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Old 31st July 2015, 19:15
GuerraCivil GuerraCivil is offline
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Re: Imperial Ethiopian Air Force at war 1935-1936?

Something in Spanish linked to the topic: http://www.eurasia1945.com/protagoni...perial-etiope/ - it is based on article written by Isaac Johnson (?) and published in Spanish military history magazine Revista FAM Historia Militar (2011).

Johson states that Ethiopian air force had some teeth: it played a significant role in suppressing a rebellion against the Negus in 1930 when the planes were equipped with bombs and machine guns.

However in the Ethiopian-Italian war the air force limited its role to liason, reconaissence and transport (ambulance) duties. My guess is that it simply did not have resources for more ambitious combat role. The ground attacking operations were probably avoided in order to save few available planes and not to speak of challenging Italians in air combat.

Imperial Ethiopian Air Force was not directly involved in any combat action against Italians during the war of 1935-1936 according to Johnson (unless we consider reconaissence missions). The Italians air attacks destroyed at least three Ethiopian aircraft (2 Fokker VII + 1 Heinkel HD 21) on the ground - so at least Italians were aware of the existence of Ethiopian air force and probably made an effort to destroy it on the ground. Almost all Ethiopian planes were lost during the campaign in one way or another. Only one plane of Imperial Ethiopian Air Force (Junkers W 33) managed to escape in Sudan in May 1936 (according to Johnson).

Some Spanish sources claim that one ex-Ethiopian air force plane was bought by Spanish Republicans (Basques) and flew in the Spanish Civil War. The plane (Fokker VIII or Beech 17) was baptized as "Negus" to honor its origin. http://www.foroaviones.com/foro/mili...del-negus.html

I googled to find something in Italian (claims?) but found nothing promising.
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