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Aviation History
1941
1941 - 1406.PDF
428 FII G HT JUNE 26TH, 1941. THE PRICE OF AIR ATTACK : Junkers Ju 52s, mostly wrecked, on the Cretan aerodrome of Maleme. airmen of the Auxiliary Air Force. It will be remembered that the Ger man raid on the Forth in October, 1939, was the first occasion on winch squadrons of the Auxiliary Air Force went into action. On that occasion the Spitfires of Nos. 602 (City of Glas- gow) and 603 (City of Edinburgh) shot down probably 50 per cent, of the German raiders. As somebody wittily remarked, the A.A.F. then lost its amateur status. Since then pilots of the Auxiliary Air Force have destroyed over 900 enemy aircraft—a quarter of the total number shot down by Fighter Command in defence o) this country. In the Battle of Britain last year the Auxiliary squadrons accounted for some 700 of the 2,375 enemy machines which were known to have been des- troyed. In other words, nearly one in three of the enemy destroyed in the big battles of August and September fell to the guns of a Spitfire or flurri cane belonging to an Auxiliary squadron. To-day four of these squadrons each have over 100 enemy aircraft to their credit and several more are nearing their century. It has not, of course, been possible to keep the squadrons manned exclu sively by Auxiliary pilots, but the ground staffs have changed little since the war began, and mechanics, fitters and armourers, who learned to take care of service aircraft in their week- ends in peacetime, have kept their machines in first-class flying order. Auxiliary Records TWO of the A.A.F. squadrons were -*- ordered to France to take their places beside regular K.A.F. Fighter squadrons in the front line. The County of Durham and the County of Surrey squadrons were selected and they were joined by the County of Nottingham and County of Gloucester squadrons when fighting began on May 10. In the short time these squadrons were in action they accounted for over 100 of the enemy, Here are some ol the A.A.F. achievements during the Battle oi Britain: — 13.8/40.—The County of London squadron destroyed 13 enemy machines, probably destroyed 14, and damaged 15 others. 25.8.'40.—In their first big battle near Dorchester, the City of Glasgow squadron shot down 12 of the enemy without lcsing one of their own pilots. 31.8/40.—The City of Edinburgh squadron destroyed 14 of the enemy and probably three more. Ten oi these were Me. 109s. 13.8/40.—Within the space ol a few minutes near Portland the West Riding squadron shot down nine Ju.87 dive-bombers and four Me. 109s, as well as badly damaging another seven of the enemy. The squadron sus- tained no casualties. 24.8/40.—A sergeant pilot of the County of Chester squadron shot down five of his squadron's bag of seven on this day. On another day the squadron shot down six bombers and five fighters which attacked their aerodrome. __ 15.8/40.—The County of Gloucester squadron destroyed 12 machines. Ten of them were J7 shot down out of a formation ol 20 which they met off the Kent Coast, Foremost among Britain's night fighters is the County of Middlesex squadron, which has destroyed more than 30 German night raiders. In the Middle East General Maitland Wilson has been pushing forward with calculated deliberation in Syria, the enemy has not been left unworried in- North Africa. Bombers have continued to make night attacks on the harbour at Benghazi, damaging the moles and the shipping there. At the same time our forces suddenly grew very active in the region round Sollum and Fort Capuzzo, and lively fighting went on there for several days. The enemy was provoked into showing his hand
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