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Aviation History
1940
1940 - 2218.PDF
100 AUGUST 8, 1940 channels for transmission to the German and Italian Governments: — " It has come to the notice of His Majesty's Govern- ment in the United Kingdom that enemy aircraft bearing civil markings and marked with the Red Cross have recently flown over British ships at sea and in the vicinity of the British coast, and that they are being employed for purposes which His Majesty's Government cannot regard as being consistent with the privileges generally accorded the Red Cross. " His Majesty's Government desire to accord to ambu- lance aircraft reasonable facilities for the transportation of the sick and wounded, in accordance with the Red Cross Convention, and aircraft engaged in the direct evacuation of sick and wounded will be respected, pro- vided that they comply with the relevant provisions of the Convention. "His Majesty's Government are unable, however, to grant immunity to such aircraft flying over areas in which operations are in progress on land or at sea, or approaching British or Allied territory, or territory in British occupation, or British or Allied ships. '' Ambulance aircraft which do not comply with the above requirements will do so at their own risk and ' peril." Two of these Red Cross seaplanes have been captured intact, and since then two more which were sighted in com- pany with German fighter patrols were shot down into the sea. The Germans have shown on many occasions that the display of the Red Cross by the Allies only attracts their fire, and rome American ambulances felt it safer to remove the emblem. It would be typical of the Hun to employ that emblem as a cover for warlike reconnaissance, trust- ing to the incredible British way of respecting international conventions and the decencies of civilised warfare. A Polish Airman TOURING the month of July we shot down for certain 240 German aircraft, besides damaging many others, of which a large proportion could hardly have got home. It is calculated that this must mean the certain loss of 600 officers and men. Even to the large Luftwaffe such a loss in one month must be a consideration, for pilots and air crews cannot be turned out by production methods. Whenever the weather permitted, the bombers of the R.A.F. have attacked military objectives in Germany and in the subjugated countries. In some of the raids French airmen have taken part, and in others Poles have been members of the crew. One Polish officer gave a vivid broadcast account of his experiences in a night raid on the aircraft factory at Gotha where Messerschmitts and other types are produced, as well as heavy tanks. " The impres- sion that is most strong in my mind is the perfect collabora- tion of the crew/' said the Polish officer. "I have never WAR IN THE AIR (CONTINUED) THE CROOKED CROSS:The Germans have been using machines bearing theRed Cross emblem for other than humanitarian purposes.One which was forced down clearly showed that it hadbeen used for reconnaissance and photography. The Jun-kers shown here is not the type used in the recentincidents. imagined that it could reach such a high standard. Every man was quiet and confident. Each of them knew what his task was and did it without fuss or bother." He was full of praise, too, for the navi- gation. "It was very exact," he said. "We were over the target practically to the minute on the estimated time of arrival, which had been set in advance. I was aston- ished at that because the weather conditions were poor. Most of the time we were flying in cloud." On the way out the bomber shot down a Me. 109. "I was sitting in the second pilot's seat, so I could not see the engagement," said the Polish officer. "It lasted only one minute or so. First I heard the sound of firing from an attacking aircraft, then right after that I heard firing from our own rear guns. Then a minute later the pilot said to me ' one Me. reported down, very good.' We passed north of the Ruhr. The anti-aircraft fire and searchlights there were very strong, but the pilot was all the time varying his course and speed and height, so we were not hit. After we had bombed the aircraft factory he turned to observe the effect of the WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK: A 500 k.g. whistlingbomb being fitted to the ejector cradle of a Junkers Ju 87 dive-bomt>er.
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