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Aviation History
1941
1941 - 0431.PDF
FEBRUARY 20TH, 1941. (Continued) THE ANT HEAP : An air picture ofthe Italian prisoners captured at the bittle of Bardia. courage, but there were too few of them. Recently, however, two Greek fighter squadrons of seven machines each were escorting a force of Greek bombers which made successful at- tacks on enemy concentrations. On the return journey the Greeks ran into - a, force of some 15 enemy bombers j/ith a fighter escort. The Greek /V^ghters gained height and dived on the enemy. The fight is reported to have lasted half an hour, and the Greeks shot down eight , Italian machines, apparently without '* * ' loss to themselves. This was the first major air battle fought by the Greeks alone. Another of our Allies has also been doing well in the air. The Free French forces in Chad have made another raid into South Libya, this time with a mechanised force and bomber aircraft. They attacked oases in the Kufra area, some 600 miles from the Chad frontier, and after the Free French bombers had raided an Italian air base and destroyed enemy machines on the ground, the mechanised forces stormed the place. The enemy are stated to have suffered severe losses. Mr. Churchill's warning words about the German pene- tration by "tentacles" into Bulgaria has naturally caused no little stir. The Balkan countries (excepting glorious Greece and steadfast Turkey) are like the Scandinavian and Low Countries in their refusal to combine in time against the aggressors, each hoping that it will be the last to be eaten up. The modern vultures are gathering to the feast, for numbers of Ju 52 troop-carriers have been seen flying from Austria over Hungary towards Rumania. Experience elsewhere has taught what fell use Germany can make of air-borne troops against a people who are not prepared to deal with them quickly and efficiently. ' - - The End of the Lull T^HE bad weather of winter caused a lull in night opera- tions on both sides, and people on this side began to wonder if the real reason was that the wily Goring was hatching some new plot of frightfulness. To reassure the doubters, Air Marshal Sir Richard Peirse, the A.O.C.-in-C. the Bomber Command, stated officially that the bad ' weather alone was the cause. Open weather returned in the middle of February, and at once the Bomber Com- mand got busy again, hammering away in considerable strength at targets on the enemy's side. Hanover attracted special attention for several nights, and, of course, the invasion ports were raided. Daylight raids with fighter protection were made on several occasions, and once the Navy helped the good work by shelling the harbour of Ostend. Boulogne received some heavy and destructive bombing from the air. Some surprise was caused when the Germans did not at once resume attacks on Great Britain on anything like a heavy scale. They reverted to sporadic raiding of the "nuisance" variety, and in the course of it steadily lost a small number of bombers. By night the A.A. guns did most of the damage, but night fighters also accounted for several raiders. No doubt the moon helped them. Specu- lation has naturally been aroused as to whether, after all, Hitler has not decided to throw his main force on to the Mediterranean front, and may have moved the best part of his air strength down in that direction. Negotiations with Bulgaria and Jugoslavia have been taking place, and they may be followed by a German advance. None the less, it would not do for Britain to relax her preparations to resist invasion. Hitler usually strikes suddenly, and, when he can, in the least expected direction. Britain, however, sprang a surprise by dropping some parachute troops in Southern Italy, and they seem to have done some damage, for the railway system was at once thrown out of gear. The Italians have announced that they were all taken prisoners of war—they were all wear- ing British uniforms. The Ministry of Information has merely admitted that the incident did take place, and that "some of the men have not returned to their base " For the rest it declines to be drawn, so we must await to hear the full story at some future date. But with this incident coming hard on the audacious bombardment of Genoa, the nerves of the good people in Italy (and they are good people for the most part) must be getting somewhat frayed, wondering what the British will do next. Feb. 9 ,. 10, II . 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 AIR GERMAN Aircraft 3 1 1 1 3 9 LOSSES TO FEBRUARY 15. , BRITISH , Fighters 3 2 1 2 8 Pilot! ^_ 3 2 1 2 8 . MIDDLE Enemy Aircraft II 100 II 4 57 3 — 184 EAST , British Aircraft 4 2 1 2 » WHERE DO WE GO TO FROM HERE ? : The air prew of aWhitley go into a huddle over the night's operation. The fighter losses include those in sweeps over France. British bombers lost over enemy territory : Feb. 9, I ; Feb. 10,4; Feb. II 2; Feb. 14, I. Total : 8. Enemy losses in Middle East include machines captured on aerodromes. German losses by R.A.F. and ground defences in Northern Area 4,233. R.A.F. aircraft lost in Northern Area, 1,745. In the Middle Ea*t the R.A.F. have destroyed about 997 enemy aircraft and have i lost 104.
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