Operation Flax Operation Flax was a Western Allied air operation executed during the Battle of Tunisia and North African Campaign of the Second World War . The operation was designed to cut the air supply lines between Italy and the Axis armies in Tunis , Tunisia , in April 1943 . The parallel Allied naval effort was Operation " Retribution " . In November 1942 , the Americans landed in North Africa under Operation " Torch " . The United States Army and Navy overran Vichy French Morocco and Algeria and advanced into Tunisia . The danger for the Axis Powers was now apparent . The Allied forces advancing eastward and the British 8th Army advancing westward after the victory at the Second Battle of El Alamein , would trap and destroy the remaining Axis forces in North Africa . In response to the crisis , and the poor state of Axis forces , reinforcements for the German " Afrika Korps " , Italian Army and " Luftwaffe " were dispatched by sea and air . These reinforcements duly staved off an immediate defeat in Tunisia , the last region still in Axis hands . The poor state of the roads and rail lines in Algeria meant that Allied forces faced difficult logistic challenges which enabled the Axis to prolong a defence . The inexperience of U . S . forces was also apparent at the Battle of the Kasserine Pass . Nevertheless , the growing number and experience of Allied forces squeezed the Axis toward the northern tip of Tunisia . The Royal Air Force ( RAF ) and Royal Navy operating from Malta took a heavy toll of Axis shipping . However , Axis supplies were still reaching the besieged " Afrika Korps " by air . By early April , large quantities of Axis manpower was also being evacuated by air . Although the Allies held air superiority by this time , " Luftwaffe " transports were operating with impunity during darkness . In order to prevent this the Allied Air Forces , the RAF and the United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF ) — were ordered to conduct operations against Axis air power by day and night in order to prevent their resupply or withdrawal . Owing to bad weather and the need to gather intelligence , the operation , codenamed " Flax " , did not begin until 5 April . Although the Axis put up determined resistance and large scale air battles took place , the Allied Air Forces succeeded in destroying the aerial link between Axis - held Sicily and Italy . During the course of the interdiction operation , an air battle known as the 18 April " Palmsonntag Massaker " ( " Palm Sunday Massacre " ) took place , in which the German Junkers Ju 52 transport fleets suffered heavy losses over Cape Bon , while evacuating " Heer " forces escaping from the Allied ground offensive Operation " Vulcan " . The air operation continued until 27 April . The operation destroyed Axis logistical support . Along with the attempted airlift during the Battle of Stalingrad , Operation Flax inflicted such grievous losses on the German transport fleets that they were unable to recover . Background . Strategic situation . The Axis campaign in North Africa was characterised by a lack of consistent concentrated logistics support to their forces in the field . The failure was one of the primary reasons that " Generalfeldmarschall " ( Field Marshal ) Erwin Rommel could not win a decisive breakthrough against the British 8th Army throughout 1941 — 1942 . Rommel , at points , had recognised Malta as a serious obstacle to Axis logistical lines between Axis - held Europe and their forces in North Africa . Malta lay across their lines of communication and , despite being under siege for two and a half years , it remained an active base for Allied naval and air forces to interdict Axis supply lines for much of this period . Yet Rommel failed to apply enough pressure on the " Oberkommando der Wehrmacht " ( German High Command , OKW ) to launch a planned invasion of the island , Operation " Herkules " . Although Malta became largely ineffective as an offensive base in mid 1942 , later that same year the Allied offensive from Malta became increasingly effective . The Axis defeat at the Second Battle of El Alamein and the Allied landings , Operation " Torch " , in Western North Africa , threatened to crush the Axis from both East and West . The Germans responded by sending reinforcements to Africa through Vichy - held Tunisia , but by the start of 1943 they were suffering increasing shipping losses to Malta ' s forces . Some respite was won for the Axis when the Allies lost the " Run for Tunis " in part owing to rapid German reactions and the difficulty in supplying their armies through the poor Algerian infrastructure . By early 1943 , the Axis had numerical superiority in aircraft ; 690 to the Allies ' 480 . But for the Axis , the interdiction campaign from Malta caused chronic supply shortages in Africa . By April 1943 , the Allied armies had pushed the supply - starved