Italian attacks over Djibouti in june 1940

[Bertrand H]

Hi,


When Italy declare war against France and UK on 10 june 1940, there were French troops in Cote Française des Somalis (Djibouti). Italy did some attacks but if I found one attack over Djibouti on 22 june 1940 I am not able to find some raids before. Is there an Italian friend who can tell me if there were other raids ?

Thanks in advance


Bertrand

[Ludovico Slongo]

Dear Bertrand,
this is the list of air activity over French Somaliland as I can piece it together.

17 June
Reconnaissance of Zeila and Djibouti Harbour by a Ro 37 bis of 110a Squadriglia.
A S81 of 15a Squadriglia made a reconnaissance of the border area around Lobucurust (?)

18 June
From 8.00 to 12.45 1 S81 of 63a Squadriglia made a reconnaissance to check eventual movements of English troops towards Djibouti. It encountered light and inaccurate AA fire from the French city.

19 June
6.45 – 10.45 one S81 of 15a Squadriglia made a reconnaissance from Berbera to Djibouti encountering light AA fire from ships in the Harbour of Djibouti and heavy AA from the airport.

20 June
1 Ro 37bis of 110a Squadriglia made a reconnaissance of Djibouti from 13.15 to 16.45 he saw 5 or 6 warships in the Harbour and 15-16 planes in the airfield.

21 June
11 Ca 133 of 18a and 52a Squadriglia based at Dessie took off from 18.30 to 18.50 in three groups, to bomb Djibouti harbour and airfield. Bad weather dispersed the planes . Two planes, one of each Squadriglia, came back immediately with faulty engines and instruments. The target was hit starting from 20.30 and fires started. Three planes came back at Dessie, one at Assab, three force landed undamaged in Italian territory and were later flown to base, two failed to return presumed shot down by the AA defences:
Ca 133, MM20571, 18a Squadriglia (S.Ten. Sconci Federico, Serg. Belcaro Bruno, 1° Av. Pallaro Antonio, 1° Av. Garito Pietro) crew presumed P.O.W.
Ca 133 MM60086 52a Squadriglia (S.Ten. Putzolu Giuseppe, Serg.Magg. Saura Armando, 1° Av. Treghini Mario, 1° Av. Fuoco Rodolfo) crew presumed P.O.W.

22 June
3 S81 of 63a Squadriglia attacked the harbour of Djibouti from 3.40 to 7.55. The last one landed back at 8.50. bombs fell close to some merchant ships in the harbour.
1 Ro 37 bis piloted by col. Mario Pezzi, 1 CR 32 piloted by cap. Corrado Ricci (CO of 410a Squadriglia), and equipped with bomb throwers for two 25 kg and thirteen 2 kg bombs, 4 more Ro 37bis of 110a Squadriglia and 3 CR 42 of 413a Squadriglia took off from Dire Daua and carried out a strafing and dive bombing attack of the airfield of Djibouti. The formation took off at 5.40 and landed back at 8.30 (according with other sources, the CR 42 were four and the timing was 7.00-11.00, the latter timing is consistent only with the endurance of the Ro 37bis). On landing back , the Ro 37bis MM 10767 crash-landed overturning and was declared RD, the pilot was unhurt.
At 8.05 two SM 79s of 7a Squadriglia and one of 6a Squadriglia from Addis Abeba took off and bombed Djibouti airfield and harbour from 10.15 to 10.18 hitting the hangars area in the airfield and the south pier in the harbour. They were back at 12.35
Similar mission was repeated from 8.55 to 12.55 by three SM 79 of 7a Squadriglia and by one SM79 of 6a Squadriglia from 9.45 to 13.50 ( bombing at 12.00). Two more machines of the same Squadriglia aborted.

At 13.30, 3 bombers presumed French “Potez 65” but probably British Blenheims, attacked Dire Daua destroying on ground the CR 42 of 413a Squadriglia where S.Ten. Miroslav Komjanc was ready to take off ( the pilot escaped miraculously) and damaging the CR 32 of 410 squadriglia of Ten. Giuseppe Volpe (MM 4648). One ground crewman was killed and two wounded. Some Italian documents dated this attack on 21 June but from the documents kept by cap. Corrado Ricci (then in Dire Daua) it seems that the attack was on the 22nd.

23 June
One Ro 37 bis of 110a Squadriglia made a reconnaissance of Djibouti from 14.00 to 17.15.

That's all.
If you are aware of more details on the raid on Dire Daua of 22 June and of the Italian attacks on 21 and 22 it would be nice to share them with us.

Ciao

Ludovico

[Bertrand H]

Many thanks Ludovico for have taking time and let me all these detailed attacks. The only one I knew came from the book **Croix de Lorraine et Croix du sud, 1940-1942: aviateurs belges et de la France libre en Afrique** by Vital Ferry but he only talked briefly about the raid of 22 june !

Sincerely

Bertrand

[Rémi Baudru]

Hello Ludovico,

I am also very interested by this subject.
So I also thank you for your long answer.

I can add these informations :
- Bombing of Dire Daoua (french ortograph) the 22 june at 13h30 .
It was not the french (they made only two bombing missions the 16th and the 20 june (on the same target = Daouenlé = 10 km west of Aisca).
20 years ago, I spent a lot of time to meet more than 20 pilots and mechanics who where in the french escadrille from Djibouti in 1940/42. One of them explained me how he made to make theese bombing with a Potez 25.

- The two missing Caproni of italian bombing of the 21 june where hit by the french anti aircraft guns. I have in my files the photo of one of this Caproni wich seems intact (landed on its weels). The two crews where captured.
For the story, these anti aircraft guns where called the "russians guns" because they where guns of russian fabrication which where seized by the french when the last soldiers of the spanish republican army where forced to fleed with their weapons in south of France in 1939.

Best regards from France.

Rémi BAUDRU

[Bertrand H]

Hi,

I have also these two raids of 16 and 20 june in the logbook I have and I wonder why French attack Daounlé before the first raid over Djibouti by Regia aeronautica. Could it be following an army raid ?

Bertrand

[Ludovico Slongo]

Dear Rémi and Bertrand, you are welcome.
Thanks to you for the additional pieces of information.
Bertrand, I'm not aware of any specific attack of the Italian Army against French Somaliland border, maybe there were some, but -at the end- we were in war at the time, so perhaps there was no need of additional reasons to bomb targets in Ethiopia.
Now a small question for you. Italian sources spoke of a certain number of planes : 14 to 16, discovered on ground in Dijbouti, in a place close to the city graveyard. Corrado Ricci reported that during the strafing mission of the 22nd, the CR 42s escorted the Romeos and his CR 32 to protect them against the eventual action of MS 406 then reputed present in Dijbouti.
The presence of some French planes is given also by Christopher Shores in his book on the subject. Do you know anything regarding these planes?

Ciao

Ludovico

[Bertrand H]

Hi Ludovico

The MS406 were never not posted in Djibouti. They were in Rayack with GC 1/7 and after summer 1941 some with the « Free French ». On Madagascar island the Esc 565 used also Ms406.

bertrand