April 25th, 1941
In the popular British newspapers, never short of slogans and often approved underhand by 10 Downing Street, which is as attentive to the morale of the public as to the milk of the fire, this Sunday will become "the Glorious Twenty-fifth of April" (even if this title is a bit Francophobe)*. In the French army, they prefer to call it "the Kirkuk bullfight".
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Lebanon, Syria and northern Iraq, 00:00 - The French air surveillance network, which usually sleeps during the night, is put on alert. In Palestine and the West Bank, the British network also remains on alert. Phase 1 of the "revised Bertha" plan begins.
Sir Arthur Longmore himself would give the go-ahead for phase 2, or not.
Luftplatz Constantza, 00:10 - Take-off of the six Bf 110s and eight He 111s intended to reinforce Kampfgruppe Bäumler. The flight, in economic cruise, should last about seven hours, perhaps eight if, as the weather forecast suggests, the winds are unfavorable at the end of the flight. The planes fly with all lights off and the crews are obliged to maintain absolute radio silence.
Luftplatz Kirkouk, 00:30 - Oberstleutnant Pfiffelsdörfer has the OTC transmitter previously operating in Rasheed installed. The two operators start to pass, every ten minutes, a record soon to be a universal success, the Lili Marleen of Lale Andersen. The three formations which go towards the base can thus direct their gonios and periodically readjust their navigation.
Habbaniyah, 01:25 - Seamus O'Shea's two howitzers open fire for ten minutes. They are a diversion to facilitate the sending of patrols into the Iraqi lines by the base and by "Kingcol".
Over the Black Sea, 01:55 - Following an order given before takeoff, Major Güstrow, before approaching the Turkish coast, turns on his lights to order his planes to do the same for five minutes. He counts the aircraft and finds that his formation has only fourteen Ju 52s left. "Scheisedreck!" (Shit and shit again!) he grumbles in mid voice, without deviating from his route**.
Mosul airfield, 02:30 - His orderly wakes up Colonel Stehlin. Duly shaved, he swallows a cup of coffee and goes to the hangars. The ground staff of the FAML stayed up to overhaul and repair as many aircraft as possible. Stehlin jokes with them and, while everyone is busy, he whistles Charles Trénet's Les enfants s'ennuient le dimanche, gently annoying Major Grélaux, chief mechanic officer.
- With you, colonel," he growls, "one is never bored, even on Sundays!
- Nothing worse than idleness, old man. It's disastrous for morale. But do as I do, or like the dwarves in Snow White***: whistle while you work! Stehlin replies despite not beig known for his cheerfulness. Then he adds: "As soon as possible, send as many people as possible to bed, Grélaux. Let them get at least two hours of sleep. Their day will be long, and I let you imagine what their next night will be like.
Grélaux grumbles, but assures not without pride that the FAML will be able, as of 06:30, to fly about 40 aircraft, including all its Morane 410s.
Right bank of the Euphrates, Central Iraq, 03:10 - The two patrols sent by "Kingcol" into the Iraqi lines return to the British positions. One captures two non-commissioned officers of the 1st Iraqi Division, the other one brings back identity papers, various documents and an MP 40 machine pistol found on the corpse of a simple German soldier. Landser**** Klaus Schöttle of the Brandenburger Rgt, a Swabian from the Black Forest, had the bad idea to defend himself while the Iraqis accompanying him had fled.
According to the Iraqi NCOs, their units are short of ammunition, and a section of Brandenburgers should go and blow up the Ar Ramadi bridge during the day, taking advantage of the inevitable confusion of the battle.
Habbaniyah, 03:30 - The patrol dispatched by Roberts returns home. Its leader, 2nd Lieutenant James Collindge, 1st King's Own, brings back a panoramic sketch of the opponents' fighting positions in front of "Bob's hernia" (Robert's hernia), name that the London cockneys of his section gave to the salient that the British linesformed since the partial success of the attack commanded by Colonel Roberts, the day before. The success of this mission and the quality of the plan earned Collindge, who is only
19 years old, to be nominated for the Military Cross, while his second in command, Sergeant Major Peter "Pete" Rockwood, is nominated for a bar to the Military Medal won in 1933 on the "North-West Frontier"*****. With a rare celerity, King George VI, "fountain of honors"******, will ratify these proposals on the 25th.
French Air HQ, Lattaquieh, 04:25 - The formation led by Kurt Zapanski is heard then, thanks to the moonlight, spotted by the lookout post. The eight planes of the 789 have violated Turkish airspace between Izmir and Antalya to save time and fuel.
Mosul, 04:40 - A radio message warns the FAML of the passage of German aircraft. "The deutsche Pünktlichkeit******* has many advantages", comments Stehlin (bilingual, it goes without saying, as a strict Alsatian). "Our compatriots in the interior could well learn from it," he continues in a sanctimonious tone between his teeth. The FAML leader relays the information to RAF HQ in Cairo.
