El Kabrit

Airfield

Connections

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Detailed History

During World War II the facility was known as RAF Station Kabrit, (Landing Ground 213) and was a major Royal Air Force facility which was used during the Western Desert Campaign. In 1941, it was where the Special Air Service (SAS) was formed. Beginning in 1943, United States Army Air Forces Ninth Air Force units arrived to supplement the RAF against the Germans in the Western Desert. After the war, Kabrit remained a RAF station, hosting transport squadrons, five circa 1946. This continued until the breakdown in relations between the British and Egyptian governments in 1956, when the decision was taken to pull out British forces from the Suez Canal Zone.

The airfield was taken over by the Egyptian Air Force and renamed "Kibrit", becoming one of its main airfields. During the 1956 Suez Crisis, it was an airfield for 20 Squadron EAF, equipped with twelve Soviet-built Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 aircraft. During the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, the station was attacked by the Israeli Air Force, and many of its Soviet-built MiG-17 aircraft were destroyed on the ramp by the IAF's Dassault Mystère IVs. In the 1973 Yom Kippur War with Israel, the airfield was captured by Israeli ground forces that crossed the Suez Canal along with Kasfreet and Shalufa Airfields, however it was not used by the Israeli Air Force.

Kibrit remains an Egyptian Air Force base. Currently, the airfield houses an SA-342 Gazelle unit. Its main runways are having their asphalt removed, but the hangars are still being used for housing the helicopters.

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 340th Bomb Group 489th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 13009901
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
  • Role/Job: Aerial Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 340th Bomb Group Headquarters (340th Bomb Group)
  • Highest Rank: Major
  • Role/Job: Pilot/Group Operations Officer/Group Tactical Inspector
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 340th Bomb Group 489th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: T-186309
  • Highest Rank: Flight Officer
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 340th Bomb Group 486th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-662864
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 340th Bomb Group 487th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 33232587
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
  • Role/Job: Aerial Gunner

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-25 Mitchell
  • Nicknames: Mimi
  • Unit: 340th Bomb Group 487th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-25 Mitchell
  • Nicknames: The Falcon
  • Unit: 340th Bomb Group 488th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-25 Mitchell
  • Nicknames: El Senor
  • Unit: 340th Bomb Group 487th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-25 Mitchell
  • Nicknames: Little Bea Hind
  • Unit: 340th Bomb Group 486th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-25 Mitchell
  • Unit: 340th Bomb Group 488th Bomb Squadron

Revisions

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Contributor466thHistorian
Changes