WONDERFUL FEAT

Hokitika Guardian, 14 July 1933, Page 5

WONDERFUL FEAT

ATLANTIC CROSSED

BY 24?' ITALIAN MACHINES.

(Copyright, by th e Universal ServiceSender, King Features Syndicate Incorporated). "

LONDON; 'July 13

■General Italo Balbo (Commander 0/ the Italian Air Squadron)'’ 1 from Cartwright Bay, Canada, in ‘ a message, states :

‘‘We iare over the ; Atlantic—over the North Atlantic this time— and for the second time, Fascist Air armadas have demonstrated that‘ oceans can be flown in mass formation.

“There'now remain only the last stages of our journey to Chicago, thus completing our seven thousand miles iformation flight, "and adding ' further to the prestige of Fascism. , “This formation flight from the Old to the- New World was conquered ■to-day under conditions of the greatest peril. Starting off in our twentyfour planes early oh Wednesday from !Rekjavik, ; in Iceland,' we eh countered crosswinds. The atmospherical conditions around Iceland,-' as reported from all meteorological stations, were very bad. There w'% low Visibility' for the first few hours.. We often were obliged to fly blind, with only the aid of. jur instruments as; we skimmed ... the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The bad conditions were (absolutely against ns until we ' came abreast of Capo (Farewell, the southern tip of Greenland, which we passed fifty miles on our right.

“Then, for' two solid hours, we navigated through wide banks of dense fog/ Here we encountered peril Of a very' real character—’the danger of ice (forming on the plane wings and the metallic propellers. The last 750 imliles were flown in real tranquility.

“During’ the first three-fourths- ’of the flight, cO'ntr.^ty.,w^nds i . s l.imited. j .oui' average .speed to 124'"miles, .perhour. The fleety divided i into .unifs. of ;■ three planes, each”'one entering the fog* -and clouds. The formation • was mitered, as had previously been arranged, by the widening of the formation. - We were controlling this process by. mepns tof radio goniometers' aboard 'of each plane, the orders going from group to group. Immediately (the planemn each “V” described a deviation of 45 degrees to the .right and A 0 the left respectively, -then taking, up the general course. When emerging from the ,fpg and clouds, the planes resumed their original ’ positions. ' “At Cartwi’ight, each of the units landed separately,. in perfect formation, eacJi taking its position by buoys that aljrcadj' ‘.prepared, / Arid marked, ”

“Wo iare the , guests of. the ' Hudson Bay Company, whose/ Governor .rat Lon<JoM I have thanked for hig aid and making om* way easier. It is import* ant to point out that this section of the flight has fully , confirmed my theory that mass aerial formation can always fly every, couhse .and every Toute, especially , with eighty-five wentrained men, and with up-to-date engines, as undoutbedly are our Isotta Prasohini motors.” ITALIAN AIR FLEET. (Received this dav at 9 a.m.) SHEDIAC, July 13. The Italians left Cartwright to-day, the first plane starting at 8.20 a.m. All the twenty-four had landed here at 3.58 p.m.