16 January 1941 Northern Front The day is marked by the loss of Bristol Blenheim Mk I L8456 of No. 8 (RAF) Squadron. The aircraft takes off from Aden at 16:20 to bomb Djidjiga aerodrome, where a Fiat CR.32 is reported damaged (though it may have been destroyed by L6648 operating over Djidjiga between 06:00…
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12 June 1940 Northern Front The British continued to target Italian airfields with a series of bombing raids. Between 11:00 and 16:45, No. 47 and 223 (RAF) Squadrons carried out no fewer than eighteen sorties. They were met by anti-aircraft defences and Fiat CR.42s of 412 Squadriglia over the airfields of Gura (Eritrea) and Asmara.…
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11 June1940 Northern Front The “Battle of the Airfields” began at 5.30 when eight Vickers Wellesleys of No.47 (RAF) Squadron took off from Erkowit (Sudan) to target the Italian airfield at Asmara (Eritrea). The raids were carried out at low altitude and took the enemy defences completely by surprise. However, the RAF suffered its…
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9 January 1941 Northern Front Three Bristol Blenheim Mk IVs, from No.14 (RAF) Squadron, take off at 07:05 for an armed reconnaissance of the Kassala sector. On the return flight, R3899 (Sergeant Leslie A.J. Patey) is badly damaged in a flight with two Fiat CR.42s. According to British documentation, one of the Italian fighters is…
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