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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 0761.PDF
APRIL 9TH, 1942 FLIGHT 339 is very much inclined to become " a law unto itself," and the public have no yard-stick by which to measurg its efficiency. No doubt the people responsible for its adminis tration are in themselves efficient and wish the whole to be likewise, but they must find it difficult to maintain an organisation of the size necessary at the pitch of efficiency it would attain if it were in competition with a similar organisation—competition either in respect of* providing services or earning profits. This difficulty is fundamental because, however good the individuals may be, the whole has not the incentive to efficient operation when the losses are met by the public, and there is very little opportunity for the public to know whether it is getting value for the money spent. Nobody wishes to introduce unlimited competition between sub sidised air services, but there is a fairly simple solution „ which seems to provide the advantages of competition without the disadvantages of monopoly. Subdivision There is no reason why overseas and internal services should not be sub-divided. For example, the European, African, Australian and American services of British Over- *Spas Airways might well be operated independently. Many business firms adopt this method of subdivision in order to achieve the maximum efficiency. A large organ isation often consists of smaller complete organisations which, although they do not compete in the provision of services, -do compete with one another in efficient stan dards of operation. Main matters of policy and the pur chase of equipment are decided by the parent organisa tion. In like manner, British Overseas Airways might well be responsible for large matters of policy and for the buying of aircraft, but hand the machines over to their subsidiary companies to operate. There would no doubt be great Converging Attack While the spectators were examining the targets, a squadron of Spitfires made a dummy converging attack. A fly-past included a Heinkel 111 and a Me. 109. Then easne the Army Air Corps, their gliders towed by good old Hectors. One of the gliders cast off its tow and landed. The ground was very rough, and it damaged its under carriage, but the troops poured out of it and dashed to the attack. The G.O.C. of the air-bome division said that gliders cannot be landed at night, even in moonlight, with out heavy casualties. The Germans might accept such differences between the operating conditions of these sub sidiaries, but, after the necessary allowances were made, it would be possible to see whether 1 ne subsidiary was operating more efficiently than another, and there would be keen competition between them, although they would not be flying against one another on the same service. This kind of subdivision would make for efficiency in operation and allow those in charge of the subsidiary com panies to have a far greater measure of personal responsi bility than they would have if they were merely assistants in one large company. It seems th«Ct we should face the organisation of internal airways in the same way. Much as some people would like unlimited licence to buy aircraft, as they hope, at scrap prices after the war and run internal services, this cannot be in the best interests of civil aviation or, in the long run, of the country itself. I shall deal with the question of the provision of civil air craft at the end of the war later on, but it seems clear that, if we are to have, an ordered system of internal civil aviation, it must ba/controlled from the beginning, and once again let me emphasise that the only justification for a particular air service must be public utility. We must also consider the position of the clubs and private flying in this country, and here I think we might make an exception to the general rule and allow the few who will be able to afford it to buy aircraft as and when they can and operate them for their own pleasure. So far as the clubs are concerned, they should be en couraged to provide flying facilitiesyfor the innumerable ex-service men who would like to h&ve th«fn after the war, but who will not otherwise be able to afford to fly. There is no reason why surplus training aircraft should not be passed over to the clubs free of charge in the hope that, by careful management of their finance, they would be able to replace them when they became obsolete.V 7 Eastern Command Demonstration casualties if they were attempting to invade. He also said that gliders would take enormous punishment before the troops inside were hurt. [One realises, of course, that as they have no engine and carry no petrol they are not easy to shoot down, but a spraying along the fuselage from eight or twelve machine guns would surely have some effect on the troops.—ED.1 The next item was provided by parachute troops of the Army, who dropped from their Whitleys. The G.O.C. told the spectators that in the Bruneval raid only one man sprained his ankle, and that not badly enough to prevent him from fighting and getting down to the beaches. There are fewer injuries by night, he said, because men drop more limply in the dark. In a daylight operation a smoke screen would be laid before the Whitleys appeared and the men would drop into it, but for this display the Blenheims which laid it came on the scene after the men were safely on the ground. Other Blenheims fitted with sirens then did a dummy converging attack. There was no display of dive-bombers, but it is doubtful if they could give a convincing exhibition of their powers and limitations in a sham fight. A large proportion of their effect is moral, and if the dummy enemy can neither bolt for cover nor fire calmly at them with machine guns, it would not be easy to judge their worth. But it is to be hoped that the Army gained a better idea than it has had before of the extent to which the air can help it, and of the limitations suffered by such enemy aircraft as it may. find in opposition to it. The Home Guard was represented among the spectators, and it is especially important that its leaders should have a clear idea of what to expect in case Hitler attempts an invasion. The other troops may have an opportunity of seeing aircraft in real action. AIR and ARMY DISPLAY Parachute Troops and Gliders in A DISPLAY of how aircraft can be used with our Army and against an enemy army was given the other day in the Eastern Command before some thousands of spectators from all three Services. The new Army Air Corps took part with its gliders, and parachute 4> troops also displayed their abilities. The " enemy " was a series of dummies representing a column of infantry, a troop of field guns, a column of transport, and two old tanks. Proceedings opened with a survey of the enemy's posi tion by two Tomahawks of a Tactical Reconnaissance squadron, and then six Hurricanes of the twelve-gun variety swooped down on the pretended troops on the march. Naturally these did not disperse and bring their own weapons into action, and so were riddled with thousands of bullets. The Army is now supplied with anti aircraft weapons, and an Air Force commentator explained that nothing puts a pilot off so much as seeing a stream of tracer bullets coming up at him. The Hurricanes went on to attack the motor transport, and then other Hurri canes of the four-cannon type attacked the guns and the tanks. Bostons followed on with anti-tank bombs.
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