Page 32 - Demo

32Hurricanes and Furies, and two bomber squadrons; one of Ju 86s, the other of Hartbeestes. This initial deployment was subsequently reinforced by Gladiators, a second squadron of Hurricanes and two army co8operation squadrons. The Italians entered the war on 10 June and first blood went to the South Africans, who attacked an Italian army concentration just inside Abyssinia at dawn the following morning. Despite being significantly outnumbered %u2013 at something like 7 to 1 %u2013 the aggressive tactics of the SAAF gave them the upper hand and they inflicted significant losses on their enemy. As the tide swung in favour of the Commonwealth forces, the RAF redeployed some of its squadrons to Egypt, leaving much of the air effort in East Africa to %u2018the Springboks%u2019. At the conclusion of the campaign, the SAAF had flown over 5,000 sorties in the course of which it had destroyed about 140 enemy aircraft in the air or on the ground at a cost of 84 aircrew killed. When the SAAF moved to North Africa to support the RAF, they fielded five squadrons of fighters, four of bombers and two recce squadrons. The South Africans fought throughout the North African campaign being progressively equipped with more capable types, including later marks of Hurricanes, Blenheims, Tomahawks, Marylands; Kittyhawks, Spitfires, Bostons and Baltimores. Time prevents a detailed description of the SAAF%u2019s participation in the Mediterranean Theatre. Suffice to say that, following the Axis collapse in Tunisia it played a full part in subsequent operations in Sicily, Italy and the Balkans adding Marauders, Beaufighters, Mohawks of No 3 Sqn SAAF in Kenya.