by Lex McAulay
AGAINST
FOUR ENEMIES
The wartime flying
of
Group Captain
Alan Rawlinson
DFC* RAAF
By
Lex McAulay
ISBN 978-1-875593-34-7
CONTENTS
AGAINST
FOUR ENEMIES
Appendix
Claims by Alan Rawlinson
Sources
Alan Charles Rawlinson was born in Fremantle on 31 July 1918 and joined the RAAF in 1938. He gave his civilian occupation as ‘clerk’ with two and a half years’ experience, and had gained the ‘Intermediate’ certificate in education.
Cadet Training
Rawlinson’s air force career began on 19 July 1938 and training continued at 1 Flying Training School, on Number 24 Course, until 21 June 1939. He was appointed to a Short Service commission as a probationary Pilot Officer on 17 July and promoted to Flying Officer on 22 November.
When the course finished in June 1939, Rawlinson was posted to 3 Squadron on 7 July, but went to a Link Trainer Instrument Flying Course from 27 July to 19 October. This was followed by No. 25 parachute officers’ course at Richmond RAAF base from 21 November to 1 December.
By this time, World War 2 had begun, with Australia involved as a member of the British Commonwealth. The Australian government decided on 20 September 1939 that an Australian air expeditionary force of six squadrons and a support element would be formed and sent overseas by the end of the year. There were no modern combat aircraft in Australia, so there were no air crews or ground crews able to operate them. What was pointed out after this announcement was that this force would include many of the men needed to train others in the expanded RAAF. So the seeds of pre-war neglect of Defence blossomed.
3 Squadron had formed at Richmond air base, north of Sydney, in 1925. It was an Army Co-operation Squadron flying Hawker Demon bi-planes and was designated to perform those duties with the Second Australian Imperial Force (2/AIF). But this decision was cancelled on 28 November, because of the need to use all available air force resources to get the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) into operation as soon as possible.
When it was announced that war had been declared, 3 Squadron had nine crews and twelve aircraft. At once the squadron stood to at 30 minutes notice, the Demons armed, but with no enemy anywhere in range.
Little happened in Europe and soon the media began to present derogatory names for the lack of action, such as ‘Phoney War’. But as soon as Adolf Hitler finished the conquest of Poland, with the assistance of an invasion from the east by Communist forces, he began active planning to attack in the West. The winter of 1939 was severe and neither side could do anything useful in the field of military operations.
Meanwhile the Australian force was forming and the 6th Division was en route to the Middle East. Negotiations continued about a RAAF contingent and it was agreed that a squadron could be equipped.
In April 1940 Hitler invaded Norway, just ahead of a British invasion to secure the ports and mineral exports. Then on 10 May the German armed forces surged out into Denmark, Holland and France and showed that the lessons of 1918 had been noted, practised and improved.
Tactical air strikes in direct support of the ground troops, with engineers, infantry, armour and artillery working closely together, shattered the opposing British, French, Dutch and Danish forces. The Danes were completely overwhelmed in hours, the Dutch in days, and the British and French staggered back, incapable of coping with the ferocity of modern warfare.
When the Italians saw that French defeat was imminent, Mussolini declared war against France and Britain. The Mediterranean and North Africa seemed easy pickings, with Egypt and the Suez Canal within reach without much effort.
Movement Over Seas
3 Squadron boarded the liner Orontes in Sydney and sailed on 15 July, moved to the Dilwarra at Bombay and arrived on 23 August at Port Tewfik. Command matters were resolved and instead of coming under command of the land forces, the squadron remained under air command.
Middle East
On arrival the only aircraft available were Miles Magisters and a single Westland Lysander, for which there was great demand by pilots until more were delivered.
The squadron was to be equipped with the Lysander, a single-engine high-wing fixed undercarriage aircraft designed for work with the army in reconnaissance for artillery, photographic use and visual reports. It already had been shown to be outclassed in every way by enemy aircraft, and it also had been shown that army needs had expanded to include protection from air attack and attacks on the enemy.
But the situation in Britain meant that no modern fighters could be sent to Egypt, so on 1 September 3 Squadron began training with Lysanders. On 16 September the squadron moved to Helwan and re-equipped two of the three flights with Gloster Gladiator bi-plane fighters, retaining the Lysanders. The Gladiators were passed on from 33 Squadron RAF.
Four Gloster Gauntlets also arrived. These were to be a detachment, with pilots and ground crew, to attach to 208 Squadron RAF and train in dive-bombing. Alan Rawlinson was in this group, with Flight Lieutenant Pelly, Peter Turnbull and Lindsay Knowles, and ten ground crew.
The Lysander crews did the full course of training in reconnaissance, while the Gladiators trained as fighters for the close-support role and the Gauntlets mastered dive-bombing. The bombs, of course, were from 1918.
