40 Squadron SAAF
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40 Squadron SAAF existed as a combat unit from early 1940 through to late 1945. It served in the East African Campaign, Western Desert,
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, and
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, reaching
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
by the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. The squadron's motto in those years was ''Amethlo e Impi'' – the eyes of the army.


History


East Africa

40 Squadron was formed in May 1940 at Waterkloof Air Station, under the command of
Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
(later Major-General) Jimmy Durrant, as part of the
South African Air Force "Through hardships to the stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , equipment ...
's expansion early in
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. It was an Army Co-Operation squadron equipped with Hartbees aircraft (a South African variant of the
Hawker Hart The Hawker Hart is a British two-seater biplane light bomber aircraft that saw service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was designed during the 1920s by Sydney Camm and manufactured by Hawker Aircraft. The Hart was a prominent British aircraf ...
). The squadron deployed to
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in August 1940, and in September started operations in
Italian East Africa Italian East Africa ( it, Africa Orientale Italiana, AOI) was an Italian colony in the Horn of Africa. It was formed in 1936 through the merger of Italian Somalia, Italian Eritrea, and the newly occupied Ethiopian Empire, conquered in the Seco ...
supporting the South African 1st Division. This effort continued throughout the East African Campaign. Operations included Tac.R, Armed Recce and Photo Recce using hand held cameras. In April 1941 it was decided that the squadron be converted to a bomber squadron and equipped with
Martin Maryland The Martin Model 167 Maryland was an American medium bomber that first flew in 1939. It saw action in World War II with France and the United Kingdom. Design and development In response to a December 1937 United States Army Air Corps requiremen ...
s. Although this conversion never took place, the squadron was disbanded at Neghelli in Ethiopia at the end of May 1941 and its sixteen Hawker Hartbees aircraft were handed over to 41 Squadron at Yavello on 2 June 1941.


