24 August 1940
Northern Front
The No.430 (RAF) Flight is sending two Gloster Gauntlets and two Vickers Vincents from Al-Qadarif Airfield to bomb Fort Galabat.[1]
Vickers Vincent over Aden, 1930.
Southern Front
Following the 21 August attack, No.11 (SAAF) Squadron returns to Mogadishu. The four Fairey Battle Mk I, under the command of Captain Johan L.V. de Wet[2] leave Archer’s Post at 08h00. After a refueling at Habaswein, they arrive above the target where the bombs are dropped on the fuel depot. However, photographs taken by Lieutnant Edward G. Armstrong (No. 906) confirm the failure of the bombing. Three IMAM Ro.37bis from 110 Squadriglia RT take off to intercept South Africans, but they can not catch up with them.[3]
[1] C. Shores et C. Ricci, Dust Clouds in the Middle East, op. cit., p. 57; J. Sutherland et D. Canwell, Air War East Africa, the RAF versus the Italian Air Force, op. cit., p. 65; Håkan Gustavsson, « Gloster Gauntlet », Biplane Fighter Aces from the Second World War : http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/gauntlet.htm
[2] Again, the documents inside the War Diary differ. Thus, the entry of 24 August summarizes the attack by indicating that aircrafts were under the orders of Lieutnant Piet J. Robbertse. By contrast, Operation Order n°15 indicates that it is Captain Johan L.V. de Wet who is in charge, while Robbertse does not appear on the list of crews. Archival problems are not unique to this Squadron. In fact, No.1 (SAAF) Squadron has no War Diary for the period August – December 1940, while that of No.40 (SAAF) Squadron presents surprising omissions, fortunately partially offset by the reconnaissance reports.
[3] « 23 august 1940 » 11 Bomber Squadron SAAF, War Dirary, op. cit.; « 23 august 1940 » Narrative northern operations SAAF, August 1940, op. cit.; C. Shores et C. Ricci, Dust Clouds in the Middle East, op. cit., p. 56 à 57; J. Sutherland et D. Canwell, Air War East Africa, the RAF versus the Italian Air Force, op. cit., p. 64.
