R.A.F. SUPERIORITY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 115, 13 April 1940, Page 7

R.A.F. SUPERIORITY.

BETTER TRAINING EVIDENT. LONDON, April 11. The continued success of the R.A.E. lin encounters against the enemy is i regarded in informed quarters as being in a major degree the result of the superiority of British training over that given Nazi airmen. Even before the war independent observers in Germany commented on tile comparatively small amount of flying apparently going on in relation to the huge-air forces being built. It is not improbable that shortage of fuel and other reasons have affected the Germans’ flying training since the war began. Though many more pilots are now being trained in the R.A.E.. the thoroughness of the training lias in no way been reduced, and no pilot has been passed out to the next stage or to the operational squadron wtliout the full flying practice and instruction insisted upon under the R.A.E. scheme. DORNIER LOWERED. A Dornier flying-boat was brought down in 35 seconds in the North Sea to-day by a Hudson reconnaissance aircraft of the R.A.E. Coastal Command (states the British Official Wireless). The pilot of the Hudson made only one attack. He fired four hursts from the front gun while diving toward the Dornier. and one of its engines was immediately put out of commission. The Dornier plunged toward the sea, landed heavily and began to sink. “A mighty quick piece of work” was how the navigator, a young Canadian, described the incident. The Hudson then continued to patrol and half an-hour afterwards another Coastal Command aircraft saw the Dornier floating upside down, half submerged. An R. A.F. high-speed launch was sent out to try to find the survivors.