ACHIEVEMENT OF AIRMEN

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21368, 12 March 1941, Page 7

ACHIEVEMENT OF AIRMEN

5300 ENEMY PLANES DESTROYED ESTIMATES PRESENTED—TRIBUTE BY MINISTER GREAT HELP FROM DOMINIONS AND COLONIES (Official Wireless) (Received March 12, noon) RUGBY, March 11 Only brief reference to the actual achievements of the Royal Air Force was made by the Secretary of State for Air, Sir Archibald Sinclair, today, when he presented the Air Estimates in the House of Commons. I he speech was mainly devoted to the developments and expansion which have taken place and are in prospect in legal d to personnel and materials, as well as organisation, and an account of the new types of machine of British and American manufacture. Sir Archibald expressed his own belief that the war was about to enter a grimmer phase, but he was completely confident regarding the final issue. This confidence was based primarily on the achievements of the Royal Air Force, which he summarised in two graphic sentences. He said: In the last ten months, in two theatres of war, the Royal Air Force has fought against very great odds, but not without success, as the destruction, mainly by our incomparable fighter squadrons, of some 4250 German and 1100 Italian aircraft for the loss in combat of fewer than 1800 aircialt ol our own, the security of our shores, and the part played l>v the Royal Air Force in the disruption of the Italian Empire, combine to testify. Our bombers have made 280 raids on aerodromes and seaplane bases, 300 on docks and shipping, 470 on railways and communications, and 630 on industrial targets, all these in Germany. Many heavy raids have also been made on objectives in occupied territory.” Speaking of the work of the Coastal Command, which included convoy patrol, attacks on enemy shipping bases and U-boats, Sir Archibald Sinclair said aircraft have flown 16,000,000 miles in the course of their duties. The air war, both at home and in the Middle East, will be continued. It is not being fought by the Royal Air Force and the Fleet Air Arm alone. Squadrons from Can-, ada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the Rhodesias, squadrons manned by men from India, Newfoundland and all the Colonial Empire, are playing their part in the battle.”

Training All Over Empire “Full-scale training organisations are being formed in India to train pilots for the Royal Air Force in India and for the Indian Air Force,” said the Minister. “In Burma also flying training organisations have been established. “In addition to these schemes we have transferred abroad a number of schools from this country, and training is being carried out all over the world unhindered by enemy action and by black-out conditions. Every instructor and every pupil is able to concentrate on his job and on nothing but the job.” Paying tribute on behalf of the Air Ministry to those who in the crisis of the Battles of France and Britain last year served sc* well behind the line in the production of aircraft, Sir Archibald said first and foremost they must thank the workmen at the factories. Executives, scientists, designers, civilians, airmen of the aircraft storage units and in other groups of the maintenance command, who worked all hours in equipping aircraft for battle and repairing them, also deserved the thanks of Parliament. The efforts of the Ministry of Aircraft Production had resulted in increasing the flow of production and bringing on as rapidly as possible new types of bombers and fighters with which Britain will engage the enemy this year. The latest models of Spitfires and Hurricanes now in service are fitted with more powerful engines, considerably increasing their speed and providing ability to fight at much greater heights, while heavier armament has increased the fire power. Speed and Armaments _ The new Hawker Tornado was equipped with engines nearly twice the horse-power of the fighters which bore the brunt of the Battle of Britain and could carry still heavier armament and yet obtain speed well in excess of 400 miles an hour. Other engines of as great or even greater power are coming on. “In the twin-engine fighters types,” said the Minister, “we have Whitleys and for long-range lighter operations and for night fighting the Beaufighter, each with very heavy armament. Of bombers, Hampdens, Wellingtons and Whitleys have i*n the past constituted the Royal Air Force’s main offensive armament. The latest models are fitted with more powerful engines, which give increased performance and striking power. Some are really different aircraft, but these are being replaced by a range of very much heavier bombers, including the Sterling, Manchester and Halifax. All three have already proved their worth. These bombers are more than twice the size of any earlier type. They are faster and carry heavier defence armament, and can carry three times the weight of bombs for the same distance.” Alter referring to ground organisation developments, the Minister made passing reference to civil aviation, the effect of the war on which has inevitably been restrictive. “In this country.” he said, “the experience gained in operating and developing the wartime service will be precious in the future. Expansion of Air Force “We must not," said Sir Archibald, “repeat after this war our failure alter the last war to foster and stimulate the development of civil aviation. The Roval Air Force is now on the threshold of its period of greatest expansion. During the ncr* 12 months we shall be absorbing iv. rapidly increasing numbers the pro- j ducts not only of Britain but also American industry. The Harvard l

training and Lockheed Hudson general reconnaissance aircraft have proved by their long and arduous service the excellence and robustness of the American design, and the latest make of Hudson shows an improvement upon its famous predecessors.

“The types of American aircraft now reaching units of the Royal Air Force throughout the world include such fighters as the Buffalo and the Movack. The remarkable performances of our aircraft are well instanced by the Greene Martin Maryland medium bomber, which shows its ability to outpace the Boston, which is sufficiently fast and manoeuvrable to undertake night fighting operations, as well as its designed function. Despite their speed both these aircraft are capable of carrying much heavier bomb loads than comparable bombers in the service last year, while the Consolidated Liberal type of heavy bomber will give us ascent with high speed and huge bomb load capacity. “From the Consolidated Company also comes the P BY Catalin flyingboats, which, with their great range, form an essential reinforcement of the Coastal Command.” Co-operation With Fleet Air Arm Speaking of co-operation with the Fleet Air Arm, the Minister said: “The Royal Air Force spares no effort to help the Royal Navy and the Fleet Air Arm against air and undersea attacks upon our trade. The Coastal Command, whose operations have always conformed with the requirements of the Admiralty, have been strengthened and are being strengthened further. Aerodromes have been developed from which our aircraft may guard more easily the western approaches. “Aircraft of greater endurance and longer range are being brought into service and technical apparatus will enable the aeroplane more readily to hunt the U-boat is being steadily improved. “The predominant theme of our policy in the Air Ministry is attack—attack upon the very sources of German military power. “To attack effectively, however, we must attack from a secure base, and there are two dangers against which we are constantly strengthening our defences—the attack upon our shipping and the night bomber. These tasks call for unremitting effort upon the part of scientists, engineers, air staff command, pilots and maintenance personnel. “I will not be optimistic about the menace of night attack, but I know that our methods of defence are gradually improving and we shall exact from night bombers, as we already have begun to exact from them, an increasing toll.” Destruction of Enemy Discussing the prospects, the Minister said: “Leaving out of account the reserves, we have destroyed half the Italian first line and we have certainly destroyed much more than half the German first line. “As to our output I will only say this day that the strength of the Royal Air Force, in spite of the tremendous battles and the continuing offensive, is very much greater now than when the Battle of Britain began last August, greater in the numbers of aircralt and pilots in the front line, greater in the number of aircraft in the services and pilots under training, greater, both absolutely and respectively, to the air strength of Germany. “It will hr no easy task to defeat Nazi Germany, hut it ran and will hr done. There are Mound grounds for ronfidenre at we look forward into the future of Britain, for the power of the Ro>al Air Forre it grow ing and Ut spirit will never UiL”