rush3k
Carl Gustaf von Rosen, 1909 – 1977
"... Von Rosen's involvement in Africa did not end with the Congo Crisis. He gained international fame seven years later when he flew relief missions for aid organistions into war torn Biafra, a break-away republic of Nigeria. Disgusted at the suffering the Nigerian government imposed on the Biafrans and the continuous harassment of the relief flights by the Nigerian Air Force, he hatched a plan in collaboration with the French secret service to hit back. He imported five small civilian single engine MFI-9B planes produced by SAAB, which he knew to have been originally designed for a ground attack role in warfare. He had the planes painted in camouflage colours, fitted with rockets and proceeded with a band of friends to form a squadron called 'Babies of Biafra' to attack the air fields from which the federal Nigerian Air Force launched their attacks against the civilian population in Biafra. On May 22, 1969, and over the next few days, Von Rosen and his five aircraft launched attacks against Nigarian air fields at Port Harcourt, Enungu, and other small airports. The Nigerians were taken by surprise and a number of expensive jets, including a few Mig-17 fighters and three out of their six Ilyushin Il-28 bombers, were destroyed on the ground ..."