Hell over Piraeus

 In the early hours of 6 April 1941, the Wermacht launched Operaton Marita: Panzer divisions crossed the Bulgarian-Greek border and invaded Greece at 5:30, the attack timed to coincide with the declaration of war issued to the Greek Government. Hitler's intention to subjugate the mediterranean country had been known since February, and a British Expeditioanry Force was sent to the country; when the invasion began, more troops were sent to Greece, diverted from North Africa. The vast majority of men and supplies were bound to the Piraeus harbour, 12 km southwest of Athens.

On the evening of that 6 April, a formation of twenty Junkers Ju 88s of III./KG 30 took off from Catania, Sicily,  to attack the Allied convoys. According to John Weal, the bombers were armed with aerial mines, the raid aimed at blocking the harbour's entrance. 7. Staffel's machines were nevertheless loaded with two 250-kg bombs each; the Staffel was led by Haptmann Hajo Hermann, now best remembered as the inventor of the Wilde Sau tactics.

The bombers reached their target at 2100 hrs and released their mines; Hermann's Ju 88s continued their course towards the many ships packed in the harbour; among those ships was SS Clan Fraser, a 7,529 tons British cargo steamer. The recently arrived vessel was loaded with 250 tons of TNT (from the original 350 tons 100 had already been unloaded). During the attack attack, she was hit by three direct hits, as well as more near misses: the vessel exploded and was lifted out from the water, the shock wave even shaking the Ju 88s 3000 ft above her.

SS Clan Fraser

From the initial blast soon developped a fire, which spreadt o other merchant ships in the harbour including another steamer loaded with ammunitions, SS City of Roubaix. The whole harbour turned into a hell of fire since men on the ground were unable to tow the two ships away for fear that they would hit a mine and block the port entrance; after a night had passed SS Clan Fraser exploded in a giant fireball in the early hours of 7 April, followed by the City of Roubaix a few minutes later. A chain of  terrible explosions started, shattering windows in Athens 12 km away (7 miles), and heard up to 240 km (150 miles).

At the end of day, nine other merchantmen were destroyed and the entire port of Piraeus was devasted. Losse were the following:

• SS Clan Fraser
• SS City of Roubaix
• SS Cyprian Prince
• SS Patris
• SS Surf
• SS Viking
• Alcyon (Greek)
• Petalli (Greek)
• Kyrapanagia (Greek)
• Syriani (Greek)
• Elpis (Greek)
• Evoikos (Greek)

In addition, 50-60 small crafts and barges were destroyed. Even worse, damages to port installations were catastrophic; with a single attack the Mediterranean Fleet had lost the only adequatedly equipped port to be used as a base for supplies and reinforcements. Piraeus remained unavailable for ten days, during which other poor equipped ports such as Volos and Salamis were used.

Hauptmann Hajo Hermann, turned for home with the port engine of his bomber damaged by AA fire; the long flight back to Catania was quite risky so he wisely headed to the island of Rhodes. With a combiation of courage, skills and luck, Hermann and his Staffel had delivered a devastating blow to the British Expeditionary Force. Less than three weeks later Commonwealth forces were forced to evacuate Greece in an Dunkirk-like operation.

REFERENCES

John Weal, Junkers Ju 88 Kampfgeschwader in North Africa and the Mediterranen. Osprey Publishing, 2009.

Stone and Stone War Diaries website.

The Last Blitz

German newsreel's footage about the 1944 Operation Steinbock, also called "Baby Blitz", a series of nocturnal raids over England in retaliation for 1943's RAF raid on Hamburg.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQeFHoQKt0M

DIETRICH PELTZ, THE YOUNG GENERAL

Dietrich Peltz was born on 9 June, 1914 in Gera, Turingen. He achieved a private pilot licence at the age of 18, and joined the newly-born Luftwaffe in 1935, graduating as a Leutnant and being subsequently posted to StG 162 "Immelman." In this unit he flew Henschel hs 123 before to convert to Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers. Renominated StG 2 in 1939, the unit participated in the invasion of Poland. Peltz flew 45 missions and was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd and 1st Class. Following the end of the campaign the pilot was chosen for conversion onto the Ju 88 "Wunderbomber", and moved to II./KG 77 in the summer of 1940.

Now an Oberleutnant, Peltz flew both daily and night mission during the Battle of Britain. To escape RAF fighter's attacks, he created his own tactic consisting of flying into the clouds and then turn sharply to the opposite direction to trick the pursuing fighters - he was able to do it thanks to his high skills in blind flying.

After 70 missions over Britain -130 since the beginning of the war-Peltz was awarded the Knight's Cross on 14 October 1940.

Promoted Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of II./KH 77, Peltz relocated to eastern front for the incoming operation Barbarossa in the spring of 1941. The Gruppe was assigned to the Northern Sector, flying missions against the Leningrad-Moscow railway lined, and participating in the siege of Leningrad. At the end of the year he was awarded the Oak Leaves, only the 46th member of Germany's Armed Forces to receive the decoration. 

In late 1941/early 1942, Peltz was given command of the Bomber Unit Commanders School in Foggia, Italy, training bomber commanders of all Luftwaffe Kampfgeschwader in the lates operational techniques, some of which he created himself. At the age of 28, he was considered the leading expert in bombing operations.

Luftwaffe units soon became overstrechted in various theatre of operations, as a result Peltz training units was converted into a new Gruppe, I./KG 66. The new formation was tasked of implementing the new tactics created and tested in its training duties, attacking Allied convoys with guided bombs such as the Fritz X and the Henschel Hs 293.

Promoted Oberstleutnat, Pelzt and his unit attacked Allied shipping in the Artic along the Murmansk route and in the Mediterranean following landings in North Africa and Sicily.

Peltz was then promoted Inspektor der Kampfflieger and given command of IX Fliegerkorps. The air corps consisted of KG 2, KG 6, II./KG 40, I. and II./SKG 210 plus a reconnaissance gruppe. On 23 July 1943 he received the Swords to the Knight's Cross.

In January 1944, at the age of 29, Dietrich Peltz was raised to the rank of General Major, and nominated Angriffuhrer fur England. Assuming command of bomber forces in Operation Steinbock, he carefully husbanded the small resources given to him and carried out the retaliatory attacks over England ordered by Hitler. The attacks were suspended in May after heavy losses and poor results. The Baby Blitz, as it was nicknamed, came almost four years after the 1940's Blitz; in 1944 RAF night defences were at their peak while Luftwaffe resources in the Western Front were overstretched - in some mission flying schools crews had to be use to reach operational numbers required.

In the Autumn of 1944 IX Fliegerkorps was disbanded, its pilots selected for conversion as fighter pilots while gunners sent to infantry units. Peltz became the commander of II. Jagdkorps which fought in the Ardennes.

At war's end,, Peltz was briefly held by the British. After being released in became a businessman in Germany and Spain, continuing to fly in his freetime. Dietrich Peltz died at the age of 87 in Munich on 10 August, 2001.

 AWARDS

Iron Cross 2nd class, 15 September 1939.

Iron Cross 1st class, 22 May 1940.

Knight's Cross, 14 October 1940.

Oak Leaves, 31 December 1941.

Swords, 23 July 1943.

Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe

Combine Pilot-Observation badge in gold with  diamonds.