FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1942
1942 - 2367.PDF
HP —. •*-^«« NOVEMBER 12TH, 1942 FLIGHT 527 LUFTWAFFE SATELLITES i4 New Policy for the German Air Force Share : Italian Sufferings Work of the Air Missions Results of Co-operation Rumania's By V. L. GRLBERG T vDWARDS the end of June, 1941, when the Germans realised that they could not "blitz" the Russians into submission, a new policy was adopted by their air force. The Luftwaffe, hitherto relying entirely on exclusively teutonic personnel, was to be reinforced by air units from Hitler's vassal states. This move was not very difficult, for the Germans had had enough foresight to prepare the ground should such a situation arise. In June, 1-940, a German air mission was sent to Rumania to re organise and train the Rumanian air force. The result of this mission's work was the formation of fighter, bomber and reconnaissance groups. While ostensibly this was done entirely for. the benefit 01 the Rumanian nation "arising" to the call of Marshal Antonescu, a year later These units were sent to the Russian front. At that time Rumania had ten air regiments. The equip ment was composed of aircraft of both local and foreign manufacture, with French types predominating. It will be recalled that in October, 1939, fourteen Blenheims were flown over to Rumania. In March, 1940, it was reported that that country had received 66 aircraft from Great Britain, among them being Bristol Blenheims and Hawker Hurricanes. That, of course, happened when Rumania was considered an ally and a part of the " Small Entente." Later on the Germans delivered some 40 Messerschmitts and 11 Heinkels. Apart from these deliveries, Rumania also profited by the collapse of Poland: together with other war equipment the Poles thought it wiser to send their remaining air force to Rumania, which was considered an ally or at least a benevolent neutral, rather than letting it fall into German hands. Among the .20 per cent, of the remaining Polish air force which was evacuated to Rumania, there were some zo bombers of the latest Polish types. Ultimately the Rumanians appropriated this equipment and thus hap pened what the Poles originally wanted to prevent, only later. Among this Polish equipment was the P.Z.L. Los, a medium bomber, powered with two P.Z.L. Pegasus BUCHAREST MISSION : Rumanian airmen were trained by a German team of instructors sent to reorganise their Air Force. A group of Rumanian observers receiving instruction from a Luftwaffe officer. A Slovak fighter unit equipped with Avia B.534. Numbers of this type (Hispano-Suiza 12-Y of 650 h.p., speed of 214 m.p.h.), have fallen into German hands with their occupation of Czechoslovakia. engines, with a bomb load of 4,840 lb. and a maximum speed of 273 m.p.h. While the Luftwaffe is reluctant to part with its own first-line equipment, it is possible that Rumanian air units were also using Russian aircraft. Numbers of these were cap tured in a semi-working condition in the initial stage of Germany's attack on Russia in the region of Bialystok. It is quite possible that these machines were reconditioned and handed over to the Rumanians. Rumania's Balance Sheet According to the Rumanian Press, no fewer than 300 to 350 aircraft have since been lost on the Russian front. This figure is even more serious when one bears in mind that the pro duction capacity of that country amounts to a total of about 350 aircraft per year and no further opportunities of '' scrounging '' exist. The Rumanian squadrons which appeared in the skies of Russia have been so severely dealt with by the Soviet air force that to-day their operations are reduced mainly to scouting and protection of strategic points in the rear. Apart from the Rumanian satellites, the puppet State of Slovakia was the first to follow the Luftwaffe in the attack on Russia and, like the Rumanians, the Slovakians had received previous training at the hands of German in-
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
