An ULTRA intercept of 7 Dec 41 reports on message intercepted in Rhodes. It refers to a sub being attacked by a Sunderland. Any information about the sub and/or the plane involved would be most welcome. The message is below:

AM WH199    MEDITERRANEAN     CX/MSS/ZTPI/2869

        AIR OPERATIONS    (501/5)

Following partly illegible message seen at Rhodes on morning of 4/12:-

“…………… for damage to forward ballast tank, hydrophone (?) and aerial R…. by machine gun bullets received on the night 1/2 December during a combat with an aircraft type Sunderland. We replied with gun and machine gun fire. The aircraft is to be considered almost certainly brought down. The verification of damage is being carried out.

(A) as far as legible.

GB/EHM    0321/7/12/41+++

Pse insert ‘R’ afer ‘aerial’ line 2

OK at THKS 0321 Hrs AM

Was this a German or Italian sub? I don’t think any Sunderlands were lost, apart from the quite famous case of the Malta Sunderland shot down by two Bf 110s of ZG 26 (see this link).

Any info would be much appreciated.