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Aviation History
1940
1940 - 3064.PDF
JK. 366 OCTOBER 31, 1940 machines, but all the pilots escaped. By night the chief enemy attack was directed against two towns in the Mid- lands and Liverpool. London had an easier time. Four German raiders were shot down during the night. On Monday. October 21, some single- machines penetrated to London, the Midlands, and the North-West during the day, and a factory in Lancashire was bombed. By night the chief damage occurred in a Midlands town. There was a ground mist over London, and though the invasion was active at first, it soon slackened off. A maternity home, a hospital, and a magistrates' court were bombed in the capital, but there were no casualties at any of them, and next day the magistrates sat in the court in spite of its damaged condition. During the day one bomber was shot down at New Milton, Hampshire, and all four members of the crew were killed. A Dornier 17 crashed between Harwich and Ipswich, and its crew escaped by parachute and succeeded in hiding themselves. The rear gun cockpit of a Dornier was picked up near Barnet on the Great North Road. Another Dornier crashed in Wiltshire and its crew of four surrendered at farms and houses near by. One of them knocked at a lonely bungalow inhabited only by a woman. She directed him to the nearest village, but he could not find his way in the dark, and apparently wan- dered about for the rest of the night, until at dawn he was able to surrender to some roadmenders. Presumably he had to observe British black-out regulations and not show his torch in the dark. If he had done so he might have attracted a bomb from one of his friends. Famous Buildings Damaged A GAIN on Tuesday, October 22, there was little bombing •**• inland, though a fairly large force of Germans was met by our fighters coming in over Dungeness." A sharp combat ensued, in which it was estimated that some 100 machines were engaged, and the raid was kept out. Only three German machines, however, were shot down that day. We lost six fighters, but two. of the pilots escaped, whereas the crews of the German machines were lost to the Father- land. There was a dense mist in the Channel that night, which probably prevented many raiders from starting, for it may well have covered their aerodromes as well. London was not much worried that night, but another' famous shopping store was hit, and some of the staff in the shelter were killed or wounded. The attack on Midlands towns was somewhat heavier. The sirens only sounded twice in London on Wednesday, October 23, and the German efforts gave no suggestion of any attempt to drive John Bull to his knees. Such attacks as there were came from single aircraft, and though they killed some people in London and in towns in Kent and the East Midlands, the sum total of damage was inconsiderable. The night raiding started earlier than before, but after some energetic firing by the WAR IN THE AIR (CONTINUED) SHIPPING IT GREEN : AMeridionali 43 reconnaissance aircraft on the catapult of anItalian cruiser. The position of the catapult in the bows ofthe ship seems to give the. aircraft a hard time comparedwith the sheltered position of the double catapults abaftthe beam on our cruisers. A.A. guns the activity died away. Through some mis- take, the " all clear" was sounded while the noise of a pair of engines could be heard overhead, and some rounds from the A.A. promptly followed. The signal had to be can- celled by another warning almost at once, but the sky was at no time really full oi raiders. Among the buildings damaged in recent raids are Hol- land House, the American Embassy, and the hall of the Middle Temple. It was in the latter that Shakespeare's Twelfth Night was first performed. The Air Ministry News Service has issued the follow- ing : Members of the public who are on the scene when a British pilot is trapped in his crashed aircraft should observe the following rules in attempting a rescue: Ap- proach the aircraft from the rear—away from the airscrew. If the aircraft is upside down and one wing is higher than the other, approach on that side from the rear. Fire extinguishers, if fitted, are automatic and cannot be operated from outside the aircraft. To open the cockpit hood look for the release catch at the front end and draw the hood backwards. If the hood cannot be opened break the transparent material with anything hard. To remove the pilot look on his chest for the locking- pin which attaches his harness to the aircraft. Pull the cord fastened to the locking-pin, then lift the harness attachments from the central pillar and remove the pilot with his parachute attached to him. Experienced aid should be obtained if opportunity and time allow. It is important that a wounded man should be disturbed as little as possible, and every care must be taken to avoid harmful movement. In the event of fire or danger of it speed of removal is the primary con- sideration. After the pilot has been removed his parachute may be released by means of a round aluminium disc attached to the front of the pilot. Turn the disc as far as possible in the direction of an arrow marked '' Turn to unlock '' and then press in to the pilot. Splints, stretchers, or lift- ing tackle may help in the removal of casualties if there are sufficient openings in the aircraft. Bombing for Victory "DAD flying conditions have set in earlier this year over •*-* the Continent than over the British Isles. R.A.F. night bombers have further to go than German night raiders, and lately they have had to put up with far worse weather con- ditions. The following is the account of the work done on the night of Wednesday, October 16, issued by the Air Ministry News Service. It can be taken as typical of what our night bombers are doing and enduring. The attacks were pressed home in the face of strong opposition from heavy and light guns. At the time of the raid on Kiel drifting cloud made obser- vation of the results extremely difficult, but in the course of the bombardment, which lasted, for over two hours, many high-explosive and incendiary bombs were seen to
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