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Aviation History
1941
1941 - 0018.PDF
JANUARY 2ND, 1941. SPEED —THE NEW FACTOR (Continued) it—as they obviously will if Italy were on the verge of collapse, for they could not afford to do otherwise. How long have we got to knock Italy out before we are again grappling with a second and far more desperate German attempt to knock us out right here in the United Kingdom? Was Germany Bluffing ? Those who have studied the Nazi campaign closely through all its phases, from the relatively humble but frightfully ambitious beginning in 1.933 when the Nazis were afraid that the British and French were not going to allow them to get away with their rearmament plan (and found to their joy that their fears were groundless), realise that it is improbable that Germany meant to go to war with the British as early as 1939. It is more likely that the German date for the war with Britain was cast nearer to 1941. If that is correct Germany's preparations could not have been complete when Britain declared war. This may explain the quiet winter of 1939-1940 when Germany feverishly increased her armaments. Now it is probable that German losses have been relatively higher in the Luftwaffe than in any other section of her armed forces, with the possible exception of destroyers and torpedo boats. These air losses must be made good before an attack against Britain can be launched. Without adequate air strength Germany would not dare to make the attack, for it would inevit- ably fail. Why is it, in these circumstances, that the Royal Air Force'Bomber Command has (according to official com- muniques) made so comparatively few recent attacks against German aircraft factories? Is it British policy to invite German attack against the United Kingdom so that we shall have the opportunity to get in a smashing blow at the German millions? Are we deliberately soft- pedalling, luring the Nazis on to their doom as we lured- on the Italian armies into Egypt? Or did we so lure the Italian armies? One thing is certain. It is that the Royal Air Force, for one reason or another, is not " paying the dividend " it might (the quotes indicate a phrase from a broadcast talk by Sir Philip Joubert) to the public who have to fool: the bill. Another straw indicates how puffily the wind is blow- ing. It is the period of cover for war damage compen- sation; that date is August 31, 1941. Why that date? Is it just because the Civil Service calculators have worked out that it will take five years' premiums to cover two years' damage? Or is it thought in less arithmetical official,circles that something might by then have hap- pejaed to alter the question of war compensatory law? Certain it is that 1941 will be a grim year. There are those who believe that Germany will reach her peak of strength during the year. She hag but one active foe against whom to concentrate—ourselves; for, apart from the Greeks, our Allies, the gallant remnants of the over- run peoples who fight with us, are virtually ourselves to-day. Against that threat we have at this moment but one weapon to employ. It is the air weapon. Strange how comparatively small is the use we are making of it to eliminate the coming threat to our national existence when tjj^uerman invasion is attempted. For attempted it must be or the victories which Hitler has so far w©.n will turn to liabilities instead. What is Our Policy ? Is it that we hope to defeat the Germans in the moat and on the ramparts of our fortified island, and throw them back across the sea in confusion, to follow them, as Napoleon indicated that a beaten foe should be pursued without losing contact, until we have chased them into Germany again? Perhaps that would prove to be the easiest (possibly the only) way to land an Allied army on the middle Continent. Perhaps that is the basis of British strategy and -trie reason why we are cleaning up the Italian pollution of the desert sand first. But even so, the effectiveness of the Bomber Command in action against Germany is not growing as one would wish to see, and in a way which would help us through- out the critical months which lie so close ahead. We must drop many more bombs on Germany. Progress of Training Scheme OVER 10,000 of the personnel for air crew training havebeen selected in Australia, and of these 2,736 had com- menced their work at the end of September. The remainderhave been placed on a reserve awaiting calling up. During this time they undergo voluntary education" in the mathematicsand physics which they require by personal tuition and by correspondence courses. For ground personnel, 24,455 have been accepted and 19,485have been absorbed A total of forty schools for the training of air crews will be needed and fifteen were in operation inNovember. These include two Initial Training Schools, eight Elementary Flying Training, two Service Flying Training, oneAir Observers, one Wireless and Air Gunners, and one Bombing and Gunnery School. And Now 500 per Day •""PHE United Automobile Workers of America have sent a plan-L to President Roosevelt in which they contend that the motor car industry can be utilised to produce military aircraftat the rate of 500 per day and that this rate of manufacture could commence within six months. The union states thatthe industry has plant capable of turning out eight million cars a year, but is only using it to a capacity of four million. The 'consider that the unused capacity could be quickly devoted to aircraft work. This plan recalls Mr. Henry Ford's statementsome months ago that he could make 1,000 aircraft per day if called upon to do so. While we do not doubt that a production rate of 500 per day—or even 1,000—can be reached if a large nation is willing to devote an enormous number of men and plant to the work. what Flight is quite sure of is that 500 per day cannot beleached within six months. The actual time will be more like sixty months, for U.S. production is probably about 30 prrday now and a 17-fold expansion cannot be brought about much under five years. But it is a healthy sign to see t\yemployees taking an interest in this vital Droblem and making a contribution towards solving it and so defeating Dictator-ship. Australian Standards THE Standards Association of Australia, Gloucester andEssex Streets, Sydney, has published the first twenty Australian Standard Specifications for aircraft materials, cover-ing steels of various kinds. Previously the British Standards had been used, but as the manufacture of steel in Australiais well established and there are numerous differences to the British, these new specifications have been published. "All Hands Bale-oat!" "VTECESSITY was ever the mother of invention—a prolific.J-' dame, too!—and the obvious need for some means by which a bomber captain could convey the "abandon ship"order to the more remote members of his crew when the " house " 'phone had broken down has led to the introductionof a neat little warning siren, by Lear Avia, which, according to the November issue of Commercial Aviation, emits a "loudand penetrating shriek." The unit is completely enclosed, radio-shielded and self-ventilating and works on 12 to 14 volts.It weighs only iflb. and has already been accepted by one leading manufacturer of large bombers on the other side ofthe Atlantic.
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