat Marigot (P1) learns that it will not return immediately to the Indian Ocean, but would first spend some time in the Mediterranean.

 

[Wings]

March 7th, 1941

Ethiopia - The capture of Débré-Marquos and the liberation of the capital triggers a widespread uprising which, in the north of Ethiopia, forces the Italian troops to take refuge in their stronghold of Gondar.

From South to North: the French offensive - From Addis Ababa to Amba Alagi - The reconnaissance elements of Groupement R are attacked by artillery fire south of the Combolcia pass. The enemy position is well prepared and the dense and precise fire causes significant losses among the Senegalese riflemen.
The analysis of the terrain and the help of the partisans makes it possible to see that if, to the west of the road the terrain is impassable, one or two kilometers to the east there is a valley parallel to the road that could allow the progression under cover.

 

[Wings]

March 7th, 1941

South Central: the East African offensive - From Addis Ababa to Dalle and Gimma - The RAF bomb Gimma airfield.
.........
West: The return of the Lion of Judah - Débré-Marquos - Report by Major Salan: "The emperor's entry into Débré-Marquos, capital of the Gojjam, took place in a contrasting climate.* On the one hand, the liberation of the city was a great success for the monarch who, by taking possession of the first regional capital liberated from the Italian occupation, aimed to ensure his legitimacy vis-à-vis potential competitors... On the other hand, Ras Hailu, the ally of the Italians, remains master of the citadel with his 6,000 men, which does not help the historically bad relations between the two men.
Part of the Gideon force was kept in the city with the emperor to prevent the situation from getting out of hand."

* The commander was not present during this entry. He interviewed officers who were there.

 

[Wings]

March 7th, 1941

London - In view of the apparent lack of response from the American Uranium Committee and in light of the conclusions of the Tizard/Curie mission in September-October 1940, the Concorde Committee concludes that it is imperative that Marcus Oliphant and Frédéric Joliot-Curie go in person to present their latest results to the American scientists to make sure that they are well aware of the stakes of the atomic question. Irène Joliot-Curie will also be there.

 

[Wings]

March 7th, 1941

North Atlantic - The submarine U-47 is reported missing near the Rockall Banks, off Iceland. The reason for this loss is unknown: the submarine may have been the victim of mines, British corvettes patrolling this area, which was very busy with convoys between England and North America, or an accident. This submarine, under the command of Günther Prien, had distinguished itself on 14 October 1939 by entering Scapa Flow to sink the battleship HMS Royal Oak. On their return to Germany, the crew was presented in a triumphal tour throughout the country.

 

[Wings]

March 7th, 1941

Excerpts from the logbook of the I/3 Fighter Group - This night saw an important naval battle in front of the northern coast of Sardinia. In the morning, the Germans and Italians attacked our boats which were damaged and this lightened the raids we were suffering.
Salva decided to send the second squadron to protect Corte and Albert led a sortie of 6 planes which met Stukas, escorted by Fiat CR.42. They shot down two of each and Blanck distinguished himself in the fight.
A second formation of 4 planes led by Cabaret went on patrol over Corte and clashed with a dozen 109s with no result on either side. On the way back, Cabaret fired an Hs-
126, which is finished by Barberis.
We were attacked by 12 Bf 109s carrying 250 kg bombs which arrived at the end of the afternoon at low altitude. Fortunately the pilots aim rather badly and put only one bomb on the ground. Our flak shot down 2 of them, one of which managed to escape by parachute while the other one hit the Corsican mountain.
We recover the survivor, rather shocked. It is a rather young UnterOffizier who tells us that he arrived at the JG 27 around February 20th, which is about 15 days ago. He is convinced that he will find American mercenaries and "Spanish reds" and he is finally rather surprised to find only Frenchmen! Before being taken away by the gendarmes, he had time, as a result of the Corsican rosé to talk to us for a while and he turns out to be a nice little guy. He finished the fighter school in Vienna at the end of January. He indirectly confirms us that the losses were heavy, with many pilots lost at sea. He affirms that the JG 27 "alone" claims more than 150 French fighters shot down. If only we had them!

