Taken from Wiki, because I'm too lazy to spend any serious time writing something tangible. This information is verified...
On April 22 1943 a formation of 27 fully laden Me 323s being escorted across the Sicilian Straits by Bf 109s from JG 27 was intercepted by seven squadrons of Spitfires and P-40s, with the loss of 21 Me 323s.[3] Three of the P-40s were shot down by the escorts.[4]
In terms of aircraft design, the Me 323 was actually very resilient, and could absorb a huge amount of enemy fire, unless loaded with barrels with fuel – the Afrika Korps' nicknames of Leukoplastbomber ("Elastoplast bomber") or even more derisively as the "adhesive tape bomber," were somewhat unfair. The Me 323 was something of a "sitting duck," being so slow and large an aircraft. However, no transport aircraft can ever be expected to survive without air superiority or at least, comprehensive local air cover, and it is believed that no Me 323s survived in service beyond summer 1944.
