#2 Squadron SAAF

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SAAF pilots, 1943. by Etienne du Plessis Via Flickr: The Spitfire pilot of ER622, No 40 Squadron, South African Air Force confers with his 'No 2' after landing at Gabes,Tunisia April 1943.

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Supermarine Spitfire Mark VCs of No. 2 Squadron South African Air Force (SAAF) based at Palata, Italy, flying in loose line astern formation over the Adriatic Sea while on a bombing mission to the Sangro River battlefront. Oct-Dec 1943. https://www.instagram.com/p/BvRynzmHIM0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1u4ikb9lx2q8h

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• 40th Squadron SAAF

Motto Exercitui Oculus "Eyes of the Army"

Squadron Identification Code WR (1939-1945)

40 Squadron SAAF existed as a combat unit from early 1940 through to late 1945. It served in the East African Campaign, Western Desert, Tunisia, and Italy, reaching Austria by the end of World War II. 40th Squadron was formed in May 1940 at Waterkloof Air Station, under the command of Major Jimmy Durrant. As part of the South African Air Force's expansion early in World War II.

It was an Army Co-Operation squadron equipped with Hartbees aircraft a South African variant of the Hawker Hart. The squadron deployed to Kenya in August 1940, and in September started operations in Italian East Africa supporting the South African 1st Division. This effort continued throughout the East African Campaign. Operations included Tac.R, Armed Recce and Photo Recce using hand held cameras. In April 1941 it was decided the squadron be converted to a bomber squadron and equipped with Martin Marylands. Although this conversion never took place, the squadron was disbanded at Neghelli in Ethiopia at the end of May 1941 and its sixteen Hawker Hartbees aircraft were handed over to 41 Squadron at Yavello on 2 June 1941.

By July 1942 the squadron was operating once again from Burg-el-Arab during the First Battle of El Alamein, as the German offensive slowed and stopped; the crisis having passed, it moved out of the line for rest and re-equipment. The squadron converted to the Hurricane Mk.II and in late October it moved up to Burg-el-Adem in preparation for the Second Battle of El Alamein, supporting X Corps. At the end of November 1942 the squadron was attached to XXX Corps. Enemy fighter activity had been limited while the Germans were in full retreat, but stabilisation of the line changed that; most Tac.Rs were intercepted, and the casualty rate rose steeply.

Early in January 1943 the Army requested long range Tac.Rs behind enemy landing grounds, flown with Curtiss P40 escorts; but high losses amongst Tac.R and escort aircraft meant that these were soon discontinued. The squadron converted to the Supermarine Spitfire Vb at the end of February 1943. Sorties now included vertical and oblique photography, battle area Tac.R, target marking for fighter bombers, searches for night bomber targets, and identification of landmarks for day bomber navigation. In early 1943 the squadron received Arty/R training, however, unreliable radios meant that arty/R shoots were not as successful as had been hoped.

At the end of June 1943 two Flights deployed to Inqa airfield on Malta, as part of the operations preparing for the invasion of Sicily, Operation Husky. Oblique photographs were taken of the invasion area and intensive Tac.R operations started on the day prior to the invasion. For the rest of 1943, the squadron was fragmented: the Flight in Italy operated from a succession of landing-grounds near the Adriatic  coast, while the main part of the squadron remained in North Africa. Only in mid-January 1944 were the two reunited.

In 1953 40th Squadron was established at Rand Airport, Germiston as an Active Citizen Force Squadron flying Harvards. It was moved to Central Flying School Dunnottar in 1965. In August 1982 the Squadron was re-equipped with Impala aircraft and returned to their original base, AFB Waterkloof. The Squadron was finally disbanded on 29 April 1985.

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Supermarine Spitfire Mark VC, JK--- ‘DB-R’, of No. 2 Squadron SAAF based at Palata, Italy, carrying a 250-lb GP bomb beneath the fuselage, in flight along the Adriatic Coast while on a bombing mission to the Sangro River battlefront. Note the badge of No. 7 Wing SAAF, a leaping hartebeest on a red shield, painted on the rudder of the aircraft.

