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Aviation History
1943
1943 - 0379.PDF
FEBRUARY IITH, 1943 FLIGHT at the spring- back are ^-loaded, and when pushed reload their respective can- nons or guns. The right-hand button is taller than the others to make it easily distinguished bv touch, and effects safety blocking of all guns. In this sys- tem no relays are used, the guns being operated directly by high-pressure air. The internal con- struction of a double selector unit of this type is shown and explained in Fig. 6. The pneumatic jacks used on the -guns themselves are usually very simple units. Fig. * 7 shows a com- bined pair of fire and safety jacks for a Hispano 20 mm. gun. The ad- mission of air to the firing jack pulls down the '' bent'' or member which on a rifle is normally operated by the trigger, and allows the striking pin to fire the shell. The safety control moves a pin across to lock the firing jack piston rod. Release of -this catch is effected at the same time as reloading when the reload- ing button on the selector is pushed, by air being admitted to the safety jack as well as to the reload- ing jack, to move it in the other direc- tion. In order to improve efficiency at low temperatures when the oil used to lubricate the glands of the jacks may become sufficiently thick to make TO "ATMOSPHERE TOOUN M Tall:WtiL Fig. 8 (Below)—A pneu-matic jack with glandless piston. FROM -TRIGGER 8UTTON Fig. 6 (Left)—A double selector unit or theBloch 151 type, shown part-sectioned. . Fig. 6A (Above)—The operation of the unitshown in Fig. 6. In the diagram on the left the. selector is closed, the gun jack is connectedto atmosphere, and the air supply from the trigger button is isolated. In the right-handdiagram tile selector is open, and the guti jack is in communication with the pipe linefrom the trigger button. SAFETY SAFETY— RELEASE. operation sluggish, a further im- provement can be made. This is shown in Fig. 8. Glands on the piston are omitted, a fine fit be- tween cylinder and piston being suffi- cient to allow movement, without any possibilities of sticking, and sealing Fig. 7 (Above)—Combined fire and safety jacks on aHispano 20 mm.' cannon. FIRING. against pressure loss takes place only at the end of the travel of the piston on an end seal. Book Reviews Paratroops. By Captain F. O. Mikscke (with a preface byCaptain Liddell Hart). Fabet and Faber, 10s. 6d. /"WPTAIN MIKSCHE is a Czechoslovak officer attached toys the French Forces, and he has written what is apparently intended to be a textbook on airborne troops. He has basedhis book on German methods and achievements in Norway, the Low Countries, Greece and Crete, which he recounts in con-siderable detail. All books written during a war suffer from the disadvantagethat things are liable to advance in the interval between the writing and the publication. So recently as the first week inDecember, 1942, a Flight representative was allowed to visit a British airborne division, while British airborne contingentshave been in action in Northern Africa. The British leaders have developed ideas of their own, and theydo not alwayscoincide with the maxims which Capt. Miksche fias laid down. For one thing, he enjoins that the object of the expedition mustbe kept a secret from the troops, which' .was the German method ; British leaders take the officers and men into their con-fidence, so that each private knows, beforehand exactly what he has to do. However, some of Capt. Miksche's ideas are interesting. Headvocates that landings must be made within the range of fighter cover, which must mean shott-range fighters. Hewould confine the use of gliders almost entirely to the convey- ance of equipment, sending troops in power-aircraft. Most ofhis suggestions for the use of airborne troops (i.e., in attack, in pursuit and in defence) are fairly obvious.Like some oLher Continental writers, Capt-. Miksche has no sort of understanding of sea-power. In his account of Cretehe makes the amazing misstatement: " The British Naval force assisting the operations on land was put out of action by theGerman air force without much difficulty." Again, in the same chapter: "There (Crete) the three fighting forces of the enemy—air, sea and land—worked in perfect co-ordination."What did the German Navy do at Crete? The author also discusses the chances of an invasion ofBritain, led by airborne troops, and stresses the need for the German navy to play its part. That implies German commandof the sea. Likewise this author does not understand our Royal AirForce. He says that an air force in which a sharp division is drawn between Fighter and Bomber Commands can neverlend to ground forces that total dynamic support which is necessary. We may point out that, first in the Battle ofFrance and lately in the Middle East, the aircraft engaged have not worked, and do not work, under separate Bomber andFighter Commands. This is a thoughtful book, not easy to read, but we doubtif it will be of much service to the leaders of British airborne divisions. . The Battle of Egypt. Prepared for the War Office by theMinistry of Information, yd. net. THIS publication is described as the official record in picturesand ma,p, and it is extraordinarily good value for the trifling price. There is a very concise description of the courseof events, but in the main the excellent photographs are left to tell their own story.. It seems to us that not enough attentionis paid to the Air Force side of the battle. It is not, of course, entirely neglected, and there are several pictures of bombsbursting and a few showing captured or crashed German air- craft. Mitchell bombers appear in one photograph and Hurri-canes in another, but armour and infantry monopolise most of the interest. They well deserve all the credit which can begiven to them, but we think that the work of Air Vice-Marshal Coningham's squadrons should have received rather moreadequate attention.
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