Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
Allied forces were closing in on Syria and Lebanon in June 1941, but the advance of Habforce – the British column that had previously relieved Habbaniyah – suddenly brought Vichy air power into sharp focus. As the lightly protected convoy pushed toward Palmyra, Vichy bombers turned the desert roads into a deadly battlefield from above.
This episode follows the dramatic air clashes around Rayak, the Bekaa Valley, and Palmyra: Vichy aces like Pierre Le Gloan initially besting RAF Hurricanes, only to run into determined Australian pilots of No. 3 Squadron RAAF flying Curtiss Tomahawks. You’ll see how the balance shifted within a single day, how Tomahawks started to dominate at altitude, and how three LeO 451s were shot down while misidentified as Potez 63s.
If you’re interested in the little known Syria–Lebanon campaign, RAAF operations in 1941, and the clash between Dewoitine D.520s, Hurricanes, and Tomahawks over the desert, this video adds another chapter to the series on Middle Eastern air warfare in WW2.
Check out previous episodes if you missed them:
youtu.be/2S2VVscSQ3o
youtu.be/_spJp-nG0hk
youtu.be/2N6W9_aBLGE
youtu.be/mc8dE8UIgfc
youtu.be/EADG2H4jpbw
youtu.be/aDPLBB6sva8
Use the 'SHOWTIME112' Creator Code for a 5% discount in Thrustmaster web shop:
eshop.thrustmaster.com/goToHomePage/?creator=SHOWTIME112 (USA)
shop.thrustmaster.com/goToHomePage/?creator=SHOWTIME112 (EU)
shop.thrustmaster.com/goToHomePage/?creator=SHOWTIME112 (UK)
Main sources:
- Dust Clouds in the Middle East: The Air War for East Africa, Iraq, Syria, Iran and Madagascar, 1940-42
amzn.to/3QQ2Ieo
- French Aces of World War 2
amzn.to/3QvtgBRr
- L'Aviation de Vichy au combat: La Campagne de Syrie, 8 juin-14 juillet 1941
amzn.to/4inm7zh
- Vichy Air Force at War: The French Air Force that Fought the Allies in World War II
amzn.to/4xjjBhh
When you purchase these books on Amazon through the links in this description, the channel earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. The proceeds help fund new book purchases and support the creation of future videos.
Support the channel on Patreon
patreon.com/showtime112
Donate via Paypal:
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Join our Discord server:
discord.gg/c56q7tUNCP
Echoes of Time by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300029
Artist: incompetech.com
Allied forces were closing in on Syria and Lebanon in June 1941, but the advance of Habforce – the British column that had previously relieved Habbaniyah – suddenly brought Vichy air power into sharp focus. As the lightly protected convoy pushed toward Palmyra, Vichy bombers turned the desert roads into a deadly battlefield from above.
This episode follows the dramatic air clashes around Rayak, the Bekaa Valley, and Palmyra: Vichy aces like Pierre Le Gloan initially besting RAF Hurricanes, only to run into determined Australian pilots of No. 3 Squadron RAAF flying Curtiss Tomahawks. You’ll see how the balance shifted within a single day, how Tomahawks started to dominate at altitude, and how three LeO 451s were shot down while misidentified as Potez 63s.
If you’re interested in the little known Syria–Lebanon campaign, RAAF operations in 1941, and the clash between Dewoitine D.520s, Hurricanes, and Tomahawks over the desert, this video adds another chapter to the series on Middle Eastern air warfare in WW2.
Check out previous episodes if you missed them:
youtu.be/2S2VVscSQ3o
youtu.be/_spJp-nG0hk
youtu.be/2N6W9_aBLGE
youtu.be/mc8dE8UIgfc
youtu.be/EADG2H4jpbw
youtu.be/aDPLBB6sva8
Use the 'SHOWTIME112' Creator Code for a 5% discount in Thrustmaster web shop:
eshop.thrustmaster.com/goToHomePage/?creator=SHOWTIME112 (USA)
shop.thrustmaster.com/goToHomePage/?creator=SHOWTIME112 (EU)
shop.thrustmaster.com/goToHomePage/?creator=SHOWTIME112 (UK)
Main sources:
- Dust Clouds in the Middle East: The Air War for East Africa, Iraq, Syria, Iran and Madagascar, 1940-42
amzn.to/3QQ2Ieo
- French Aces of World War 2
amzn.to/3QvtgBRr
- L'Aviation de Vichy au combat: La Campagne de Syrie, 8 juin-14 juillet 1941
amzn.to/4inm7zh
- Vichy Air Force at War: The French Air Force that Fought the Allies in World War II
amzn.to/4xjjBhh
When you purchase these books on Amazon through the links in this description, the channel earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. The proceeds help fund new book purchases and support the creation of future videos.
Support the channel on Patreon
patreon.com/showtime112
Donate via Paypal:
paypal.com/paypalme/showtime112
Join our Discord server:
discord.gg/c56q7tUNCP
Echoes of Time by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300029
Artist: incompetech.com
