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Aviation History
1941
1941 - 1578.PDF
FLIGHT JULY 17m, 1941. invasion. The amount of these reserves would be cal- culated as sufficient to last as long as Russian resistance was likely to last, with a margin. It is comforting to read that the German time-table has been upset by the resist- ance which has been encountered, but that has happened before without causing a German breakdown. So long as the German margin remains unexhausted, the enemy may be able to disregard the increased weight of the British attack. If the Russian resistance is maintained for far longer than had been foreseen, then the reserves will be used up, and replenishments from the factories will be needed. If the R.A.F. Bomber Command succeeds in pro- voking the enemy into withdrawing fighter squadrons from his Eastern front in order to tackle the British raiders, the Russian armies would certainly be helped to a considerable degree. Many of the best German fighters must have been transferred to the East, and those left in France are probably newly trained pilots with a leaven of experi- enced men. Consequently, our fighter losses have been low in comparison with theirs, and the Messerschmitts have been unable to protect their targets. A fighter escort must be prepared to suffer losses in order that the bombers may be undisturbed while aiming their bombs, and for that object higher losses than those suffered would have been justified. While the Eastern campaign rages the Germans may be content to leave things as they are in. the West. We naturally hope that they will deplete their Eastern force of fighters, and they may be determined not to oblige us. But, we repeat, if the Russians continue their heroic resistance until the German margin of reserve supplies gives out, the enemy may be obliged to reconsider his tactics. He cannot continue indefinitely to leave the Ruhr and other important industrial areas without adequate fighter defence. Dive'bombers and the Army THE question of supplying the Army with dive-bombers is wrapped in mystery. The mysterydeepened in the debate in the House last Thurs- day, when the Minister for Aircraft Production, Lt. Col. Moore-Brabazon, made a statement on the subject. " It is not for me," he said, " to impose upon the Army any particular type of machine. They may not have thought the dive-bomber a machine which they wished to operate, but the whole question of Army co-operation is so active and so near us now that things may change. It may be that dive-bombers will be wanted, but up to the present I have not been asked to supply them." Some time ago, when the R.A.F. Army Co-operation Command was instituted, it was explained that the Air Ministry did not propose to go in for a specialised dive- bomber on the lines of the Ju 87, but to introduce a bomber of a more general type, which could be used for effective attack on ground targets. Since then many American types have been reaching this country. The American Army Air Corps has long had a section devoted to the study of what is there called "Attack," meaning attack on ground targets. In Britain not nearly enough thought has been given to air help for the Army, and we have accordingly suffered. . It is wise to make use of such American experience as is available. If the U.S.A. supplies the machines, the Minister for Aircraft Production may not be asked for dive-bombers. There may be more in Col. Moore-Brabazon's words than meets the eye. What did he mean by saying that the whole question of Army co-operation is now active and near to us ? Coming so soon after the rather mystic expressions used by the Prime Minister in the debate on Crete, these words seem to portend some change. Cer- tainly a change is needed in the relations of the Army and the Air Force. TWENTY-FOUR-HOUR R.A.F. OFFENSIVE : A shell-gun armed Spitfire V back from a daylight sweep taxies to its dispersal point as the sun sets in the evening. Elsewhere, bombers take off for raids over Germany and '•'intruders" (long-rangenight-fighter-bombers) set out to disturb the flying programme on Luftwaffe aerodromes.
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