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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 1178.PDF
554 FLIGHT JUNE 4TH, 1942 BEHIND THE LINES Service and Industrial News from the Inside of Axis and Enemy-occupied Countries Merger ALTHOUGH close collaboration be tween the Heinkel Aircraft Co. and Hirth Engines has been for some time in existence, recent reports in the Ger man Press appear to indicate that these, companies are pooling their labour resources. It is possible that a merger of the two firms has now taken place. A New Messerschmitt A NEW version of the Me 108 " Taifun " 4-seater touring aircraft is now in production. This machine, designated Me 208, is used for liaison purposes'. The Me 208 is fitted with a retractable tricycle undercarriage, a feature hitherto uncommon in German types of aircraft. Only few experi mental types have been fitted with this kind of undercarriage, among them the Wn 16, produced by the Viennese "Wiener Neustadt Flugzeugwerke." As reported in Flight of May 28th (Behind the Lines) the Me 208 is also being built by French aircraft factories. Axis Generals HERE are a few enemy names which may soon come into the prominence of news: Field Marshal Kesselring, Commander of German* Air Force units in Italy and Sicily. He was in com mand of the Luftwaffe operations against France in May and June, 1940; of air attacks on this country in autumn and winter, 1940-41, and again at the begin ning of operations in Russia. Another old hand is Lieutenant General Hans Geissler, reported to be C.-in-C. of com bined German forces in Sicily, and said to be responsible for planning attacks on Malta. Formerly a naval airman he is about fifty years of age, took a pro minent part in the'invasion of Norway, FOR LIAISON DUTIES : The Messerschmitt Me 208 is a new version of the Me 108 familiar in this country before the war. The most important innovation is the tricycle undercarriage. The original machine had a 240 h.p. Argus inverted V-8 engine. and is the Nazi expert for combined air and sea operations. General der Flieger Student, a 52- years-old Luftwaffe old-timer, is on Rommel's staff in Libya. He conducted the operations of German parachutists in Holland, and is credited with the creation of German airborne infantry and glider tactics. Italian Air Force formations in North Africa are commanded by General Marchesi, C.-in-C. of the Fifth Air Fleet, with Brigadier-General Silvestri as his Chief of Staff. The air zone com manders of the Reggia Aeronautica in North Africa are Generals Da Barberino and Raffae'lli and Colonel D'Aurelio. 11 \ J^m\ * ^B if- ''IW- v «•(• >^<****l*l*ff*fll J wgggjggg^"^^ , JLeMfc TbT Jfc * mm WITH BLACK CROSS AND SWASTIKA : A Fokker T.8-W reconnaissance and torpedo-carrying seaplane commandeered by the Germans. The type was fitted with two Bristol Mercury XI engines, which may now have been replaced by B.M.W.s. Research IN collaboration with the French Air Ministry and the Air France Com pany, M. Henri Bouche has founded a new scientific institute for the study of problems connected with commercial air transport. This organisation, named the Institut Francais du Transport Aerien, is situated in Aix-en-Provence, and is to conduct its work on the lines of similar German institutes. M. Bouch6 is well known as the editor of the French periodical, L'Aeronautique. Regia Aeronautica THE reorganisation of Air Force train ing is reported from Italy. A special Training Command has been established with headquarters in Milan, Ancona and Naples. The CommanL-|f*to controlled directly by the general stiff and is in charge of a Commander-in- Chief. Under his supervision are the branches for advanced training and for training of specialists as well as a de partment of pre-entry flying training. The general command is assisted by an advisory committee on training. A special organisation is maintained for liaison purposes between the training schools and the general staff. These liaison offices are called "Training Group Commands" (Com- andi Raggruppamenti Scuoli) and- are headed by divisional generals whose task is to advise the General Command on all matters affecting training. They are also responsible for the development of train ing and for the application of modern methods in their areas. The advanced military training schools and colleges, such as the Air Academy, the Institute of Aerial Warfare and other specialised schools are directly controlled by the General Command of flying schools.
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