Arbil, 04:45 - Massiet and Larminat share a summary breakfast. The day before, they had agreed, after the approval by the former of the DML chief's plan, that Massiet would remain at the CP during the phase of the attack that he was to supervise, before moving to Mosul during the day to take up his duties as governor. Larminat, on the other hand, will join an advanced CP from where he will follow and coordinate the joint maneuver of his groups.
Right bank of the Euphrates, Central Iraq, 05:00 - The "Kingcol" batteries open long-range fire, while the mortars of the infantry units pound the front lines of the Iraqis. This barrage lasts one hour and fifteen minutes. The response of the 1st Iraqi Division, whose Brandenburgers' NCOs advise the battery commanders, as the prisoners also revealed, seemed to the DLOs to be more precise and denser than that of the 3rd Division.
Luftplatz Kirkuk, 05:20 - The whole base is put on alert after a more than summary breakfast. Pfiffelsdörfer reduces as much as he could the number of men reserved for the protection of the premieter so as to have as many arms as possible to unload the planes of the 789.
Habbaniyah, 05:30 - Seamus O'Shea's two howitzers enter the dance. The plan drawn by Collindge - "a real asset" says Colonel Roberts, trying to smile- allows to concentrate the shells on what seems to him to be a weak point of the device, on the left flank of the "hernia."
Rasheed Air Base, 05:40 - At first light, Major O'Flanaghan, who had spent the night on his water tower wrapped in a Bedouin burnous, thinks he can see through his binoculars that the Iraqi air force is preparing for a grand exit with its remaining planes. The ground staff is busy filling up, supplying bombs and loading machine gun belts.
Mosul, 05:45 - Stehlin gathers all his pilots. He reveals to them in a few sentences the plan adopted in agreement with Larminat. Protected by three patrols of two Moranes
406, the seven T-6s, divided into two patrols of two sections, are reserved for fire support for the reconnaissance elements of the three battle groups and the tanks. The other 406s, 410s and Potez will attack, before or just after their landing, the German air reinforcements arriving in Kirkuk from the north-west (it is necessary to give up the attempt to intercept the 789 at night). This will be the implementation, for its French part, of phase 2 of "Bertha revised", whose order of execution is expected from one minute to the next, according to the final information received by the RAF HQ in Cairo. Their task accomplished, all these planes will return to Mosul, where they will be rearmed and refueled, then they will leave to reinforce the T-6s.
05:50 - Major Grélaux indicates to Stehlin that forty-one aircraft are ready for a takeoff at his convenience.
- Thank you, Grélaux," says Stehlin. "Our visitors will receive a welcome worthy of the reputation of French hospitality!"
Northern Iraq, DML front, 06:01 - The artillery of Larminat's three BGs opens fire. Larminat had placed it under the overall command of Colonel Arbuthnot' deputy, Lt-Colonel Percy Newlarge DSO MC, of the Royal Horse Artillery. From his mother, Newlarge speaks flawless French (he had served a few months as a liaison officer at the GQG in Chantilly in 14-18). To give more weight to the salvos, the groups of the GTA and the GTB beat in unison the Dibs - Altun Kupri segment of the 2nd Iraqi Division. An Audax came the day before from Habbaniyah to adjust the fire.
RAF Shaibah, 06:05 - The mechanics finish preparing Wellington and Gladiator. Pilots and crews, awakened at 05:30, have a solid breakfast before the briefing. The engines will be started at 06:20 for a takeoff at 06:30.
Northern Iraq, 06:10 - The French lookout posts of Dihok and Zawita report two formations, heading 175, a few minutes apart: first fourteen Ju 52 and then, it seems, a dozen He 111s. These planes, they note, are flying slowly: no more than 250 km/h as far as the eye can see. It is true that they are upwind. As predicted by the weather forecast, the wind from the south has shifted to the south-southwest. The information is transmitted by the FAML staff to AVM Smart, who will relay it to RAF Shaibah and to Sir Arthur Longmore's HQ in Cairo.
HQ RAF Middle-East, Cairo, 06:25 - Radio messages from Sir Arthur Longmore, in clear, to Stehlin and Smart: "Execute Bertha revised phase two immediately - Repeat - Execute phase two immediately. Good luck."
Right bank of the Euphrates, Central Iraq, 06:15 - The artillery raises its barrage. After twelve mortar salvos, four companies of the 1st Essex of "Kingcol" put bayonets to the gun, whistle and, with grenadiers in the lead, attack the lines of the 1st Iraqi Division. The self-propelled guns of the 4th Cavalry Brigade, reinforced by elements of the Arab Legion, deploy in front of the motorized brigade.
