Page 20 - World Airnews September 2020 Edition

FEATURE FEATURE

bombers and Ju-52 transports.
Once the campaign in the Western Desert wound down, the SAAF
regrouped for the campaign in Sicily and Italy. SAAF squadrons flew

reconnaissance, spotter, fighter-bomber, bomber and escort missions,

now also with Mustangs, Mosquitos, Marauders and Liberators. The
Mosquitos flew reconnaissance missions over the Ploesti oil fields

in Romania, and the Liberators dangerous 2 750 km supply missions
during the 1944 Warsaw uprising. Three squadrons with Beaufighters

and Marauders flew with the Balkan Air Force to support partisans in

Greece and Yugoslavia. By the end of the war the SAAF had flown 82

401 sorties in this theatre.
At war’s end the SAAF had 35 operational squadrons, 29 in Italy,

one at Gibralter and one in West Africa. Most of the aircraft were

left behind, while transport squadrons, by now flying Dakotas, fer- Kittyhawk P-40

ried troops home.

The tight fist of Treasury again closed on the SAAF, and it quickly

shrank to just four squadrons, Nos 1 and 2 with Spitfires, 28 with Da-
kotas and 35 with Sunderlands. The Berlin Airlift in 1948 saw 20 SAAF

crews fly RAF Dakotas taking supplies into Berlin, and then in July 1950

the government made a fighter squadron available to the UN forces
in Korea. 2 Squadron deployed to Japan in September to convert to
Mustangs and then to Korea as part of the USAF’s 18th Fighter-Bomb-

er Wing. 2 squadron flew 10 373 close support and armed recon-
naissance sorties with its Mustangs, losing 74 of 95 shot down and

Rooivalk helicopter 12 pilots killed and 30 missing, before converting to the Sabre, with
which it flew fighter sweeps and close support, adding more than 2

000 sorties by war end.

100 YEARS OF THE SAAF element, with seven reserve squadrons established with Harvards
After the Korean War came an expansion of the Citizen Force

and two with Dakotas for maritime and transport tasks, but sev-

eral closed in 1957 due to budget cuts. The 1950s brought some
This year the South African Air Force celebrates a proud history positive developments, with Vampires (1950/53) and Canadair Sikorsky S-55

of 100 years. World Airnews correspondent Helmoed Heitman Sabres (1956) replacing the Spitfires and Shackletons replacing the

Sunderlands in 1957. The SAAF also received its first helicopters, 3
delves into the annals to tell a tale of the highs and lows of this Sikorsky S-55s and one S-51, in 1957.
The 1960s brought expansion, 26 aircraft types entering service
extraordinary organisation, over 16 years: Alouette IIs and IIIs, Mirage IIICZs, BZs, EZs, DZs and

RZs, Canberra B(1)12s and T4s, Buccaneers, Mirage F1AZs and F1CZs,
Mirage D2Zs and R2Zs, Impala Mk 1 jet trainers and Mk 2 light attack

The first operations were maritime patrols, which continued aircraft, Piaggio P-166 Albatross for coastal patrol, Super Frelons and

throughout the war off South Africa and Namibia, off East Africa Pumas, Wasps for the Navy’s destroyers and frigates, C-130 and C-160

he South African Air Force was established 1 February 1920 and later also West Africa and from Gibralter. The Junkers were transports, Cessna 185 (ex Army) and Bosbok spotters and Kudu light

Tas the South African Air Service, but that was preceded by the replaced with Ansons, Marylands, Beauforts and Venturas and utility aircraft, as well as VIP types. The SAAF had become by far the
SA Aviation Corps established in 1915. later with Catalinas and Wellingtons. By 1945 seven squadrons had most modern and powerful air force in the region.

