Sonderkommando Blaich

The Western Desert campaign
Part of North African Campaign

Example of a Heinkel He 111H dropping bombs during the Battle of Britain in 1940
Date21 January 1942
Location
Fort Lamy, French Equatorial Africa
12°07′N 15°03′E / 12.11°N 15.05°E / 12.11; 15.05
Result Axis victory
Belligerents
 Germany
 Italy		  Free French Forces
Commanders and leaders
Theo Blaich Philippe Leclerc
Units involved
Fliegerführer Afrika
Strength
3 aircraft
Casualties and losses
None 80,000 imp gal (360,000 L; 96,000 US gal) fuel destroyed[a]

Sonderkommando Blaich (Special Command Blaich) was a German unit consisting of a Heinkel He 111H medium bomber supported by an Italian Savoia-Marchetti SM.82 (Marsupiale) transport aircraft and a Messerschmitt Bf 108B (Taifun). In January 1942 the Heinkel raided the Free French–controlled Fort Lamy (now N'Djamena) in the Chad region of French Equatorial Africa.[2] The raid against a target 1,250 mi (2,010 km) from Axis bases in North Africa was a success but on its return flight the Heinkel ran out of fuel and had to make an emergency landing; the crew and aircraft were rescued a week later.[3]

  1. ^ Bierman & Smith 2004, pp. 136, 492.
  2. ^ Oliver 2013, Chapter 4; Moore 2011, pp. 142–143; Windrow 1965, p. 6.
  3. ^ Oliver 2013, Chapter 4.


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