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Aviation History
1935
1935 - 0141.PDF
JANUARY 17, 1935. F LIGHT. 73 Strange devices : Receiving one-way messages from the "Audax." The airman in the photograph is attached to the battery which is firing. Strips are laid out as signals to the pilot. (Flight Photograph.) and reconnoitres the whole of his area, looking for positions and movements of the enemy, and sending down wireless reports of all that he sees. At the same time he writes down his own reports, giving the time of each entry. The W/T or R/T messages which he sends down are received by a signaller of the R.A.F. on the ground and passed on to the Army authorities. The pilot, who in A.C. squadrons is always an officer, is himself the observer. In the seat behind him is an air gunner, whose whole time is taken up in watching for attacks by enemy aircraft, thus leav ing the pilot free from all anxieties on that score. The air gunners are chosen from various R.A.F. trades, mostly armourers, signallers, photographers and aircraft- hands. On certain occasions it is necessary to carry an expert in the rear seat who must give attention to some technical matter, such as two-way W/T. When this is necessary, No. 16 (A.C.) Squadron usually sends two other machines to act as escort. It is undesirable that a machine should be without escort when the man in the back seat cannot give his full attention to protection. A machine is also usually escorted when sent on what is cailed medium reconnaissance along the enemy's lines of communication. Perhaps if a special army co-operation aeroplane were produced which had a speed equal to that of any possible enemy fighters, and produced its best per formance at heights between 4,000 and 6,000 feet, it might be justifiable to send single machines on medium reconnais sance, and this would certainly be an economy of effort. Message picking up is practised seriously, not merely as a stunt for Hendon. Wireless may fail, and then the machines must fall back on this way of communicating with the military headquarters. Supply dropping, using special canisters, has been seriously undertaken on the Indian Frontier and in Iraq, and may be required at any time in an emergency. Artillery reconnaissance is much the same operation as it was during the war. The squadron artillery officer keeps up liaison between the R.A.F. and the artillery. When artillery reconnaissance is in progress an airman signaller is posted by the battery to receive the messages from the air, which are sent by one-way W/T in code. There are three forms of signalling used, namely, two-way W/T, which has to be worked by an operator in the back seat, one-way W/T from air to ground, which is worked by the pilot, and two-way R/T, also worked by the pilot. It is obvious that the pilot is a pretty busy man, but it is reckoned that flying the machine comes to him so automatically that it does not use up any of his energy or distract his attention from more important matters. In addition to its army co-operation duties the squadron is also trained to meet the normal requirements of air warfare. These include night flying, front and rear gun firing, and both precision bombing and dive bombing. An Old Sarum group : Officers and flight sergeants of No 16 (A.C.) Squadron. Reading from left to right (standing; : JVSgt. Payne, F/Sgt. Williams, F/Sgt. Copeland, P/O. P. H. R. Saunders, P/0. G. E. Jackson, F/0. J. F. L. Zoru, F/0. G. Morgan-Smith, F/0. J. N. McAuley, P/0 W. T. King, P/0. P. L. Doukin, F/0. F. S. Wakeham, P/O. N. D. Gilbart-Smith, r/Sgt Gallie, F/Sgt Frost. (Sitting) : F/Lt. W. D. Butler, Lieut. R. O. V. Thompson, Capt. G. M. St. Leger, S'Ldr. R. P. Musgrave Whitham, O.B.E., M.C., F/Lt. G. H. Russell, D.F.C., F/Lt T. Humble, F/Lt. T. P. P. F. Fagan. (Flight Photograph.)
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