Country
code

Sicily

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-20-DL off Scoglitti: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 10, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
42-23492
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
9354
YOM:
1943
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
While taking part to the invasion of Sicily during the 'Husky 1' operation, just after that all paratroopers jumped, the aircraft was shot down by anti-aircraft fire and crashed into the sea off Scoglitti. All four crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Shot down by anti-aircraft fire.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-30-DL in Gela: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jul 10, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
42-23646
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Kairouan - Kairouan
MSN:
9508
YOM:
1943
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
While taking part to the invasion of Sicily during the 'Husky 1' operation, just after that all paratroopers jumped, the aircraft was shot down by anti-aircraft fire and crashed in a field. All five crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Shot down by anti-aircraft fire.

Crash of a Douglas C-53D-DO in Gela: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 9, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
42-68761
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
11688
YOM:
1943
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
While taking part to the invasion of Sicily during the 'Husky 1' operation, just after that all paratroopers jumped, the aircraft was shot down by anti-aircraft fire and crashed in a field. All four crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Shot down by anti-aircraft fire.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-10-DL near Gela: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 9, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
42-23366
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
9228
YOM:
1943
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
While taking part to the Sicily invasion, the aircraft was shot down by anti-aircraft fire and crashed 6,5 km northeast of Gela. All four crew members from the 32nd TCS were killed.
Probable cause:
Shot down by anti-aircraft fire.

Crash of a Savoia-Marchetti SM.75 in Castelvetrano: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 7, 1943 at 2300 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
I-MOLE
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Tunis - Castelvetrano
MSN:
32070
YOM:
1939
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
32
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The aircraft left Tunis Airport in the early evening bound for Castelvetrano with wounded soldiers on board. At that time, the aircraft was heavily loaded. On a night approach to Castelvetrano, weather conditions were poor with low clouds and rain falls. The first approach was abandoned by the captain because he was unable to locate the runway due to poor visibility. The approach lights of the aircraft were out of order at that time. During the second approach, the aircraft was properly aligned with the runway but the speed was too high (160 km/h). During the last segment, the captain reduced the engine power to idle when the aircraft plunged and hit the runway surface. The right wing caught fire and the aircraft went out of control and crashed. Four soldiers (three Germans and one French) were killed while all 33 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed by fire.
Crew:
Ten Alfredo Bonsignore, pilot,
Sgt Ugo Antonellini, pilot,
Sgt Armando Marchetti, flight engineer,
Sgt Beniamino Valobra, radio navigator,
Sgt Pietro Punzi, air gunner.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-CO Liberator off Messina: 8 killed

Date & Time: Feb 8, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
41-11602
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
98
YOM:
1941
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
While overflying the Mediterranean Sea off Sicily, the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances into the Mediterranean Sea off Messina. SAR operations did not find any trace of the aircraft nor the eight crew members.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-CO Liberator off Messina

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
41-11603
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
MSN:
99
YOM:
1941
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While flying along the Italian shore, the aircraft was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea off Messina. The crew fate remains unknown while the aircraft christened 'Malicious' was lost.

Crash of a Savoia-Marchetti SM.75TP off Sicily

Date & Time: Mar 28, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
I-BURA
Flight Phase:
Schedule:
Tripoli - Rome
MSN:
32040
YOM:
1939
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route from Tripoli to Rome, the three engine airplane was shot down and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Sicily. The occupant's fate remains unknown.
Probable cause:
Shot down.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A-4 off Sicily: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 23, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
M7+CL
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
1516
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
While on a combat mission, the airplane was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea off Sicily. A crew was killed, two were missing and a fourth was rescued.
Crew:
Fw Herbert Augustin, pilot, †
Uffz Rolf Seydel, observer, †
Uffz Hans Masruschart, radio operator, †
Uffz Alfred Kassner, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A-4 off Sicily: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 23, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
M7+DL
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
1647
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
While on a combat operation, the airplane was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea off Sicily. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Lt Hermann Damaske, pilot,
Uffz Paul Winkler, radio operator,
Uffz Alois Eder, observer,
Uffz Johann Huppert, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.