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Aviation History
1940
1940 - 2015.PDF
JULY V5, 1940 in the Am THE UNCEASING VIGIL. An Avro Anson flying over ships of the Royal Navy,submarines a poor time. In co-operation they have given the enemy A Busy Week : Wide R.A.F. Raids : Our Fighters' Success PROMINENT among the air events of the past weekhave been great air battles over the English Channel,further action to prevent the French Fleet from fall- ing into the hands of the Germans, a naval fight in the Mediterranean in which the Fleet Air Arm played a promi- nent part, an attack by the F.A.A. on Italian warships in Sicily, many more raids by our aircraft on objectives on the Continent, and further fighting in North Africa. The German bombers have been taking liberties by cross- ing the coasts of Great Britain in greater numbers by day- light. This has given our defences a better chance and, consequently, our victories have mounted in a most gratifying manner. On Sunday, July 7, eight German machines were shot down; on Monday, 8th, eight; on Tuesday, 9th, nine; on Wednesday, ioth, 14; on Thurs- day, nth, 23, and on Friday, 12th, n. These records only apply to victories definitely confirmed; many others con- trived to get out of sight in such a condition that they seemed very unlikely to get back to their bases. Of course, the bombs dropped did some damage to civilians, but little or none to military objectives. On Thursday evening, for instance, about a couple of dozen bombers flew over a town in the South-East and dropped fifteen H.E. bombs. A number of working-class houses were demolished, a police station was partly wrecked and a constable in it was killed, some people were killed in an A.R.P. post, and another bomb made a direct hit on a First Aid post, killing all the people inside. Ten people inside an A*nderson shelter were unharmed, although a bomb fell sixteen feet away from it. But of many of the murderers it can be said, in the words of the Highland poet, "Be it so; from that foray they never returned." The greatest air battle took place on Wednesday, July io, though fighting was in progress pretty well all that day. A large force of German bombers, escorted by a strong force of 50 Me fighters, tried to bomb a shipping convoy in the Channel. Hurricanes attacked the bombers, and the escort put up a heavy barrage of fire. The bombers hurriedly discharged their bombs, which missed all the ships, and then made off for the coast of France. Mean- while, their escort had engaged our fighters, but the latter climbed up to meet them, and before long showed their mastery. About the same time, some Spitfires found a concentration of about 70 German machines flying at heights from 6,000 to 12,000 feet. They attacked, set two Me nos on fire, shot away the tails of two more, put bursts into another couple, and saw a Me 109 spinning down towards the sea. All day long the fighters kept coming home to refill and recharge and always brought in the same tales of attacking superior numbers and securing victories. We only lost two fighter machines that day (and one of the pilots came down safely) against 14 of the enemy. Twenty-three other German aircraft were badly shot about. A.A. Guns' Good Work "M"EXT day, Thursday, nth, our defences did still better, •*• destroying 23 German machines before midnight, in addition to knocking many others about so badly that they were probably destroyed. On that day three enemy machines were shot down by our A.A. guns, and it is gratifying to record their successes. Evidently their shooting is improv- ing with practice, and will improve still further the more targets the enemy is pleased to provide. One gun battery on the South coast on a recent occasion had a 30 seconds spell of "action," fired off eight shells, and shot down one
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