Hare strip, Burma or India, 1943

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Hello,

In Shore's book "Air War for Burma", is described an air battle on 18 March 1943 in Maungdaw area between Oscars of 64 Sentai and three Hurricanes of 135 Sqn RAF. The result of the battle was that the Hurricane BG905 was hit and his pilot, Sgt R Edge, crash-landed south of Hare strip. The fighter was written off, the only loss of the battle for both sides.

The "Hare strip" is no more cited in this book according to the index and I have no clue of his location. I could find no place called Hare in this area, and suspect it was a code/nickname used by RAF airmen.

I would be interested to know where this strip was.

Thanks in advance.

Laurent

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello,

Try; Mardhaibunia/"HOVE".

18 March 1943.

Three Hurricanes of 135 squadron were scrambled: Lee Hawkins, Army Armstrong and Sergeant Edge. They engaged Oscars over Buthidaung. Lee Hawkins saw seven fighters at 18,000 feet, and attacked without visible results, but then had to evade some determined attacks himself.

Sergeant Edge also engaged two but then another put some holes in his tail and he broke off. This also happened to Armstrong but he safely extricated himself from the battle. On his way home, Edge who also had bullets go through his instrument panel, found smoke and flames at the bottom of his cockpit forcing him to crash land about eight miles south of "HOVE". He got down safely but the Hurricane (BG905) was destroyed.

See:
Hurricanes Over The Arakan.
Franks,Norman
Wellingborough:P.S.L.,1989.
pp.170 & 229.

Col.

[BillG]

"Hove", about 75 nautical miles SSE of Chittagong.

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Thanks a lot to both of you

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