FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1943
1943 - 0632.PDF
254 FLIGHT MARCH IITH. 1943 FIGHTERS AND FIGHTER-BOMBERS It was interesting to hear the CO, of the squadron, Sqn. Ldr. H. St. J. Coghlan, D.F.C.—once a member of No. 600 (City of London) Squadron, A.A.F.—discuss the tactics of bomb- ing as practised by this class of squadron in its specialised work. Much depends on selecting the right type of bomb for the work to be done, and most of a fighter-bomber's work is done at a very low.altitude. Some popular misconceptions had to be re- vised when hearing the pros and cons of this or that selection clearly ex- plained by a leader of experience who has grown to be an authority on the subject The R.A.F. Fighter-bomber One may perhaps allow the Ger- • mans the credit of first converting fighters into bomb-carrying aircraft during the Battle, of Britain, but in doing so their original tactical ideas were qujte different from those which inspired the R.A.F. when it produced its fighter-bomber class. The German "Panthers" of 1940 were used as altitude bombers, flying well above the British balloon barrage. The enemy's object in producing the class was to avoid further losses of his Heinkels and other heavy bombers, while keeping up an appearance ot maintaining the attack on London He also took into consideration that, once the bombs were' dropped, the Panther became "a fighter once more and so had a reasonable chance of get- ting safely home. The British fighter-bombet was developed for a very different purpose It may be said to be an alternative to the Stuka, or dive-bomber, and is an improvement on it It works at a low altitude and attacks ground targets. In 1918, during the great German offensive, the R.A.F. fighters were turned on to ground-strafing with th'eir machine-guns. It proved an expensive and not very effective plan. The fighter-bomber, carrying suitable bombs and armed with four cannons, has proved much tetter for attacking ground targets, as well as targets on the sea. The machine retains the qualities of a fighter after the bombs have gone, and during my visit to this squadron I saw a Whirlwind being "stunted." The display gave ample proof that a twin-engined fighter can be thrown about in the air, can loop and roll and perform other manoeuvres in a style which would not have dis- graced a Gladiator. Of late the main work oi this Whirlwind squadron has been to inter- fere with enemy traffic within its range. In moonlight periods it in trades into Northern France and Belgium and attacks trains and il targets. Railway lines show (Top) Removing the nose cowling to get at the four 20 mm. Hispano cannon withwhich the Whirlwind is armed. (Lower) With cowling removed the drums of ammunition are easily changed. The projection beneath the wing carries the16 mm. cine camera which operates while the guns are firing. up well in moonlight, and smoke pro- claims the approach of a train. By day only goods trains are attacked, but by night passenger trains are also fair game, for only Germans are allowed to travel by night in occupied territory. Goods trains often include a flak waggon, and the Whirlwind fighters have to adapt their attacks accordingly. In recent weeks the pilots have marked a distinct decrease in the number of trains within their area of operations. It is notable that barrage balloons are never seen. During the last six months -while engaged on fighter-bomber operations, members of this squadron have destroyed or damaged 37 goods trains in occupied territory. Of these suc- cesses 16 were scored by night and the rest by day. The squadron has also successfully attacked a power station, viaducts, and a hutted camp in occu- pied territory, and other useful targets. Pinpricks, perhaps, but they count. The same decrease of traffic in the Channel is also reported, only to a greater degree. It is admitted that Blenheim squadrons first made it too risky for enemy ships of 2,000 tons and over to run the gauntlet of the Channel. But smaller ships continued to take the risk until the fighter- bombers set about them. Now enemy shipping practically never attempts the Channel except on very dark nights, and then it hugs the farther shore. British convoys pass up and down the Channel as freely as ever they did. Britannia rules both the sea and the air.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