Both Gladiator and Gauntlet were aircraft that would not have looked out of place in World War 1 and the armament of two .303-inch machineguns was that of the previous war. Delightful to fly they might have been, but they were incapable of achieving air superiority.
At first the Gladiators were designated for air defence of Cairo, but every day was allocated to training, sometimes with 6 Australian Division, and air-to-air and air-to-ground live firing. The co-operation flights with army units involved low flying, delivering messages and practising low-level attacks.
On 28 October, Italy attacked Greece. This did not go well as the Greeks fought well in the mountains and soon embarrassed the invaders. Though Nazi Germany welcomed Fascist Italy to its south, the poor performance by Italy in 1914-18 had not been forgotten in Berlin and Mussolini’s military adventures were not highly regarded.
In early November the squadron moved to Gewarala to commence operations. The first ten days were used to settle in.
Reconnaissance flights over the Italian enemy positions began on 13 November. These first sorties were by single aircraft to separate areas, and accurate anti-aircraft fire was reported at some places.
First Success –
19 November 1940
The first combat was fought on 19 November. Squadron Leader P.R. Heath, with Rawlinson and Alan Boyd, escorted Flight Lieutenant Pelly east of Rabia. At about 2 p.m. some eighteen Italian CR42 bi-plane fighters appeared, split into two groups of nine and attacked. With two groups of bi-planes in action, it was like a combat from World War 1.
It was Rawlinson’s first operational sortie. One group of Italians went for Pelly and the others for Heath’s formation. The enemy tactic seemed to be to make the Gladiators split up and then use their superior numbers to concentrate on each singly.
The battle began over enemy territory and moved east. Pelly dodged nine separate attacks and claimed one enemy destroyed, Rawlinson claimed to have shot one down, Boyd saw four CR42s spin out of control, but Heath was killed.
Alan Rawlinson made a head-on attack on a CR42 an
d saw pieces fly from it before it rolled over and dived, and he lost sight of it.
British Army units found three crashed CR42s and it was possible one or more were behind the Italian lines. RAF higher headquarters gave the squadron credit for six enemy destroyed, but Rawlinson’s claim was reduced to a ‘damaged’.
The RAAF pilots gained confidence in themselves and the Gladiator.
The Italians claimed to have destroyed six Gladiators ‘in flames’ and probably destroyed two others. There were only four present.
Wavell’s Attack
The British commander, General Wavell, decided to take advantage of what seemed to be a defensive attitude by the Italians, and to make a limited attack on them, to both shatter morale and to bolster that of the Greeks, who had been attacked by the Italians.
Wavell could only send two divisions against the estimated six or seven Italian, and he had to move those division forward over 100 km, in secrecy, before the attack could begin. This demanded effective air cover to prevent the Italians discovering the moves.
The Italians had some 500 fighters, bombers and other aircraft, with reinforcements quickly available. Wavell’s air arm was of only eleven squadrons, with no reinforcements.
The Italians were known to patrol twice a day, when their own troops were working and active, so the RAF decided to use all possible aircraft in the three fighter squadrons to engage the enemy at the normal patrol times.
On 8 December the fighter squadrons patrolled but there was no contact. Next day the British armour broke through the Italian lines and infantry exploited the gap. The Italians retreated and the British pushed westwards. This developed into a rout of the Italians that continued until February. Photos showed thousands of Italian prisoners, with suitcases, docilely walking east, guarded by one or two British or Australian soldiers, rifles slung, smoking and smiling.
The major British problem was maintaining supply and maintenance of the vehicles of all types.
The Italian air force flew over the battle area and did not try to bomb the British rear or the landing grounds. The RAF did both.
The first RAAF combat was on 10 December, when four Gladiators responded to a report of Italian aircraft over forward troops, attacked twelve CR42s, and shot down three, by McLachlan, Steege and Gatward, before the others fled west. The victories were confirmed by army units.
The Gauntlets bombed enemy for a few days but were withdrawn from operations as their age required more servicing than was returned by operational sorties.
The Gladiators again had a successful action on 12 December, when more CR42s were engaged. Seventeen CR42s were attacked by five Gladiators, and while most of the Italians climbed and flew away, some did stay to fight, but lost three shot down by Boyd, Gatward and Arthur.
The Aussies had now enjoyed several victorious actions against CR42s, and were confident. Next day saw a different result.
Five three-engine Savoia SM79 bombers were found, attacking British troops. The Gladiator patrol of six attacked, shot one down, probably destroyed another and damaged a third, but while this was happening the eight CR42s escorting the bombers attacked in turn. A savage dog-fight followed, and two CR42s were destroyed, but of the six Gladiators none survived unhit – four were destroyed, the other two damaged, and one pilot, Flight Lieutenant Gaden, was killed.
This combat, plus a crash next day, effectively eliminated the Gladiator component in 3 Squadron. The squadron ceased operations on 15 December, brought up more Gladiators and resumed two days later.
