ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 193247
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| Date: | Sunday 2 February 1941 |
| Time: | |
| Type: | Hawker Harbeeste |
| Owner/operator: | 40 Sqn SAAF |
| Registration: | 834 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Hobok -
 Ethiopia
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | |
The 2nd and 5th Brigades of the 1st South African Division crossed the Abyssinian border north of Dukana late afternoon on the 31 January 1941, moving in parallel columns to assault the Italian positions in the Mega-Moyale complex. The Italians had well established and entrenched advance positions at Goai Crater, El Gumu and Hobok – which were to be taken before the main forces at Mega-Moyale could be attacked. 2nd Brigade was assigned to attack Gorai on the right, while 5th Brigade was to assault El Gumu. The attack commenced early morning on 1 February and by 1600 both objectives had been secured. The armoured cars however failed to cut off the remnant Italian forces, and they retreated back towards Mega and Moyale.
The next day, 3rd Transvaal Scottish and the armoured cars attacked Fort Hobok, sited on a ridge 30 km west of El Gumu supported by artillery. The armoured cars again covered the flanks and tried to cut off any retreating forces. Before the attack the Italian positions were the target of an artillery barrage and of an air attack by Hartbeestes of 40 Sqn SAAF. During this latter attack Lt J D W Human silenced a machine gun post and also attacked an Italian armoured car. His Harbeeste (serial 834) was hit by ground fire, but he remained over the target losing height to allow his gunner, Air Sgt J Jackson, another shot at the vehicle. At this stage the engine seized, and Human had to crash-land in front of the advancing infantry. The aircraft was wrecked but both crew escaped and received respectively a DFC (Human) and a DFM (Jackson).
By afternoon, the fort had been captured. The 2nd Brigade now held Gorai and the 5th Brigade, Hobok. It was again hoped that these raids would ignite the Shifta uprising, but as with the previous occasion, this never materialised.
Sources:
http://avcom.co.za/phpBB3//phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=72460&start=45
"Dust clouds in the Middle East. The Air War for East Africa, Iraq, Syria, Iran and Madagascar, 1940-42", by Christopher Shores. ISBN 978-1-898697-37-4
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Infantry_Division_(South_Africa)
http://www.satelliteviews.net/cgi-bin/w.cgi?c=et&UF=-613435&UN=-866299&DG=WLLS
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 03-Feb-2017 10:38 | Laurent Rizzotti | Added |
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