Date:	Wednesday 13 January 1943
Time:	16:15
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb
Owner/operator:	154 Sqn RAF
Registration:	ER571
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Bone airfield -   Algeria
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Bone airfield
Destination airport:

Narrative:
At 1600 hrs on 13 January 1943, the third mission of the day for III./SKG 10 began when 7 Fw 190s took off from Sidi Ahmed airfield, Tunisia, to attack ships in Bône harbour. The pilots were supposed to meet an escort from JG 53, but this did not happen, and they approached Bône on their own. Several Spitfires were spotted patrolling over the harbour, and without escort the fighter-bomber pilots chose to attack their secondary targets, positions near Djebel Abiod. They had no problems reaching this area, but strong winds prevented accurate and stable bombing runs, and only two of their SD 500 bombs hits within the designated target area. No anti-aircraft fire was encountered, and all Fw 190s returned to base at 1700 hrs.

As the German aircraft were reported approaching, 4 Spitfires of 154 Sqn RAF scrambled at 1615 hrs from Bône airfield, but Flg Off F D Rumble crashed on take-off, wrecking his Spitfire Vb and badly injuring himself. The serial of his aircraft his given as EE776 in the ORB, but this aircraft was still used by 152 Sqn in April 1943, and as EP571 in the AIR81 casualty file, but this aircraft was still used by 185 Sqn in March 1943. The Spitfire production list identifies this fighter as ER571, saying it hit a vehicle on take-off.

The 154 Sqn pilots were followed by more Spitfires from 4th FS, 52ns FG, USAAF, also based at Bône, and both units claimed one fighter shot down, a Fw 190 at Bône by Flt Lt A F Aikman of 154 Sqn and a Bf 109 in Cap Rosa area by 1st Lt Norman N V Bolle.

The latter almost certainly shot down the only German aircraft lost during this raid, the Bf 109 G-2/R1 WNr 10805 Black <+ of 3./JG 53. His pilot was Lt Wilhelm Crinius, an ace with 114 victories, including 100 in the Eastern Front in less than 4 months (from 9 June to 22 September 1942) and 14 in North Africa since 1st of December. He engaged Spitfires near La Calle (now El Kala), Algeria, but his fighter was hit and he was wounded in the thigh. Breaking off combat, he headed for his base but his engine then caught fire and he ditched in the sea. He spent 24 hours in the water before being rescued by French sailors and Arabs. After hospitalization for his wounds, Crinius became a prisoner of war and survived the war.

"Focke-Wulf 190 in North Arica", by Andrew Arthy and Morten Jessen, ISBN 1-903223-45-8, page 56
"A history of the Mediterranean Air War 1940-1945, vol 3 : Tunisia and the End in Africa November 19424 – May 1943", by Christopher Shores, Giovanni Massimello, Russel Guest, Frank Olynyk and Winfried Bock, ISBN 978-1-910690-00-0, page 251
"Die Jagdfliegerverbände der deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945, Teil 11/I", by Jochen Prien, Gerhard Stemmer, Peter Rodeike and Winfried Bock, ISBN 3-923457-95-3, pages 401 & 473
ORB of 154 Sqn RAF, January 1943 (AIR 27/1034-20 and 1034-21)
ORB of 152 Sqn RAF, April 1943 (AIR 27/1025-54)
ORB of 185 Sqn RAF, March 1943 (AIR 27/1140-30)
http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/_prodn%20list.txt
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Crinius
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabah_Bitat_Airport
https://wikimapia.org/#lang=fr&lat=36.829167&lon=7.813889&z=14&m=w

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
29-Sep-2023 10:47	Laurent Rizzotti	Updated