I understand that the engines were troubled with sand in north Africa but was the deployment of it?
Hi OP!
Can I ask where you saw or read that they ever served in North Africa?
The HS 123 was produced in very limited numbers, with just a few dozen left in service in 1939, and only a single Gruppe was ever equipped with them at a time. Serving in the early campaigns, and then being sent into Russia during Barbarossa and remaining there until the airframe was finally out of service with combat units in 1944.