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Aviation History
1938
1938 - 0965.PDF
GoihDinecL f" FliglU " photograph Good Work by Flying Boats and Ansons in Two-day Operations : Bombing a Convoy AFASHIONABLE diversion is debating which isthe funnier: Shakespeare's "other Eden, demi-paradise," or " this. fortress, built by Naturefor herself " The beauty of a southerly trip for last week's combined air and naval exercise assuredly justified the Bard in the first ol his metaphors, and the exercise itself showed how the R.A.F. could exploit our natural advantages. The manoeuvres started early last Monday week during the latter stage of the Home Fleet's homeward passage from Gibraltar, and took the form of a convoy exercise, the object of which was to make a theoretical attack on the Isle of Wight. Operations were confined to the western part of the Bay of Biscay, north of latitude 430 N., and the western part of the English Channel. Chief among the objects were the carry- ing-out of air reconnaissance speedily enough to send sub- marines against a fleet nt sea; the exercise of shore- based aircraft in locating and shadowing a fleet; and the attack on a fleet by air- craft and M.T.B.s. It is customary before all such exercises to draw up an inoffensive "general idea," followed by a " special Bristol Perseus-engined VickersVildebeest IV torpedo bombers of No. 42 (T.B.) Squadron, thefirst standard military aircraft to be fitted with sleeve-valveengines and detachable-blade wooden airscrews They are seenat Thorney Island, complete with "tinfish." idea," the preparation of the former being made with the official tongue dug well into the official cheek. Briefly, the idea (general) was that relations between Redland (North Coast of Africa) and Blueland (Spitzbergen) had become extremely strained. Redland had constructed naval bases in the Island of Biscay at Port Solony (Lat. 450 40' N., Long. 090 10' W.) and Port Juju (Lat. 480 00' N., Long. 070 50' W.). The Isle of Wight was a Blueland colony with a weakly defended naval base. A treaty with England had allowed Blueland to establish aerodromes along the South Coast. It was found necessary to assume that the Blue main naval forces could reach the Isle of Wight from Spitzbergen on April 10. Blue intelligence reports indicated that an expedition on a large scale was being rapidly prepared in the Red port of Arzen, and during the night of March 26-27 a fast Red convoy, escorted by
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