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Aviation History
1916
1916 - 0318.PDF
l/EiGHT] He should have thought that anyone who had watched the. pro ceedings during the last weeks would have come to a very different conclusion. He had announced in the House that more than one raid upon London was beaten off without the inhabitants becoming in the least aware of the fact and without any of the inhabitants in the Metropolis knowing that the attacks had been launched against them. That was very significant. Moreover, other parts of the country had been armed and provided with materials for resisting air raids. He thought it was hardly necessary for him to say that it was not possible to prevent air raids coming to any one place in the United Kingdom. It was a stlf-evident fact. He hoped that the time might come when they would be able to meet the attacking ship or aeroplane very shortly afler its arrival. To say that it never should be able to arrive here at all was to gay what was impossible. He desired to state that not only was " L. 15" beaten down into the Thames, but another Zeppelin was hit somewhere off the coast. The knowledge of this fact was discovered from a wi relets message sent by the commander of the ship, which was not picked up in the ordinary sense by another wireless apparatus, but was picked up off the ground in the form of a carbon copy of the message. Mr. Tickler seemed to think that anti aircraft guns could spring up out of the ground simply because we desired them. Every effort was being made to secure the je guns at the earliest passible moment. Parliament hsd agreed long ago that the first needs of the country were in the theatres of war, and we could not starve, nor would the House wish to be starved, the armies in the field and in the various theatres of war, of any kind of material necessary in order to protect the soldiers. After the Commanders-in-Chief had been provided in the theatres of war with all they required, then we would be able to produce material for the defence of our shores here. It was Dot true to say that it was hopeless to try and defeat air raids. He welcomed the offer made by Mr. Billing to the Government, and he certainly would not neglect it, and hoped to be able to claim his co-operation and assistance in what must be the desire and hope of all, to be able to deal more effectively than we had done with these air raids. He would make it his business to ascertain in what manner The Mann Biplane IK the House of Commons on April 5th Mr. Tennant, replyirg to Mr. Hogge, said that the Mann and Grimmer M2 aeroplane had been brought to the notice of the War Office. The first was to have been tried by the War Office, but the machine was smashed before it could be submitted. The firm then applied for time in order that the War Office might consider the merits of the aeroplane. The designs and details had just beeu received, and were naw under consideration. Mr. IIogge: Is the right hon. gentleman aware that this firm will have to close down unless they have financial assistance ? Mr. Tennant: I was not aware of that. It will be taken into consideration. Mr. Lynch : Is it not in the public interest to foster such a firm whkh has shown considerable inventive genius and great skill? Mr. Tennant: The hon. gentleman informs me that they have shown all this extraordinary skill and genius. That has surely still to be proved. If the facts are as he believe?, no doubt financial assistance will be given. Mr. Hrgge: Is the right ho a. gentleman aware that j£ 1,000 would complete this experiment ? Mr. Tennant: I am obliged to the hon. member forthe informa tion. The Royal Aircraft Factory. IN reply to Mr. Joynson-Hicks, Mr. Forster stated that the total number of men employed in the Royal Aircraft Factory is 3,223, and their weekly pay amounts to ^9,438. A further question as to the salaries paid to the five senior officers of the K.A.F. drew the following information that the salaries actually being paid in the period immediately preceding the war were £t,yx> patt time), £yx>, £400, £35° and A3J0. The salaries be:ng paid now are ,£3,000 (full time), Z630, £550, /550 and The Dummy Gun. REPLYING to another question by Mr. Billing as to allegations of a dummy gun ;>*ing erected on the roof of a foundry in an East Coast city, Mr. Tennant said that the hon. gentleman had presumably in the course of his experience heard of ruses de gust-re. The object of such measures was to deceive the enemy, and if such a measure had been resorted to in this country its object would be to mislead the enemy's air scouts or agents, and not to hoax the civil population, l'erhaps I may be permitted to say that it is not always in the interests of the country to tear aside the veil. APRIL 13, 1916. Mr. Billing thought he could best assist