French block airlift of British troops to Basra

"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 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

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