- Contributed by听
- regularIMPRESS
- People in story:听
- Allan Green
- Location of story:听
- Western desert, North Africa
- Background to story:听
- Army
- Article ID:听
- A4541852
- Contributed on:听
- 25 July 2005
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This is one of a series of photographs taken by Sgt Allan Green during his service with the R.A.S.C in the 7th Armoured division of the 8th Army. It shows men of his unit clambering over a captured Junkers 87 Dive Bomber. The tail marking is interesting, a grill type graphic (like an aerial) over a diamond. Any ideas anyone?
As the war in North Africa came to an end following the 8th Army's victory over the Africa Korps at El Alamein, German airfields were over run. At huge cost, the Royal Navy had managed to prevent vital supplies from reaching Erwin Rommel. As a result, it's unlikely that there was enough fuel to get this Stuka dive bomber airborne.
If it had been airborne, it would have been easy prey for British fighters unless escorted by Me 109's.
Having fought the battle in the desert with mostly obsolete aircraft, the RAF had beaten the Luftwaffe for a second time. (the first having been in the Battle of Britain).
The North African campaign was the first time that a German Army had been defeated in the field and it had been done by a British General who was to mastermind the eventual defeat of the whole of the German Armed Forces in the west, Bernard Law Montgomery. After this victory the 8th Army had become, and was to remain, the most experienced and professional unit in the Allied Land Forces for the rest of the war.
Paul Fagan
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