Iraq, 1941.  The RAF has a pilot training base located near Lake Habbaniya.  Following  a coup d'etat in Baghdad, the new Iraqi government places the base under siege.  Instructor pilots, along with the student pilots, place the Iraqi troops under air attack using jury-rigged weaponry and help successfully defend the base.
RAF Habbaniya was located along the Euphrates River, between Ramadi and Fallujah.





This action is one small part of the Anglo-Iraqi War of 1941, an interesting story in and of itself.  It involves not only these student pilots, but Arab nationalism, a jihad against the British by the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, a small Nazi air force operating in Iraq in alliance with the Iraqi rebels, and Vichy French collaboration in letting German and Italian airplanes pass through Syria.


Detail map of Habbaniya area:




British forces in Iraq were led by the commander of RAF Habbaniya, Air Vice Marshal H.G. Smart.  In addition to Habbaniya, there was an RAF base near Basra (RAF Shaibah).


Hawker Audax:




"Ground forces available to Smart included Number 1 Armoured Car Company RAF and six companies of Assyrian Levies. The armoured car company comprised 18 ancient Rolls Royce armoured cars of World War I vintage. The Assyrian Levies totalled almost 2,000 locally raised officers and other ranks under the command of about 20 British officers.

At RAF Habbaniah, the 4th Service Flying Training School had a wide variety of obsolescent bombers, fighters and trainers. However, many of the 84 aircraft available could not be flown or were not appropriate for offensive use. In addition, at the start of battle, there were about 1000 RAF personnel but only 39 pilots. All told, on 1 April, the British had 3 old Gladiator biplane fighters, 30 Hawker Audax biplane close co-operation aircraft, 7 Fairey Gordon biplane bombers, 27 twin-engine Oxford trainers, 28 Hawker Hart biplane light bombers (the "bomber" version of the Hawker Audax), 20 Hart trainers, and 1 Bristol Blenheim Mk1 bomber. The Gladiators were used as officers' runabouts. The Hawker Audaxes could carry eight 20 lb bombs (12 Audaxes were modified to carry two 250 lb bombs). The Fairy Gordons could each carry two 250 lb bombs. The Oxfords were converted from carrying smoke bombs to carrying eight 20 lb bombs. The Hawker Harts could carry two 250 lb bombs. The Hawker trainers had no weaponry. The Blenheim left for good on 3 May. There was also an "RAF Iraq Communications Flight" at Habbaniya with 3 Vickers Valentia flying boats...

At 03:00 hours on 30 April, RAF Habbaniya was warned by the British Embassy that Iraqi forces had left their bases, at Baghdad, and were heading west. The Iraqi force was composed of between 6,000–9,000 troops with up to 30 artillery pieces. Within a few hours of RAF Habbaniya being warned, Iraqi forces occupied the plateau to the south of the base. Prior to dawn, reconnaissance aircraft were launched from RAF Habbaniya and reported that at least two battalions, with artillery, had taken up position on the plateau.

By 1 May, the Iraqi forces surrounding Habbaniya had swelled to an infantry brigade, two mechanised battalions, a mechanised artillery brigade with 12 3.7-inch howitzers, a field artillery brigade with 12 18-pounder cannons and four 4.5-inch howitzers, 12 Crossley six-wheeled armoured cars, a number of Fiat light tanks, a mechanised machine gun company, a mechanised signal company, and a mixed battery of anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns. This totalled 9,000 regular troops along with an undetermined number of tribal irregulars and about 50 guns." (1)


Airspeed AS 10 Oxford aircraft:




"The cantonment at Habbaniya was a model for peace time and contained every amenity. The normal population was about 1,000 airmen, 1,200 Iraqi and Assyrian Levies (commanded by Lieut.-Colonel J. A. Brawn), and some 9,000 civilians—European, Indian, and ?ssyrian. In addition to the Flying Training School there were an Aircraft Depot with repair shops, a Supply Depot, fuel and ammunition stores, and a hospital. There was a single conspicuous water-tower, and one power station on which depended all the essential services. The cantonment was bounded by an iron fence seven miles long, intended to keep out marauders. Tactically, therefore, the station could hardly have been weaker, and against well-equipped troops it was almost indefensible.