North Africa

In September 1941, after a brief period back in South Africa, the squadron's personnel were flown to Egypt to join the
Desert Air Force The Desert Air Force (DAF), also known chronologically as Air Headquarters Western Desert, Air Headquarters Libya, the Western Desert Air Force, and the First Tactical Air Force (1TAF), was an Allied tactical air force created from No. 204 ...
. Until new aircraft arrived, the squadron operated at Burg-el-Arab as an Advanced Maintenance Unit. In this period, six pilots were attached to 208 Squadron RAF for operational experience in modern monoplane fighters. The squadron became fully operational in March 1942, flying the Hawker Hurricane Mk.I adapted for desert conditions. It flew Tac.Rs and Photo Recce in support of XIII Corps,
British Eighth Army The Eighth Army was an Allied field army formation of the British Army during the Second World War, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns. Units came from Australia, British India, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Free French Forces ...
. The squadron's pilots soon learnt to operate in pairs and to stay out of range of small arms fire from the ground, to reduce casualties; however, as
Erwin Rommel Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel () (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) was a German field marshal during World War II. Popularly known as the Desert Fox (, ), he served in the ''Wehrmacht'' (armed forces) of Nazi Germany, as well as servi ...
's
Afrika Korps The Afrika Korps or German Africa Corps (, }; DAK) was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African Campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of its African colonies, the ...
prepared to go on the offensive,
Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
Messerschmitt Bf 109 The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a German World War II fighter aircraft that was, along with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force. The Bf 109 first saw operational service in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War an ...
fighters concentrated on intercepting Tac.R aircraft. Casualties rose rapidly until HQ
Desert Air Force The Desert Air Force (DAF), also known chronologically as Air Headquarters Western Desert, Air Headquarters Libya, the Western Desert Air Force, and the First Tactical Air Force (1TAF), was an Allied tactical air force created from No. 204 ...
ordered a fighter escort for all Tac.Rs. This reduced the rate of losses; and it continued until the
Axis An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to: Mathematics * Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis * Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinat ...
breakthrough at the
battle of Bir Hakeim The Battle of Bir Hakeim () took place at Bir Hakeim, an oasis in the Libyan desert south and west of Tobruk, during the Battle of Gazala (26 May – 21 June 1942). The 1st Free French Brigade under Marie-Pierre Kœnig defended the position from ...
in June 1942, when fighter squadrons were given other priorities. The squadron's advance landing ground at El Adem was attacked by German
Panzers Nazi Germany developed numerous tank designs used in World War II. In addition to domestic designs, Germany also used various captured and foreign-built tanks. German tanks were an important part of the Wehrmacht and played a fundamental role du ...
at dusk on the first day of their offensive. The squadron fell back on Sidi Aziz, from there to
Tobruk Tobruk or Tobruck (; grc, Ἀντίπυργος, ''Antipyrgos''; la, Antipyrgus; it, Tobruch; ar, طبرق, Tubruq ''Ṭubruq''; also transliterated as ''Tobruch'' and ''Tubruk'') is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near th ...
, and then to El Alamein. The rapid retreat played havoc with communications and supplies, which drastically curtailed the squadron's operational effectiveness. In July 1942 the squadron was operating once again from Burg-el-Arab during the
First Battle of El Alamein The First Battle of El Alamein (1–27 July 1942) was a battle of the Western Desert campaign of the Second World War, fought in Egypt between Axis (German and Italian) forces of the Panzer Army Africa—which included the under Field Marshal ...
, as the German offensive slowed and stopped; the crisis having passed, it moved out of the line for rest and re-equipment. The squadron converted to the Hurricane Mk.II and in late October it moved up to Burg-el-Adem in preparation for the
Second Battle of El Alamein The Second Battle of El Alamein (23 October – 11 November 1942) was a battle of the Second World War that took place near the Egyptian Railway station, railway halt of El Alamein. The First Battle of El Alamein and the Battle of Alam el Halfa ...
, supporting X Corps (the unit formed to break out). Following its victory the 8th Army advanced rapidly, and the squadron scrambled to keep up. The advance Flight moved base 12 times in one month, and the main squadron base 6 times. At the end of November 1942 the squadron was attached to XXX Corps. Enemy fighter activity had been limited while the Germans were in full retreat, but stabilisation of the line changed that; most Tac.Rs were intercepted, and the casualty rate rose steeply. Once again, fighter cover was ordered by HQ, from 6 to 12 aircraft depending on the Tac.R target area. Early in January 1943 the Army requested long range Tac.Rs behind enemy landing grounds, flown with Kittyhawk escorts; but high losses amongst Tac.R and escort aircraft meant that these were soon discontinued. As the 8th Army advanced through
Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
into
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, the squadron continued to fly Tac.R and Photo Recce sorties in support. The squadron converted to the Supermarine Spitfire Vb at the end of February 1943. This variant had clipped wingtips to enhance its low-altitude performance, most notably its roll-speed. Sorties now included vertical and oblique photography, battle area Tac.R, target marking for fighter bombers, searches for night bomber targets, and identification of landmarks for day bomber navigation. In early 1943 the squadron received Arty/R training, however, unreliable radios meant that arty/R shoots were not as successful as had been hoped. Nevertheless, the squadron continued to report the activities of enemy artillery.


Sicily

At the end of June 1943 two Flights deployed to Inqa airfield on
Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
, as part of the operations preparing for the invasion of
Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...
,
Operation Husky Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
. Oblique photographs were taken of the invasion area and intensive Tac.R operations started on the day prior to the invasion. A few days after the beachhead had been established, the squadron moved to a Sicilian landing-ground and continued with its usual workload in support of XIII Corps. It also added Naval Arty.R shoots to its repertoire, assisting HMS ''Roberts'' in bombarding roads inland. A letter to the squadron's CO from GOC XIII Corps, Lieutenant-General
Miles Dempsey General Sir Miles Christopher Dempsey, (15 December 1896 – 5 June 1969) was a senior British Army officer who served in both world wars. During the Second World War he commanded the Second Army in north west Europe. A highly professional an ...
, illustrates the squadron's efficiency in this period: ''“I am writing this note to you to thank you very much for the oblique photographs which you have taken for me during the last 3 or 4 days. They are quite first class and are exactly what we wanted. I would be grateful if you would tell the pilots concerned how important these photos are to us and how much we appreciate their work. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you and the whole of 40 Squadron for the fine work you did for XIII Corps during the operations in Sicily.”'' The following message was also received from HQ Special Services Brigade Detachment: ''“I am writing to thank you personally for the most excellent oblique photographs you took on August 6. These photographs were required, as I expect you know, for a project which, to our intense regret, the powers that be cancelled. Although the sortie was therefore in vain, I can assure you that it would not have been possible to carry out the operation without the information obtained from the photographs, which incidentally are the best I have ever seen.”''