 

[Wings]

March 7th, 1941

Battle of Olbia Gulf (FR: Bataille du Cap Cavallo, IT: Battaglia di Capo Comino)

"The Italian squadron was almost on a collision course with the Franco-British squadron, which was sailing north-north-east, on a heading of 20, following the indications of Maryland, which was tracking the Italians on radar. In retrospect, it seems that the Maryland radar operator, a little confused by the Italian maneuvers, was unable to clearly distinguish the convoy and the main eescort before midnight. By that time, the Allied squadron was already in the process of colliding with the Italian squadron.
The Fiji, third in the main line, had a fairly modern surface detection radar, but the Colbert's, in the lead, had broken down in the afternoon. Admiral Marquis was leading his squadron without long-range detection and when the Fiji gave the alarm (by flashing light because of the radio silence), it was almost too late. The two squadrons were each making about 20 knots and were thus closing at more than 60 km/h, starboard of each other - but the Fiji's warning gave the Allies a few precious moments to prepare, while the Italians were surprised." (Jack Bailey, op.cit.).

23:54 (the battle begins on March 6) - The Colbert opens fire first, at less than 9,000 meters. Very quickly, all the ships are engaged while the distance falls to less than 5,000 meters and the battle soon degenerated into a real melee, a fight every man for imself in a deceptive darkness. In this situation, the 152 mm (6-inch) guns are more effective than the 203 (8-inch), which fire more slowly. The Allied squadron have a certain advantage, with 16 x 203, 47 x 152, 33 x 132 or 138 and 30 x 120 against 16 x 203, 24 x 152 and 28 x 120.
The Trento, at the head of the Italian line, is quickly put out of action, its bridge destroyed and its captain killed, as well as Rear Admiral Toscano, causing confusion among the Italians. Nevertheless, the Trento manages to lodge two 203 mm shells in the Foch's flanks.
At this distance, the shells arrive almost horizontally and the damage is light, the projectiles not penetrating inside the ship. On the other hand, the Foch receives a series of 152 shells from the Bande Nere, fourth in the Italian line, which decides to target one of the two larger enemy ships. Under its precise fire, the Foch has to break off the fight: it has three turrets out of action, many dead and wounded on the bridge (including the commander, CV Louis Pothuau, seriously wounded) and is directed from the command post.
Aided by its fire radar, the Fiji, third in the Allied line, fires a series of salvos into the Trieste, second in the Italian line, which is quickly set on fire. The Fiji then turns its attention towards the Cadorna, which follows the Trieste. Already hit several times by the La Galissonnière, the Cadorna is quickly consumed by flames and turns into a wreck.
Meanwhile, the Marseillaise, following the La Galissonnière, engages the Bande Nere and the Montecuccoli, which closes the gap on the Italian side, with the help of HMAS Perth and HMS Aurora and Arethusa. The Bande Nere continuesto demonstrate its excellent fire control by demolishing the Marseillaise's I turret and setting fire to the rear of the French cruiser, then disabling the fire control station of the Aurora, before being silenced by the fire of the Perth. The Montecuccoli places two shells on the Arethusa and receives three in return, but the damage inflicted is light.
Last in the line of Allied cruisers, HMS Dido and Naiad have some time to think. They choose to shoot down to starboard in an attempt to envelop the enemy line, leading the three French destroyers and the five English destroyers that followed to a torpedo attack. This maneuver makes them cut off the route of the Italian destroyers, which they cross the T. The Da Recco is quickly sunk by the numerous 5.25-inch shells of the anti-aircraft cruisers and the Da Verrazzano is seriously damaged by the 138 mm from the destroyers. The four "Freccia" respond with a torpedo attack at short range to help the Da Verrazzano to free itself. The torpedoes pass under the Dido but one hits L'Audacieux, which is struck down in the middle of the battle. HMS Kelly leads the counter-attack of the five "K" destroyers, which put the Dardo out of action with their guns before falling on a large Italian cruiser in flames, which they mistook for the Trento and execute it with a salvo of Mk VIII torpedoes (in reality it was the Trieste, burnt by the Fiji).