Source   

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A Sunderland of No. 35 Squadron SAAF photographed in 1947. Fifteen of these flying boats were maintained after World War 2 in the anti-submarine role, with the emblem of a pelican standing on a map of Africa and the motto “Shiya Amanzi” (”Rise From The Water”) painted on the nose.

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Lest we forget our war heroes

Lest we forget our war heroes

Dennis Earp was just 20 years old when he was put behind barbed wire in a brutal Communist prisoner-of-war (POW) camp in North Korea.

The young South African Air Force (SAAF) pilot had been shot down while flying for United Nations forces to defend what is now South Korea. The SAAF’s 2 Squadron in the Korean War suffered, proportionally, the highest casualty rate…

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P-51 Mustangs of No. 2 Squadron SAAF are sent to Korea as part of South Africa's contribution to the war.

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Tap pics to enlarge ☝️

conversion of the Beaufort, it was quickly apparent that more extensive modification was needed, resulting in a much more capable design. Heavily armed with various combinations of 20mm cannon, machine guns, rockets, bombs and even torpedoes, the ‘Beau’ was a force to be reckoned with. Over 5,900 would be built.

Beaufighters began to enter service in September 1940, but were not initially fitted with AI radar, the first kill using the new technology only being achieved in late November. Thereafter, the type quickly became the RAF’s primary night fighter, taking an increasingly heavy toll of Luftwaffe bombers. It would remain in this role until Mosquitoes began to take over in 1943. Notable Beaufighter pilots included John Cunningham and John ‘Bob’ Braham. Guy Gibson also scored victories on the aircraft during a ‘break’ from bomber operations.

Beaufighters saw extensive service with RAF Coastal Command. Some were used to counter Luftwaffe patrols over the Bay of Biscay, but the type is best known as an anti-shipping aircraft. Carrying rockets or torpedoes, Beaufighters took a heavy toll of German shipping, though many were shot down in return. The North Coates Strike Wing, for example, was credited with 150,000 tons sent to the bottom, at the high cost of 120 aircraft. A Coastal Command Beau also took part in one of the most audacious missions of the war. On 12th June 1942, an aircraft of 236 Squadron dropped a Tricolour on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris before shooting up the Kreigsmarine HQ.

Beaufighters saw extensive service in the Mediterranean in all roles. They operated from bases in North Africa and Malta against Axis shipping and aircraft, proving particularly effective against Luftwaffe transports. Later, operating from Italy, they conducted anti-shipping operations over the Adriatic and Aegean. From August 1945, 19 Squadron SAAF flew ground attack missions in direct support of Yugoslavian partisans.

In the Far East, several RAF squadrons operated Beaufighters from Burma, primarily for ground attack, but also on long range intruder missions. In the Southwest Pacific, the RAAF used the type extensively, with five Beaufighter squadrons being formed. 30 Squadron flew British-built aircraft to mount devastating strafing attacks during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea in March 1943. Over 350 Mark 21 Beaufighters were produced in Australia by the Department of Aircraft Production (DAP) from September 1944.

Pictured:

1) Beaufighter IIF night fighter of 255 Squadron at Hibalstow, Lincolnshire. This Merlin-powered variant proved underpowered and suffered from instability issues, which caused a number of accidents.

📷©️IWM ATP 10603B

2) Beaufighter VIF of 272 Squadron at Ta Kali Airfield in Malta, June 1943.

📷©️IWM TR 1064

3) Salvo of rockets being fired by a Beaufighter of 455 Squadron RAAF, Coastal Command, based at Langham, Norfolk.

📷©️IWM MH 5117

4) Crews of 30 Squadron RAAF pose in front of a DAP Beaufighter Mark 21 on Morotai Island in the Netherlands East Indies, April 1945.

