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Aviation History
1935
1935 - 1358.PDF
SUPPLEMENT FLIGHT. JUNE 6, 1935. b. OFF PLYMOUTH HOE Fighter versus Flying-Boat : Attacks by No. 54 (Fighter) Squadron on No. 204 (Flying-Boat) Squadron By Major F. A. de V. ROBERTSON, V.D. there will come a will compare the THERE was a time, subsequent to Noah's happy land ing of the Ark on Mt. Ararat, when the " Southamp ton " was the finest flying-boat in the world. Critics were then most indignant because the Air Ministry would not enter it for world's records under F.A.I, rules, as it was confidently believed that it could have captured quite a respectable number of them. There was another time, even later, when the " Bull dog '' was the very latest word in single-seater fighters; when dashing young pilots at Upavon talked contemptu ously of the bad old days of the " Woodcock " and the " Gamecock," pitied the squadrons which still flew "Siskins," and then, in tones which ill-concealed their self-satisfaction, remarked, " We have ' Bulldogs ' ' And, of course, time when men "Gauntlet" with a tortoise. Be that as it may, it was with a feeling oi visiting an antiquarian museum that Flight went down to Plymouth to see something of the affiliation i.e., inter-squadron exer cises) of No. 54 (Fighter) Squadron, which flies " Bulldogs," with No. 204 (Flying-Boat) Squadron, which pos sesses " Southamptons." It did not really matter that both types are now antiquated, and will soon be replaced. The interest lay in the tactics of fighterg and flying-boats when en gaged in mock combat. No. 54 F.S. live at Hornchurch, in Essex, and they flew down to Plymouth on Jubilee Day, May 6, and encamped under canvas on Roborough aero drome outside the city. No. 204 F.B.S. still inhabits Mount Batten. It used to have as stablemates there No. 209 F.B.S., the proud possessors of " Perth " flying-boats with three " Buzzards " apiece and a C.O.W. gun in the nose, but No. 209 has temporarily moved to Felixstowe, and it is understood that it will ulti mately go to Pembroke Dock when No. 230 F.B.S. is ready to move to Singapore. The affiliation lasted about a fortnight, and there were not many days when the weather made flying impossible. There certainly was one most unpleasant morning when snow fell thickly and was followed by violent hail. That, of course, was in answer to the prayers of those sun-haters who had been moaning about a coming drought, and say ing that their gardens were dried up and the crops would be ruined. It is to be hoped that they enjoy the sight of A. "Southampton" attacked from the rear by a " Bulldog," as seen from another boat of No. 204 (Flying-Boat) Squadron. (Flight photograph.) the fruit crops now. Anyone in Great Britain who prays for rain deserves all that he gets—and sooner or later he always gets it. On the whole, Nos. 54 and 204 had quite a successful affiliation. Sham fighting is always unreal, and it must be protracted to give everyone some practice. If anyone were to win the war straight away, it would be a calamity, and speedy victory is, therefore, against the rules. The fly ing-boat pilots say that they hold a trump card when attacked by fighters. They come down and fly as low as possible over the water so that the fighters cannot investigate possible blind spots underneath. In the days of Von Richthofen it was everything for a fighter to keep above its adver sary or its prey, though occasion3' cunning stalkers like Ball used to exploit surprise and the blind spot. Nowadays flying-boats and some
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