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Aviation History
1940
1940 - 3633.PDF
DECEMBER ig, 1940 521 WAR IN THE AIR (CONTINUED) THE TIME HAS COME : Fleet AirArm ratings pulling a Vickers Walrus to the lift on an aircraft carrier. may be the explanation of the present programme of raiding; but we may also suspect a hope that considerable numbers of A.A. guns will be moved away from the Capital to protect other cities, thus leaving London, compara- tively open to a surprise attack some night. Whatever the true reason for the new policy may be, it is at least pleas- ing to see any evidence that the enemy is going slow in his expenditure of petrol. After the R.A.F. attacks on communications in Germany, it can- not be a very simple matter to trans- port large quantities of the stuff from Rumania to the aerodromes in Northern France ; and there is also the probability that supplies of it nearer to the Balkans are now considered of more importance. As yet Germany has not showed her hand there. The Coastal Command '"THE position of shipping in the Atlantic and on the •*- western approaches to Great Britain has been causing anxiety. The Germans have sent out a new wave of U- boats in that direction. They are also using long-range aircraft* Focke-Wulf Condors among them, from the base near Bordeaux to harry British shipping. For that reason the R.A.F. raids on the aerodrome near Bordeaux are important; though we know that it is a difficult matter to put an aerodrome out of action by bombing it. Recently the Prime Minister expressed his regrets, in a tone of some indignation, that British naval and air forces were unable to use bases in Eire as starting points for attacks on the German U-boats and bombers in the Atlantic. Attention was then directed towards the Coastal Command, and in some quarters a demand arose that this force should be placed more directly under the control of the Admiralty, if not handed over entirely to the Navy. On December 10 Mr. Simmonds raised the question in the House of Commons, and in reply the Prime Minister made the following statement: — '' I see no reason to give any specific assurances which would tend to impair the responsibility of his Majesty's Government to Parliament for the proper conduct of the war. It is my duty as Minister of Defence to review such questions from time to time in the light of current experi- ence. I have come to the conclusion that while there is no need at the present time to change the position of the Coastal Command as part of the Royal Air Force, it is necessary that the Coastal Command should play a more important part than it has hitherto done in trade protection, and that for this purpose substantial increases, some of which have been already effected, will be necessary. '' Moreover, as the function of the Coastal Command squadrons is that of co-operation with the Royal Navy, the operational policy of the Command must be determined by the Admiralty, of course in consultation with the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief. Excellent relations have been established since the war between the two Services, and the closest contact exists between the Naval and Air authori- ties. I am satisfied that the integrity of operational direc- tion will be fully achieved." The Balloon Barrage at Sea /^ONVOYS run risks, too, when moving along the Chan- ^ nel, but it has been found that skilf'i use of barrage balloons towed on the ships greatly reduces that danger. The other day an officer of balloons who is engaged in this work broadcast an account of it. He gave a vivid descrip- tion of an air attack on a convoy at dusk, but we will just quote his summing up of the situation. He said : — Before the war the waters round our shores were full of merchant vessels carrying what is known as coastwise traffic. They called, I suppose, at almost every port around our shores, picking up a cargo here, landing a cargo there. The particular coast traffic with which I am con- cerned is what is known as the Chan- nel Convoy, and we help in escorting merchant vessels through the Straits of Dover and down the Channel. Be- fore the collapse of France this was a reasonably easy task, but nowadays, you see, there is a certain difference of opinion between Mr. Winston Chur- chill and Adolf Hitler as to whom this stretch of water actually belongs. Now, as you know, the Navy are past- masters at escorting convoys; they COASTAL COMMAND CONKERS :Loading the external racks of a Coastal Command Blenheim with an assort-ment ol armour-piercing and general- purpose bombs. The armour-piercersare pointed.
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