Northern Front

From Aden (Yemen), the Royal Air Force mounts a coordinated attack on Dire Dawa aerodrome (Ethiopia), involving six Bristol Blenheim Mk I of No.8 (RAF) Squadron and six of No.39 (RAF) Squadron. At 09:15, six Bristol Blenheim Mk I of No.8 (RAF) Squadron take off from Khormaksar (Aden) and claim a Fiat CR.32 destroyed on the ground together with a mustard gas depot. The 14:30 attack by the six aircraft of No.39 (RAF) Squadron proves more eventful: they become engaged in a brief air combat with three Fiat CR.32 of 410 Squadriglia. Sergente Maggiore Enzo Omiccioli reports engaging a bomber without success, while a British gunner (Leading Aircraftman Ford) claims a fighter shot down; no losses are recorded on either side.

Eritrean aerodromes are not neglected, for in the early evening (17:00) five Vickers Wellesleys of No.223 (RAF) Squadron take off for Gura (Eritrea). The sortie quickly turns sour when L2711 catches fire on take-off, fortunately without casualties. Over Difnein Island, a second aircraft, L2654 (Pilot Officer Michael T. E. Jenkins; Leading Aircraftman John J. Dixon), is shot down by Italian anti-aircraft fire. L2714 and K7769 sustain severe damage and force-land, one on a beach north of Port Sudan and the other at aerodrome. According to a report:

« Pilot Officer Michael T. E. Jenkins takes off from Summit (Sudan) at 16:45 with a group of four Vickers Wellesleys to bomb Gura (Eritrea). Night has fallen as the group approaches the target, at about 14,800 ft. The aircraft lose visual contact owing to the blackout over Eritrea. The bombers are unable to locate the target and return individually to our territory. Two Vickers Wellesleys reach Port Sudan (Sudan), and another Summit (Sudan). The fourth aircraft does not return. The weather is relatively fair despite a medium cloud layer. »

Finally, the first five Bristol Blenheim Mk Is of No.11 (RAF) Squadron arrive at Sheikh Othman (Aden).

Southern Front

No.11 (SAAF) Squadron continues to encounter problems with its Hartbees. On a reconnaissance in the Afmadow, Jilib and Kismaayo (Italian Somaliland) area, no. 839 (Second Lieutenant Murdoch MacDonald; Air Corporal Erik H. Pettersen) force-lands near Garissa (Kenya) for lack of fuel. The aircraft is intact and the crew uninjured. A patrol arrives promptly on the scene, and on 26 June a strip is prepared to enable the aircraft to be recovered.

Two Hartbees in Kenya. The aircraft’s name appears in multiple spellings in the sources—Hartbees, Hartbeest, and Hartebeest. Without entering a long linguistic discussion, note that Hartbees (Afrikaans) and Hartebeest (English) refer to the same animal, a local antelope. The first official British use of Hartebeest seems to appear in a document summarizing the East African Campaign, dated December 1942. Conversely, Hartbees is frequently found in SAAF War Diaries and in the logbooks of several South African pilots. Collection: SAAF Museum, via Tinus le Roux.

Extract from the logbook of Lieutenant Lawrence H. G. Shuttleworth, No.40 (SAAF) Squadron, showing the term ‘Hartbees’. Collection: Laurie Shuttleworth, via Tinus le Roux.

Likewise, ‘Hartbees’ appears in the logbook of Solomon Berchowitz, gunner with No.41 (SAAF) Squadron. Collection: David Berchowitz, via Tinus le Roux.

As an example, an extract from the War Diary of No.40 (SAAF) Squadron—again, the term ‘Hartbees’ is used.