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Aviation History
1941
1941 - 1769.PDF
AUGUST 7TH, 1941. FLIGHT 75 MESSY MESSERSCHMITT : The split trailing-edge flaps of the Me 109 F1/2, thelatest achievement in German fighters, are divided into two sections as seen in this picture. The advantage of this untidy-looking arrangement is somewhatdoubtful, especially on a fighter. more accurate than bombing, especi- ally against a small target, and experi- ences from the last war have shown how seldom even the accurate 5.9 German gun could land a shell right into a trench. These experiences do not mean that the British Army ought not to have dive-bombers when it next takes the field. They are not always faced with the sang-froid which has been found capable of defeating them, and they have often silenced the fire of batteries and of infantry who are not en- trenched, and also they have been effective against mechanised vehicles. They were mainly responsible for over- coming British resistance in Crete, where our infantry were not well entrenched. German troops are no more likely to be able to stand up against them than any other soldiers have been. And, when a British expeditionary force again faces the Germans on land, it is confidently hoped that the American bombers which will accompany them will prove of greater use (and less vulnerable) than the German Junkers 87. A report has come from the Conti- nent that the Germans would like to cut their losses in Russia, and stabilise that front until they have reached a decision against Britain. It seems hardly credible. The Russians are CONTRAST IN TRANSPORT : Theoldest and the newest forms of con- veyance are both useful in desertwarfare as shown by this picture of a camel and a Tomahawk fighter on aMiddle East aerodrome. In the last war, incidentally, two kinds of camelwere in use—the Sopwith Company designed one of them. still full of fight, and a cessation of the German attacks would give them increased confidence. To hold their Eastern frontier against a Russian advance would mean that the Germans would have to tie up an enormous force along that line, which would have a most crippling effect on their powers for making a forward move in the West. No doubt the Germans reflect that in the last war they held the Russians in the East for over two years while they fought a ding-dong struggle in the West against both France and Britain. They may think that their great supplies of man-power would enable them to do the same again, especially as France is no longer one of their opponents. Perhaps some- thing of that sort was in Mr. Churchill's mind when he warned this country to be ready for a possible invasion on September 1. But without mastery of the air, the chances of an invasion of Great Britain are small, and now we are stronger than ever in numbers and in quality of fighter aircraft. Field Mar- shal Goring told his men that the conquest of Crete (where there was no effective fighter defence) proved that no island is unconquerable—but in his own heart he cannot believe it. The Fleet Air Arm have made a • dashing raid on Petsamo and on the neighbouring port of Kirkenes, both ports in Northern Finland which the Germans are now using. Evidently there were high expectations of suc- cess, for a fairly strong force of air- craft was sent to the attack. Little shipping was found at Petsamo, and the bombs had to be turned against the harbour works, which are not elaborate. At Kirkenes, some 40 miles to the west, a fast sloop, the Bremse, of nearly 1,500 tons, which is armed as a flak-ship, was hit twice, either by bombs or by torpedoes. There was intense A.A. defence at both places, and German fighters as well as guns attacked our aircraft. Three Me 109s and one Ju 87 were shot down, but our losses were 16 naval machines. This was a very daring exploit, and it deserved better results than it was able to achieve.
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