FlyPast 06.2018

WAR IN THE DESERTWAR IN THE DESERT CONVOY ATTACKSSOUTH AFRICAN TOMAHAWKS

42 FLYPAST June 2018

Right

Tomahawk ‘O-for-

Orange’, possibly

AN394, successfully

back at LG 122 after

a mid-air collision on

November 23, 1941.

Above

A wrecked Ju 87 at El

Adem being inspected

by 4 Squadron’s

‘Ops’ offi cer Captain

McMasters.

Below

A pilot prepares for

take-off amid the dust

at LG 122, near Fort

Maddalena, Libya.

a day of stiff combat during which

effective strikes against armour

and supply lines brought the Axis

ground offensive to a halt.

On the 7th the squadron was

engaged by Bf 109s, two of which

were recorded as shot down. Lt B

R Douglas had to bale out of his

stricken aircraft but was killed when

his parachute failed to open.

These battles were the turning

point of Rommel’s ambitions

in Africa, as never again would

the combined forces under his

command venture that far eastwards

in his pursuit of Alexandria. For

both sides, the need to re-equip

and bring supplies to the front lines

saw a period of relative quiet on the

ground. Overhead, squadrons used

the time to grant aircrew much-

needed leave while replacement

aircraft were flown in.

EL ALAMEIN

By early October, 4 Squadron was

back on operations, participating

in a combined fighter sweep and

bombing raid on enemy landing

grounds. With preparations for an

Eighth Army offensive from the

Alamein line well under way, the

fighter units were also engaged in

defensive patrols to prevent enemy

reconnaissance of the elaborate ruse

being planned behind Allied lines.

Major S F du Toit led a successful

engagement on October 13 – several

victories were claimed against Ju 87s

and escorting Bf 109s. Increased

Kittyhawk sweeps were met with

dogged resistance by German and

Italian pilots as the hour of General

Bernard Montgomery’s attack drew

near. Lt J Lane was killed in combat

on the 22nd.

The evening of the 23rd saw the

launch of the El Alamein offensive.

Expecting to confront the Luftwaffe

and the Regia Aeronautica, the crews

of 4 Squadron were surprised to

encounter no significant opposition.

This state of affairs continued for

the next few days as the Kittyhawks

turned their attention to attacking

a failed Axis counter-offensive. By

November 3 the enemy line had

been broken and Rommel was

pursued through Tobruk on the

13th, Benghazi on the 20th to El

Agheila on the 24th.

Vehicle convoys labouring west

were targeted by Allied fighters and

light bombers alike; 4 Squadron

lost two pilots who were hit by

flak and taken prisoner. Returning

from an attack on Gambut airfield

on the 11th, the Kittyhawks were

intercepted by Messerschmitts

escorting Ju 52 transports: a ’109

and a trimotor were shot down.

During a joint operation with 2

Squadron against fuel trucks on

November 17, Lt S I Reinders added

to the scoreboard with a Bf 110

claimed as destroyed. Bases changed

frequently, 4 Squadron relocating to

LG 75 on the 9th before moving to

Gambut on the 13th, and 48 hours

later it was at Gazala.

WORN-OUT WARRIORS

The unit returned east to Martuba

on December 9, to assume its place

within 7 (South African) Wing

alongside 2 and 5 Squadrons. After

a month of training, leave and

re-equipping, the wing arrived at

Hamraiet in Tripolitania on January

15, 1943, as the Axis forces fell back

into Tunisia.

Operations began from Neffatia,

Tunisia, on February 24 from where

the three squadrons combined in

sorties against enemy strongpoints

and landing grounds. During the

26th the Kittyhawks were engaged

by Messerschmitts and took a

beating: Lt C Southwood baled out

and was captured, Lt D F Symonds

was forced down but evaded and

Lt A C Paterson crash-landed his

damaged aircraft. Lt G H Kauffman

was credited with one of the

attackers and Lt I J Tapson damaged

two Bf 109s.

Strikes on vehicles and landing

grounds continued unabated