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French block airlift of British troops to Basra



 
 
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  #1  
Old September 19th 03, 11:40 AM
Iain Rae
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Cub Driver wrote:
I wasn't thinking the anger of the French people would be directed at the
UK.


Why ever not, it has been for the last thousand years or so.



I've been watching the CBS Video History of WWII. Last night was
Torch, the invasion of North Africa. The U.S. troops landed first
because the Allies believed that the French would be less likely to
fire on them than the British, because of the "hatred" (Walter
Cronkite's word) they bore for the Brits.


That's not that surprising since the French had been under RN guns about
two years previously[*] and relations between the UK and the Vichy
government were never good with the French harrassing Gibraltar airspace
and interning the crew of a damaged RN vessel. Probably there are
complaints on the French side.






[*]http://www.angelfire.com/ia/totalwar/MersElKebir.html




--
Iain Rae Tel:01316505202
Computing Officer JCMB:2418
School of Informatics
The University of Edinburgh

  #2  
Old September 19th 03, 01:51 PM
George Z. Bush
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"Iain Rae" wrote in message
...
Cub Driver wrote:


(Snip)

That's not that surprising since the French had been under RN guns about
two years previously[*] and relations between the UK and the Vichy
government were never good with the French harrassing Gibraltar airspace ...


I don't recall hearing or reading anything about the French harassing Gibraltar
airspace. How did they manage that? Out of Algeria or Morocco? What was the
Spanish reaction to such incursions? Did the RAF have a presence in Gibraltar
at the time?

George Z.


  #3  
Old September 19th 03, 07:48 PM
Avalon
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"George Z. Bush" wrote in message
...

"Iain Rae" wrote in message
...
Cub Driver wrote:


(Snip)

That's not that surprising since the French had been under RN guns about
two years previously[*] and relations between the UK and the Vichy
government were never good with the French harrassing Gibraltar airspace

....

I don't recall hearing or reading anything about the French harassing

Gibraltar
airspace. How did they manage that? Out of Algeria or Morocco? What was

the
Spanish reaction to such incursions? Did the RAF have a presence in

Gibraltar
at the time?


The Vichy French bombed Gibraltar.

4 July 1940 near Gibraltar 3 French Hawks attacked a Sunderland of coastal
command. 1 Hawk downed, 1 damaged. In the first air combat of the IIWW
between Britain and France, victory to the porcupine. After the British
action against the french fleet Gibraltar was bombed in retaliation. The
most serious raids were however mounted during the Battle of Britain. 24th
September 1940 - 64 aircraft from Oran and Tafaroui in Algeria, and Merknes,
Mediouna and Kenitra in Morocco. Fighters were also deployed. D520s of
GCII/3 from Mediouna, Hawks from GCII/5 from Casablanca, and GC I/5 from
Rabat. 41 tonnes of bombs dropped and no loss. The following day 83 bombers
deployed, no fighter cover, again no fighter response. 56 tonnes of bombs
dropped. 1 LeO 451 shot down by flak. It was the largest bomber raid mounted
by the French since the war began. Probably the largest mounted by the
French during the entire war.

Peter


  #4  
Old September 20th 03, 12:28 PM
Cub Driver
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4 July 1940 near Gibraltar 3 French Hawks attacked a Sunderland of coastal
command. 1 Hawk downed, 1 damaged.


The French in North Africa also flew the Hawk H-75s (P-36 types)
against U.S. Navy Wildcats during Operation Torch. I think some DB-9?
(A-20 type) light bombers were also used. I don't remember the exact
outcome, but the French got the worst of it.

I believe that was the only instance in WWII where American pilots had
to fight against American-built planes, though of course the
Russo-Finnish Continuation War saw instances of Brewster Buffaloes in
combat against Lend-Lease P-40s and perhaps P-39s.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: www.danford.net/letters.htm#9

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com
  #5  
Old September 30th 03, 10:15 AM
Rob van Riel
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"George Z. Bush" wrote in message ...
airspace. How did they manage that? Out of Algeria or Morocco? What was the
Spanish reaction to such incursions? Did the RAF have a presence in Gibraltar


I don't think the Spanish would mind. The regime there was Franco's
fascists, who had come to power with military support from the German
Condor Legion a few years earlier in the Spanish civil war.

Rob
 




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