AIR STRENGTH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 December 1939, Page 6

AIR STRENGTH

ADVANTAGE OF THE ALLIES WHERE THE GERMANS FAIL. It is easy to assess the naval strength of any Power, because when warships are once launched their existence cannot be kept secret, writes Major F. A. de V. Robertson in the “Manchester Guardian.” To some extent army formations can be tabulated likewise, but air forces are not on at all the same footing. Some time ago the Prime Minister said that first-line strength was not a criterion, and he was right. Air strength consists in the potential output of machines with all their appurtenances, of pilots and crews, and of mechanics. In the last two years the factories have been turning out machines and engines at an ever-increas-ing pace, and undoubtedly the R.A.F. is now very much stronger than it was two years ago. Some of the effort has been devoted to replacements of odd types, but even so the numbers of machines and crews which we can put into the air are certainly much greater than in 1937. Our reserves must now have reached a formidable figure. The number of squadrons has naturally not been made public. Consequently we must be content to know that our actual air strength is very formidable.

Still less is it possible or desirable to publish the figures of French air strength. It is common knowledge that some time ago the production of machines for the Armee de I’Air was not all that could be desired. It is also known that of late that state of affairs has been splendidly reformed and that French air power is now satisfactory in quality and quantity. French pilots and French mechanics have always beei» first class, and the spirit of Georges Guynemer still lives among their fighter pilots.

The strength of the air corps of the German army has always been something of a mystery. Recently Italian papers published a statement that, in June last year the first-line strength of the Germans was 3000 machines, but that by April of this year it had risen to (’>ooo. of which 3000 were bombers. 2000 were fighters, and 1000 were reconnaissance aircraft. Those figures may be received with a grain of salt. For one thing, the technical paper. "Flight." pointed out that in several instances the performance figures given were over-optimistic. The Axis partner may well have been anxious to exalt Germany's air power for obvious reasons. An increase of 100 per cent in nine months is not to be credited. We can readily believe that the German best, is very good. British pilots who have visited their crack squadrons were much impressed by their high efficiency. Their fastest fighters are the Messerschmitt 109 and the Heinkel ■II2U. Bui we may feel equally confident that the average figure of German air merit is well below the British average. There is reason to believe that their training methods are very inferior to those of the R.A.F. and that casualties at the German training schools have sometimes been very high. It is common knowledge that Germany for some time past has had to economise in petrol, and that

doos not suggest that all her pilots have been able to put in so many flying hours as our pilots do. All our pilots are now exceedingly well trained. In the last war the bravest and most skilful of German fighter pilots was Werner Voss, a Jew. In the present war Germany will lack such splendid help.