Axis forces to the northern tip of Tunisia , near its capital Tunis . Despite the desperate situation , the OKW continued to send in significant reinforcement and supply tonnage to the besieged Axis forces by air . To prevent prolonged resistance , the Allies , now aware of the German supply timetables through the use of British Ultra , launched an aerial offensive to destroy this link . It was due to begin in the last week of March 1943 , but bad weather over Tunisia meant that it could not begin until 5 April . Axis supply situation . The situation in the air , on land and at sea was gradually deteriorating . Axis supply ships had suffered heavy losses between Cape Bon and Sicily . A total of 67 % of all losses were to Allied aircraft . Theo Osterkamp was appointed " Jagdführerflieger Sizilien " ( Fighter Leader Sicily ) to fly over the area , nicknamed " Death Row " , by Axis shipping . On 7 April 1943 , the organisation was given 148 fighter s for these operations . The " Luftwaffe " reorganised its forces in Tunisia as well . Hans Seidemann was appointed " Fliegerkorps Tunis " ( Flying Corps Tunisia ) with three commands , " Fliegerführer Tunis " ( Flying Leader Tunis ) , " Mitte " ( Middle ) and " Gabès " , after its headquarters ′ location . Siedmann had the equivalent of 12 " Gruppen " ( 12 Groups ) and maintained around 300 fighters until mid - April . The German fighter defences also benefited from a rudimentary radar supported early - warning network . " Generalmajor " ( Major General ) Ulrich Buchholz — " Geschwaderkommodore " ( Wing Commander ) of KGzbV 3 — was appointed " Lufttransportführer II , Mittelmeer " ( Air Transport Leader II , Mediterranean Sea ) on 15 January 1943 . His forces were organised under the Naples - based KGzbV N ( N for " Neapel " , or Naples ) and the Trapani - based KGzbV S . KGzbV S had to make two missions a day , KGzbV S only one . The formations would be between 80 — 120 aircraft strong . Operations were to be flown at only in altitude , arriving around noon in order to operate during the Allied " lunch " period . The units — operating mostly the Junkers Ju 52 , brought in 90 tonnes daily and the giant Messerschmitt Me 323 s brought some 30 tonnes with their fewer numbers . The logistical effort was made using Indian prisoners of war , who helped unload supplies . The operational method usually involved escort fighter s picking up the formation on route . Only one fighter aircraft for every five transports was made available owing to various shortages . The Naples units were met near Trapani , and on the return leg fighters , including Bf 110 " Zerstörer ] ] " , escorted them home . The end of the airlifts at Stalingrad and in the Kuban allowed the expansion of Axis transport aircraft to 185 by 10 March . By the beginning of April , it rose to 426 . The force flew much needed ammunition and fuel to the Axis armies in Africa . Allied plan . James H . Doolittle commanding Northwest African Strategic Air Force ( NASAF ) was ordered to formulate an air interdiction campaign . He named it Operation Flax . Operation Flax called for Allied fighters to intercept the aerial convoys over the Sicily — Tunisia strait . Allied units were also briefed to carry out major offensive operations against Axis airfields in Tunisia and the overcrowded staging fields in Sicily . They were also ordered to carry out anti — shipping sweeps . Flax was an operation which was unlikely to work more than a few times , as shown by the relative impunity with which the surviving Axis air transports operated at night after the operation had begun . The flight time across the Strait of Sicily was so short that aerial interception could be made only with precise intelligence . The Germans understood this but did not know that their communications had been compromised and were being read by Allied intelligence . Ignorant of their intelligence leaks , they operated by day . Since their enemy had the option of flying by night , and the weather conditions were not ideal for interception operations , the Allies delayed the implementation of Operation Flax until the most German transport aircraft were in operation so that the blow would be as decisive as possible . Allied intelligence listened in to the Y - stations until they were sure they could strike . The tactical plan included coordinated strikes on Axis airfields carried out by Boeing B - 17 Flying Fortress groups to tie down Axis fighter groups . Medium bomber units operating the North American B - 25 Mitchell would fly sweeps over the Gulf of Tunis . They were to be joined by Lockheed P - 38 Lightning heavy fighters which were also detailed to sweep the area . The presence of the B - 25s would allow the P - 38s to operate in the area without raising the Axis suspicions . It would seem as if they were there to escort the B - 25s , rather than their actual intention , to interdict Axis