14 September 1940
Northern Front
The Vickers Wellesley continue to attack Gura Airfield between 19h00 and 00h00, with five aircrafts of No. 14 (RAF) Squadron (only two on the target), three from No.47 (RAF) Squadron (one on Massawa) and five of No. 223 (RAF) Squadron (one is forced to cancel due to technical problems and another attack Adi Ugri). Again, several hits on the fuel reserves are reported, albeit with reduced efficiency according to the crews. Italian documentation reports one Caproni Ca.133 and two Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 damaged [1].
No.39 (RAF) Squadron is sending three aircraft at 17h00 on Aden Harbor as part of an interception exercise by Gloster Gladiator of No.94 (RAF) Squadron. The activity of this last unit is, for several months, constituted by a long series of patrols to ensure the protection of the harbor and the maritime convoys, as well as many takeoff on alert without results [2].
Southern Front
Three Caproni Ca.133 from 49°Gruppo BT, based in Jimma, make an attack on a fort near Buna, one of the bombers is slightly damaged by machine gun fire from the ground[3].
[1] « 14 september 1940 », No. 14 (RAF) Squadron : Operations Record Book (Form 540 and Form 541), Kew – TNA, AIR 27 / 192 ; « 14 september 1940 », No. 47 (RAF) Squadron : Operations Record Book (Form 540 and Form 541), Kew – TNA, AIR 27 / 463 ; « 14 september 1940 », No. 223 (RAF) Squadron : Operations Record Book (Form 540 and Form 541), Kew – TNA, AIR 27 / 1374 ; Shores C. et Ricci C., Dust Clouds in the Middle East, 2e éd., London, Grub Street, 2010, p. 61.
[2] « 14 september 1940 », No. 39 (RAF) Squadron : Operations Record Book (Form 540 and Form 541), Kew – TNA, AIR 27 / 407 ; « 14 september 1940 », No. 94 (RAF) Squadron : Operations Record Book (Form 540 and Form 541), Kew – TNA, AIR 27 / 755.
[3] Shores C. et Ricci C., Dust Clouds in the Middle East, 2e éd., London, Grub Street, 2010, p.61 ; Sutherland J. et Canwell D., Air War East Africa, the RAF versus the Italian Air Force, Barnsley, Pen & Sword Military, 2009, p.67.