Luftplatz Kirkuk, 06:30 - Major Zapanski's planes land safely one after the other, covered by four Bf 110s. The ground staff of the base as well as the majority of the protection company are mobilized to participate in the unloading of the Fw 200 and the seven Ju 90s while their crews, tired from the long flight, are to eat.
- Weh dieser Lili Marleen!" grumbles Zapanski who has asked for a glass of schnapps before drinking his coffee. "Ich hatte davon die Nase voll!********
The boss of 789 has a drawn face and a worried forehead. However, it doesn't take more than forty minutes before the equipment and ammunition of Flak-Abteilung I are taken out from the carlings. The twelve Vierlinge are lined up in front of the hangars, waiting for the boxes of 20 mm shells stored in the sandbagged cells built the day before. The mechanics of the base clean the cockpit windows and complete the oil fillings of the aircraft. Three of them hurriedly repair the tail wheel of one of the Ju 90, damaged during the landing.
Habbaniyah, 06:40 - The disparate aircraft of the Strike Force, led by Squadron Leader Savile, take off slowly. They head due west as if they want to reach the West Bank. Two patrols of two Gladiators remain in protection of the base, for all purposes.
Mosul, 06:55 - All FAML aircraft are in the air. The T-6s and MS-406s that escort them head for the DML positions. The MS-410s, the other 406s and the Potez 63.11s fly towards the east-southeast.
Zab Sa Saghir Front, Northern Iraq, 07:00 - The DML's posture shakes out. The GTA and GTB start behind the motorized group: 15 R-35 tanks of the 6th RCA preceded by a dozen self-propelled gunships of the 1st King's Dragoon Guards, supported by, ready to jump out of their trucks, the marine company and two CPLE. Sidi Bel-Abbès has sent to the Levant some legionnaires that we still prefer to avoid confronting the Germans or the Italians. Among them, there is a strong core of anti-Mussolinians Italians, republicans Spaniards and many Jews from Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia, along with non-Jewish but anti-Nazi Germans and Austrians. Many sing Erika and Einheitsfrontlied********* at the top of their voices.
The GTZ also goes on the attack with about fifteen R-35s divided into four sections and the legionnaires from the other two CPLE. The crews of the tanks and the Legion are ordered to speed (a relative term for R-35s) without stopping. They have to leave the infantry - essentially the Zouaves - to clean up any enemy pockets that remain behind them. But it soon becomes clear that the 2nd Iraqi Division would have to sell its skin dearly. Facing the DML, its lines are bristling with a curtain of artillery and machine gun fire.
Luftplatz Kirkuk, 07:05 - Without delay, the eight aircraft of 789 take off and head for Rasheed Air Base. They will be overhauled and refueled during the day, while the crews take some rest. They must leave the same evening to return to Tirana-Rinas and resume their logistic support missions. Jeschonneck refused to pay attention to Zapanski's demands for twenty-four hours of real rest for his crews.
Northern Iraq, 07:10 - Major Güstrow breaks radio silence to report to Kirkuk that his formation had flown over the Zab Sa Saghir without being hit by flak and would be landing in eight to ten minutes at the latest. He asks for field instructions and requests protection during the landing. He istold that the four Bf 110s on watch are already in the air.
.........
Zab Sa Saghir Front, 07:12 - The T-6s attack the lines of the 2nd Iraqi Division with machine guns and light bombs. One of the planes, flying too low, hits a sand hillock which served as an observatory for the Iraqis.
Luftplatz Kirkouk, 07:14 - The controller fires green rockets. The Ju 52, Bf 110 and He 111 are at less than 800 meters altitude in sight of the base. The Ju 52s are the first to land, the fighters are getting ready to extend their landing gear and flaps.
07:15 - Today, German precision does not have only advantages (for the Germans, at least). The French Moranes 410 and 406, exact at the rendezvous, dive on Güstrow's formation. "Long live Bertha, children! Attack!" shouts commander Pétrinal, head of the 1st GML, who commands all the fighters. The four Bf 110s in cover spot them at the last moment, but they are too few to stop them.
07:16 - "Alarm! Alarm! Die Franzosen!" bellows the controller, alerted by patrolling planes. But it is too late. The Morane's cannons and machine guns have gone into action, targeting the disarmed Junkers 52. The German airmen try to face them, but the Bf 110s still have trouble with the maneuverable MS-406s - and they are inferior to the MS-410s.
07:19 - The ambush lasted only a few moments. But it is a success: for the loss of a Morane 410 and two 406s, six Ju 52s are sent to the ground, as well as two He 111s and a Bf 110. Two other Junkers, on fire, crash while landing and all their passengers are killed or wounded.Only six transports land normally.
