ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 15496
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| Date: | Monday 16 December 1940 |
| Time: | |
| Type: | Vickers Wellesley I |
| Owner/operator: | 223 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | L2690 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Wadi Gazouza -
 Sudan
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Wadi Gazouza |
| Wadi Gazouza |
During the night of 14-15 and 15-16 December 1940, the Wellesleys of 223 Sqn RAF attacked Gura airfield, 30 km south of Asmara, at that time one of the largest airport of Africa, to stop Italian bombers to search and attack British convoys in the Red Sea. On both nights they were intercepted by Fiat CR.42s of 412a Squadriglia Autonoma Caccia.
During the second night, three Wellesleys were over Gura. At 0323 hrs on the 16th, the first bomber (L2714) was attacked by a single CR.42, but managed to return harmlessly. The second, the Wellesley I L2690 -V, which had taken off from Wadi Gazouza airfield at 2310 hrs on the 15th, was attacked at 0420 hrs by a lone Fiat, which badly damaged it. The light bomber belly-landed on return at Wadi Gazouza when the damaged undercarriage collapsed, and was damaged beyond repair, but the crew was unhurt. The third Wellesley (K7720) was intercepted before arriving over the target by two CR.42s at 0455 hrs, and riddled by several rounds, it was compelled to run away without releasing and land home badly damaged and with full bomb load. The Italian pilots were Capitano Antonio Raffi, the commander of 412a Squadriglia, and Tenente Mario Visintini, vice-commander of this unit and an ace with 16 victories. The Italians claimed two bombers damaged that night, one by Visintini and the other shared by the two pilots.
Crew of L2690 (all unhurt):
Flg Off James Wallace
Sgt A Cockell
Sgt W M Perks
No map had been found showing Wadi Gazouza airfield, but it was about 60 miles South-West of Port Sudan on the line to Haiya.
Sources:
http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/italy_visintini.htm
http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/italy_raffi.htm
"Royal Air Force Bomber Losses in the Middle East and Mediterranean. Volume 1: 1939-1942", by David Gunby and Pelham Temple. ISBN 1-85780-234-9
http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Wallace_J.htm
http://www.211squadron.org/maps.html
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 08-Mar-2008 14:51 | JINX | Added |
| 16-Dec-2015 18:39 | Laurent Rizzotti | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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