FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1941
1941 - 1359.PDF
JUNE 19TH, 1941. FLIGHT \ ¥(/p in Syria Invaded : Assab \ Captured : Enemy Supply Ships Raided \ TIE German infiltration intoSyria, with the scarcely con-cealed connivance of the men oi Vichy, created a very difficult position for Britain. The Germans evidently wanted to drive Vichy into open hos- tilities against us, and we had no desire to play the German game, but we could not allow Syria to fall into German hands. So an Allied force, with a large proportion of Free French, together with British, Australian and Indian troops, crossed the frontier and advanced inland. The Royal Navy lay off the coast, and the Royal Air Force flew overhead. The French forces, mostly Senegalese and African Spahi cavalry, opposed our advance in places, and at one spot on the coast road the FrencH Foreign Legion re- sisted stoutly. All this resistance was overcome, and many of the prisoners expressed their sympathy with the Allied cause. Enemy aircraft attempted to bomb our motor transport south of Damascus, but our fighters drove them off. At night other enemy machines from the base at Aleppo, which was controlled by the Germans, made a prolonged attack on Haifa, and did some damage. One was shot down by A.A. and others were damaged. But while the German machines were re- turning to Aleppo, British bombers arrived over the aerodrome and pro- ceeded to make bomb craters in the flare path on which the enemy were landing. Bombs also fell among air- craft on the ground, and several fires ^fcpke out. ^^The enemy also tried to attack British warships off the Syrian coast, but lost five machines in the process. The R.A.F. continued to raid Ben- ghazi and other points along the coast of Cyrenaica. In one raid six enemy machines were burnt out on the ground at Gazala, and eight more were wholly destroyed at Derna. Another objective has been Rhodes, which has become more of a menace to us now that Crete is in enemy hands. The Fleet Air Arm has raided Tripoli. Enemy Shipping Sunk In the Northern area of war one olthe main features of late has been the toll taken by the R.A.F.. of enemy * supply ships. During the month ol * May British forces have (so the PrimeMinister has told us) sunk something like three-quarters of the tonnagewhich the enemy has sunk of ours. IT'S AN ILL WIND ... A Middle East Hurricane undergoing a general tittivation.The D.H. airscrew is having the sand removed and the unorthodox air intake houses a Vokes air cleaner to protect the engine. The figure 100 on the leading edgeindicates the octane value of the fuel used. The following special Order of theDay has been sent by the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Bomber Com-mand, to the Air Officer Commanding a bomber Group which is engaged indaylight offensive against enemy ship- ping and coastal targets : — " On March 12 the squadrons underyour command began their vigorous day offensive both against land targetsand the shipping of the enemy from Norway to the Mediterranean. Sincethat date no fewer than 83 enemy ships have been destroyed, 18 severelydamaged or disabled, whilst a further 54 have sustained some damage.Severe damage and casualties have also been been inflicted on the enemyboth in German and occupied terri- tory. The success of these attacks liesin the daring and resolution which have gone to their making. In theabsence of cloud cover or fighter pro- tection the formidable defences of theenemy have been overborne by fine airmanship and high courage. I wishyou to convey to all those who have contributed to the success of theseoperations, whether they be in the North Sea, the Atlantic or the Medi-terranean, my warm congratulationson the magnitude of their achievements. To the captains and crews in particu-lar 'Well done'." With the spring and the comingbetter weather, more ships were cer- tain to begin creeping along the coast,taking food to Germany from the in- vaded countries and war supplies frorr.Germany to the bases from which she attacks Britain. By this route, whichrelieves the overloaded railways be- tween Germany and the west, oilwould go to the submarine bases on the coast of France and produce seizedfrom conquered farm lands would re- turn. Along the coasts of Denmarkand Norway there would be the same exchange of goods for the sole benefitof Germany. Along more than 1,650 miles of coastline, from Sogne Fjordin Norway to Bordeaux on the Atlan- tic coast of France, from dawn todark, the enemy have never known where or when the R.A.F. wouldstrike. The certain loss of 83 shipu and severe damage to 18 others is onlypart of the toll which these attacks have levied on the Germans. The strain on the enemy's railwaysremains, and he, has had to make new efforts to protect his convoys, divert-ing many fighter aircraft and anti-air- craft guns in an attempt to corntsr
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
