The South African Air Force and the Warsaw Airlift of 1944 / Pieter Lodewikus Möller

• Main Author: Moller, Pieter Lodewikus
• Language: en
• Published: 2015
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10394/14089

The south African Air Force <SAAF> played an important role in the second world war and operated on many fronts. Squadrons were involved in East Africa, Madagascar, the western desert, Sicily, the Dodecanese Islands and Italy. 31 Squadron and 34 Squadron SAAF were two of the many that took part in operations during the war. Both squadrons were involved in mining activities of the Danube and bombing raids against targets in the north west of Italy. They repeatedly attacked and bombed marshalling yards. Towards the end of the war they took part in attacks and raids against enemy installations and oil targets in Hungary, Northern Italy and Yugoslavia. From August to September 1944, these two squadrons were involved in the Warsaw Airlift, and their conduct and efficiency during this operation, is the main focus of this thesis. The ill-fated Polish uprising of 1 August 1944 is briefly described and discussed. The attitude of the soviet Union towards the uprising is explained. It is concluded that Stalin had a hidden agenda. From 12 August to 22 September 1944, the Allied forces were involved in a total of 99 sorties to Warsaw and a total of 485 containers was dropped. These flights by the Allied squadrons from Italy meant the difference between survival and defeat for the Poles in Warsaw and later this help became even more crucial, making the difference between life and death for the Poles. This operation by the Allies was the most important effort undertaken to help the Polish partisans. In this thesis these flights are discussed in detail. The role of the SAAF in the Warsaw airlift is described and evaluated to place the contribution of the SAAF within the broad context of the involvement of the Allied Air Forces. Statistical data is used to compare and evaluate the contribution of the SAAF in relation to that of the Royal Air Force <RAF> and Polish Special Duties Flight 1586, as well as to the single mission by the Americans. Both political and military aspects of the Warsaw airlift have also been taken into account in reaching conclusions regarding this specific operation. It is shown that no valid comparison can be drawn between the single mission by the Americans and those of the other Allied squadrons that flew from Italy. It is concluded that the participation of the SAAF in the Warsaw Airlift represents a remarkable contribution to south Africa's military history. The number of decorations won by individual members of the SAAF during these operations testifies to their gallantry and the excellence of their work. Their achievements prove that there were no finer squadrons involved in operations like these within the Allied Air Forces, and that no squadrons, involved in similar missions, surpassed them. Although subsequent events show that little was ultimately accomplished by these operat ions, they nevertheless represent one of the most outstanding operations undertaken by the SAAF. === Thesis (PhD)--PU for CHE, 1998