Rear Admiral Marquis, who understands that he has the cover squadron in front of him and knows where the convoy is, tries to regroup his forces to catch up with the transports, but the three three surviving Italian destroyers return to the charge to launch their last torpedoes and further aggravate the confusion. The Perth almost fires on the Foch, which it mistakes for the Trento for a moment. The Colbert shells an Italian cruiser with is 203 mm, thinking it was firing on the Trieste, already at the bottom of the sea - it is in fact the Cadorna, in flames, and that these shells do not succeed in sinking (which testifies to their relative ineffectiveness at short distance). The La Galissonnière engages and damages the Saetta, but also what its gunners describe as "a large Italian destroyer", which is unfortunately the Audacieux. The latter, its machinery beyond repair, is already being scuttled by its crew. The Perth and La Galissonnière run into what they think is a new Italian light cruiser, but which is none other than the Montecuccoli, trying to protect its retreating destroyers and taking cover behind a smoke screen.
As the night wears on, and faced with the risk of a German air attack at dawn, Admiral Marquis decides to gather his ships and to withdraw towards the Bouches de Bonifacio. The two surviving french destroyers, the AA cruisers and the British destroyers escort the Foch and Marseillaise. But the night is not over for them.
In the Bouches de Bonifacio, German S-Boats and Italian MAS set up an ambush. The Colbert and the six light cruisers pass too far and too fast, but the group gathered around the damaged ships appear to be an attractive prey. The Foch, whose size makes it the main target of the speedboats, is hit by a torpedo in front of the bridge. The escort reacts vigorously. The Dido sinks the MAS-534 under a rain of shells and damages the 533. Le Terrible launches itself in pursuit of the fleeing aggressors. To their horrified amazement, the big destroyer catches up with the small ships ! Rushing at more than 37 knots in a huge plume of foam, it succeeds in ramming the German S.10, while damaging the S.9 and S.12 with cannons.
While the Franco-British squadron tries to withdraw to the south-west, the Italian sailors fight to save their ships. The Trento, deprived of its rudder, drags itself to the Gulf of Olbia and runs aground. After a courageous attempt to control the fires, the Cadorna sinks at 05:30, as does the Dardo a few minutes later. The Bande Nere, left for dead after its duel with the Perth, is taken in tow by the Montecuccoli.
However, the waterways are too great and the most efficient Italian ship of the night capsizes and sinks at 06:40. The Da Verrazzano, supported by the Strale, returns painfully to Naples. The Saetta's engines give up in the middle of the sea. Because of the risk of submarine attack, the destroyer is not towed, but scuttled after its crew had been moved on the Freccia. At the same time, a good number of shipwrecked Italian sailors are rescued. Among them, Admiral Sansonetti, who is rescued by his staff from the wreck of the Bande Nere and who spent a long time in the cold water, encouraging the other survivors - this misadventure will undoubtedly allow him to escape the worst of the criticism that will follow in Rome.
As the sun rises over a sea strewn with debris, the convoy, minus the cargo ship sunk by the French seaplanes, resumes its route to Olbia under the orders of CV Melodia. The Italian main fleet, on the other hand, has been thoroughly gutted.