Italy

After the Siciilan campaign ended on 18 August 1943, the squadron started on long range recce of the toe of Italy and low level oblique photography of the Italian coast. Some Naval Arty.Rs were also carried out on gun positions in the toe of Italy, including shoots with HMS ''Rodney'' and . The squadron ceased operations early in September and withdrew to North Africa to re-equip with the Spitfire IX in its clipped-wing form. Even before the move was completed, one Flight recommenced operations under the operational control of 329 Wing RAF, for whom numerous Pathfinder Tac.Rs were flown. During this period the squadron's bag of enemy MT, guns and equipment was considerable. For the rest of 1943, the squadron was fragmented: the Flight in Italy operated from a succession of landing-grounds near the
Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) ...
coast, while the main part of the squadron remained in North Africa. Only in mid-January 1944 were the two reunited: but not for long. On 26 February 'A' Flight was detached to operate in conjunction with
No. 225 Squadron RAF No. 225 Squadron RAF is a former Royal Air Force squadron. History World War One No. 225 Squadron RAF was formed on 1 April 1918 at Alimini, Italy from part of No. 6 Wing RNAS, and was equipped with Sopwith Camels. The squadron disbanded on 18 ...
in support of
US Fifth Army The United States Army North (ARNORTH) is a formation of the United States Army. An Army Service Component Command (ASCC) subordinate to United States Northern Command (NORTHCOM), ARNORTH is the joint force land component of NORTHCOM.
. Operations covered the Cassino -Rome road, Rome itself, and the Anzio beachhead. In April the whole squadron, reunited once again, was operating in support of Fifth Army. The squadron maintained its reputation for efficiency and gallantry, witnessed by this letter from HQ 5th Canadian Armoured Division: ''“Our thanks for oblique sortie S.B.31. This sortie has been of tremendous value to our patrols. Please convey our appreciation to the pilot who took these pictures as obviously he took great risks in flying so low to procure such splendid photographs.”'' The squadron continued to move with the Army, five times in June and twice in July. Missions were Tac.Rs and Photo.Rs. A detachment sent to
Corsica Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...
flew Naval Arty.R shoots as part of the invasion of
Elba Elba ( it, isola d'Elba, ; la, Ilva) is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino on the Italian mainland, and the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano National ...
. During July,
Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wil ...
pilots were attached to the squadron for training as Fighter Reconnaissance pilots, in preparation for the invasion of the South of France. On 25 August the squadron resumed its support of 8th Army's assault on the
Gothic Line The Gothic Line (german: Gotenstellung; it, Linea Gotica) was a German Defense line, defensive line of the Italian Campaign (World War II), Italian Campaign of World War II. It formed Generalfeldmarschall, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's la ...
. It suffered especially heavy casualties during the
Battle of Gemmano The Battle of Gemmano took place during World War II, between the dates of September 4th, and September 15th of 1944. The battle occurred in the area of the Gothic Line, near the Apennine Mountains in northern Italy, which would soon turn out to ...
and in the
Rimini Rimini ( , ; rgn, Rémin; la, Ariminum) is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It sprawls along the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia (the ancient ''Ariminu ...
area. It then operated from a series of landing grounds on the
Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) ...
, including one actually on the beach. In Autumn 1944, the squadron settled at the former
Regia Aeronautica The Italian Royal Air Force (''Regia Aeronautica Italiana'') was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946. In 1946, the monarchy was abolis ...
base at Forli, enjoying concrete runways and all the amenities of an established station.