Since the beginning of April the Air Officer Commanding had been making preparations in case of possible hostilities. The Audaxes, which normally carried a war load of 20-lb. bombs, were altered to take two 250-lb. bombs, as were the target-towing Gordons. The Oxfords, which did not normally carry bombs, were specially fitted to carry eight 20-lb. bombs. Instructors and pupils of the Flying Training School made test flights and practised bomb aiming and air gunnery. The eighteen Royal Air Force armoured cars provided patrols on the road to Falluja, and daily reconnaissances were flown between Ramadi and Baghdad. On 7th April Air Vice-Marshal Smart was informed that the situation in Libya and Greece did not allow of any reinforcements being spared for his command. However, in view of the tense situation, the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief decided to send a modest reinforcement of six Gladiators (escorted by one Wellington carrying spares), bringing the total of Gladiators at Habbaniya on 19th April up to nine. Between 27th and 30th April about 300 of the 1st King's Own Royal Regiment were flown from Shaibah to Habbaniya, where command of the land forces was assumed on 1st May by Colonel O. L. Roberts of the staff of 10th Indian Division. Colonel Roberts had flown up to examine the situation; when he saw what it was like he decided to remain. On 29th April the Ambassador advised all British women and children to leave Baghdad, and 230 were escorted by road to Habbaniya. During the next week they were gradually flown to Shaibah." (2)


Fairey Gordon:




"The School’s Commanding Officer, Group Captain Saville, hurried to a conference at Air HQ, Iraq, where it was decided to form 4 bombing ‘Squadrons’ and a Gladiator flight from within the resources of No 4 SFTS, under the official title of ‘The Habbaniya Air Striking Force’. A Squadron was allocated 10 Audaxes; ‘B’ 1 Blenheim, 26 Oxfords, 8 Gordons and 4 Gladiators and ‘C’ and ‘D’ Squadrons were equipped with 10 Audaxes each. All serviceable aircraft were bombed up and equipped with machine guns; the Gordons and Audaxes with 2 x 250 lb bombs and the Oxfords with 8 x 20 lb bombs. Qualified pilots, including instructors, numbered only 35 so it was decided to promote the more promising pupils to swell the ranks, and to ask for volunteers amongst the rest to act as observers and gunners.
The number of rebels on the plateau increased every day and it was clear that the position at Habbaniya, now crammed with non-combatants who had fled from Baghdad, must be restored as quickly as possible. Group Captain Saville informed his staff that, if the revolutionaries would not withdraw, then action against them would commence at 0500 hours on 2 May.

The Prime Minister sent a signal: "If you have to strike, strike hard." . . . . and they did! At 0445 hours, the School’s aircraft took off and throughout the day attacked the enemy’s positions, claiming direct hits on not only their transport and armoured cars but also on their artillery which had now begun to shell the airfield. Flying Officer Cleaver intercepted a Savoia SM 79 over the aerodrome but suffered the frustration of a jammed gun as he attacked it. In all, 193 sorties were carried out that first day for the loss of 5 aircraft.

The bombing of the rebel positions continued the following day, when Flying Officer Cleaver was this time more fortunate, intercepting another Savoia SM 79 into which he fired 1200 rounds . . . it was last seen diving away with smoke pouring out of its port engine! The School’s casualties amounted to an Oxford destroyed and an Audax damaged by enemy shell fire.

The marksmanship of the Iraqi small-arms fire was excellent and claimed several of the School’s aircraft as they attacked the enemy positions. In spite of the damage to aircraft caused by the shelling and bombing by enemy aircraft (only 50 of the original 70 were now serviceable), they were still able to take off in full view of the rebels from the hastily adapted polo ground at Habbaniya.

Subjected to continuous attacks by day and night and with their supply routes cut, the Iraqi morale began to deteriorate, prompting some of the rebels to retreat so that, by first light on 6 May, a reconnaissance found the plateau abandoned. The aircraft of No 4 SFTS were quick to take advantage of the situation and attacked Rashid Ali’s armoured columns along the Falluja road, scoring direct hits and leaving the vehicles in a solid sheet of flame about 250 yards long.

The siege of Habbaniya had virtually been raised and the garrison could breathe again in comfort. During the 5 days of the siege, No 4 SFTS had made 584 sorties, dropping 45 tonnes of bombs and expending 100 000 round of ammunition.

Reports of German aircraft operating in the area in aid of the rebels were confirmed when 2 He IIIs attacked Habbaniya on 16 May, while later in the day a large number of Luftwaffe machines were discovered at Mosul aerodrome to the north of Iraq. To counter this new threat, raids on the enemy airfield were increased and 4 long-range Hurricanes of No 94 Squadron were called to assist.

One of the Hurricanes was lost immediately when Flt Lt Sir R A MacRobert was killed in action over Mosul. The raid by the He IIIs at Habbaniya caused considerable damage but the Germans were too preoccupied elsewhere to take advantage of the situation, although the daily combats with the Luftwaffe continued and Habbaniya was bombed again on 20 May.