them, and should make the greatest possible use of the services which he would put at their disposal. The Government sympathised most sincerely and earnestly with those who had lost relatives by these raids, and he desired to say to the population of those towns that had been raided that eveiy step was being taken, within the limits at the Govern ment's disposal, and that they had established a very considerable machine, much larger and wider than many members knew of. They had great hopes that they would be able to jerfect it in the near future more rapidly than they had been able to do in the past, although this matter had only been within the province of the War Office for a comparatively short time. Dr. Macnamara, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty, in replying to Mr. Billing, exp'ained again broadly the duties of the two departments, the Navy and the Army Council. He applied the provisions of the duties of these two departments to the last four air raids, and he thought that, looked at in the light of the duties which had been undertaken by his department, he was inclined to say that they had been performed properly. In regaid to the question of the equipment of craft in the North Sea, if details were given to him he would certainly go through them with him, and see how far they might be true. In respect to the comments on the inefficiency of seaplanes, he was not an expert constructor of aero planes or seaplanes, nor even a flying man,and he could only rely upon expert advice that was given to him. He would, however, take care that Mr.Billing's views on seaplanes should be communicated to those who were experts and who were fully able to say what the criticisms were worth, and the weight which ought to be attached to them. In appealing for a hearing for his case Mr. Billing knew that every hearing would be given to him. Already the fullest oppor tunity had been given to him to state his views as to what ought to be done, and his views would be placed before the First Lord of the Admiralty at the earliest possible opportunity. With regard to his offer of assistance, he would say that if any man could assist them in any way to meet this menace they would be most ready to accept it and be grateful for any contribution Mr. Billing might be able to make. The Firlnif of A ntl-Aircraft Guns. MR. BILLING asked whether on April 2nd a Zerpelin passed on two occasions within easy range of an anti-aircraft gun stationed in an Eastern county ; if so, why was the gun not fired ; and whether an officer is left without any discretion as to when he shall fire ? Mr. Tennant replied that as there are no orders extant which might cause the officer in charge of an anti aircraft gun to act in such a way and as the answer to the last part of the question was in the negative, there was no ground for supposing that anything of the kind occurred. The Joint Air Committee. MR. TENNANT, replying to Mr. Billing, said that there were, of course, differences of opinion, but no friction whatever existed between members of the Joint Air Committee. On Tuesday Mr. Ten nant stated that he understoo 1 that two members had resigned. The A.A.C. and the R.GA. REPLYING to Mr. Nield in the House of Commons on April Jth, Mr. Tennant said it was not proposed to tiansfer any large number of the men of the Royal Naval Anti-Aircraft Corps to the Royal Garrison Artillery. If any transfers took phce they would be optional, and in such small numbers that the expenditure on uniform would be inconsiderable. One Headquarters for Both Services? MR. BROOKES asked whether the Admiralty had considered the propriety of housing the administrative offices of the R.F.C. and the R.N.A.S. under one roof. Dr. Macnamara said he entirely agreed with the implication in the question, that close co-operation and interchange of ideas between the Navy and Army Air Services are essential. Whether the suggested method of obtaining them is desirable or cot, was a matter for consideration. In reply to Commander Bellairs, who asked whether even the K.N.A.S. was not housed at present under one rocf, Dr. Macnamara promised to look into the matter. The Supply of Aeroplanes. IN the House of Commons on April 6th Mr. Bennett-Goldney asked if there had been snd if there was still any overlapping, pre ventable delay, or extravagance with regard to the purchase, supply, and manufacture of aeroplanes, seaplanes, other aircraft, and their accessories owing to the Munitions Ministry still being left without similar control in these matters as that which it now holds with regard to guns and other vital munitions of war ; if separate design and contract departments are still run either by the Admiialfy 01 the War Office or both, altogether apart from the Ministry of 3IS
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