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Aviation History
1940
1940 - 0068.PDF
JANUARY IT, T940. WAR N T H E A I R There's a Long, Long Trail "JV/TUCH puzzlement has been caused b5T so-called mysteri- •"•*• ous trails of white smoke appearing behind high- flying aircralt. This is neither exclusively German nor British In moist layers of air during cold weather con- ditions the reduction of pressure immediately behind a machine causes condensation, and the effect of the exhaust gases produces what are known as nuclei formations. The clouds so formed are close to the aircraft and appear like "skywriting " ; they are most voluminous when the machine is climbing Mein Trampf TTHli R.A.F. patrol off the German islands, sometimes •*• described as the "Security Patrol." was designed to hinder mine-laying by enemy aircraft, and is thus the logical extension of the Royal Navy's famous Dover Patrol of the last war A patrol is carried out in the vicinity of the islands of Borkum. Norderuey and Sylt, all of which have seaplane bases Enemy seaplanes are, or rather were, accustomed to leave these bases just before dark, and every day our aircraft are there awaiting them. Relays of British bombers, each of which does five or six,hours' flying, keep up the watch, sometimes combined with other work, and there can be no doubt that these patrols are effective. The apparent nonchalance of the pilots' reports may be misleading. Adventure is dismissed with an impersonal line. " Patrolled and returned." " Over Sylt at 20.00 hrs. at 1,500ft.." is a typical one, and it gives no hint of the nature of the task. A sidelight on the type of men these pilots are may be gathered from this laconic statement in another report: "Subsidiary task: submarine sighted and bombed." To appreciate their achievement it must be remembered that, though they are on defensive rather than offensive duty, they are no less open to attack. Their presence over the enemy's bases, hampering his activities and necessitat- ing a strict and inconvenient black-out, cannot endear them to the Germans. There is fire from pom-poms and from light machine guns mounted on hangar roofs. Our reply to this is necessarily restricted by the purpose of the patrol. What our aircraft have to do is to force the mine-layers to stay at home, and this is one of the methods adopted. The danger, however, is not only from men and their weapons Like the aircraft that " sweep " the North Sea nearer home, the bombers of the Security Patrol have to suffer all the hardships and difficulties of weather. Nights have been dark so far. the sky grows darker and darker (Above) The Dornier Do 18 flying boat is the type most commonly emp'oyed by the Germans for over-water re- connaissance and patrol. It is related at the beginning of this article how one of three of these aircraft was recently shot down by a machine of the R.A.F. Coastal Command. (Left) A Heinkel He 11 iK of the newest type as seen from the pilot's cockpit of a com- panion machine. This type has already been employed by the Germans for bombing and, more extensively, for strategical reconnaissance.
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