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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 1524.PDF
84 WAR IN THE AIR dated, and beat off a night attack on the position. Meanwhile the activity of the Empire air squadrons has been rising to a perfect crescendo, and nothing like it has ever been known in Africa before. By day and by night they give the Germans no rest, especially those elements in the forward areas. The fighter-bombers have been more or less playing the part of dive-bom bers, and with great success. They cannot carry such a heavy load of tombs as the Stukas can, but they are not vulnerable in the same way as the Stukas are, and after dropping their loads they can fight their way out. Some cases have been mentioned of their engaging successfully in air combat before they had unloaded their bombs. Of course they have been working under a very efficient umbrella of un encumbered fighters, Kittyhawks and Spitfires, which is a sine qua non of any bombing operations in daylight— apart from occasional surprise attacks like those on Augsburg and Danzig. The Air v. Tank Problem /CORRESPONDENTS in Egypt talk ^-/ somewhat glibly of fighter-bombers knocking out German tanks. Such reports should be read with reserve. Certainly, they can deal with all thin- skinned stuff, armoured cars and light tanks, provided (to use an old popular expression) they catch them bending. But it is very difficult to hit a tank with a bomb when the armoured machine is on the move in the desert, and for the most part it is wiser not to waste bombs on such elusive tar gets. Transport is a much more satis factory quarry. The same applies to aircraft cannon ; they can deal with thin-skinned stuff, and they have taken heavy toll of it, but only big guns on the ground or in British tanks can do any harm to the German Mark IV monsters. The two-pounder gun mounted in many British tanks has proved far from effectual against them, and, as Mr. Lyttelton reminded ONE IN A HUNDRED : An enemy machine shot down over Malta burns itself out on the ground. The air defence of Malta excelled itself by bringing down ioo enemy* aircraft during the first half of July. the House o'f Commons the other day, the calibre of the two-pounder is 40 mm. It follows that even if a gun of that calibre were installed in our air craft it would not be of any more avail for the purpose of dealing with the Mark IV tank than the 20 mm. guns now in use. We must suppose that the war correspondents now with the Eighth Army are mostly army-minded rather than air-minded, and that when they use exaggerated phrases about the effect of our air attack (or is it air de fence ?) they are reflecting the delight of the soldiers at seeing our fighters and bombers at work before their eyes instead of merely hearing that they have done good work beyond the range of the soldiers' vision. Private Thomas Atkins seems to need a lot of education on that point. The renewal of heavy attacks on Malta has been mentioned. It shquld be added that these have proved very expensive to the Axis, for in the first 11 days of July 83 enemy aircraft were shot down, of which 29 were bombers. The defenders lost 21 machines, but nine pilots were saved. By the middle of the month the tally had risen to a full century of enemy aircraft. The Axis has no surplus of aircraft which it can throw away, for its needs in Russia are very great. . One very good effect of the Air Force's activities in Libya has been a reduction in the number of his tanks which have lately been coming out of his repair shops. This is attributed to a raid on the repair shops near Mersa Matruh a short while ago. At the same time a combined naval and air raid on the harbour of that place sank two laden supply ships. It is believed that one was sunk right in the mouth of the harbour, which may make it difficult to use that port freely for some time to come. The major ports in enemy hands aiv4^ regularly raided by heavy and medium bombers of the United Nations. Two- engined machines, such as the Wel- An American Army A29 attack bomber (Hudson in the R.A.F.), showing the rear turret and single .5in. machine gun which our Allies consider is sufficient tail protection.
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