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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 1064.PDF
498 MAY 2IST, 1942 WAR IN THE AIR Governor of Malta has been marked by an increased slaughter of attack ing Axis aircraft. In one week-end, consisting of the three days, Satur day, Sunday, Monday, the number destroyed, probably destroyed, and damaged amounted to 112 machines. Of course, the probables (31 in num ber) and the damaged (44) are not offi cially counted, but some of them will never worry the island again, and others not for at least a very long time. The Axis has certainly been moving squadrons away from Sicily, and in all probability those which have been sent to the Russian front or slsewhere are the most experienced units. The cheaper fighter-fodder was probably what was left behind, and inexperienced pilots are likely to fall victims to the hail of fire from the Spitfires and Hurricanes and to the remarkably accurate shooting of the A.A. guns on the island. Perhaps the report that the Germans used 2,000 dive-bombers in their attack on the Russians in the Kerch peninsula tells us where some of the pests which used to worry Malta have gone. The attack met with some success, and the Russians withdrew. They have, however, taken the initiative in the Kharkov area. This Russian offensive in the Khar kov sector bears the appearance of a maior movement, and the first HIGH EXPLOSIVE FOR LOW ATTACKS : Armourers fitting 250-lb. bombs on to the streamline racks of a Hurricane bomber. The flat sheet just forward of the windscreen is to shade the pilot's eyes from the exhaust flames when night flying. MORE MEDITERRANEAN MIS-CALCULATORS : A story in three pictures of the end of an attempt by a Savoia Marchetti S.79 to raid Alexan dria. Wooden aircraft float very high in the dense salt water of the Eastern Mediterranean. reports said that its initial onrush broke through the German front lines of defences. The Russians appear to have concentrated aircraft on that sector and to have achieved local superiority. Their bombers, with strong fighter escorts, have been strik ing hard at the German airfields and are reported to have destroyed con siderable numbers of German machines on the ground, with the result that the Germans have had to withdraw to airfields farther to the rear. The Far East "PHE fighting in Burma and on the •*• adjacent frontier of the Chinese province of Yunnan has been difficult to follow. The Japanese were appar ently foiled in their first dash up the Burma Road, but have since reinforced their columns and have made more progress. The Chinese armies in Burma are reported to have broken up into comparatively small parties, while the British-Indian force continues its diffi cult retreat towards Assam. Its rear guard turns every now and then and counter-attacks with effect. Great assistance has been given by R.A.F. bombers, which have done a good deal of damage to the boats in which Japanese troops were following up the Indian troops on the Chindwin river. They have also raided the port of Akyab, and it is very important to in terfere with ports held by the enemy, for most of the Japanese reinforcements and supplies come by sea. The Ameri can air forces in India, with their heavy bombers, have been rendering yeoman service, too. After several night raids on Rangoon, last week their bombers made a daylight attack on Myitkyina, the railhead of the Burma railway from Rangoon. This name is usually pronounced by Britons in Burma as '' Mitchinar.'' It and other Burmese names have consider ably worried the B.B.C. announcers— and no wonder. The battle of the Coral Sea has died away, and it seems to have put a stop to one effort by the' Japanese to overwhelm the United Nations in the South-West Pacific. Mr. Curtin, the Australian Premier, has pointed out with some emphasis that this does not end the threat to Australia, though it has postponed it, and he is doubtless right. In the meantime the very gal lant R.A.A.F., with its American helpers, continues to defeat the Japan ese attempts to secure a base in New Guinea for the invasion of Australia. For that it would be necessary for the enemy to establish himself firmly at Port Moresby, and so far he has been quite unable to do that. The Austra lian bombers have done great damage to Japanese shipping at Lae, Salamaua, and Rabaul, and last week they made a night raid on Amboina, where they sank one vessel, probably a transport or supply ship, scored direct hits §fri two others, and set the wharf on fire. A recent raid on Rabaul by the Aus tralians surprised a formation of 15 enemy bombers on the runways, loaded with bombs and about to take off on some raid. The Australian bombs ex ploded a number of those loaded in the Japanese machines, and caused considerable havoc. It appears that that Japanese raid did not take place. North-West Europe ''TURNING to north-western Europe, -*• air activity has varied very much with the weather. On bad nights Bomber Command usually stays at home, for though the pilots and crews are willing to fly, and most of" the navigators would find their way to the targets, the authorities have to consider whether the chance of doing any worth-while damage Co the German war effort would
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