07:20 - The Potez 63.11, arriving at low altitude, bomb the base then carry out a strafing pass. They destroy a He 111 and damage a Bf 110, as well as a Ju 52 which was still rolling. A lucky bomb destroys one of the methanol stocks. During the second pass, a Potez is hit by a 20 mm cannon that some furious Brandenburgers had and crashes. Another one is surprised by one of the Bf 110s which had escaped the fight against the Moranes; severely hit, he sees his opponent break off the fight in an unexpected way - in fact, it is one of the aircraft that came from Constantza and he has neither fuel nor ammunition left (the reinforcement aircraft had only taken, to lighten their load, only a quarter of their normal ammunition). The pilot of the Potez, himself wounded, is able to return to Mosul and land his aircraft on its belly, ready for the scrap heap.
07:25 - Stehlin, who is at the controls of one of the Potez, reports the results to the PC of Larminat for retransmission on the AVM Smart and Sir Arthur Longmore. He thinks that the reinforcements were practically annihilated (he overestimated a little the effectiveness of his forces) - the flak unit will be able to put a third of its guns on line normally and äumler's forces now number eleven Bf 110s and eleven He 111s). "Add for Sir Arthur, asks Stehlin, "Miss Bertha looks quite healthy."
Zab Sa Saghir Front, 07:25 - Pressed by GTZ tanks and Zouaves, elements of the Iraqi first line begin to withdraw in good order to their second line, arranged according to the principles of 14-18, with trenches, barbed wire, machine-gun nests and antitank ditch, Iraqi officers have not forgotten the lessons learned in the Turkish army.
Further west, the GTA and GTB are facing strong resistance, as the pictures brought back by the Potez reconnaissance planes had let foresee it the day before.
Stuck on the glacis, four R-35s are stopped by mines and one caches fire, while two self-propelled gunships, fired with Boys rifles, are out of action, at least for the moment. But the other tanks do not retreat. Meanwhile, protected by a rolling artillery barrage, the CPLE dismounts and prepares to attack.
Zab Sa Saghir Front (west), 07:40 - The CPLE attacks, preceding two of the battalions of the 2nd RTA and two others of the Buffs. The advance, in small steps, is slow. The four guns dragged by hand by the Algerians' machine company, which the younger officers consider to be fossilized machines, prove unexpectedly effective against the positions - unexpected for those whose memories do not go back to 1917-18.
It is still a return to the roots for Larminat, Newlarge and Arbuthnot, all veterans of the Other War - and not necessarily unhappy, whatever they may say, to find themselves in a knowledgeable field.
- This is Verdun, gentlemen!" comments Newlarge in French, who could not get enough of the thunder, however modest, unleashed by his few cannons.
- It's Paschendaele!" replies Larminat politely.
Habbaniyah, 07:45 - British artillery and mortars open fire on both sides of the Iraqi device, caught between the hernia and the vanguards of "Kingcol".
Rasheed Air Base, 07:50 - The eight aircraft of the Trasta 789 land. Still hidden by the false parapet that transforms his water tower into a dungeon, O'Flanaghan receives by telephone the reports of his yaouleds, that he completes by his own observations with the binoculars. His radio message to the headquarters of Lieutenant-General Quinan, who relays it to Cairo, appears as a model of conciseness: "Migration over. Some birds in the nest, more outside repeat some birds in the nest, more outside. Booze aplenty and water behind the nest repeat behind the nest." And O'Flanaghan ends as an aesthete, abandoning coded language for a paraphrase of Robert Stevenson: "The hunter gets to be home from the hill very soon. Over "- to indicate that he hopes to return to Senhor Oliveira's store soon.
The major also sees four Gladiators, four Breda Ba.65 and two SM.79B, but that is not his game.
Ar Ramadi ("western front"), 07:55 - Held on alert for hours because of intelligence given by Iraqi prisoners, the bridge sentries shoot down four Brandenburgers - in German uniform, according to their rules - who were trying to infiltrate under the bridge deck to blow it up.
Habbaniyah, 08:00 - The British artillery bombardment is interrupted so that the Strike Force, returning from its feint, can make a low-level attack on the Iraqi lines. Their
attack causes little damage, but, following unexpectedly the artillery fire, it causes panic. Several units of the 1st Division abandon their positions and flee in disordertowards the lines held by the 3rd Division and the Motorized Brigade.
08:05 - The ten Iraqi planes arrive from Rasheed, in full combat posture. Taken to task by Strike Force escorts, they drop their bombs at random and turn back, losing a Gladiator in the process.
Right bank of the Euphrates, 08:10 - Major-General Clark decides to launch the entire 1st Essex into the fray against the 1st Iraqi Division.
