BRITAIN HAS UPPER HAND IN THE AIR

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 301, 21 December 1939, Page 8

BRITAIN HAS UPPER HAND IN THE AIR

Empire Plan Will Put Her Beyond Challenge

IMPRESSIVE FIGURES (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Dec. 19. In a broadcast on the Dominions air training scheme, the Air Minister, Sir Kingsley Wood, said that the scheme would put the British ascendancy over the enemy in the air beyond challenge. He expressed the view that, considering the size of the scheme, which would give an annual outflow of pilots and air crews greater than the full outstanding strength of the Royal Air Force as it was not long ago, the Empire had done a fine Job in fixing up such an inspiring and constructive plan in such a short time. “It will indeed be a great demonstration of Empire unity when men ot the Royal Canadian Air Force, the Australian Air Force, and the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and our own Royal Air Force train together in safe Canadian flying schools,” he said. Sir Kingsley cited some impressive figures given by the Canadian Prime Minister to indicate the magnitude of the training effort required from Canada alone. There were to be 67 training schools, he said, and two for navigation. The staffs alone would number 40,000. Some 60 new aerodromes were being constructed and 20 existing aero, dromes enlarged. The scheme would call for many thousands of aircraft, the bulk of {which would be supplied by the United Kingdom, but each Dominion would locally-made aircraft to an Increasing extent from its own manufacturing resources. While, the negotiations had been in progress, added the Minister, the participating Governments had gone ahead with the preliminary steps, permitting 'of rapid execution of the great plan. In connection with Sir Kingsley Wood’s estimate that the Empire training scheme would put British air superiority beyond challenge, informed air circles in London give interesting facts comparing the relative efficiency between the British and German air forces to-day when they point out that not a single British fighter aircraft has been shot down in the United Kingdom since the outbreak of the war, while R.A.F. Fighter Command aircraft have brought down nearly half the German bomber and reconnaissance aircraft engaged by them during the first two active months of the war. During 51 engagements over British land or sea in October and November, 21 German raiders were destroyed, and of these 13 were seen to strike the ground or water. It is also known that many more failed to return to Germany. In all these engagements, only one British pilot has been wounded, and that slightly. This record is all the more impressive when it is recalled that in fighting between British bombers and German fighters five German Messerchmitts were shot down in flames during last Thursday’s air battle over the Frisian Islands and more than 12 during the action over Heligoland on Monday.