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Aviation History
1941
1941 - 2281.PDF
OCTOBER 2ND, 1941. FLIGHT WAR IN THE AIR short range and the air • gunner sprayed her decks from stem to stern. Sparks flew from the deck as I pulled Ui) above the ship's masts. Thewhole salvo had struck amidships just below the funnel, and as I turned away the observer saw the bombs bursting in the ship. The destroyer opened fire on us with light flak imme- diately after the attack. When we were 300 -yards away all lights went out on the bombed ship. We headed homewards and from ten miles away, firing at sea level, we could still see columns of smoke rising from the war- ship." Italian Civilians and Airmen "ITALIAN civilians do not seem to •*• bear any ill-will towards the R.A.F. They know that our bombers only go for military targets and do not machine- gun helpless women and children, as Italy's allies are so fond of doing. A bomber pilot who took part in a suc- cessful raid on munition factories at Licata, Sicily, has described how people on the ground waved up en- cruragingly as the aircraft passed a few feet over their heads. " There was heavy rain and cloud down to sea- level on the way to the target," said the pilot, a South African Squadron Leader who holds the D.F.C. "But fortunately it cleared up just before we reached Sicily. About ten miles off shore we flew over a fleet of fishing vessels. Nearly all the crews stood up and waved cheerfully. We were only abmit five feet above them. It was the same over fields in Southern Sicily. Some of the people waved Effcd others looked up showing no concern, although I saw a few getting behind haystacks. I think they have learned that we do not machine-gun civilians." But Italian airmen who have ENEMY AIR LOSSES TO SEPT. Sept. 21 „ 22 •• 23 „ 24 ,. 25 .. 26„ 27 Totals : Over G.B. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 West Western Europe 24 0 0 • 0 0 0 21 45 and Russia, over 2, Russia (by R.A.F.) 0 0 0 7 0 0 2 9 27 Middle East 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 5.421* Middle East, 25. reached Libya are sometimes very exuberant. Recently it was an- nounced that the Silver Cross for Valour had been awarded to Lt. Col. Bozano, who commands an Italian lighter wing. The award, as an- nounced from Rome, was made following an air battle between '' twenty-seven Italian fighters and fifty Hurricanes and Tomahawks." The Italian version stated that the outnumbered Italians '' fought with such supreme skill and daring under Bozano's leadership that they shot down at least fourteen British fighters, completely discrediting the power of Hurricanes and Tomahawks in the Western Desert." Truth is Stranger THE true version was given by a -*• fighter squadron of the South African Air Force. Its pilots say that when their squadron gave battle to the Italians, who made a sudden attempt to strafe a forward landing ground, ten Tomahawks and no Hurricanes took off, some going into the fight with their undercarriages still down, less than 190ft. from the ground. Seven Italian fighters were shot down, and not one of the South African fighters was damaged. The R.A.F. offensive sweep over Northern France on Saturday last pro- duced fierce fighting. Our fighter escort saw the bombers through, and STEPPED UP. Not only in thisformation, but in fire power, for these are Hurricane Us, with four20 nun. shell-guns. the latter bombed the railway centre at Amiens and a junction near La Bassee without loss to themselves. But their escort was heavily engaged by the defending fighters and, as usual, the R.A.F. men had the best of it. The Germans lost 21 fighters, while the R.A.F. lost only 13 machines, and three of the pilots were rescued. In the Mediterranean it has been the usual custom to leave the targets in Sardinia to the care of H.M.S. Ark Royal, which is based on Gibraltar, but last Saturday the R.A.F. Middle East bombers staged a raid on Elmas in the Italian island. Besides bombing the base and aerodromes, the R.A.F. severely damaged a large number of seaplanes on the water. That will cir- cumscribe the enemy's scouting efforts for some little time to come. Other Italian seaplanes were damaged in a raid on Marsala, in Sicily. The attack on Italian and German shipping has been kept up. A medium- sized merchantman was set on fire in the harbour of Taranto and Palermo and Bardia harbours were bombed on the same night. LAST FLIGHT. This is the Me 109F of Ober-Leutnant Reinhardt Hein, com-mander of a German squadron, brought down by Soviet A.A. fire. Hein, who was taken prisoner, was an " ace " of high standing in the Luftwaffe. BRITISH Sept. 21 .. 22 , 23 . 24 25 . 26 27 Totals : Over G.B. AIR LOSSES Western Europe TO SEPT . 27 Russia Middle Eait A'erft B'brt. Ftrs. Pilots A'erft A'erft. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 West 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 and 13 0 0 0 0 0 14 27 II 0 0 0 0 0 II 22 Russia, 2,781 ; about 405. 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 5 (2 pits. safe) 0 0 5 13 Middle East,
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