Habbaniyah, 08:12 - Warned by radio, Colonel Roberts uncoupled the King's Own and his Assyrian Levies on the left flank of the hernia after a volley of twenty mortar rounds. His men supported by two sections of RAF Infantry, come out in the back of the Iraqi motorized brigade.
Right bank of the Euphrates, 08:15 - The stick under the arm and wearing a cap with the arms of the 9th Queen's Lancers (his regiment) as if on maneuvers on the Salisbury Plain, Brigadier Kingstone comes to lead the squadrons of his brigade in person: Household Cavalry, The Warwickshire Yeomanry and Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry (Prince of Wales' Own). He is ordered to approach the positions of the 3rd Division in force and to maul the Iraqi motorized brigade.
Mosul airfield, 08:30 - Stehlin takes stock of the situation with the leaders of his groups Pétrinal and Schulberg. By mutual agreement, it is decided that the 406s, Potez and T-6s would leave as planned, as soon as they were re-supplied and rearmed, in support of the DML. On the other hand, the 410s, that Stehlin, this time, will lead himself, will make a second raid on Kirkuk in the hope of confirming the morning's success.
Rasheed Air Base, 08:33 - Shaibah's Wellingtons and Gladiators come out of the south-west at 1,200 meters altitude - out of range of the flak Vickers. Five Ju 90s of the 789,
with their midnight blue paint, are clearly visible on the tarmac. The Wellingtons attack in a slight dive, up to 850 meters, to drop their bombs with more precision. Squadron-leader Nigel Lewis DFC, leader of the bombers, decides to attack the last one by descending to 600 meters to better observe the results of the bombing. In the probable absence of enemy fighters, the Gladiators have to take advantage of the confusion to strafe.
A spectacular explosion shakes the atmosphere. Unbalanced by the blast, squadron-leader Lewis' plane goes into a spin and crashes before his pilot could recover. This death in the field of honor puts the end to a controversial career as Lewis had been a career officer, graduated from Cranwell, and had been one of Sir Oswald Mosley's close friends until May 1940, which earned him a two-month stay in prison at Brixton, before being sent - or so the RAF said - into exile - to the Middle East.
Three Italian CR42s try their luck against the Wellingtons, which are as fast as they were and well protected.
Captain Sforza manages in extremis to land his plane, pierced like a skimmer.
An English Gladiator hit by flak attempts a forced landing near the Tigris, but it overturns and catches fire. Flight-lieutenant Thomas Tomlinson is killed.
08:39 - O'Flanaghan, still perched on his water tower, radioes the report to Habbaniyah for transmission to Shaibah and Cairo: "Nest and two birds inside out repeat out. Two other birds severely hurt outside. No more water repeat no more water. ush myself home like hell. Over and out."
Habbaniyah, 08:40 - The lines of the 3rd Iraqi Division are broken. The vanguard of the 1st Essex gives hand to the forward elements of the King's Own and the Levies. But the corridor is still only about two hundred and fifty yards wide. Clark and Kingstone modify their plans and dispatch the Household Cavalry in support of the Essex.
Luftplatz Kirkuk, 08:45 - Oberstleutnant Pfiffelsdörfer and Majors Bäumler and Von Fontaine-Pretz take stock.
In spite of the losses, they believe that it is still possible to use the He 111s in the afternoon and perhaps earlier, for the benefit of the Iraqi troops. They think they have enough Bf 110s to escort them while ensuring the coverage of the base. But the 789 will have to bring spare parts on its next rotation, to bring emergency spare parts and, in priority, air filters that have been tropicalized*********. In the meantime, four Bf 110s will take turns to ensure a permanent air watch.
Von Fontaine-Pretz does his accounting. He can still arm four of his Vierlinges. But his fire control team was in two of the downed Ju 52s. Each of his guns to operate autonomously, under the orders of its gunner, equipped only with its rangefinder. This will result in a lower efficiency for an increased consumption of ammunition (but this is not a problem: with eight unused Vierlinges, the four in service will each have three fire units, and even spare tubes if necessary).
Habbaniyah, 09:15 - "Jock" Kingstone's commitment of the Household Cavalry and the entire 1st Essex, as well as the valor of the besieged which forced the adversary to face on two fronts, makes it possible to widen the corridor. At the same time, the intervention of the two Yeomanry's corps is able to nip in the bud an attempted counter-attack by some Iraqi armored vehicles, more than half of which are burning with a pungent smell.
Zab Sa Saghir Front (east), 09:35 - The legionnaires of the CPLE rediscover, with daggers and grenade, the gestures of their elders of 14-18 to complete the cleaning of the first Iraqi front line. The 1st and 3rd Zouaves battalions are immediately engaged against the second line, behind the R-35s, which have been able to refuel and stock up on ammunition.
