INFERIOR TO THE GERMANS

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23965, 4 June 1943, Page 9

INFERIOR TO THE GERMANS

AIRMEN AUSTRALIAN PILOT’S OPINION From Our Own Correspondent SYDNEY, May 19. Home on leave after four months’ combat flying at Darwin, Australia’s ace fighter pilot, Wing Commander Clive (“Killer”) Caldwell, who has added four Zeros to his Middle East tally of 20J victims, said in Sydney that the Japanese airmen could not compare with the Germans. ‘‘l would rather fight a Jap. in a Zero than a Hun in a Messerschmitt any day,” he said. “The Japs, are not as determined fighters as the Germans, and Zeros are ‘not in the race’ with any German fighter.” Wing Commander Caldwell said that the Zeros are very manoeuvrable at low speeds, and the Japanese try their hardest to get Allied pilots down to low speed. “But we pull the cork nut and chase them all over the sky," he added. “The only thing wrong with combat flying in Australia is that there is not enough action. It may be part of the Jap. technique to try to, make us careless so that we will become easy targets, but we won’t be caught napping. We shadowspar all the time to keep in nick. “In my early combat days I made all the mistakes and got hit plenty of times. I have been just plain lucky. I have learned the hard way. It took me a long time to think seconds ahead when in combat, because of the terrific excitement in the heat of a battle, but now I have no emotions when on the job, and can think clearly. I try my best to outmanoeuvre the enemy, and always cover myself by putting my tail into clear air before I make an attack.”