Those first South African pilots served with the Royal Flying flown some 15 000 patrols, attacked 26 submarines and intercept- The first operations of the border war era saw Alouette IIIs

Corps in WW 1, on the Western Front, in German South-West ed 17 ships. and Cessna 185s the Police in northern Namibia and Alouette IIIs
Africa (Namibia), German East Africa (Tanzania), North Africa and in In May 1940 SAAF squadrons deployed to Kenya for operations support Portuguese forces in Angola and the Rhodesian forces. In

the Middle East, and some with the British expeditionary force in against the Italian forces in Abyssinia (Ethiopia). This force was 1973 the Defence Force took over security in the north of Namibia
northern Russia between 1917 and 1920. built up to ten squadrons, flying Gladiators, Hartebeests and Ju- from the Police, which brought expanded SAAF deployment. Air

Some 3 000 South Africans served in the RFC, Andrew Beau- 86s, partly replaced with Hurricanes and Marylands. A particular bases were established at Ondangwa, Ruacana, Rundu and Mpa-

champ-Proctor with 54 kills being its 4th highest scorer. Edwin feature of this campaign was the ‘close support flight’ of four Glad- cha, and a major air base and logistic base at Grootfontein, with C-130BZ Hercules 28 Squadron

Harris of the Royal Naval Air Service was the first pilot to land on iators and four Hartebeests under an autonomous commander, Alouette IIIs, Pumas and Impalas being deployed on a permanent

an aircraft carrier. heralding the later ‘cab rank’ concept. The SAAF flew 6 517 sorties basis, and others as required.

The Aviation Corps received an ‘Imperial Gift’ of 100 aircraft after downing 71 enemy aircraft. Other South Africans meanwhile flew Operations within Namibia SWA involved mainly Alouette III gun-

WW 1, and became the Air Service in February 1920, the second with the RAF during the Battle of Britain and throughout the war, ships in support of Army and Police patrols, Pumas for reaction force

autonomous air force after the Royal Air Force. one, Maramduke Pattle arguably being the highest scoring Com- and casualty evacuation tasks and spotters flying day and night mis-

It flew against the miners’ during the 1920, losing two aircraft monwealth pilot. sions. Transalls and Hercules flew transport missions to Grootfontein

shot down, against Bondelswarts rebels in 1922, Rehoboth rebels From April 1941 the focus shifted to North Africa, building up and to Ondangwa; Dakotas and Transalls within the border area.

in 1925 and in northern Namibia in 1932. Meanwhile tight funding to eleven squadrons with Hurricane, Kittyhawk and Warhawk Two Dakotas were armed with 20 mm cannon (Dragon Dak), and a

Dakota and a DC4 were fitted as communications/electronic intelli-

saw it shrink to just one squadron of three flights specialising in fighters, Maryland and Boston bombers and Bisleys for maritime gence aircraft. Among the more interesting concepts were moonlit

bombing, close support and reconnaissance. strike. They flew 33 992 sorties between April 1941 and May 1943, night operations with Bosbok spotters, Dakotas carrying paratroops

1934 brought plans for expansion, but too late for WW 2: In 1939 the fighters shooting down 342 enemy aircraft, and the Bostons and Pumas to deploy follow up forces or simply to recover the

the SAAF had only 104 aircraft, just eight of them combat aircraft, providing critical support to cover the withdrawal of British forces paratroops. Meanwhile Impala Mk 2s began flying day and later also

six Hurricanes, one Fairey Battle and one Blenheim. It took over from Gazala in 1942. night interdiction against Swapo logistics in southern Angola.

18 Ju-86Z-1s and 11 Ju-52s from SA Airways for maritime patrol In May 1942 British and South African forces invaded Madagas- The first major operation into Angola was Operation Savannah in

and transport work, acquired aircraft from the RAF and launched a car to forestall a possible Japanese seizure. The SAAF flew recon-

training programme that evolved into the Joint Air Training Scheme naissance over the Diego Suarez naval base in March and April 1975/76 in support of Unita and the FNLA. This did not receive much

air support other than supply flights by Dakotas and Hercules. There
that also trained aircrew for allied air forces. 1942 from Lindi in Tanzania, and on 13 May deployed three coastal was some use of spotter aircraft, one being shot down, and of Pumas

By late 1940 the SAAF had 31 000 personnel with 1 700 aircraft. flights to Diego Suarez, as well as Maryland, Beaufort and Lodestar
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