German naval command south war diaries

[LColombo]

While looking for more precise info about exact number and fate of the some 300 German soldiers that were being carried by the Italian destroyer Pancaldo when she was sunk on 30.4.1943 (http://www.forum-marinearchiv.de/smf/index.php/topic,21145.0.html), I was suggested to ask here if that information is contained in the German naval command south war diaries. Does anyone know if it is so, and/or who/where should I ask?

[Peter K.]

According to the war diary of Marinekommando Tunesien 215 German soldiers were embarked on HERMES and 250 on PANCALDO. These figures were reported by Seetransporthauptstelle Neapel.

[LColombo]

Many thanks, do you know how many of the 250 German soldiers on the Pancaldo were lost and how many were saved?

Moreover, on 24.3.1943 also the destroyers Ascari and Malocello had been lost to mines off Tunisia, with the loss of 548 German soldiers, while 102 were saved. Do you know how many of them were on each ship?

[Peter K.]

Sorry, there is no more information available right now!

[Ritchie]

Hi Colombo,

do you know this source?

La battaglia dei convogli 1940-1943, Ufficio Storico della Marina Militare, Roma, 1994, p. 222

Total losses amounted to 944 ( 199 crew Malocello, 194 crew Ascari and 551 German Troops)

Survivors 194 ( 42 crew Malocello, 53 crew Ascari and 99 German Troops)

http://www.forum-marinearchiv.de/smf/index.php/topic,14187.0.html

shows an older discussion about that topic


Regards

Ritchie

[LColombo]

Hello Ritchie, I know that book, I haven't managed yet to buy it but I asked a person who has it and thus I knew the losses and survivors among Ascari and Malocello crews and the (combined) German troops; what I'm looking for is the separate victims/survivors number among the German soldiers on each of the two ships. (In addition to that on the Pancaldo).

[LColombo]

Upon seeing how many documents are here, I came to wonder, are there also war diaries (or other documents) from German naval commands in Tunisia? If there would be reported the overall number of survivors rescued from the Pancaldo, it would be easy to find out how many of them were Germans (as we alread know how many Italians were killed and rescued and how many Germans were on board).