Mosul airfield, 10:00 - A good thirty planes take off. The Morane 410s, led by Stehlin himself, fly low over Kirkuk. The MS-406s, the Potez and T-6, in two equal formations led by Pétrinal and Schulberg, leave to support the units of the DML.
Zab Sa Saghir Front, 10:20 - Pétrinal and Schulberg's planes bomb and strafe the Iraqi positions, with success since the armoured vehicles could again move forward in concert with the infantrymen. But any low-level attack is risky - two T-6s are shot down and the pilots killed, while two damaged Potez manage to land in the GTA's lines, but will not be repaired. It turns out that the 2nd Iraqi Div, the last to come on line, is a large and coherent unit, rather slow, perhaps, but well capable of preparing staggered positions as well as maneuver under fire without being overwhelmed and to retreat with order. It bends without breaking or giving up its footing. This is a bad surprise for Larminat and his three GT commanders.
Baghdad, 10:30 - In view of the evolution of the situation in Habbaniyah, Rachid Ali al-Gaylani convenes his cabinet. He indicates that he had received Herr Grobba at his home the previous evening.
The Reich ambassador explained to him that the Germans would not be able to increase their aid before a few weeks - at best. The discussion turned stormy, Selim Bassidj reported later to O'Flanaghan. The majority of the ministers, crying treason on the part of Berlin, demanded the opening of negotiations with the British. Al-Gaylani himself and a minority, from the hardliners of the Golden Square, demanded the continuation of the struggle "until victory." In the end, a compromise was agreed upon that did not fall into the trap of realism. The army will hold on to the lines it occupies, on the one hand, but we will ask, on the other hand, M. Rudolf Wienerli, the Swiss consul general, to intercede with Sir Kinahan Cornwallis, by going to Habbaniyah if necessary, to try to reopen a communication channel.
Luftplatz Kirkuk, 10:35 - Stehlin is wary of the Vierlinges who had caused him losses in the early morning. He therefore organizes his Morane 410s into four patrols which appear literally, at less than forty meters of altitude, from the four cardinal points, with thirty to sixty seconds apart, to avoid unfortunate collisions. The tactic of the chief of the FAML surprises the teams of pieces of von Fontaine-Pretz, who, moreover had no real rest after their long journey in the discomfort of the Ju 52. The counterattack is confused and not very effective, while the MS-410s strafe with full clips. The two Bf 110 on patrol, surprised, do not see anything coming (it is true that the French did not see them either, perhaps because of a heat haze particularly dense at low altitude) and react too late. The French fighters destroy two He 111 whose ground crew began to remove their camouflage nets and seriously damage a Ju 52 and a Bf 110. Stehlin himself destroys with a 20 mm gun a hangar where German mechanics stored spare parts recovered from the destroyed aircraft. In return, only one 410 is seriously hit; its pilot, Warrant Officer Porieux, will be forced to jump by parachute with the Zouaves of the GTZ.
Habbaniyah, 11:30 - Despite the French raid, Oberstleutnant Pfiffelsdörfer insists on Kampfgruppe Bäumler to support the Iraqis. Escorted by four Bf 110s, four He 111s, well guided by Brandenburgers on the radio, bomb the elements of the King's Own and the 1st Essex which transformed into a boulevard the corridor linking "Kingcol" and the defenders of Habbaniyah. A He 111, flying too low, falls victim to the intense flak. The Bf 110s strafe the British airfield, destroying a Gladiator and an Oxford under the nose of the flak, which is overwhelmed by these unusually fast targets. A Bf 110, whose pilot made the mistake of letting a Gladiator lead him into a dogfight, is shot down. But the most significant result of the raid was a boost in morale for the men of the 1st and 3rd Iraqi Divisions who witnessed the bombing - and of the Kampfgruppe airmen, who finally start to fight back.
Zab Sa Saghir Front, 12:00 - The three battle groups of the DML are able to advance a dozen kilometers, and even fifteen for the GTZ. Larminat, never a prisoner of conformism, decides that this is enough for the day, that it is time to stop and, he adds for Newlarge, "to drink plenty and freshly". In truth, he has to wait for his units to be supplied with ammunition, starting with the artillery, and the R-35s of the Chasseurs d'Afrique as well as the self-propelled guns of the King's Dragoon Guards, which were suffering from sand and dust indigestion, had been overhauled and greased.
The men, moreover, were hungry and thirsty. Disciplined when he wanted to be - not every day - Larminat reports to Quinan.
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Bassorah, 06:00 - Arrival of convoy BP.3, convoying the first elements of the 25th Indian Brigade (Brigadier Mountain, 3/9th Jat Regiment, 2/11th Royal Sikh Regiment, 1/5th Mahratta Light Infantry). This unit is to take over the defense and maintenance of order in Basra, while the other two brigades of the 10th Division move up north.
