7 January 1941
Northern Front
As on previous days, No.14 (RAF) Squadron returns to Massawa. Three Bristol Blenheim Mk IV take off at 14:35 to attack the local power station. In order to complicate the task of the anti-aircraft defence, the aircraft attack from different altitudes. The result is not very convincing as the bombers take a few hits, while Flying Officer David M. Illsley (T1877) is slightly injured. All the aircraft returned to Port Sudan around 19:30. It should be noted that the crews claimed several bombs on the target.[1] No.223 (RAF) Squadron also sent three Vickers Wellesleys against the submarine workshops between 14:27 and 19:55. The crews also report heavy anti-aircraft defence, while an explosion is reported on the ground after the bombs are dropped.[2]
Flying Officer Joyce of No.47 (RAF) Squadron takes off, at 07:00, with the Vickers Wellesley K7750 in order to drop ammunition over Fort Lamy (Chad) in support of the Free French Forces (FFL) in anticipation of the future raid of the Leclerc column towards Koufra (Libya).[3]
Note that No.203 (RAF) Squadron, which has been relatively quiet since the beginning of the month, received two Bristol Blenheim Mk IVs to reinforce its strength.[4]
Southern Front
A Hawker Hurricane (Lieutenant Jack L. Phillips) is reported slightly damaged on take-off at Nairobi, as part of the transfer to Sudan. [5] Indeed, the day before, No.2 (SAAF) Squadron had been ordered to send its last six Hawker Hurricanes (after the loss of the Gloster Gladiators) to reinforce No.1 (SAAF) Squadron in Sudan. The change is not well received by the pilots, who are left with only Hawker Fury. To compensate for the loss, five Hawker Fury (bringing the number to twelve) and three Gloster Gauntlet are sent as reinforcements. According to the War Diary :
« the last delivery of old RAF Hawker Fury’s must surely have come from the Ark, and it seems that all the student pilots in the world have flown them before us… And the same can be said of our new Gauntlet ».
One of these aircraft is even immediately converted into a spare parts stock.[6]
[1] No.14 (RAF) Squadron : Operations Record Book (Form 540 and Form 541). Kew : TNA, AIR 27/192 ; NAPIER, Michael. Winged Crusaders : The Exploits of 14 Squadron RFC & RAF 1915 – 1945. Barnsley : Pen & Sword, 2013.
[2] No.223 (RAF) Squadron : Operations Record Book (Form 540 and Form 541). Kew : TNA, AIR 27/1374.
[3] Pour plus d’informations sur cet opération voir : http://www.france-libre.net/koufra-fezzan/ et http://2db.free.fr/koufra_kadari.html
[4] No.203 (RAF) Squadron : Operations Record Book (Form 540 and Form 541). Kew : TNA, AIR 27/1198.
[5] January 1941 – Narrative Northern Operations SAAF. Kew : TNA, AIR/54/9 ; SCHOEMAN, Michael. Springbok Fighter Victory : East Africa (1940 – 1941). Nelspruit : Freeworld. p.137
[6] No.2 (SAAF) Squadron, War Diary. Kew : TNA, AIR 54 / 2 ; MCLEAN, Steven. Squadrons of the South African Air Force and their aircraft (1920 – 2005). Cape Town : [s.n.], 2005. p.31 ; SCHOEMAN, Michael. Springbok Fighter Victory : East Africa (1940 – 1941). Nelspruit : Freeworld. p.78.