📷©️AWM OG 2522

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Ronnie Bell Following

North American F-86F Sabre from No. 2 Squadron at Tsuiki air base

A South African Air Force North American F-86F Sabre from No. 2 Squadron at Tsuiki air base, Japan, in 1953. No. 2 Squadron SAAF was attached to the U.S. Air Force 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing during the Korean War. The unit lost 74 of 94 F-51D Mustangs and 4 out of the 22 Sabres, along with 34 pilots. In the background is the USAF F-86F-1-NA (s/n 51-2850) from the 39th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 51st Fighter Interceptor Wing, which was shot down by a MiG-15 on 7 April 1953. The pilot, Harold Fischer, became a prisoner of war.

Via Flickr

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South African Air Force evaluates updating old fleet of C-130 Hercules to increase availability

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 05/10/22 - 4:00 PM in Military

SAAF's C-130BZ Hercules aircraft.

SAAF's C-130BZ Hercules aircraft.

The South African military is looking for options to upgrade their old C-130BZ Hercules transport planes, which are experiencing successive availability problems.

South African Minister of Defense and Military Veterans, Thandi Modise, explained that a Required Operational Capacity (ROC) is in process for upgrading the current C-130 fleet of the South African Air Force (SAAF) which will cost US$ 110 million.

Alternatively, the Office of Defense Cooperation of the U.S. Embassy (ODC) offered through a letter, Hercules C-130H models through the surplus defense articles program (EDA) to the Head of the South African National Defense Force.

The USAF is offering surplus C-130 Hercules aircraft to South Africa. (Photo: U.S. Air Force / Tech. Sgt. Howard Blair)

The ex-USAF C-130H will have a value of US$ 15.7 million per aircraft and will be able to serve until 2028. However, to save valuable local technical skills, SAAF will upgrade and return to service the six aircraft currently in the inventory of the 28th Squadron. This would allow the C-130BZs to remain in airworthiness until 2040.

Minister Thandi Modise also stated that South Africa was approached by the Office of the United Kingdom High Commissioner about the possibility of acquiring used C-130s ?? available, but this is unlikely to happen due to the lack of budgeted funds for the acquisition of assets.

However, any new requirement will be met through an open bidding process," depending on the user's requirement statement.

SAAF faced problems with maintenance and availability of aircraft due to limited funding. This has negatively affected your flight hours.

"Limited funding is also affecting the ability to supply sufficient aircraft, although serious efforts are being made to ensure that availability is increased within the reduced budget," said the Portfolio Committee on Defense and Military Veterans (PCDMV) on August 18, 2021, after expressing concern that SAAF will not be able to meet its flight hour targets.

In 2020, a South African Air Force (SAAF) C-130BZ Hercules suffered a collapse of the nose wheel at Waterkloof Air Base. The C-130BZ Hercules (405) was preparing for another test flight before the nose wheel involuntarily retracted when engine number 2 was started.

Aircraft C-130 "403" was disassembled to supply parts to other SAAF Hercules.

Denel was preparing Hercules 405 to replace Hercules 403 that left the track in the Democratic Republic of Congo in January 2020. SAAF withdrew from service and dismantled the Hercules aircraft that left the runway in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo.

The usable parts ?? recovered were distributed around the remaining C-130BZ fleet of the SAAF as needed.

Tags: Military AviationC-130 HerculesSAAF - South African Air Force / South African Air Force

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in a specialized aviation magazine in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation

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[usafphantom2]

Supermarine Spitfire Mark VCs of No. 2 Squadron South African Air Force (SAAF) based at Palata, Italy, flying in loose line astern formation over the Adriatic Sea while on a bombing mission to the Sangro River battlefront. Oct-Dec 1943

[usafphantom2]

SAAF pilots, 1943.

The Spitfire pilot of ER622, No 40 Squadron, South African Air Force confers with his 'No 2' after landing at Gabes,Tunisia April 1943

[hms-exeter]

Supermarine Spitfire Mark VCs of No. 2 Squadron SAAF based at Palata, Italy, each carrying a 250-lb GP bomb beneath the fuselage, flying in loose formation along the Adriatic Coast while on a bombing mission to the Sangro River battlefront.

Source