An Italian Squadron of Fiat CR 42s arrived on the scene on 28 May and the following day attacked the School’s Audaxes during a bombing raid on Iraqi army positions, shooting one down. One CR42 was damaged by the School’s Gladiator escort and the others were driven away. The Italians’ punitive efforts were quickly overcome when the remainder of their aircraft were put out of action by air attacks and the personnel rounded up while attempting to escape.

Mention must be made of the initiative displayed by Fg Off Arthur and Plt Off Irwin when ordered to destroy the enemy’s telephone wires on the Falluja to Baghdad road. The usual adopted procedure was to fly through them, but on this occasion the wires proved too numerous. However, not to be outdone, Fg Off Arthur landed his Audax and, climbing upon its top wing, cut down the wires with shears whilst his gunner Plt Off Irwin attacked the poles with a hatchet...

During the 30 days of fighting, No 4 SFTS had flown 1605 operational sorties, the larger part by pupil pilots. By striking the first blow they had forced Ali into the open before he was ready to fight. Indeed, Habbaniya had not only freed itself but had turned the tables on the Iraqi army: the rebels had themselves become the besieged." (3)


Post-battle inspection of destroyed Iraqi artillery:




Pilot Officer Colin Dunford Wood's diary has interesting notes on the first day of battle:

"I went up at sunrise in the back of Broadhurst’s Audax, without a parachute like a fool, and we drop 20lb bombs on the guns in conjunction with Oxfords and Wellingtons from Shaibah. I use the rear gun on an escaping lorry, but it’s so damn hard when pulling out of a dive.

Next sortie I go up with Broughton, but we go too low and I feel something tug at my sleeve. Then liquid comes back over me, which to my horror I find to be blood. I can’t see out of my goggles so stand up and find Jimmy B. in front is shot through the face and blood pouring out like a perforated petrol tank. I buckle on my parachute, but luckily he is fully conscious and we land on the polo pitch OK. I am a bit shaken and we then get shelled on the polo ground and in the mess, without much effect. Ling, Garner and Broughton get shot, and Chico Walsh with two pupils Skelton and Robinson is shot down in flames in an Oxford.

Dan Cremin orders us four to do a continual patrol to Baghdad with R/T. I do one at about 11am and over Falluja Plain meet three Gladiators, but they pass me by and I take it they are ours. I see 13 troop lorries on the plain and do a little front gunning, though not very successfully. We get shot up and bombed in the camp by Bredas, Savoia Marchettis, Northrops and “Peggy” Audaxes, but no damage round me. These Iraqis have guts I must say. We are a bit windy about these Bredas, as we think of ours as a “suicide patrol” – we are sitting meat for them, we haven’t been taught the slightest thing about air combat." (4)


Daily intelligence bulletin, 4 May 1941:






Available at: http://storyofwar.com/background/raf-habbaniya-daily-intelligence-bulletins/

Of further note, and of interest for those with an interest in Operation Iraqi Freedom, the RAF base was in use after WWII and expanded onto the plateau from which they were attacked in order to have longer runways for jet use.  The plateau airfield remained in use by the Iraqi AF, was captured by the US in OIF, and became a USMC base, Al Taqqadam Air Base.





(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Iraqi_War
(2) http://www-test.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK/UK-Med-II/UK-Med-2-9.html
(3) http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafvalley/aboutus/4ftshist.cfm
(4) http://storyofwar.com/2011/05/03/may-3rd-1941/


Audaxes in formation:




ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

http://www.habbaniya.org/1941_Siege.html
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+other+gulf+war%3a+British+intervention+in+Iraq%2c+1941.-a0125914018
http://storyofwar.com/category/habbaniya-campaign-iraq-1941/
Hidden Victory: The Battle of Habbaniya, May 1941, by A.G. Dudgeon, The History Press LTD; 2000

Thanks!

Neat bit of history.

Thanks!

Interesting, thanks.

I was on Habbaniyah while in Iraq in 2008, spent about 5 months there. It's a really neat place. If I can get my pictures I'll post them.

Please do.  It would be neat to see the contrast.  

Thanks for poosting.  Very neat to learn about the goings on in the fringe areas during WW II.

Lately, I've found those fringe areas to be of far greater interest that the main events.

Excellent post, OP. I've read extensively on USMC and other US forces operations in Al Anbar Province 2003-2007 and have read a little about the history of the base. I had no idea such an action occurred there. Good going on the part of the Brits.