Author: ajcrou

8 January 1941

8 January 1941 Northern Front Christopher Shores reports that Italian air defence claims a British bomber destroyed over the sea during an attack on Massawa.[1] It is, however, difficult to square this claim with the events of the day. Thus No.14 (RAF) Squadron took a break during the day before moving on to other objectives…
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7 January 1941

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…
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6 January 1941

6 January 1941 Northern Front As the day before, No.14 (RAF) Squadron returned to Massawa. The Blenheim Mk IV T1818 (Sergeant Roy G. Gilmore, Kenneth James Wilkie and Smith) took off at 12:00 for a photographic reconnaissance of the harbour and bombing of the Regia Aeronautica HQ. Although the first task is accomplished, the crew…
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5 January 1941

5 January 1941 Northern Front No.14 (RAF) Squadron begins a series of attacks on Massawa, that will continue over the next few days. Flight Sergeant Patey took off at 07:05 in a Bristol Blenheim MkIV (T1868) for a photographic reconnaissance, which is in fact aimed at attracting Italian fighters. At the same time, six other…
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4 January 1941

4 January 1941 Northern Front After the accident of the day before, No.237 (Rhodesia) Squadron lost two more aircraft. Three Hawker Hardy take off, at 14:10, to attack Italian troops in the vicinity of Metemma (Jebel Miriam Waha). They are escorted by five Gloster Gladiators (Captain Gerald J. le Mesurier; Lieutenant Thomas Condon; E.A. Jarvis;…
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3 January 1941

3 January 1941 Northern Front A Bristol Blenheim Mk IV (L8874), of No.14 (RAF) Squadron, takes off at 05:40 hours on a photographic reconnaissance mission over Massawa Harbour to monitor shipping traffic. The crew (Flight Lieutenant John K. Buchanan; Sergeant Kenneth C.A. Ball and Chaplin) dropped several bombs on the jetties where a destroyer is…
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2 January 1941

2 January 1941 Northern Front No.223 (RAF) Squadron began the month with relatively intense activity. A formation of five Vickers Wellesleys took off at 07:35 to bomb the town of Kassala at about 09:35 at an altitude of about 2 600 metres. Although the bombs are reported to fall in the centre of the town,…
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1st January 1941

1st January 1941 Northern Front This first day of 1941 is relatively quiet. The only notable event is a return trip to Egypt (Heliopolis) by Flight Sergeant George M. Keith of No.47 (RAF) Squadron to pick up an additional Vickers Wellesley to strengthen the No.47 (RAF) Squadron’s equipment.[1] Southern Front There was also little activity…
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31 December 1940

31 Décember 1940 Northern Front The last day of December 1940 is relatively calm except a sortie by three Bristol Blenheims, of No.8 (RAF) Squadron, over Assab, where once again reports are limited to noting that “most of the bombs may have fallen in the area of attack – no damage observed”. This rather insignificant…
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30 December 1940

30 December 1940 Northern Front No.8 (RAF) Squadron continued its operations from Aden over the northern coast of Ethiopia and Eritrea. On this day, Bristol Blenheim Mk I L8456 (Pilot Officer Gordon Hall, Sergeant Oultram and Pool) took off at 07:00 for a reconnaissance over the former British Somalia territory and Djibouti. A few bombs…
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