16 June 1940
Northern Front
No.14 (RAF) Squadron uses a lull to trial a new arrangement of the Vickers Wellesley’s defensive armament. The decision follows hard fighting against Italian fighters. A second Lewis gun is fitted through a ventral panel originally intended to carry a camera in the rear fuselage. In addition, Sergeant Edwin T. Crouch proposes removing the two triangular windows on either side of the fuselage, freeing space to mount one machine gun on each side, covering an arc from the engines to the tail. Five aircraft are modified, the additional guns being manned by volunteers from non-flying personnel.
One of No.14 (RAF) Squadron’s modified Vickers Wellesleys. Collection: No.14 (RAF) Squadron Association.
No.11 (RAF) Squadron continues its build-up with the arrival of a second batch of five Bristol Blenheim Mk Is. The squadron is attached to No.39 (RAF) Squadron to form a provisional Flight for the month of June. Finally, three Gloster Gladiators of K Flight are sent to Erkowit (Sudan) aerodrome to provide its defence.
Southern Front
The day is marked above all by a mass attack by No.12 (SAAF) Squadron against Italian air bases in southern Ethiopia. All available aircraft take part—four Junkers Ju 86s. They depart Eastleigh and land shortly afterwards at Lodwar , near the Kenyan frontier and Lake Rudolf, to refuel and load 250 lb bombs. In addition, the crews receive survival rations and weapons in case of a forced landing in enemy territory. In such an event, orders are to destroy the aircraft and attempt to return on foot.
The South Africans split into two pairs to carry out the bombing at 12:30, at about 2,000 ft. The first section—Major Charles Martin (no. 641) and Lieutenant Thomas S. Fisher (no. 654)—targets the landing ground at Negele Borana (Ethiopia), where eight Caproni Ca.133s are reported damaged. The second section—Major Danie du Toit (no. 650) and Second Lieutenant Christian J. Rosslee (no. 647)—attacks Yabelo (Ethiopia). They claim hits on three Caproni Ca.133s and four buildings. Italian losses are slight: one Caproni Ca.133 of 65 Squadriglia, with two killed and three wounded.
Junkers Ju 86 no. 647 (ex-ZS-AGJ) of No.12 (SAAF) Squadron. After maritime patrols with No.15 (SAAF) Squadron and No.16 (SAAF) Squadron, the aircraft is transferred to No.12 (SAAF) Squadron for its move ‘north’. It takes part in the 11 June mission with Lieutenant Chris Rosslee. Heavily damaged while taxiing in May 1941, it is repaired and transferred to No.35 (SAAF) Coastal Flight, in which it serves until August 1942. After various postings with transport and training units in South Africa, it survives the war but is lost on 8 July 1946 on a liaison flight in the Cape region (South Africa). Collection: SAAF Museum, via Tinus le Roux.
For its part, No.237 (Rhodesia) Squadron suspends routine patrols when Flying Officer Evert P. Kleynhans and Aircraftman Strickland (Hawker Audax K7546) carry out a series of attacks on an Italian column sighted north of the fort at Moyale (Kenya–Ethiopia frontier). They report two armoured cars destroyed and one other vehicle.
At the same time, skirmishes break out on the ground between Italian troops and the King’s African Rifles as the Italians prepare an initial offensive to seize several border posts.
Hawker Audax of No.237 (Rhodesia) Squadron. Collection: Mitch Sterling.
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