General Wavell and senior staff travelled forward to the advanced headquarters in three Lysanders which were escorted by two squadron Gladiators. This movement and small escort indicates how clearly by this time the Italian air force was not regarded as a real threat.
On the ground, the Italians had retreated into Bardia and the road west to Tobruk was cut by British armour. British activity comprised improving the supply situation for all three Services before Bardia could be attacked. This took the rest of December.
On 22 December Rawlinson was confirmed as a substantive Flying Officer. Alan Rawlinson had no way of knowing it, but that was the last substantive rank he would hold in the RAAF during the war.
Patrols continued without Italian air resistance, and on 25 December nine gladiators escorted a Lysander on artillery reconnaissance over Bardia. In the distance were five SM79s with an escort of 45 CR42s, who had the advantage of height, but did not attack.
The Italians were not held in high regard, Mussolini was regarded as a buffoon, and the events experienced by the squadron since the offensive began had tended to confirm the low opinion. The general derogatory term for them was ‘ice cream merchants’, from the occupation of many Italians in Australia and the UK.
26 December 1940
A Lysander was tasked to fly over Bardia, with an escort of eight 3 Squadron Gladiators. Ten Savoia SM79, in two flights of five, with 24 CR42s as escort, were seen. This was another successful RAAF combat.
Two Gladiators attacked the bombers and the others took the CR42s. The SM79s turned west, but two CR42s were shot down and five others damaged – one was ‘probably destroyed’. Three Gladiators had minor damage, repairable at the squadron base. The Italians claimed three Gladiators destroyed.
Alan Rawlinson’s second claim was for a CR42 probably destroyed. He began to fly as a leader of sections, then of flights, as operations continued and experience grew.
1941
Bardia was attacked on 3 January, with most RAF activity to the west of the fortress, in attacks on every airfield and strafing roads. This was successful and there were no air combats over Bardia.
All the North African campaigns were fought within the confines imposed by the ability to supply the fighting units. For the British, these problems increased as they went west, and for the Italians and soon-to-arrive Germans, as they went east.
On this occasion, the squadrons were able to take over abandoned Italian air fields and even use abandoned supplies. At least 154 Italian aircraft had been lost in action and on every captured air field were aircraft sitting there with little or no damage.
On 11 January 3 Squadron was concentrated at Gambut, all three flights now equipped with Gladiators.
The attack on Tobruk began on 21 January and next day the port was captured. Air activity by the RAF was in support of the attack, and only one combat with Italian aircraft was fought. The RAAF Gladiators were not involved, though they flew daily patrols.
Hawker Hurricanes
The squadron was informed that as of 22 January one flight at a time would move back and be re-equipped with Hawker Hurricanes. Detachments of ground staff also would go to learn about servicing the new aircraft.
An Italian schooner was reported off the coast near Tobruk, so Alan Rawlinson and ‘Woof’ Arthur were sent to find it and attack. This they did, and left it on fire. Later they flew another patrol, without contact.
25 January 1941
Alan Rawlinson was one of five Gladiators patrolling south-west of Mechili at only 2,000 feet, over an armoured division. Five Italian Fiat G-50 monoplane fighters appeared overhead, had the advantage of height, and attacked.
Flying Officer J.C. Campbell was killed and the other RAAF planes were damaged but were repairable at the squadron. Rawlinson claimed two G50s damaged and Peter Turnbull one damaged. Italian claims were for four Gladiators destroyed.
A few days later 3 Squadron began to re-equip with Hurricanes and took little part in operations at the time. Benghazi was captured on 6 February and the campaign was over.
3 Squadron had fought five engagements during the advance and claimed twelve enemy destroyed for the loss of five aircraft and two pilots killed.
On 27 January notice was received of promotions for eight officers, including to Temporary Flight Lieutenant for Alan Rawlinson. This was followed by the announcement of the award of the DFC to Ian McLachlan.
What had begun as only a small attack had shattered
the Italian force and on the principle of reinforcing success, had expanded to have the whole of Cyrenaica in British hands.
But this success had an unintended result. British forces, including Australian, were sent to assist Greece, leaving only four air force squadrons and one infantry division and an armoured brigade, both partly trained and poorly equipped.
German units, including Luftwaffe elements, were sent to assist the Italians in Greece and north Africa. Completely unprepared for operating in such desert conditions, the Germans soon were to completely alter the character of the North African campaign.
The German commander in Africa, General Erwin Rommel, was a highly decorated veteran of 1914-18, and more recently had commanded panzer units in France, where his division had been first to reach the French coast. Rommel was very good at exploiting any weakness discovered in his enemy, commanded from well forward and left the co-ordination and supply problems for his senior staff, and seemed to bear a charmed life, with people standing close to him killed and wounded while he was untouched.