Slim has a divisional pennant raised on his CP: his 10th Indian Division is officially formed (although the last elements were still embarking in Karachi). The division's insignia, a red and blue St. Andrew's Cross on a black square, will now be displayed on vehicles and on the left shoulder of uniforms.
Qurna, 06:30 - Resumption of Operation Regulta. The six paddle-wheel tugs of the convoy and the barges they were towing enter the Euphrates. The river is wider and more suitable for navigation than the Tigris. Lieutenant-Commander Iain Pettigrew DSM RNVR***********, former Suez Canal pilot, estimated that the 20th Indian Brigade could reach sight of Ar Nasiriyah that evening.
06:45 - Escorted by six Douglas 8A-4s, two Breda Ba.65s, each armed with two 200 kilos bombs, attack the concentration of boats carrying the 21st Brigade. The Gladiators of RAF Shaibah have not yet taken to the air and Iraqi planes can act with impunity, despite the Vickers and Bren aircraft in the air. The bombardment lacks precision. However, a projectile falls between the quay and the hull to smash the wooden plating of the PS Max Mallowan, a stem-wheeler. It had embarked two companies, some 250 officers and men. The ship, flooded, sinks in three minutes, but straight to the bottom. The Douglas 8A-4s take over from the Breda, strafing the decks of the ships. The Iraqi aircraft finally escape towards the north-west. One of the Douglas trails a plume of black smoke************.
08:15 - Rescuers count forty-two dead and seventy-eight injured, plus fifteen missing, probably drowned inside the wreck of the Max Mallowan. The other buildings suffered little damage. It would take more to deter "Bill" Slim. The survivors of the Max Mallowan are distributed among the other paddle-ships, while the boilers are building up pressure.
On the Tigris, 10:30 - Operation Regatta resumes. The convoy of the 21st Brigade, under the command of Commander Ian Urquhart DSC RNVR, aboard the Eastern Glory, sails.
11:15 - The elements that will progress by road start. The aircraft of RAF Shaibah take turns over the vanguard.
.........
Iraqi theater as a whole, 14:00 - Except on the rivers, ground operations cease de facto, due to the logistic wear and tear of the various parties and, above all, the heat. Finding shade becomes a question of life and death, literally. From now on, nothing will happen before the end of the afternoon, except for aerial reconnaissance and patrols sent out more by routine than by necessity.
.........
Amman, Jordan, 15:00 - The former regent Abd al-Ilah calls for an uprising of tribal and religious leaders to "help him overthrow the insurgent government". He appeals to
the Iraqi people, army and police, but does not mention the military operations.
.........
Operation Sabine HQ, Basra, 15:00 - Lieutenant General Quinan sends a clear message to Wavell, with a copy to Imperial HQ in London: "Siege of Habbaniyah over. Slim about to crush Iraqis in the south. Luftwaffe na-poohed. Have just paid my train ticket to Baghdad." This message, visibly designed, in tone as well as in content, to be transmitted directly to the press, does not say a word about the French advance, nor of the action of the Armée de l'Air. Quinan then gives, in code, a much more detailed and more accurate account of the situation.
.........
Habbaniyah, 16:15 - Mr. Rudolf Wienerli, as his name does not indicate, is not only French-speaking but, moreover, from Geneva - and, in the military, according to the major in the Rgt. Inf. 1************, a traditional unit of the city of Calvin. After having crossed the Iraqi lines, his Packard shows up at the entrance to the base. Braving the sun in a black jacket and striped pants, the Swiss diplomat asks to meet Sir Kinahan Cornwallis. The ambassador gives him the best welcome, but refuses to take the letter from Rachid Ali al-Gaylani that Wienerli brings him: "His Majesty's government," he explains, "does not recognize Mr. al-Gaylani's government. You will understand that accepting this missive would constitute a form of recognition that my instructions formally forbid me to do."
- I will inform Mr. Ali of the failure of my approach", answers Wienerli with the phlegm of those who have seen others.
.........
On the Tigris, 17:30 - The convoy of the 21st Brigade, delayed by various navigation incidentsin spite of the know-how of Commander Urquhart - groundings on sandbanks, clogging of the feeding strainers of the condensers... - reaches Qalat Saleh, where the troops can go ashore to bivouac. The slowness of the river convoy, which had however pushed the fires, obliges the elements which progress on the road and along the railroad line Qalat Saleh - Al Majjar el Kebir - Nahiyat el Salam - Lakash - Ash Shatrah - Al Bahiah.
The next day does not look any easier, since the reconnaissance of the planes based in Shaibah reveal that the bridge that crosses the river at Al Amarah is, at least in part, destroyed by an explosion. The Brandenburgers of Hauptmann Stellenbrünn did not waste any time.
