The Goose Shoot
During the final weeks of the North African campaign in northern Tunisia, hazardous shipping left Axis forces increasingly dependent on large formations of three-engined Junkers Ju 52 transports and six-engined Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigants. Fighter escorts from Sicily landed and refuelled in Tunisia before accompanying the transports back home. Although the formations often passed through unopposed, they sometimes suffered losses to Allied fighters and bombers.
#82243BOXART STORY
During the final weeks of the North African
campaign in northern Tunisia, hazardous
shipping left Axis forces increasingly dependent
on large formations of three-engined Junkers
Ju 52 transports and six-engined Messerschmitt
Me 323 Gigants. Fighter escorts from Sicily landed
and refuelled in Tunisia before accompanying the
transports back home. Although the formations
often passed through unopposed, they sometimes
suffered losses to Allied fighters and bombers.
The largest engagement involving the transport
aircraft took place on 18 April 1943 - Palm Sunday,
or Palmsonntag in German. At around 10:00
German time, the first formation of Ju 52s arrived
at Tunis under the protection of Bf 109s from JG 53.
Their cargo was unloaded with remarkable speed.
Some of the escort fighters were occasionally
retained in Tunisia during the day, committed to
operations over the front and sent back to Sicily
only in the evening. This did not happen on this
occasion, however, and half an hour later the
Junkers transports and their escort departed for
Sicily. At 16:35, another formation of Ju 52s began
taking off from Sicily for Tunis, this time escorted
by 7./JG 53 and part of II./JG 27. The formation
landed safely in Africa shortly after 18:00 German
time. Again, within 30 minutes, the Junkers aircraft
were ready for the return flight. Their escort was
reinforced by two Bf 110s from III./ZG 76 and three
Me 210s from III./ZG 1.
Allied intelligence learned of the planned airlift
during the morning of 18 April. From late morning
onwards, the US 57
th
Fighter Group dispatched
patrols towards Tunis, but they returned empty-
handed throughout the day. In a final attempt,
shortly after 17:00 Allied time, the Americans
sent out 48 Curtiss P-40s of the 57
th
FG and
another 12 P-40s from the 324
th
FG. They operated
in conjunction with a dozen Spitfire Mk IXs of
No. 92 Squadron RAF, which provided high cover.
Near Cape Bon, the Americans encountered
65 Junkers transports flying low over the sea.
The Spitfires and some of the American fighters
engaged the German escort, while the remaining
P-40s fell upon the transports. Thirty-seven
Junkers aircraft crashed into the sea, while
another nine returned to Tunisia damaged.
The Ju 52s belonged to the transport units KGr.
zbV 1, KGr. zbV 600, KGr. zbV 800 and Tr.St. II.Fl.K,
the transport squadron of II Fliegerkorps.
The number of aircraft claimed by the Americans
was far higher, entirely understandable given the
circumstances of the engagement. There were
instances in which an American pilot took poor
aim and its burst missed the intended target, only
to strike another Junkers flying nearby. One pilot
later recalled having three Ju 52s in his gunsight
at the same moment.The transport aircraft were
arranged in V-shaped formations which resembled
wedges of geese, the spectacular action was
therefore immediately dubbed the “Goose Shoot”
by the press, although today it is better known as
the Palm Sunday Massacre. The box art depicts
the aircraft of Capt. James G. Curl of the 66
th
FS,
57
th
FG. Although officially a flight leader, Curl
led the entire American formation during the
mission and was the first to sight the Junkers
transports flying low over the sea in the gathering
dusk. He was credited with two Ju 52s and one
Bf 109 confirmed destroyed, as well as two Ju 52s
damaged. Shortly after, he was promoted to major
and assumed command of the 66
th
FS.
Once the Germans realised the scale of the
force confronting them, they dispatched additional
fighters from I. and II./JG 53, but they were
unable to prevent the massacre. After the battle,
the German fighter units were missing one pilot
from 4./JG 53, who disappeared during combat
with Curtiss P-40s near Zembra Island. Another
pilot, this time from II./JG 27, bailed out of his
Bf 109 in the same area after suffering engine
failure. Several Bf 109s returned to Tunis damaged.
At least one German twin-engined fighter plane
was lost.
Following the battle, the pilots of JG 53 claimed
five P-40s and one Spitfire destroyed. The
Americans lost six aircraft and at least three pilots
from the 324
th
FG. An NCO from II./JG 27 claimed
a Spitfire shot down south of Zembra Island.
A radio operator aboard one of the Junkers
transports was also credited with shooting down
an aircraft that he identified as a Buffalo.
The British high-cover formation claimed one
“Macchi C.202,” while the Americans concluded
their spectacular goose shoot with claims for
60 Ju 52s, 14 Messerschmitt Bf 109s and two
Bf 110s destroyed.
Before the end of the fighting in Africa, one
further engagement of a similar nature took place,
albeit on a smaller scale. South African pilots
flying P-40s inflicted heavy losses on a formation
of Messerschmitt Gigants.
Text: Jan Bobek
Illustration: Gareth Hector
The Goose Shoot
INFO Eduard28
August 2026