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Aviation History
1941
1941 - 1768.PDF
74 FLIGHT AUGUST 7TH, 1941. WAR IN THE AIR CARIBOUS ARE COMING : Here is the first picture of a Bell Caribou withR.A.F. markings, just about to take off, with flaps partially lowered to increase lift. Note the nose wheel and the exhaust stubs of the "midships" Allison. raids on Moscow. There have been numerous raids, and, so far as can be judged, none of them has achieved any considerable success. We have learnt by experience what credence to give to German reports of air gains and losses, and so the reports about these raids which issue from Berlin are not regarded as evidence of anything. The Russians, we may assume, are de- termined not to give out any infor- mation which might be of any conceiv- able use to the enemy. The Tass Agency gave the following report on the raid on the night of July 28: " Between 140 and 150 enemy aircraft tried to effect a mass raid on Moscow. The A.A. barrage and night fighters dispersed the German enemy forma- tions and prevented them from pene- trating over Moscow. Only four or five enemy aircraft reached the city." Everybody must wish that the de- fences of London were able to do as well as that. The Netherlands East Indies, follow- ing the action of the United States and Britain in freezing Japanese credits, have taken similar steps. It was first reported that they had suspended the oil agreement recently concluded with Japan. This proved to be in- correct, but it came as a stunning shock to the Japanese, though what they could have expected after their aggressive action in Indo-China is not Obvious. Oil supplies will be limited. The Japan Times and Advertiser frankly, and angrily, admitted that Japan must have oil, whether from the United States or the East Indies. Pre- sumably the Japanese have been build- ing up reserves of oil before making their move against the French Pro- tectorate, but to what extent cannot be estimated. The " China Incident " must have been using up a great deal of that precious liquid, and without ample supplies it will not benefit Japan to have secured a strong strategical position in Indo-China from which blows by air and sea -might be dealt in various directions. Aircraft and war ships are not very effective if deprived of their motive power. Reverting to the Middle East., it will be remembered that after the British troops left Greece General Sir Thomas Blarney issued an Order of the Day in which he remarked on the SOME STROLL ! : This R.A.F. pilot,having crash-landed in enemy country out East, disguised himself as an Araband walked back to his squadron—a little stroll that lasted 14 days ! ineffectiveness of the German bombers, irritating though their attentions had been. More evidence is now to hand to show that the effects of dive- bombing are more moral than material. An officer from Tobruk has made it known that air raids on that very gallant and energetic garrison have been more numerous than they have been on Malta. In fact, it seldom happens- that Tobruk is for many hours without an air raid. The men of the garrison take the attacks calmly and fire steadily on the Stukas. Some 60 Stukas have been brought down, quite half of them by small- arms fire. One officer has brought down six with his own rifle. The casualties from the bombs have been negligible. Dealing with Dive-bombers '"THAT is obviously the way to deal •*• with the dive-bomber, to refuse to be overawed and to aim steadily at it with a quick-firing gun or rifle. The rifleman in a trench is as safe from a bomb as any soldier in the front line can expect to be. Artillery fire is far RED RETRIBUTION: Russian A.A.fire is proving very effective against German airmen, and here is one oftheir Maxim batteries, screened by foliage, awaiting a too-venturesomedive-bomber.
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