NOTES ON WAR NEWS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 229, 23 October 1940, Page 3

NOTES ON WAR NEWS

POINTS ABOUT AIR FIGHTING Some of the inquiries tluit arc so commonly made with respect to ial combat were referred to a Spitfire pilot. His answers were as follows: —■ What is meant by a dog-fight? I thought most folk new that one. It seems that they don't. It means fi rough-and-tumble between singleseater fighters. The name was first given early in the last war. Wc may start a battle in squadrons, but the formation is apt to break up into a series of single combats. And, you know, we are just a bunch of dogs growling round each other. How do the fighters manage to avoid each other in a dog fight? Occasionally wc have occurred when there lias been a big bunch of us engaged. But there is a lot of sky, and we are not often 'as close together as wc appearfrom the ground. How do the different members of a flight, or squadron, manage to communicate duriing a fight? All single-seat fighters have twoway radio, so that pilots can speak to each other. And there have been- times when I've been glad that was the case. Often we are able to warn a pal that there is an enemy plane on his tail. How do anti-aircraft guns avoid hitting oiir fighters in a dog fight? That was a point that worried me when I first joined up. I didn't relish .the idea of our own guns chasing me. I soon found thev don't fire at all when we are tangled in a scrap. But they are ready to get busy if an enemy-plane manages to get away Who takes command of a formation if the squadron leader is shot down? I'm glad to say that is one I can't answer from actual expeniencc, But in any case, once the commanding officer has given the order to attack the scrap usually develops on individual lines —and a pilot is left to use his own judgment. You pack, up when your ammunition is finished.

What is meant by a "burst of fire?" We are buzzing around pretty fast when we are up there—and the enemy is only in the sights for short spells at a time. We smack home as many bullets as we can in that time —a burst, in fact. A hurst may average between one second and live seconds. A Spitfire or Hurricane fires 9600 shots a minute—which means 1 (!0 each second. It's a lot of lead if you're in ithe load. What are tracer bullets? Tracers arc designed to* leave a trail of smoke behind them, thus "showing if the bullets are hitting the target. There is always a number in every belt of ammunition— and very useful arc. And, by the way, when they come in contact with inflammable material, such as petrol, fabric, balloons, etc., they have incendiary effect. What is meant by a pilot "blacking out" in a turn? Most of us can tell you that from actual experience. And not a pleas- • ant experience either. If you go into a steep turn at high speed centrifugal force—the same | force which keeps Avater in a glass when you swing it over your head —drains the blood from your head and eyes. You are liable to lose consciousness, Even if you regain it you may J find yourself blind. But once the turn is stopped everything becomes" normal again. How fast can a Hurricane climb to intercept the raider? It doesn't take long, believe me. A Hurricane can get to 10,000 feet in four minutes, 20,000 in nine minutes. The vertical rate of climb is 25 miles .an hour,, though the plane may be travelling horizontally at 200 miles an hour in a climb. How do we react to high speed? Actually we never notice it. It's as comfortable in a Spitfire or a Hurricanc as in a taxi. Always provided, of course, that the pilot i? an experienced man. - You've got to get used to high speed power dives of 400 miles an hour —but you soon stop thinking about speed altogether, exccpt.for its use in chasing the enemy. Hew are victories reported after a ccnibav? When we have been in a scrap we

have to give even the smallest details of it in what is known as n report. If you see an enemy plane hit the ground you tall5 r one! But if you have only seen it go down out of control you don't count it as an official victory—which is why the Nazi air losses arc a sight bigger than you think. To amplify the written report, machines also carry a camera which takes photos so long as the trigger is pressed. Has a German plane ever surrend--1 ered in the air? Yes, sir! Fve seen a badly disabled German plane "pack in" myself. The usual sign of surrender is when they lower their undercarriage and shut off their motors., Once a Nazi bomber pilot did it— 1 then tried to shoot down the Hurricane which came alongside to escort him to the ground. He didn't have time to surrender a second time! What sort of advice is given a pilot before his first combat? Speaking for myself, I was warned to keep an eve on the weak spot behind my "tail.'" to watch lor an enemy attacking out of the sun, to guard against turning away from an attack on an enemy bomber in such a way as to leave myself exposed to their attack, and to conserve my ammunition until I was well within range. I took good care to stick to orders—and it paid.