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Aviation History
1941
1941 - 2410.PDF
252 FLIGHT OCTOBER I6TH 1941. WAR 1 .- U-BOAT HUNTER ; Bombing-up flying boats has always been somewhat 01 aproblem. Our photograph shows armourers fitting anti-submarine bombs to a Catalina four merchant vessels, the smallest of 4,000 and the largest of 10,000 tons, with an escort of five destroyers. The T.S.R machines left two ships sink- ing and another damaged before they flew off with no loss to themselves. Tripoli is one ol the main enemy harbour: in Libya but though a num- ber of ships reach there they do rot always come out again without damage On a recent night raid by a squadron oi heavy bombers an enemy tanker was set on fire, and the burning oil spread over the water of the harbour. The Ltalians and Germans round the quaysides must have had a very unpleasant time, and the fighting men must have, bitterly regretted the loss of all that oil, which had been brought there at the cost of so much trouble and risk. On the next night R.A.F. bombers visited i .e Piraeus and set fire to more enemy oil and damaged harbour build ings and shipping The case of Pirrcus is like that of the French ports. We hate to have to do damage there, but as the enemy is using them we have no choice The Piraeus has always been a rather dowdy suburb of Athens (one believes that it was so even in the Golden Age of Pericles), but many British tourists have bought Turkish Delight in the little Greek shops round about the harbour, and one feels sorry for the Greek shopkeepers However RETURN VISIT : Submarine officers repaying a call made by members ot a Whitleysquadron to their ship. They have much in common since both craft function in three dimensions. all patriotic Greeks must rejoice to see that their friends can hit hard at their' oppressors. It is an earnest of the good time which is coming The arming of merchant ships is now a live question in the United States. It is interesting to note that 81 enemy aircraft have been shot down by fire from ships armed by the British, to say nothing of submarines driven off. Had these vessels not been armed, the tragedies of the war at sea would have been considerably higher than they actually have been. In the Atlantic '"PHE sinkings of ships in the Atlantic -^ have been much reduced of late, and probably more than one cause has contributed to this gratifying result. Mainly one thinks with joy of the safety of the seamen who are so daunt- lessly facing perils which make the mere landsman shudder to contem- plate. As an afterthought, one gloats over the increased supplies of muni- tions of war which have been reaching this island fortress from the American continent, and also (we need not blush to confess it) over the welcome addi- tions to our food supplies One of the many causes which have brought in creased safety to our ships and sailors has just been made public. A number of merchant vessels has been fitted with catapults, and they carry land- plane fighters. When a Focke-Wulf- Condor appears on the horizon, one or' more of these fighters takes to the air and attacks the raider. It has been noticed that the crews of the Condors show no great eagerness to risk damage to their own aircraft. One can hardly blame then, for if they come down somewhere in mid-Atlantic their' chances of being picked up cannot be rosy, and rubber dinghies would not be a great consolation. The Condors have been known, more than once, to turn tail and flee when a Hudson has made for them. The crews prefer to • make a surprise attack if possible and to clear out of harm's way with all speed. Perhaps their chief service to .:'. Hitler's cause is to report by wireless the position of a convoy, "Achlung" late a number of Condor crews have been horrified to see not Hud- - son or slow-flying boats but British fighters come hurtling through the air at them, superior to themselves in speed, and far superior in gun-power. . Their sensations, however, in the earlier encounters, were not placed on record, for they did not survive to tell the tale Now, however, the British Government does not feel it necessary to keep the secret any longer, Atten- tion has been drawn to the plan by the •, award of the Distinguished Service Order to Lieut. Everett, R.N., of the
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