FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1927
1927 - 0574.PDF
JULY 28, 1927 AIR DEFENCE MANOEUVRES By MAJOR F. A. DE Two years ago, as special correspondent of FLIGHT, I was privileged to attend the great army manoeuvres in September, when four army divisions and a cavalry division fought for four days round Andover. Then, of course, the chief interest of FLIGHT was to observe the work of the squadrons of the Royal Air Force which were allotted for co-operation with the army, namely the four regular squadrons which specialise in army co-operation, namely Nos. 2, 4, 13, and 16, strengthened for that occasion by a flight raised by the School of Army Co-operation at Old Sarum and by Nos. 25 and 56 Fighter Squadrons and Nos. 39 and 297 Bombing Squadrons —the latter being day bombers using the D.H.9.A. with 400 Liberty engine. The main conclusions come to as a result V. ROBERTSON, V.D. will endeavour to spot them and ascertain their numbers an.i altitude. An elaborate system of reporting and collating the reports should enable the defence H.Q. to plot out the direction of each invading formation. The guns and searchlights will endeavour to bring the enemy down or to turn him back. Here we may pause to remark that the guns employed will belong to the Territorial Army, and that it is an obviously weak point in our defence scheme that responsibility for air defence should be divided between two departments of State instead of being concentrated under one command. In principle this is wrong ; even though relations may be, and, we believe are, both close and cordial between the air and the military authorities. A change of personnel might produce Squadron No. Home Station. Aeroplane. The " Eastland " Forces. Engine. Squadron Commander. 11 . . Netheravon 12 .. Andover .. 39 .. Spittlegate 207 .. Eastchurch 7 9 58 99 Bircham Newton Manston .. Worthy Down Bircham Newton DAY BOMBERS (Single engined). Horsley . . 650 Condor . . Sqdn.-Ldr. E. A. B. Rice, M.C. Fox .. .. 430 Felix .. Sqdn.-Ldr. T. E. Salt, A.F.C. D.H. 9.A. . . 400 Liberty . . Sqdn.-Ldr. H. V. Champion de Crespigny, M.C., A.F.C. D.H. 9.A. .. 400 Liberty .. Sqdn.-Ldr. J. P. Graham, M.C. NIGHT BOMBERS (Twin engined). Virginia.. .. 450 Lion . . Wing-Corn. C. F. A. Portal, D.S.O., M.C. Virginia.. . . 450 Lion . . Wing-Com. C. C. Durston. Virginia.. .. 450 Lion .. Sqdn.-Ldr. A. T. Harris, O.B.E., A.F.C. Hyderabad . . 450 Lion . . Wing-Com. B. E. Smythies, D.F.C. of studying those manoeuvres were (1) the paramount neces- sity to the army of an air arm, even in bad weather and over a heavily wooded terrain, and (2) the lamentable shortage of army air squadrons, which necessitated the borrowing of four squadrons from Air Defences of Great Britain. It was remarked at that time that if the Air Defence Force were to be engaged on an air campaign it would be unable to lend a single squadron to the army, which, especially when all the divisions were in the field, would be left absolutely blind. This week the Air Defence Force is engaged on an air campaign, the first actual air manoeuvres ever held in any country on a large scale. Again, the first impression created is the shortage of air squadrons ; but in this case a definite programme of expansion is in existence and in operation, a less happy state of affairs, and this ought to be made impossible. It is fully expected that determined bombing pilots will frequently, if not usually, force their way through the gun fire, though they may suffer casualties in doing so, and then they will have to face the last and most effectual form of defence, our fighter squadrons. That is not to say that the fighters will hold their hands till the last moment. We may expect that they will try to meet the enemy as far away from his objective as possible. But of course their tankage does not give them the same range and endurance which the bombers enjoy, They will to some extent suffer from a lack of the power of initiative which is imposed by any system of defence. It is alwavs the attackers who can choose the ground Squadron No. Home Station. 1 .. Tangmere 41 .. Northolt 56 .. Biggin Hill .. Ill .. Duxford 3 .. Upavon 17 . . Upavon 23 . . Kenley 32 .. Kenley 43 . . Tangmere 19 .. Duxford 25 . . Hawkinge 29 . . Duxford 24 . . (Communications), Northolt Aeroplane. Siskin Siskin Siskin Siskin Woodcock Woodcock Gamecock Gamecock Gamecock Grebe Grebe Grebe Avro Bristol Fighter '^D.H. 9.A. .. The Defence Forces. Engine. .. 385 Jaguar .. .. 385 Jaguar .. .. 385 Jaguar . . .. 385 Jaguar . . . . 400 Jupiter 4 . . 400 Jupiter 4 . . 450 Jupiter 6 . . 450 Jupiter 6 . . 450 Jupiter 6 .. 385 Jaguar .. .. 385 Jaguar .. .. 385 Jaguar . . .. 110 Le Rhone .. 275 Falcon .. .. 400 Liberty . . Squadron Leader. E. D. Atkinson, D.F.C., A.F.C. F. Sowrey, D.S.O., M.C., A.F.C. C. H. Elliott-Smith, A.F.C. G. W. Robarts, M.C. J. M. Robb, D.S.O., D.F.C. J. Leacroft, M.C. R. Collishaw, D.S.O., O.B.E., D.S.C., D.F.C. R. B. Mansell, O.B.E. A. F. Brooke H. W. G. Jones, M.C. W. H. Park, M.C., D.F.C. R. H. G. Neville, M.C. W. H. L. O'Neill, M.C. and the " General Idea " has been framed to take into con- sideration the present incompleteness of that expansion. The exercises which are taking place this week are intended to test, not the efficiency of our bomber squadrons in attack- ing enemy objectives (of which hostile aerodromes will cer- tainly be the first targets) but the efficiency of our plans for defending London by combined use of ground observers, anti-aircraft guns, searchlights, and fighter squadrons. The four squadrons of day bombers belonging to Air Defences of Great Britain (but not the Special Reserve and Auxiliary Air Force Squadrons) and the four squadrons of night bombers will all take part in the exercises. They will represent the enemy, our old and hated enemy " Eastland." Their function is to act as living targets for the g-.'ns and the fighter squadrons. Their attacks will take place by uay and by night, and will always be directed from beyond the sea coast against the various sectors of the London defences. Watchers on the coast (special constables will be employed as far as possible) or the particular tract of air for a battle, and the fighter squadrons must observe the limits of the sector to which they are allotted. These squadrons, when we may regard them as friendly, constitute the Wessex Bombing Area, which is commanded by Air Vice-Marshal Sir John Steel, K.B.E., C.B., C.M.G. The defence, of course, is entrusted to the Fighting Ait-a, under the command of Air Vice-Marshal Sir Robert Bro< ke- Popham, K.C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., A.F.C. The "General Idea" is as follows: Prior to Moiu^y, July 24, " Eastland " had bombed the capital of " Westlai;u (London) to such an extent that the Government had ret:red to Manchester, taking with it part of the London defci -«. (N.B.—The part thus taken away is the number of squad '"s not yet raised and those territorials who are not avail ''le for participation in these exercises.) " Eastland " is an? i )US to prevent a complete concentration at Manchester, ano_nas detailed nine bombing squadrons to hold the remainder c> tne 526
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
