AIR PARITY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 October 1941, Page 6

AIR PARITY

BEING APPROACHED BY BRITAIN WATCH ON NAZI STRATEGY. OPERATIONS IN STRATOSPHERE. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 9. For the first time Britain is approaching aerial parity with Germany. This was stated by Group Captain Helmore in a broadcast war commentary. Group Captain Helmore explained that viewing the war in the air as a whole there had been no “lulls,” and he said that though the British skies for the moment were less infested by enemy bombers it did not mean that in other skies, the air war was not rising in a crescendo which sooner or later might return'here. Hitler was operating from interior lines, and he was pushing the advantage which that position gave. Though his air force was strung out on the 8000 miles perimeter stretching from Norway to Greece and back again to Russia, he was respecting the rule , of war which enjoined the concentration of force to attack one enemy at a time. Germany had lost thousands of machines in Russia, but it would be foolhardy to suggest that he would be unable to replace these losses rapidly. Group Captain Helmore spoke of the R.A.F. wing which had been sent to Russia at short notice, and he said he had received a glowing report from the commander about the Russian pilots. Speaking of the air war of the immediate future, the group captain referred to the advantage which would accrue to the Air Force which could use the stratosphere—the upper layer of air beyond which an increase in height brings no further corresponding fall in temperature—for both attack or defence. “It is an eery, world, this low-pressure region in which the temperature is 70 degrees below zero and the blue sky becomes black, petrol vapourises and blocks the pumps, fuel oil becomes solid and the nitrogen in the pilot’s blood begins to bubble,” he said. “The physical effect on the crew is the greatest obstacle to. high stratosphere flying. Oxygen. supply begins to be unavailing, and without pressure applied to the body through a pressure cabin or other means unbearable mus cular pains affect the crew. Above 35,000 feet their skins begin to itch; they break out in a sweat and either become languid and incapable of action of any kind or pass out altogether.” At the fend of the broadcast Group Captain Helmore mentioned a talk which in fact had never been given. This was by an American in the R.A.F., and the commentator read the opening words of the script: “The question is why I a citizen of the United States should be wearing a British uniform and fighting Britain’s battles. The answer is simple. “I have never thought of this as Britain’s fight. It is the fight of all civilised Christians in the world against a gang of criminals which would make the Capone, mob even in its palmiest days look like a gang of schoolboys. From the first I never for a moment doubted what would be the position of my country in this struggle.”