Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
In June 1941, the Vichy Air Force was still hitting hard, but one Australian-led raid showed just how quickly the balance could shift. This episode follows No. 3 Squadron RAAF as its Tomahawks leave H4 in Transjordan to sweep onto Homs and Rayak, striking directly at the Dewoitine D.520 units that had been giving RAF fighters and Commonwealth ground forces so much trouble.
We look at the ten second pass over Homs that shattered GC II/3 on the ground, the follow on attacks at Rayak that destroyed more Dewoitines and Potez 25s, and the cost to the Australians when Sgt Baillie’s Tomahawk was brought down by flak. The video then hints at how these strafing tactics changed the campaign’s dynamics: Vichy sorties dropping and the weekly loss ratios suddenly turning against the French.
Finally, we outline the evolving order of battle on both sides – from the battered Vichy groups regrouping at Aleppo-Nerab with their remaining Dewoitines and M.S. 406s, to the mixed British and Commonwealth forces operating from Iraq, Cyprus, Egypt and Palestine with Hurricanes, Tomahawks, Blenheims, Wellingtons, Beaufighters and Albacores. If you’re interested in how one concentrated raid could reshape an air campaign without delivering instant superiority, this episode adds an important chapter to the Syria–Lebanon 1941 story.
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
youtu.be/AFjqwZ7P4dw
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
In June 1941, the Vichy Air Force was still hitting hard, but one Australian-led raid showed just how quickly the balance could shift. This episode follows No. 3 Squadron RAAF as its Tomahawks leave H4 in Transjordan to sweep onto Homs and Rayak, striking directly at the Dewoitine D.520 units that had been giving RAF fighters and Commonwealth ground forces so much trouble.
We look at the ten second pass over Homs that shattered GC II/3 on the ground, the follow on attacks at Rayak that destroyed more Dewoitines and Potez 25s, and the cost to the Australians when Sgt Baillie’s Tomahawk was brought down by flak. The video then hints at how these strafing tactics changed the campaign’s dynamics: Vichy sorties dropping and the weekly loss ratios suddenly turning against the French.
Finally, we outline the evolving order of battle on both sides – from the battered Vichy groups regrouping at Aleppo-Nerab with their remaining Dewoitines and M.S. 406s, to the mixed British and Commonwealth forces operating from Iraq, Cyprus, Egypt and Palestine with Hurricanes, Tomahawks, Blenheims, Wellingtons, Beaufighters and Albacores. If you’re interested in how one concentrated raid could reshape an air campaign without delivering instant superiority, this episode adds an important chapter to the Syria–Lebanon 1941 story.
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
youtu.be/AFjqwZ7P4dw
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
