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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 2605.PDF
DECEMBER iyra, 1942 FLIGHT 653 FLIGHTS ASTERN A formation of twelve " improved " Spitfires above the clouds. These are powered by the new Rolls- Royce Merlin 61 engine which has a two-stage, two-speed supercharger. WAR IN THE AIR Since the above was written Rom mel has started to retreat from his position at El Agheila, and further developments are likely to take place immediately. Mention has been made before of the way in which the Axis massed its U-boats in an attempt to interfere with the Allied landings in French Africa, and how this resulted in giving plenty of targets to British hunters of the under-water craft. It now appears that in a fortnight one R.A.F. squadron made nearly 40 attacks on U-boats. Naval craft would also make many more, often working on information sent by the aircraft. Fortresses and Liberators of the Ninth American Air Force, which has its H.Q. in Cairo, have raided Naples by day and by night, and Bomber Command continued to bomb Turin. Spitfires have now made their appearance in Tunisia, but at the time of writing they had to work from air fields rather far behind the front. The Axis was wise in seizing as many airfields as possible with the smallest delay, and this has hampered the British and Americans. Col. Raff's parachute troops have been doing useful work in the southern area of Tunisia. If Rommel intends, or hopes, to fall back on the Axis forces there he will find some stout fighters in the way. French units have been working with Col. Raff, and he is supported by the U.S. Twelfth Air Force. Parachute troops, of course, could not hold back armoured forces, but Allied armour may well arrive there before there is any danger from the East. The Russian Front "CTOR some weeks past there has been * little mention of the work of the aircraft on the Russian front, except for the statement that the Germans were using transport machines to supply and reinforce various parties of their men who had been more or less surrounded by the Russian ad vances. Last year this expedient proved very successful in the case of the German force at Starya Russa, whose position at one time appeared hopeless. At the end of last week, however, the Russian communiques paid some attention to the air. They stated that in the Stalingrad area during the period November 19th to December nth, Russian troops captured 105 ENEMY AIR LOSSES TO DEC. O Dec. 6 »» 7 „ 8 „ 9 ., 10 „ M ., 12 Totals . Over ver G.B. Continent 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 3 West 6,509 Africa, 4 0 0 2 0 0 6 12 12th Middle East 2 4 13 3 5 16 2 45 ; Middle East and French over 5,099. German aircraft, in addition to much other equipment. This suggests sudden overrunning of a number of German airfields. It was also stated that in the same period Russian troops destroyed 632 aircraft, includ ing 353 transport machines. Another official report says that in the week ending December 12th, 407 German aircraft, including 225 transport machines, were destroyed by fighters, by A.A. fire, or on the ground. The Russians only admit to losing 156 machines themselves during that week. Naturally, the Russian fighters would not run much risk when attack ing transport machines. In the West during November, Spit fires and Mustangs have attacked and hit no fewer than 42 railway engines, besides other targets connected with railways. Daylight raids by Bomber Com mand must be keeping the Luftwaffe in Northern France in a constant state of guessing. The daylight raid by light bombers on the Philips wireless valve works at Eindhoven, about 60 miles from the Dutch coast, is the subject of one of our illustrations. THE WORLD'S FASTEST BOMBER : De Havilland Mosquitoes of Bomber Com mand taxi into position for take-off. They each carry a bomb load of 2,000 lb. BRITISH & U.S. AIR LOSSES TO DEC. 12th Over G.B. A'crft. Dec. 6 0 ,.7 0 „ 8 0 ,,9 0 , 10 0 „ II 0 „ 12 0 0 MM Touts : West, i Over Continent B'bro. F'trs. 21 3 0 6 2 0 3 0 0 2 3 0 0 5 29 *I6 _ — Middle East A'crft. 2 0 2 1 4 4 0 13 -—-4,948; Middle East and French \frica, about 1,973.
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