 

[Wings]

March 7th, 1941

Western Mediterranean - At dawn, the Luftwaffe and the Regia Aeronautica launch their bombers against the retreating Allied squadron.

"The first wave of Ju 88s was followed by a second wave of SM.79s loaded with torpedoes (the Stukas that had survived three weeks of fighting were saved for ground support in Corsica). Both waves were escorted by German and Italian fighters. However, the squadron was protected by a solid air cover: on the one hand, the Eagle fighters, the French Grumman G-36A in high patrol and the Fulmar at low altitude, watching over the torpedo bombers, on the other hand the long-range DB-7A fighters of the GC I/13. This defense was better coordinated than in February, and the Axis squadrons, operating further from their bases, were beginning to show the fatigue of six weeks of intensive operations. "(Jack Bailey, A Great Blue Graveyard - The Battle of the Mediterranean Sea, New York, 1955).

In spite of this escort, the number of attackers speaks again. The Marseillaise receives two bombs, which crush its superstructure (see post 1946); the ship is then practically razed to the ground! The Foch is hit by several bombs which miss it by a small margin (near miss), aggravating the damage from the torpedo that hit her during the night, and the water penetrates the front part of the ship, whose speed drops to 6 knots. The Fiji is hit on the rear deck by a 500 kg bomb and shaken by two near-misses.
"We were above them and saw them coming - believe me, it makes a difference! We were able to drop down on them at the best time, dive between the escort fighters and run into the Ju.88s. I caught one in my sights and it started to dive, but I followed it effortlessly (the Martlet is a good animal!). Well set in his 6 hours, I lined him up and it was only when I saw him in flames - a second black cross under my cockpit, next to the fascist cockade of my first victory - that I took care of the 109 that was swooping behind me. Well, I said to myself: I thought: I've got a 109 on my ass, and underneath it, a British anti-aircraft cruiser that'll shoot down anything that flies. No problem, I continue my dive and, as the English shoot very badly, they will aim at me and shoot the Boche behind me. Well, would you believe it? That's just what happened. The Dido shot the 109 that was bothering me - but once I got back to the Eagle, between the bullets from the Ju 88, those of the 109 and the Dido's shrapnel, my poor zinc looked more like a skimmer than a plane. The chief mechanic didn't hesitate to tell me what he thought of the way I maintained the equipment entrusted to my care... I don't care, I always thought that I should have been credited with the 109 the Dido shot. The next day, however, I learned that I had been appointed Ensign 1st class, that consoled me a little." (Y. Lagadec, op.cit.)
The losses of the Luftwaffe and the Regia Aeronautica are heavy. In particular, the crews of the SM.79, very badly protected, pay a heavy price to the machine guns of the Fulmar...but also to the fire of the Royal Navy's anti-aircraft cruisers. The volume of fire produced by the Dido and the Naiad impresses the French officers.
A third wave is launched around noon and concentrates on the Foch's group. The unfortunate cruiser is once again hit by bombs that graze it and its machines are abandoned. It should be towed, but the fighters of the Eagle are tired and the CLAA have fired 85% of their ammunition - it is then decided to scuttle the ship at 14:00, after transferring the crew to two escorts.

"As it should be, its captain left the ship last. In fact, Commander André Guyot had only been in command of the Foch for a few hours since he saw his predecessor, Captain Louis Pothuau, whose second-in-command he was, seriously wounded before his eyes by a shell from the Bande Nere.
One of his sailors hears him murmur, while watching "his" cruiser sink into the waves of the Mediterranean: "Another one... She is never satisfied... They call her the Big
Blue, you bet... A Big Blue Cemetery, that's what it is..." Guyot was well aware that before the end of hostilities, a great number of ships other than the Foch would still sink in these waters, taking many of their sailors with them..." (Jack Bailey, op.cit. (Jack Bailey, op.cit.)

 

[Wings]

March 7th, 1941

Corsica - The fighting does not weaken. The defenders of Corte are hammered several times by the Ju 87 and the CR.42 support a new German attack on Venaco. At the end of the day, the French abandon Corte to avoid being cut off from Ajaccio. A new line of defense is created around the Cols de Vizzavona and Verde, on the RN 194.
To the south, the attack by the RF4 is still blocked at the Col de Bavella.
The Axis bombers being busy attacking the fleet or providing tactical support, the Ajaccio and Sartene-1 are spared, except for an ineffective fighter-bomber raid shortly before sunset.

 

[Wings]

March 7th, 1941

Sardinia - The convoy carrying the 32nd regiment of the Ariete division arrives in the Gulf of Olbia in the middle of the afternoon. In view of the urgency of the situation, the local French command launches a raid with 17 Laté-298 torpedo planes escorted by 12 Dewoitine-520 of the GC II and III/7. The Italian fighters, recently based near Olbia, react in force. The D-520s, very superior to their adversaries, stop most of the Macchi MC.200 and Fiat G.50, but some of them manage to get through; three Laté-298s are destroyed and four very badly damaged. Three D-520s arealso lost, against 7 MC.200s and 8 G.50s.
Attacking stationary targets by day, the Laté-298s have more success than in the dark against moving ships: they sink the torpedo boat Procione and above all three freighters, for a total of four transports out of eleven. The seven surviving ships manage to land 3,500 men, 23 M-13/40 medium tanks and some field guns. The 32nd Regiment of the Ariete loses more than a third of its strength, but what remains is still too much for the French troops, exhausted and without any anti-tank weapons.
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On the evening of March 7th, whatever the value of the defenders of Corsica and Sardinia, it becomes obvious that the two islands are lost. The German parachutists, the two Axis air forces and the Regia Marina made heavy sacrifices, but they paid off, at least in the short term - at least in the short term. Faced with this now inevitable outcome, the generals commanding the defence of the two islands receive the order to fight foot to foot, until the end, in order to inflict the maximum losses to the adversary, but at the same time to start without delay the evacuation of the wounded and other non-essential personnel.