The Air war over Suez
At
the start of the Suez Crisis the Egyptians Air Force was reported to have
up to 120 front line aircraft including 50 MiG-15s and 20 Il-28, both state
of the art Russian aircraft. To combat this, the RAF assembled a considerable
force in Cyprus and Malta. Five Canberra B6 and Four Valiant B1 squadrons
at Luqa with no less than eight Canberra B2 squadrons at Nicosia, a force
tasked with bombing the Egyptian air force out of its British built bases
from which the RAF had been operating a year earlier. Supporting the bomber
force were twenty four Hunter F5s of Nos. 1 and 43 Squadrons and Meteor
NF13s of No.39 Squadron at Nicosia, plus Meteor FR9s of No.208 squadron
at Ta Kali, Malta. A Venom strike force composed of experienced Middle
East operators, Nos. 6, 9 and 249 squadrons had also arrived at Akrotiri
in Cyprus. With British aircraft and helicopter carriers heading from Malta
carrying Six squadrons of Sea Hawks, four of Sea Venoms and one of Westland
Wyverns and their Wessex helicopters. Pictured left is a Valiant courtesy
of Edd Draper from his Royal
Air Force site
The
first RAF aircraft to take part in Musketeer were Photo Reconnaissance
Canberras which flew reconnaissance sorties over Egypt on 31st october.
That night, the RAF Canberras bombed Almaza just before midnight, also
attacking various other Egyptian Air Force airfields although Cairo International
was also bombed unintentionally. The Canberras were unopposed apart from
some enthusiastic, but inaccurate, anti-aircraft fire. The Valiants joined
the raids with 1,000lb bombs. On 1st November, No.13 Squadron flew reconnaissance
sorties as Fleet Air Arm Sea Venoms and Sea Hawks attacked more military
installations backed up by the Wyverns of 803 Squadron from H.M.S. Eagle.
The Venoms flew over 100 ground attack sorties without opposition. More
Canberra and Valiant bombing raids followed that night, including the bases
of the Il-28 aircraft as targets. Pictured right is a Canbera courtesy
of Edd Draper from his Royal
Air Force site
By the morning, proof was that most of the Egyptian Air Force had been destroyed on the ground and the air strikes turned against the communications thereafter, while the Hunters provided cover for the Canberras as they systematically smashed Egypt's railway system and military barracks.
The
4th November saw more air strikes, and the Fleet Air Arm flew more than
350 sorties as Shackletons and Meteors maintained patrols over the waters
between Malta and Egypt. RAF Transport Command dropped troops on Gamil
airfield at 4.44am on 5th November. After this, the RAF continued its air
strikes against Egyptian positions and covered the Marines and Army landings,
some made by RAF helicopters. The entire Task Force withdrew when the United
Nations condemned the invasion and the United States threatened the British
Government with Financial retribution. A ceasefire went into effect at
Midnight on 6th November, eight days later UN forces occupied British positions.
Please note that we have only touched the surface of the Suez invasion and will be adding more information to this site as time permits and we welcome any corrections to the above.
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