Air Power, Insurgency and the “War on Terror” - Prof. Joel Hayward's ...

Chapter 3
The attention of <strong>the</strong> UN was unwelcome <strong>and</strong> it undoubtedly had an influence on British
policy. A telegram from <strong>the</strong> Governor to <strong>the</strong> Secretary of State for <strong>the</strong> Colonies in early
1947, describing action proposed to be taken against a tribal chief, ended by stating that
“Independent air action of <strong>the</strong> traditional kind was not (repeat not) intended. Submission
was to be achieved through <strong>the</strong> use of ground forces with tactical air cover”. 106
The apparent contradiction between <strong>the</strong> evident sensitivity to external criticism <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>
willingness to employ greater force is explained by wider political <strong>and</strong> economic factors.
The importance of oil from <strong>the</strong> Persian Gulf, shifts in <strong>the</strong> regional balance of power <strong>and</strong>
<strong>the</strong> emergence of south-west Arabia as a proxy battleground for <strong>the</strong> Cold War drove
British strategy to <strong>the</strong> exclusion of o<strong>the</strong>r issues. In <strong>the</strong> process, <strong>the</strong> “traditional” methods
of air control were increasingly replaced by large-scale air-l<strong>and</strong> operations.
The Conflict with Yemen
The assassination of Imam Yahya in 1948 <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> accession of his son Ahmed led to
renewed instability along <strong>the</strong> border. The new Imam also encouraged, if not instigated,
a series of tribal revolts in <strong>the</strong> Beihan <strong>and</strong> Dhala areas that severed communications <strong>and</strong>
severely interrupted trade.
Persistent attacks against <strong>the</strong> Government fort at Robat in May <strong>and</strong> June 1954 were fought
off with <strong>the</strong> help of bombs <strong>and</strong> cannon fire. The fighting died down by November but
flared up again in May 1955 when a large force of Aden Protectorate Levies, supported by
Vampires, Venoms <strong>and</strong> Lincolns, mounted a punitive operation. However, probably for <strong>the</strong>
first time since <strong>the</strong> 1928, <strong>the</strong>se tactics proved ineffective. Substantial damage was done to
buildings <strong>and</strong> crops, <strong>and</strong> daily life was severely interrupted by proscription, but <strong>the</strong> hard
core of rebels was not subdued. By <strong>the</strong> end of July <strong>the</strong> fort at Robat had been evacuated
<strong>and</strong> all ground forces withdrawn. The Official History seeks to put a gloss on events:
“Although, this might be regarded as a capitulation to lawlessness, <strong>the</strong> Government had
shown <strong>the</strong> dissidents that it now possessed sufficiently powerful l<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> air forces to
make life intolerable for <strong>the</strong>m.” 107
The deteriorating internal situation <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> difficulty of dealing with rebellious tribes in
<strong>the</strong> more remote parts of <strong>the</strong> Protectorates caused a fur<strong>the</strong>r change in strategy. A series
of air <strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong> operations, of increasing intensity, were to be directed at Yemeni forces – if
necessary in Yemeni territory – in order to cut off <strong>the</strong> supply of arms <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r support.
The growth in <strong>the</strong> number of RAF squadrons reflected this new policy, rising from one
in 1955 to nine by 1964. There was a commensurate increase in ground forces over <strong>the</strong>
same period, starting with <strong>the</strong> arrival of a permanent battalion in 1956 <strong>and</strong> rising to
three full battalions by 1965, including <strong>the</strong> presence of three RAF Regiment squadrons. A
substantial investment in infrastructure <strong>and</strong> technical as well as domestic accommodation
accompanied this expansion.
<strong>Air</strong> <strong>Power</strong>, <strong>Insurgency</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> “War on Terror” 59