WAR IN THE AIR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 February 1940, Page 5

WAR IN THE AIR

BRITISH MINISTER’S REVIEW SPLENDID WORK DONE BY PATROLS. DENUNCIATION OF GERMAN ATROCITIES. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, February 10. Reviewing the course of the war in an address at Bristol, the Minister of Air, Sir Kingsley Wood, said: “Between the Thames and the north-east of Scotland our merchant ships in large numbers move up and down on their peaceful business each day. The German airman emulates his . naval confederate in ruthless and murderous attacks on them. He does not discriminate between British or neutral ships He obviously prefers those vessels which cannot defend themselves.” Sir Kingsley Wood particularly deplored the enemy machine-gunning and bombing of helpless fishermen. Recalling the fact that only a few years ago the nations of Europe under arrangements at Nyon condemned all attacks without warning on merchantmen! as acts of piracy, he said: “It is astonishing that the German High Commands seeks to condone these atrocities and authorise the attacks on lightships and the shelling of the men who man them and whose sole purpose and lives are dedicated to the greater safety of all those who sail the seas.” The Air Minister revealed that orders to the value of some £6,000,000 covering production of the latest type of aircraft have been given to the greatly extended group organisation which was established in Canada after the mission to that country in 1938. The British output of aircraft had doubled in a year. Sir Kingsley Wood revealed that “during the Arctic weather of January the aircraft of the coastal command flew close on a million miles. The first half of January provided the most severe flying weather ever known. Yet throughout the bitter spell not a single day's, halt was called in the vital work of the coastal command. Not a single day passed without fighter patrols taking off to guard our. shores.” In another passage in his speech, in which Sir Kingsley comprehensively reviewed the course of the war. he spoke .of the Franco-British co-opera-tion in the air. “In staff matters there is the closest contact and we have a comprehensive scheme of pooling information, our 'production problems we study systematically together, and secret, equipment is exchanged and new developments shared.” he said. "And as a practical test of all this, on mo.re than one occasion reconnaissance aircraft approaching this country have been pursued and shot down by French fighters.” Referring to the results in the actual combats in the air, the Minister said: “It is not surprising—at any rate to us —that that part of our Air Force which has been engaged in pitched battles with the enemy has shot down many more enemy aircraft than we have lost.”