VARIED DUTIES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20065, 11 October 1939, Page 5

VARIED DUTIES

EFFECTIVE OPERATION 34 U-BOATS ATTACKED ALMOST DAILY CLASHES VITAL INFORMATION (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (British Official Wireless.) Reed. 11 a.m. RUGBY, Oct. 10. The Secretary for Air, Sir Kingsley Wood, describing in the House of Commons the work of the Royal Air Force in the war, paid a tribute to the speed and efficiency with which mobilisation and assembly at the war stations was completed and the spirit and morale of the force as exemplified no less in the fighter squadrons —for the most part still waiting in

instant readiness to meet an enemy which had not yet come -than in the successful raid by bombers on the German fleet, in engagements with the enemy in Germany and on the Western-Front, anc in the unremitting and strenuous activities of the coastal command.

successful raid by bombers o:l the German fleet, in engagements with the enemy in Germany and on the Western-Front, anc in the unremitting and strenuous activities of the coastal command. As to the latter, the work was, by its very nature, silent and normally unspectacular. It demanded continuous flying over the sea in all weathers. The magnitude of the effort of the coastal command might be judged by the fact -that during the first four weeks of the war the command flew on. reconnaissance, anti-submarine, and convoy patrols a distance of approximately 1,000,000 miles and provided air escorts for over 100 convoys. Air escorts also have often been able to give warnings f of approaching enemy craft and of the presence of submarines from ranges far beyond the vision of surface craft. Fruitful Results The results of these endeavours have been fruitful. During the first four weeks, submarines were sighted by aircraft on 72 occasions and 34 attacks were delivered, some of which were undoubtedly successful. The value of the work must not be gauged by the attacks alone. There was an important preventive factor. Prisoners statements confirmed that the mere presence of aircraft was sufficient to make a submarine remain submerged and that the air escort had often prevented a submarine commander from attacking a con voy. Almost daily there had been clashes with the enemy. In the bomber command, apart from the larger operations, there had been many and valuable reconnaissance flights day after day over German territory. Vital military information had been gained and recorded. The Minister made an encouraging statement regarding British aircraft productibn. “At the outbreak of war aircraft production represented an achievement unprecedented in this country in peace time,” he said. “Immediately war broke out, our carefully prepared plans lor greatly increased production were put into effect. They will mean, in due course, a rate of production more than twice the considerable figure we have now reached.”