air transports . Supermarine Spitfire units would sweep the straits further north , catching any enemy aircraft that evaded the P - 38s . More B - 25 and B - 17 units were detailed to strike at Sicilian airfields to catch transports on the ground . The USAAF 9th Air Force was detailed to send its Consolidated B - 24 Liberator bomb groups against airfields in and around Naples in this capacity as well . On 2 April Doolittle ' s superiors , supreme commander of all Allied Air Forces in the Mediterranean , Arthur Tedder and commander of Allied Air Forces in Western North Arica Carl Spaatz , decided to wait for the next suitable window to launch the offensive . Order of battle . Allied . The Allied order of battle involved all the major commands in the area at the time . The Supreme Allied Air Force Command was the Mediterranean Air Command ( MAD ) under Air Chief Marshal Arthur Tedder . Below the supreme command were the sector organisations , the Northwest African Air Forces ( NAAF ) commanded by Carl Spaatz . Directly subordinated to Spaatz was the Northwest African Strategic Air Force ( NASAF ) under James H . Doolittle . The second command was the operational / tactical force , the Northwest African Tactical Air Force ( NATAF ) under Air Marshal Arthur Coningham . Axis . Martin Harlinghausen commanded " Fliegerkorps " II ( Air Cops II ) which , under " Luftflotte " 2 ( Air Fleet 2 ) , controlled " Luftwaffe " operations in Africa . Attached to " Fliegerkorps " II were seven different " Kampfgeschwader " ( Bomber Wings ) under the Corps command ′ s direct control . A large number of " Jagdgeschwader " ( Fighter Wings ) were also available . The " Luftwaffe " had the following forces available in April 1943 : Theo Osterkamp commanded " Jagdfliegerführer Sizilien " : Commanded by Wolfgang von Wild : Commanded by Hans Seidemann : Commanded by Walter Hagen " X . Fliegerkorps " under the command of Alexander Holle : " Lufttransportführer II , Mittelmeer " ( Transport Leader Middle Sea ) commanded by Ulrich Buchholz : American operations . Closing the straits . At 06 : 30 on 5 April , 26 P - 38s of the U . S . 1st Fighter Group conducted a sweep over the Sicilian Strait . Meanwhile , 18 B - 25s of the 321st Bomb Group — escorted by 32 P - 38s of the 82nd Fighter Group — set out on a maritime interdiction operation . Six of the P - 38s returned to base for unrecorded reasons . The B - 25s claimed two ferries damaged and a destroyer sunk . One B - 25 was shot down . The 1st Group arrived over Cape Bon at 08 : 00 . They reported contact with several formations of different types . They estimated 50 — 70 Ju 52s , 20 Bf 109s , four Fw 190s , six Ju 87s and a Fw 189 formed these flights . In fact , the German formation had only 31 Ju 52s , ten Bf 109s , six to seven Bf 110s , four Ju 87s and one Fw 190 in it . The U . S . fighters attacked and a large air battle developed . The 82nd Fighter Group also joined in . The 1st Fighter Group claimed 11 Ju 52s , two Ju 87s , two Bf 109s and the Fw 189 for two P - 38s lost . The 82nd claimed seven Ju 52s , three Ju 87s , three Bf 109s , one Bf 110 and one Me 210 for four P - 38s . Losses are uncertain , and a significant amount of over claiming was done . In fact , German losses amounted to 13 — 14 Ju 52s and about three fighters . Another source states the loss of 13 Ju 52s and two Bf 109s , from 5 . / JG 27 . Bomber offensive . Later , 18 B - 17s from the 97th Bomb Group bombed Axis airfields at El Aounina . Two Me 323s , two Ju 52s and five Italian transports were destroyed . A second mission was flown to Sid Ahmed . Both raids were flown with Spitfire escorts . Only a few German fighters intercepted without success . The bombers claimed one German fighter destroyed . One hour later , 35 B - 25s from the 310th Bomb Group and 18 P - 38s from the 82nd Fighter Group raided Axis airfields in Sicily near Borizzo . Some 80 — 90 Axis aircraft were counted , poorly camouflaged and vulnerable . The attack achieved good results with fragmentation bombs . They were intercepted by 15 Bf 109s , losing two B - 25s . The bombers claimed three Bf 109s while the P - 38s claimed two of the German fighters . The 301st Bomb Group attacked Milo airfield , claiming 52 destroyed on the ground . Actual Axis losses were 13 German and eight Italian aircraft destroyed with 11 German and 30 Italian aircraft damaged . Some 72 B - 17s of the 99th Bomb Group bombed the airfield at Bocca di Falco . They claimed to have seen 100 — 150 aircraft , but the raid only destroyed four Axis aircraft and damaged several . Spitfires claimed two Bf 109s for two losses . Two sweeps by P - 38 groups found nothing further . The NASAF claimed 201 Axis aircraft destroyed including 40 in the air . German sources only list the loss of 14 Ju 52s in aerial combat and 11 Ju 52s and Me 323s on the ground with 67 damaged . Aside from combat aircraft , the British Official History concludes 27 German and three Italian transports were lost on 5 April . Fighter offensive . The Operation Flax attacks merged into the preparatory phase of the Sicilian Campaign as air attacks were also helping to erode air defences on the island . While Flax continued on a smaller scale , the emphasis was on fighter operations . On 10 April , Flax was renewed . Some 75 P - 38s of the 1st Fighter Group intercepted 20 Italian Savoia - Marchetti SM . 