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Aviation History
1943
1943 - 0625.PDF
MARCH IITH, 1943 FLIGHT *49 WAR IN THE AIR ENEMY AIR LOSSES TO Over G Feb. 28 Mar. 1 , 2 3 4 ' 5 „ 6 Totals : 0 20 4 1 0 0 7 West, Over B. Continent 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 3 MARCH *th Middle East1 •4 02 0 0 0 7 6,660 ; Middle East, over 5,246. Tunisia : 741. able to report that the whole of the convoy had been destroyed. It had consisted of 12 transports and 10 war- ships—cruisers and destroyers. The enemy made desperate efforts to pro- vide air cover and to drive off the Americans, but as a result he lost 102 machines in all, destroyed or damaged. This figure includes those knocked out on Lae airfield. During the waves of •attacks by American bombers of many types, there was also a low-flying attack by Beaufighters, built in Britain and manned by Australians, which used many incendiary bullets as they swept the decks of the ships. It is estimated that at least 15,000 Japanese must have lost their Jives in this remarkable battle. The American BRITISH & U.S Feb. 28Mar. 1 „ 2 „ 3 4 „ 5 ,. 6 Totals OverG.B. A'crft.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 : West, AIR LOSSES TO Over Continent B'brs. F'trs. 519 3 1 10 1 14 53 5,339 ; 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 3 Middle East, Tunisia, 324. MARCH 6th MiddleEast A'crft. 0 1 c0 0 1 0 2 ibout 2,086. BATTLE SCARRED : Halifaxes on the runway of a Western Desert airfield.The sand in the air thrown back in the slipstream plays havoc with the paint on the leading edges. losses were one bomber and three fighters. It has recently been announced that squadrons of Spitfires have reached Australia. Some had been despatched earlier, but they were diverted to the Middle East,. with the full assent of the Commonwealth Government. After the Axis repulse in Central Tunisia, attacks were made in the North with see-saw results. The British troops were cheered to see Spit- fires and Hurricane bombers at work, and the latter disabled several tanks. In the south Rommel attempted a vigorous sally from the Mareth line, with strong air support, but was deci- sively driven back. The fighter- bombers of the Eighth Army helped with attacks on enemy columns and concentrations. Last Friday Bomber Command made a forty minutes' raid on Essen, during which 150 bombs of the 4,000 lb. calibre were dropped. An unusually large explosion was seen, from which a sheet of flame shot up for 1,000 feet, while the smoke from many fires rose to 15,000 feet by the time the raid was over. The R.A.F. losses were 14 bombers, but the inter- ruption to the work of Germany's most important armament town must, be Very satisfactory. Wings for Victory London Exhibitions with Working Models TWO exhibitions forming part ofthe special efforts of theNational Savings Committee under Lord Kindersley during the present '' Wings for Victory '' Week are deservedly attracting Londoners of all ages. They are the aircraft ex- hibitions at the Guildhall, and at Dorland House, Lower Regent Street. This week the famous Guildhall resembles an S.B.A.C. show in minia- ture, and is an air warfare exhibition. The opening ceremony on Monday was performed .by the Lord Mayor of London and Air Marshal Sir Bertine Sutton, K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O. Exhibits outside the Guildhall includea Hurricane and an Air Sea Rescue Float. Working models naturally thrill the younger generation. There is a Rolls- Royce Merlin 61 engine and a section of the two-stage supercharger, a Boulton-Paul four-gun turret, a Link trainer, a wing section showing Lockheed hydraulic operation of undercarriage, bomb doors and wing flaps, Rotol, and Weybridge airscrews, asbestos fire rescue suits. A Bristol Taurus 14-cylinder radial engine bears a notice saying that it develops 1,065 h.p. at 3,225 r.p.m. at 5,000ft. and weighs (dry) 1,300 lb. It is applied to the Bristol Beauforts and the Albacore. Another engine is the 16-cylinder Napier-Rapier of 395 h.p. The Synchrophone, in the evolution of which Flight collaborated with Mr. Sandor, is used extensively for training. As one enters Dorland House, one finds oneself immediately inside a very-well-contrived "mock-up" of a Halifax bomber. From bomb-aimer's position to rear gun-turret, the interior equipment of a Halifax is laid out with everything in its correct relative position, although the actual dimen- sions of the '' fuselage '' have been considerably exaggerated. By the rear turret, smiling school- boys invariably wait their turn for the unexpected thrill of trying their hands as potential "tail-end Charlies." For the turret can actually be worked, and a patient flight sergeant gives the simple instructions enabling the boys to traverse and aim the guns at imaginary Huns. A Battle-of-Britain Spitfire, a Link trainer (working), a "show-model ' Merlin, and many intriguing bits and pieces of aircraft mechanism, together with a series of large photographs tracing the development of the R. A.F. from 1918 onwards, completes this extremely well-planned exhibition.
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