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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 0852.PDF
3QO FLIGHT WAR IN THE AIR shot up actually crashes, and can only claim a "probable." The Germans know how many of their machines have actually been lost. Next day there was more aggression by Fighter Command, while bomb- carrying Hurricanes attacked an air base, and other bombers went for Cherbourg. Our fighters gave magnifi cent protection to the bombers. Bravo America ! "DRIGADIER-GENERALR. ROYCE *-* was recently U.S. air attache in London, and made himself very popu lar. His friends in this country were therefore very pleased to learn that President Roosevelt has awarded him the American Distinguished Flying Cross for leading a magnificent bomb ing raid from Australia to the Philip pines and back. He led a force of three Fortresses and ten twin-engined Martin B25S, and only lost one of them, which was damaged on the ground while an engine was being changed. The crew were brought back to Aus tralia, as well as 34 other passengers from the Philippines, including Cap tain Jesus Villamor, of the Philippine Air Corps, who has been awarded the American D.S.C. with oak leaves for outstandingly gallant work in the defence. The bombers established a base at a secret airfield which was protected by fighters, and they spent a night there. The fighters shot down two Japanese machines which attempted to attack the bombers. The appearance of the bombers came as a surprise to the Japanese, and General Royce said that they threw the enemy into a panic. The bombers had timed one raid on Davao to synchronise with an attack by American and Philippino forces in that area. They also bombed objectives of various descriptions in several of the islands, and their activi ties naturally included attacks on enemy shipping in some of the har bours. Altogether no tons of bombs were dropped, and it is to be hoped that substantial damage was done. The latest air photo graph of the Matford lorry factory at Poissy, showing a consider able number of direct hits by bombs. This exploit is a great testimony to the powers of the long- range bomber, and it also shows the grand offensive spirit of the American airmen. Hitherto the initiative in the Pacific campaign has lain mostly with the Japanese, and it was a very good thing to treat them to a sur prise of this sort. There are ether surprises com ing to them in due course. Another example of initiative, and likewise of the good use which can be made of bombers, has been the unre mitting offensive which the Royal Australian Air Force, with American help, has kept up on the bases which the Japanese have seized at Rabaul, at Lae in New Guinea, and at Kupang in Timor. To all appearance these raids have definitely held up the Japanese and prevented them from de veloping attacks on Australia from these island bases. Of course, it may be that Japanese strategy is now more concerned with the invasion of Burma and the double object of cutting oft China from her main source of sup plies and also advancing on India to stretch out a hand towards the Ger man thrust through the Caucasus, if that should develop. They may in tend merely to keep Australia on ten ter-hooks, and tie up there land and air forces which have been called back from the Middle East, and which could now be very useful there. Certainly the air raids on Darwin and other Aus tralian coast towns do not seem to have been launched with very serious intentions, and they have done little damage. On the other hand, if the Japanese could invade Australia and capture Sydney, they would deprive the United Nations of the best naval base now remaining to them from which to start the great sea offensive against Nippon when the right time comes. The Japanese have accom plished very much in the time during which the United Nations have lot>t command of the sea, but even they cannot do everything at once. In the Indian Ocean '"THE Prime Minister has made -*- known some facts about the at tacks on Ceylon. The Japanese had sent a strong naval force there, includ ing battleships, whereas we had only cruisers and (so far as is known) one ancient carrier which could only send up about 15 aircraft. From the island, however, torpedo-aircraft flew out to attack the enemy fleet, but wef*s beaten by the weather. All of Ott#* machines were either shot down or damaged, but numbers of them re gained their bases and have been made serviceable once more. Port Blair in the Andamans has become a menace, a naval and air base for the Japanese. But the R.A.F. has raided its harbour very effectively. '"WIISll'i > A LINE OF HEAVIES : Nine Stirlings on the runway oi a bomber station. ^Hiese represent a nlaximum bomV load of over 70 tons.. M
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