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Aviation History
1960
1960 - 0433.PDF
«- "* " " 433FLIGHT, 1950 Followed by a sandstorm of its own making, a Beverley taxiss-in at Tmimi. Below, four Scottish Aviation Pioneers at various stages of landing, unloading and take-off at the 310yd Angel strip. Bottom, a Westland Whirlwind picks up a load; the handlers wear dust-masks ment with passengers in boom; RAF Task Force personnel andequipment. Phase 2, D-day to D +10. Strategic airlift of main force from UKto El Adem. Twenty-nine Britannia sorties carrying 3,190 men, each with 801b of kit. Thirty-six Hastings sorties for 72 Army Land-Rovertrailer combinations and drivers. Seven Beverley sorties for special loads. Totals included 4,061 men, 115 vehicles with loads, 21 specialvehicles, two helicopters and 50 tons of freight. Movement of personnel, stores and equipment from El Ademup to Tmimi was made exclusively by 12 Beverleys, which operated with an 87 per cent serviceability rate. By D+9 they had trans-ported, in 194 sorties under appalling conditions of sandstorm and rutted airstrip, 3,329 Army and 272 RAF personnel, 370vehicles, 272 trailers, 40 guns and 1,546,5591b of freight. On a seven-day maintenance basis, plus three days' reserve, thetask was to move 1,425 tons from El Adem to Tmimi, where 697 tons stayed (375 tons reserve, 161 tons of fuel for the Pioneers andWhirlwinds and 161 tons of stores for local issue). This left 728 tons to be moved to the forward troops.The load capabilities of the various aircraft employed were: Twin Pioneer, 2,4001b; Pioneer, 1,0001b; Whirlwind, 1,0001b;Beverley, 12 one-ton containers; Hastings, 28 panniers of 3501b each. At the strategic base, El Adem, the loads were carefullypacked on pallets (each carrying two 1,0001b loads) in order that they could be handled by Massey-Ferguson farm tractors adaptedas fork-lift vehicles. At Tmimi, the tactical base, the Westland Whirlwinds could pick up one of these 1,0001b loads on its palletand deliver it direct to the forward troops. The Pioneers had, of course, to be loaded in the ordinary manner. For the Beverleys to drop supplies in the forward areas a new2,0001b container, a skeleton of nylon webbing, has been developed. Sandbags filled with straw were used as shock-dampers, but it isexpected that paperboard honeycomb will ultimately provide better shock-insulation for such purposes. A typical load was33 Jerricans, filled with water. The parachute canopy used is of 42ft diameter, weighing 901b and valued at £300. So much for the logistics. Now let us consider the battle. Animaginary country, Deleria, friendly but defenceless, is threatened by its neighbour Taffiya, which is aggressive and has some first-class equipment, but only second-rate ability to use it. Because of the need to bring all arms and supplies by air, the Delerians(1st Guards Brigade and ancillary units) were all on light scale; fnany of the vehicles were Land-Rovers, and their guns weretowed by three-ton lorries. Offensive aircraft comprised six Hunters on a "cab rank," aided for two days by four Naval aircraftflown off the carrier HMS Albion. There was no Naval content at Joint HQ, the carrier's fighters being picked up and directed°V the forward controllers. Taffiya's sole offensive aircraft was one ^niprnunk. For reconnaissance Deleria had the Austers of No 8Independent Reconnaissance Flight, AAC.
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