Qalat Saleh, 18:00 - Urquhart decides to requisition the Chris-craft of the British director of a public works company to go on reconnaissance on the river. He will pilot the boat himself - a 35-foot "triple cockpit" with a 210 hp engine. He is accompanied only by Seaman Chief Petty Officer Iain Mac Culloch, a former sailor from a paddle-ship company, who knows the Tigris like Huck Finn knows the Mississippi, and Sergeant Patrick O'Brien, Royal Marines. All three are armed.
Poor visibility prevents Urquhart from using the full power of the launch. He fears the ever-changing sandbanks, on which he could damage his propeller or his rudder. When he reaches Al Amarah, he approaches the bridge cautiously, the central span of which has partly collapsed. It forbids any passage at the point where the river offers the maximum draught. Urquhart entrusts the helm to Mac Culloch and undertakes to probe with lead.
Suddenly, the craft comes under fire from an FM Bren and from guns. Urquhart is hit in the head and dies instantly. O'Brien, hit in the chest and shoulder, is not much better. Without losing his composure, Mac Culloch pushes the throttle hard, turns on the spot and flees at over 30 knots and zigzaggs his way out. He breks down in the shelter of the first meander, but it is already too late: O'Brien is also dead.
Back at Qalat Saleh, Mac Culloch reports the ambush to Urquhart's second in command, Lieutenant-Commander Martin RNVR, who will take command of the convoy. Martin struggles to notify Basra HQ by telephone.
RAF Shaibah, 18:00 - Exasperated by the Iraqi attack on Qurna, Sir Arthur Longmore decides to reinforce the RAF in Iraq. Six Blenheims from Sqn 203 land at Shaibah at the end of the day. At the same time, the 2/4th Gurkha Rifles are flown to Habbanyiah.
Luftplatz Kirkouk, 18:15 - Pfiffelsdörfer, Bäumler and their comrades meet to determine how they were going to inform Berlin of the disasters they had suffered during the day. They will have some trouble writing their report...
Rasheed Air Base, 19:30 - Hit by several shrapnel and concussion during the Wellington attack, Major Zapanski, leader of Trasta 789, succumbs to his wounds. His body is taken on board one of the three Ju 90s that had escaped the British bombs and are about to leave for Tirana.
* On June 1st, 1794, 400 nautical miles west of the Pointe du Raz, the British fleet commanded by Howe confronted the French squadron commanded by Villaret de Joyeuse. In France, this battle was called "Combat de Prairial" but became "The Glorious First of June" in Britain. Indeed, seven French ships were sent to the bottom (including the famous "Vengeur du Peuple") or captured - but this tactical success could not erase the strategic defeat: Thanks to the sacrifice of warships, Van Stabel's convoy, more than 120 ships loaded with American wheat, arrived safely in Brest, avoiding famine in France, which, for many historians, probably saved the Revolution.
** With the right engine in total failure (oil pressure at zero) after one and a half hours of flight, Feldwebel Heinrich Bernhard turned back to Constantza, without being able to inform Güstrow. But because the runway was not properly lit, he missed his landing. The plane tipped over into a drainage ditch, overturned and caught fire. There were no survivors.
*** The cartoon dates from 1938.
**** Trooper.
***** Border region between northwestern British India and Afghanistan, where the British Empire has been conducting anti-guerrilla operations for almost a hundred years.
****** The king as the "source of honours": the classic expression of British constitutionalists, beginning with Bagehot - for the United Kingdom has constitutionalists, although it does not have a constitution.
******* German punctuality
******** "Lili Marlene can go f...herself! I am so sick of it!" Perhaps it should be pointed out that the major heard too many times for his taste this very pretty song, broadcasted a good part of the night by the radio guidance transmitters.
********* Erika is a traditional marching song of the Imperial Army (and later the Wehrmacht). Due to Hanns Eisler and Berthold Brecht, the Einheitsfrontlied is one of the songs of the German Communist Party at the time of the "Red Front" of the "class against class" struggle.
********** If the Brandenburgers and the paratroopers were equipped with "colonial" uniforms, the Luftwaffe staff, which is not far from a dysfunction, neglected to tropicalize the planes.
*********** Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, a corps of civilians that could be put at the service of the RN in time of war.
************ We know today that this attack was led by a Spanish pilot, Rodrigo Martinez, who had professional qualities and a solid experience acquired during the Spanish War, but who had resigned from the Ejercito del Aire in 1940 because of a dark story about the wife of the commander of his unit. Martinez had been "put at the disposal" of the RIAF by the Abwehr a few days earlier, but he already had experience with the Ba-65.
************* Traditional Swiss abbreviation in French, whose equivalent in German is Inf. Regt 1
