8 September 1940
Northern Front
On this day, the Escadrille d’Aden suffered a tragedy when the Glenn Marin 167-F n° 82 (Lieutnant flight Roger Ritoux-Lachaud [1]; Flying Officer Pierre Fenaux of Maismont; Flight Sergeant Raymond Rolland [2] and Emile Lobato de Faria [3]) is sent on a reconnaissance over the Djibouti – Addis Ababa railway. While the aircraft makes several passes on the advanced airfield of Moggio, it is intercepted and shot down by a Fiat CR.42 from 413a Squadriglia CT (based in Addis Ababa). The Flying Officer Pierre Fenaux of Maismont is the only survivor among the crew [4] (captured, he is initially sentenced to death, as a Francs-tireurs, then pardoned by the Duca Amedeo di Savoia-Aosta [5]) [6].
Roger Ritoux-Lachaud. Source : Ordre de la Libération
Pierre Fenaux de Maismont. Source : Ordre de la Libération
The Italians ended the day with an attack on Port Sudan with four bombers around 23h50. One of the jetties of the port is reported slightly damaged [7].
Southern Front
The Italians are also active on the southern front as three Caproni Ca.133 attack the airfield of Garissa around 15:35, however without significant damage.
[1] « Roger Ritoux-Lachaud », Ordre de la Libération : https://www.ordredelaliberation.fr/fr/compagnons/roger-ritoux-lachaud
[2] http://www.francaislibres.net/liste/fiche.php?index=93904
[3] http://www.francaislibres.net/liste/fiche.php?index=81784
[4] Note that Shores and Ricci indicates, strangely, that only the Flying Officer P.C. Rupert would have managed to jump. However, the name of the latter does not appear anywhere on the equipment of the aircraft on this day, or more generally in the ORB of 8 (RAF)Squadron. C. Shores et C. Ricci, Dust Clouds in the Middle East, op. cit., p. 59.
[5] « Pierre de Maismont », Ordre de la Libération : https://www.ordredelaliberation.fr/fr/compagnons/pierre-maismont-de
[6] « 8 september 1940 » 8 Squadron RAF : Operations Record Book (Form 540 and Form 541), op. cit.; Christian-Jacques Ehrengardt, « Le Glenn Martin 167-F, de la Corne d’Afrique à la pointe de Grave. », Aéro Journal, no 39, 2014, p. 6; Y. Morieult, « Les French Flights : des escadrilles françaises au sein de la RAF », op. cit., p. 14.
[7] « 8 september 1940 » 14 Squadron RAF : Operations Record Book (Form 540 and Form 541), op. cit.