Greece

On 9 December 1944 four pilots (WS/Lieut. H. Davison, WS/Lieut. R. T. Joyner, WS/Lieut.N. K. Macallun, T/Lieut. A. C. de Villiers) Unit War Diary Jan. 1945 flying Spitfire VBs borrowed from 318(Polish) Squadron were detached to the
Balkan Air Force The Balkan Air Force (BAF) was an Allied air formation operating in the Balkans during World War II. Composed of units of the Royal Air Force and South African Air Force under the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces command, it was active from 7 June ...
. There they were to operate in Greece against
ELAS The Greek People's Liberation Army ( el, Ελληνικός Λαϊκός Απελευθερωτικός Στρατός (ΕΛΑΣ), ''Ellinikós Laïkós Apeleftherotikós Stratós'' (ELAS) was the military arm of the left-wing National Liberat ...
, as part of the
Western Allies The Allies, formally referred to as the United Nations from 1942, were an international military coalition formed during the Second World War (1939–1945) to oppose the Axis powers, led by Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and Fascist Italy ...
' intervention in the
Greek Civil War The Greek Civil War ( el, ο Eμφύλιος όλεμος ''o Emfýlios'' 'Pólemos'' "the Civil War") took place from 1946 to 1949. It was mainly fought against the established Kingdom of Greece, which was supported by the United Kingdom ...
. Aircraft from several other
Desert Air Force The Desert Air Force (DAF), also known chronologically as Air Headquarters Western Desert, Air Headquarters Libya, the Western Desert Air Force, and the First Tactical Air Force (1TAF), was an Allied tactical air force created from No. 204 ...
units also tried to cross the
Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) ...
to Greece on that day: all the aircraft and their crews were lost, apart from the 40 Squadron pilots. A strong north-easterly wind and dark clouds blew the aircraft off course and forced them ever lower. The radio beacon at Patras, on which all the aircraft were homing, was not turned on. The four squadron pilots had agreed that if one had to ditch for lack of fuel, they all should: and just as the first had reported that his tanks were showing empty, another saw an island in the murk. Without delay, all four made wheels-up landings in a field on what turned out to be
Zakynthos Zakynthos (also spelled Zakinthos; el, Ζάκυνθος, Zákynthos ; it, Zacinto ) or Zante (, , ; el, Τζάντε, Tzánte ; from the Venetian form) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the Ionian Islands. Za ...
. Some of the inhabitants were openly hostile, but a local land-owner rescued the pilots and put them on a fishing-boat for the mainland. The detachment was based on Kalamaki Airfield near
Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
, this time flying Spitfire VBs which had previously been used by a Greek squadron. Over the next month it made 93 sorties without loss; these included long range Tac.Rs, Target Search Arty.Rs and Arty.Rs, as well as pathfinder missions for Beaufighters and Spitfires. After dark the pilots joined in the defence of the airfield perimeter against
ELAS The Greek People's Liberation Army ( el, Ελληνικός Λαϊκός Απελευθερωτικός Στρατός (ΕΛΑΣ), ''Ellinikós Laïkós Apeleftherotikós Stratós'' (ELAS) was the military arm of the left-wing National Liberat ...
attacks, Sten guns in hand. The BAF detachment rejoined the squadron on 13 January 1945, followed by a signal from
AOC Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (; ; born October 13, 1989), also known by her initials AOC, is an American politician and activist. She has served as the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district since 2019, as a member of ...
, Air HQ Greece: ''"I should like to thank you for the loan of the four pilots of 40 SAAF Squadron who have now been returned.'' ''"Please convey to the Squadron Commander my appreciation of their work. They met every call made on them and gave very valuable and accurate information to me at all times. Their enthusiasm and ability were quite exceptional."''


Post War

In 1953 40 Squadron was re-established at Rand Airport, Germiston as an Active Citizen Force Squadron flying Harvards. It was moved to Central Flying School Dunnottar in 1965. In August 1982 the squadron was re-equipped with Impala aircraft and returned to their original base, AFB Waterkloof. The squadron was finally disbanded on 29 April 1985.


Aircraft


References


External links


Squadron page at saairforce.co.za
{{DEFAULTSORT:No. 40 Squadron Saaf Squadrons of the South African Air Force Military units and formations established in 1940 S Military units and formations disestablished in 1945