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Aviation History
1941
1941 - 1357.PDF
y AIRCRAFT ENGINEERFIRST AERONAUTICAL WEEKLY IN THE W&RLD •• FOUNDED 1909 Editor C. M. POULSEN Managing Editor G. GEOFFREY SMITH Chief Photographer JOHN YOXALL Editorial, Advertising and Publishing Offices: DORSET HOUSE, STAMFORD STREET, LONDON, S.E.I Telegrams : Truditur, Sedist, London. Telephone : Waterloo 3333 (35 lines). 3-10, CORPORATION ST., COVENTRY. Telegrams: Autocar, Coventry. Telephone: Coventry 5210. GUILDHALL BUILDINGS, NAVIGATION ST., BIRMINGHAM, 2. Telegrams: Autopress, Birmingham. Telephone: Midland 29 7 1 (5 lines). 260, DEANSGATE, MANCHESTER, 3. Telegrams: Iliffe, Manchester. Telephone: Blackfriars 4412. 26B, RENFIELD ST.. GLASGOW. C.2. Telegrams : lltffe, Glasgow. Telephone: Central 4857. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: No. 1695. Vol. XXXIX. Home and Abroad : Year, £3 10. 6 months, £1 10 6. Registered at the G.P.O. as a Newspaper. JUNE 19th, 1941. 3 months, 15s. 3d. Thursdays, One Shilling. The Out look~ The Debate on the Middle EastT HE debate on the campaign in the Middle East gave the Prime Minister the opportunity to settle one point which has vexed public opinion. He made it clear that the decision to fight in Crete was taken deliberately with the knowledge that air support would be at a minimum, and also that the paucity of weapons for aerodrome defence was qlue, not to lack of foresight, but to the actual shortage of A.A. guns in the Empire. These explanations should set at rest any doubts which may have arisen as to the perspicacity of those who direct the British war effort. Now the public also Mnows that the Home Government's efforts to build up 'the largest possible air force in the Middle East" (Mr. Churchill's words) are hampered, not by lack of aircraft or even lack of shipping tonnage, but solely by the time which it takes to get the aircraft delivered on that front. The debate, however, made it clear that the country has at last begun to realise that all is not perfect in the relations between the Army and the Air Force. For years past Flight has sounded the tocsin on that point, though its voice was often lifted up alone in the wilder- ness. It is probable that the fault was quite as much on the side of the War Office as on the side of the Air Ministry. Occasionally, Army spokesmen have started a half-hearted demand for an Army Air Arm, but in the main the War Office has seemed content to accept the squadrons of tactical reconnaissance aircraft provided by the Air Ministry for its permanent use, and when ' army manoeuvres were in progress to borrow a few squadrons of bombers and fighters from the Air Force. The Admiralty, on the other hand, made firm demands and paid for what it got, which put it in a much stronger position as clearly demonstrated by the Fleet Air Arm. Over and over again we prophesied that when a British expeditionary force moved overseas it would find itself short of bombers and fighters, for the simple reason that the Air Ministry could not afford to lend enough of either. It is a melancholy satisfaction to have to say " I told you so," and nobody regrets more bitterly than we do that our warnings, inspired by concern for the national safety, have proved right. Reform ForeshadowedT HE Army was short of fighters and bombers in France, in Norway, in Greece and in Crete, but so far as the Middle East campaigns go, it is abundantly clear that there has been no lack of cordial collaboration there between the Army and the Air Force. Since operations in Africa began, Flight has constantly commented on the success wit* which the two have worked together. Mr. Churchill, in his speech, told the House that the Chief Air Officer lives in the same house in Cairo as the Commander-in-Chief and he knew of no disagreement between them. Incidentally, this leaves one more puzzled than ever by the recent change in Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief. All through the African campaigns the R.A.F. and the Dominion Air Forces gave the most valuable support to the Army, and for his conduct of those operations Sir Arthur Longmore was made a G.C.B. The Prime Minister, however, foreshadowed a change in the relations of the Army and the Air Force, but his words, though incisive, gave but a vague idea of what the change will be. The following passages seem to be the most pregnant: "It is of the utmost consequence that every division, especially every armoured division,
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