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Aviation History
1941
1941 - 0430.PDF
148 EBRUARY 20TH, 1941 \ WAR N and not an asset to Italy, and since the R.A.F. has estab- lished itself in Crete the Dodecanese have been isolated from Italy. There has been little or no chance of replenish- ing the petrol and oil supplies on the islands, and some of the latter actually depend on imports of drinking water. The Fleet Air Arm and the R.A.F. have made raids on them every now and again, but recently the attacks have grown more frequent and more heavy. This may indicate that the number of bombers in Crete has been increased. The Fight for Keren "FHE invasion of Eritrea is progressing, and a new invad- **• ing column of British troops has entered that colony from the north. The main interest of late has centred round the assault on Keren. This town stands on high ground and is strongly fortified. The Italians have reinforced the garrison and the task before our troops has not been simple. The Indian division or divisions, experienced in mountain warfare from their constant scrapping on the North-West Frontier, are just the right sort of troops to tackle such a job, and at the moment of writing they have fought their way up hills round the town. It is good to read that in this stiff fighting the infantry have received help from R.A.F. bombers, which can attack even lofty strong points from above. The bombers have also been interfering with the communications between Keren and Asmara, the capital. Stores in a wood near Keren were discovered and duly bombed. It is quite a far cry from Eritrea to Southern Abyssinia and Italian Somaliland, where another lively campaign of invasion is going on. It is there that the South African Air Force is operating. There is not an important aerodrome in Italian Somali- land and Southern Abyssinia which does not bear scars in- flicted by the South African Air Force during its first six months of intensive opera- tions. Since Italy entered the war, bombing squadrons of the S.A.A.F. have flown thousands of miles over featureless, desolate country, destroying hangars, adminis- trative buildings, wireless stations, fuel and ammuni- tion dumps, and wrecking and damaging enemy planes "on the deck." Innumer- able photographs confirm the FINISHED IN ENGLAND :A Junkers 87 dive-bombing Stuka which came unstuckafter an interview with some Spitfires. 800 vehicles, many night [ADE IN GERMANY : Overhaulingand refuelling a Junkers 86 K in ""*" the South African AirForce. damage that has been inflicted. As many as twenty major bombing opera- tions have taken place in one month. -One of the most ambitious raids carried out during August was when simultaneous offensive reconnaissances were made against all Italian aero- dromes within striking range o£ Kenya. , Nine days later, a m spectacular attack was carried out by waves of S.A.A.F. bombers, which dived on the main transport yard at Mogadiscio and set fire to more than Bomber squadrons have also carried out raids over this difficult flying country. Although they have not been in dog-fights such as occur over Germany, England and Northern Africa, pilots of the S.A.A.F. fighter squadrons have an impressive six months' record. tEver since the first Italian bomber was shot down in Kenya at Wajir on August 3, fighter aircraft have been successful in intercepting most of the bombing raids which the Italians have ventured to make over the vast northern frontier district. On October 25, three S 81s were engaged and shot down by three S.A.A.F. fighters, and one month later three Capronis were intercepted and two shot down, and a third believed damaged. Impressive as are the records of fighters and bombers, the outstanding feature of the S.A.A.F. 's six months in East Africa has been the work of Army Co-operation squadrons, which .daily make low," hazardous reconnais- sance and photographic flights over, enemy territory. Among their numerous duties, Army Co-operation squadrons include bombing and fighting. In the attack on El Wak, the success of which was largely due to the fact that air and land forces acted in perfect unison, it was the Army Co-operation squadron which shot down a Caproni before it had a chance to "lay its eggs." The outstanding successes of the South African Air Force during its operations in Africa show that its general organisa- tion is highly efficient and that the skill and courage of its pilots unquestionably entitle them to the highest praise. It seems that the numbers of the Greek flying corps have been growing of late, probably through the help of Britain. The Greek airmen have never lacked enterprise and
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