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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 0118.PDF
44 FLIGHT JANUARY 15TH, 1942 new types which the Germans have produced since the start of the war. Numerous and well-dispersed as their aircraft factories are, it has not seemed good to the rulers of Germany to interfere much with the flow- of production in order to convert many factories to the production of new types. This would seem to be the time When a concerted on slaught on -the aircraft factories of Germany would pay- good dividends. It is surprising how seldom the R.A.F. Bomber Command strikes hard at any of those factories. Just recently bad weather has restricted its activities, but there have been more favourable periods. The Blohm and Voss works at Hamburg have, it is true, often figured in Air Ministry communiques, and we have heard little of such machines doing work in the air. The Focke-Wulf works at Bremen must also have suffered, and that may have contributed to the increased safety of our convoys in the Atlantic. But the main Dornier works at Friedrichshafen, Messerschmitt's at Augsburg, Heinkel's near Rostock, and Junkers' at Dessau have, so far as our memory serves, enjoyed im munity from the attentions of our bombers. It is known that Bomber Command works in close collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Warfare, which lays down the comparative importance of various targets, but it is certainly surprising that the experts of that Ministry have not urged a campaign on German air craft production. The Fiat works at Turin and Caproni works at Milan have not been beyond the range of our Whitleys and Wellingtons, and we cannot help wonder ing why so many of the more dangerous German air craft types have been produced for so long without inter ruption. Our new four-engined bombers with the new powerful bombs ought to be able to do damage to them which would seriously hamper Germany's effort in the air. American Aircraft Production EVEN a mind accustomed to the astronomical figure with which the war has saddled us boggles at President Roosevelt's production order to the American aircraft industry. 60,000 aircraft this year, including 45,000 operational types, and 125,000 in 1943, with 100,000 as the figure for bombers, dive-bombers and fighters. It will be remembered that the first American "target figure" was 36,000 aircraft per annum, in creased about 18 months ago to 50,000. In 1941 the American industry produced just under 20,000 aircraft, so that it is faced with the task of trebling its output this year. Since the new rate can only be attained gradually, this will mean that towards the latter part of 1942 the rate of output will have to be considerably greater than 5,000 per month. « That the task will strain American resources to the utmost is obvious, particular!)' in the matter of machine tools and raw7 materials, but it should not be held to be impossible. .The strikes which have delayed production in the past will vanish, and every American now knows that he is working very directly for his own country. The importance of this fact should not be overlooked. FIGHTER COMMANDERS : Air Marshal Sir Sholto Donald A r> r • r c- l* r 1 • . , right; Air Comdre W Elliot DFC • tr nm7«^r' A0; C"ln-^ Flghter Command, with his senior officers. (Left to g comdre. W. fclhot, ttFC. A, Comdre A. D. Cunnmgharn, C.B C.B.E. ; Air Marshal Sir Sholto Douglas, K.C.B., MA.., u.f.t, , and Air Vice-Marshal H. R. Nicholl, C.B., C.B.E.
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