82 and around six Macchi C . 200 s . The battle resulted in 10 transports and two Italian fighters being shot down . Later that morning , 27 P - 38s of the 82nd Fighter Group were escorting 18 B - 25s of the 310th Bomb Group over Cape Bon when 30 Ju 52s were spotted with two Bf 110s , two Ju 87s and just three Ju 88s with them . At first , 11 P - 38s stayed with the B - 25s acting as escort , but then the bombers joined in , flying past the transports and firing on them using their gunners . Around 15 Bf 109s were scrambled from Tunisia to help the transports and they destroyed one P - 38 and damaged three more . However , the Germans had already suffered heavy losses . One P - 38 pilot was killed when he flew into a Bf 110 and some B - 25s were shot up . The Americans claimed 25 victories . The Germans lost 10 Ju 52s , one Ju 88 , one Bf 109 and one Bf 110 . Some Ju 52s managed to ditch and their crews survived . A Spitfire patrol later shot down four more Ju 52s . It is likely the Bf 110s " spotted " in the formation were actually Me 210 s from " Zerstörergeschwader " 1 . RAF and USAAF units also downed a SG 2 Fw 190 on a ferry flight , and another from SKG 210 . An SG 2 Hs 129 was also shot down while another Ju 88 from III . / KG 77 was also shot down . On 11 April , the 82nd ran into 20 Ju 52s , four Ju 88s , four Bf 110s and seven Bf 109s . The Americans claimed all of the Ju 52s and seven escorts . Actual German and Americans losses are unclear . In the afternoon , 20 of the 82nd ran into 30 unescorted Ju 52s . The transports fought back , losing only five and shooting down one P - 38 . Its pilot was killed . The day ' s total amounted to 17 Ju 52s , one SM . 82 and two Bf 110s destroyed . The RAF had also been involved in the day ' s operations . No . 152 Squadron RAF sent 34 Spitfires to intercept 12 Ju 52s escorted by a handful of Bf 109s . Three Ju 52s were shot down for the loss of two Spitfires , both claimed by Wolfgang Tonne of I . / JG 53 . The German units reported no losses . The day had been bad for the " Luftwaffe " . Losses amounted to 18 Ju 52s ; four belonged to III . / KG . z . b . V 1 . Raids by RAF Vickers Wellington bombers continued during the night . Ju 88 night fighters from NJG 2 downed two Wellingtons . The results of the raids are not known . On 13 April , B - 17s from the 97th and 301st Bomb Groups bombed Sicilian airfields at Castelvetrano and Trapani . The Italians lost 11 SM . 82s destroyed and 16 damaged on the ground . At Trapani the Germans lost eight aircraft and 40 damaged for the loss of two B - 17s to the island ' s fighter defences consisting of Bf 109s from JG 27 . Battles over the airfields in the afternoon were inconclusive , costing the Axis one Ju 88 from II . / KG 26 and the Allies an RAF a Spitfire from No . 232 Squadron RAF . That night , air raids killed four German fighter pilot s from I . / JG 53 while two Ju 88s from II . / NJG 2 and III . / KG 76 were lost . British operations . Early sweeps . On 12 April , the RAF Desert Air Force took command over most of the Operation Flax operations . The RAF used sea - looking radar . However , the use of it was not all advantageous as the German formations flew low . The considerable ranges stretched the P - 40 and Spitfires to the limit . The British spread their forces more thinly to maintain continuous coverage . However , on 16 April , 13 Spitfires ran into a large formation of Axis aircraft . The Spitfires shot down seven SM . 82s and a Bf 109 for the loss of two . German fighters claimed three Spitfires . One of the two actual victims was Wing Commander Ian Gleed of No . 244 Wing RAF . Gleed was possibly the victim of a " Leutnant " Ernst - Wilhelm Reinert of " 4 Staffel " JG 77 . At the time of his death Gleed had 14 victories . This near - disaster meant small operations were abandoned . From that point on missions consisted of three P - 40 squadrons covered by one Spitfire squadron . Later on the 16 April , in a small - scale counter - attack , eight SKG 10 Fw 190s escorted by 16 Bf 109s of JG 27 led an attack on Allied airfields near Souk el Khemis . They destroyed six A - 20 Havoc bombers . The next day , 17 April , II . / ZG 26 several Bf 110s were shot down by No . 