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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 1083.PDF
MAY 2IST, 1942 FLIGHT 5°9 "WITH THE R.A.F. IN THE MIDDLE EAST" Combined Headquarters : The Miracle of Malta To and Fro in Libya African Victory : Why We Failed in Gteece East " FLIGHT " publishes to-day the official summary of an address given by Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Longmore, G.C.B., D.S.O., A.O.C.-in-C. R.A.F., Middle East from 1940 to 1941, at a lunch- time meeting of the Royal Empire Society, over which Major- General Rt. Hon. Sir Frederick Sykes, G.C.S.I., M.P., etc., presided. The period covered is from Mid-May, 1940, to May I, 1941, and the story is a fascinating one of continual operation against heavy odds. R .A.F. COMMAND, Middle East, coincided, geo graphically, with General Wavell's Army Command, but in addition included Malta, It thus covered all R.A.F. units operating in Egypt, Palestine and Trans-Jordan, East Africa, Aden and Somaliland, Iraq, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Persian Gulf and Greece. The closest co-operation existed between the C.-in-C. Mediterranean, Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, the C.-in-C. of the Army, General Sir Archibald Wavell, and myself, but no supreme Com mander-in-Chief of all three Services was nominated. Army and Air Force headquarters were housed in the same building; the offices of General Wavell and myself were on the same floor A senior naval liaison officer represented the Naval C.-in-C. at combined head quarters.' Frequent meetings of the Cs.-in-C. controlled policy and ensured co-ordination. On the entry of Italy into the war on June nth, 1940, the R.A.F, in Egypt and Palestine totalled 40 Gladiator fighters, 70 Blenheim bombers, 24 bomber-transport Bombays and Valentias, 24 army co-operation Lysan- ders and 10 Sunderland flying boats. Behind these was a reserve of approximately 100 per cent, in the case of the Gladiators, Blenheims and Lysanders. Tantalising that the Turks had Hurricanes, and we had none in our squadrons. The Italian air force in Libya approximated 200 modern bombers and 200 fighters, plus various obsolete types Reinforcement of these irom Italy was possible at any time. In Sudan, Kenya and Aden a total of some 150 aircraft ot various types, including Gladiators, Blenheims and Wellesleys, were opposed in Italian East Africa by a slightly larger force. The Italians could fly bomber reinforcements direct from Libya to Eritrea, and fre quently did so, crossing the Sudan by night. They even carried some fighters that way, packed up inside the fuselage of the large S81 transport aircraft. The longest hop was over 1,000 miles. Our ability to ship aircraft reinforcements regularly from the- United Kingdom through the Mediterranean only remained whilst Italy was neutral. Before the collapse of France a last- minute attempt was made to reinforce by air from the United Kingdom, and resulted in the safe arrival of only three Blenheims and six Hurricanes. For the next n months aircraft reinforce ments arrived from time to time by various routes and methods. Those with long-range tanks could fly out, though losses en route were occasion ally serious. Some came by ship to West Africa, were assembled there and flown across Africa to Egypt. Others came by the long sea route to Suez round the Cape. Occasionally an air craft carrier .operation resulted in a welcome addition of Hurricanes. The enormous disadvantage of ex terior lines of communication was felt by the R.A.F. almost as much as by the Army. Though certain aircraft could fly out, their maintenance crews, spare parts and ground equipment had to come by ship. A glance at the map will show the great contrast between our own and the enemy's problems in this respect. There were frequent waits for aircraft held up somewhere on the air reinforcing routes—a ship with a precious load of aircraft or vital spares failed to arrive. A whole batch of new American fighters after arrival were discovered with defects which
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