260 Squadron RAF P - 40s on offensive operations . In response , the American 97th Bomb Group dispatched seven B - 17s covered by 40 P - 38s to bomb Palermo airfields . A large air battle developed when 30 Bf 110s and Bf 109s from ZG 26 and JG 27 intercepted . The Bf 110s attacked the bombers while the JG 27 Bf 109s tackled the escort . The Germans claimed five bombers and one fighter for the loss of one Bf 109 . Actual Allied losses are unknown . Palm Sunday Massacre . The patrols failed to intercept any formations of transports on the afternoon of the 18 April . In the evening , the Ninth Air Force ' s 57th Fighter Group sent out all of its squadrons , including the 314th Squadron of the 324th Fighter Group , under its command . The 57th had already flown unproductive sorties in the afternoon . Still , 47 USAAF P - 40s arrived in the sweep area with 12 Spitfires from No . 92 Squadron RAF . The Spitfires flew high cover at while the P - 40s stayed at around . Soon enough , a large formation of 30 Ju 52 were reported by Allied pilots at an altitude of only flying north east on a return flight . Actually , the numbers were 65 Ju 52s , 16 Axis fighters and five Bf 110s . As the Allied fighters began their attacks , the passengers fired machine gun s out of the Junkers ′ windows in desperation to fend off the attack . In the air battle that followed , six P - 40s and a Spitfire were shot down . The Americans claimed 146 victories , which was later reduced to 58 or 59 Ju 52s , 14 Macchi C . 202s and Bf 109s and two to four Bf 110s . Actual German losses were 24 Ju 52s along with 10 fighters . It is also possible some Italian fighters were shot down as well . Along with the 24 Ju 52s destroyed , another 35 were damaged and managed to crash - land all along the Sicilian coastline . The battle became known as the " Palm Sunday Massacre " . The German fighter casualties amounted to nine Bf 109s and one Bf 110 . Continuation of offensive . The following day , No . 7 Wing SAAF shot down another 16 Italian SM . 82s . The ease with which they caught fire led the Allied pilots to believe they were carrying precious fuel cargoes . Among those units involved were No . 54 Squadron SAAF , No . 2 Squadron SAAF . Another source gives Axis losses as 10 destroyed and four crash landed . On 22 April , the South African No . 7 Wing sent out 36 P - 40s which intercepted a well escorted Italian formation . The South Africans claimed 12 Ju 52s , two SM 79s , a Ju 87 towing a glider , a Reggiane Re . 2001 , two Bf 109s and a Ju 88 for the loss of five Spitfires and three P - 40s . Known Axis losses were 12 SM . 79s and a Macchi C . 202 ; RAF Spitfires flying from Malta downed another two transports . Later , a flight made in daylight cost the Axis 16 or 17 Me 323 transports destroyed , plus a Macchi C . 202 , three German fighters and a Re - 2001 , when they were intercepted by 36 Australian , British and South African P - 40s covered by South African , British and Polish Spitfire units . Four P - 40s were lost and one Spitfire had to force land . The main combatants in the battles were No . 1 Squadron SAAF , No . 112 Squadron RAF , No . 450 Squadron RAAF , I . / JG 27 and II . / JG 27 . Göring ordered that no more transport flights be made . Albert Kesselring complained that this would deny the Axis forces vital supplies , and Göring once again permitted flights . This time they were to travel via Sardinia , but no more than 60 - 70 flights would be allowed per night ; some 250 had been mounted daily before Flax . The transports also had to run the gauntlet of radar - equipped Bristol Beaufighter s , but these rarely were successful at intercepting them . One last Allied effort was made by 70 B - 24 Liberator s , which bombed airfields around Bari in Italy . Some 54 German aircraft were destroyed and 13 damaged on the ground . The USAAF units claimed 50 . Aftermath . The aerial operation had a considerable effect in strangling Axis logistics . The supplies reaching Axis units dwindled , and the Axis armies and air units remaining in Tunisia gradually ran out of fuel , ammunition and other supplies . Having lost most of its airbases , the " Luftwaffe " also evacuated most of its units . By early May 1943 , only the Italian fighter units , and one German " Gruppen " ( I . JG 77 ) , remained as the Axis held on to a narrow strip of African coastline near Tunis . Allied air superiority was so overwhelming , that " Luftwaffe " personnel climbed into fighter fuselages , or squeezed into the cockpits of Bf 109s alongside the pilot rather than risk flying in transport aircraft . Most ground crew and pilots attempted to escape this way . Flying large numbers of personnel in one go and by transport was too dangerous ; 16 personnel were killed in a crash on 29 or 30 April . The last transport missions were flown on 4 May , in which 117 tons of fuel and ammunition was brought in . Some supply drops were attempted ( by II . / " Kampfgeschwader 1 " ) , but most of the remaining signals , " FlaK " , transport and administrative staff left were captured when the campaign ended on 13 May 1943 .