FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1943
1943 - 0687.PDF
and ^AIRCRAFT ENGINEER FIRST AERONAUTICAL WEEKLY IN THE WORLD •• FOUNDED 1909 Editor C. M. POULSEN Managing Editor G. GEOFFREY SMITH, M.B.E. Chief Photographer JOHN YOXALL Editorial Advertising and Publishing Offices: DORSET HOUSE, STAMFORD STREET, LONDON, S.E.I Telegrams : Truditur, Sedist, London. COVENTRY : 8-10, CORPORATION ST. BIRMINGHAM, 2 : GUILDHALL BUILDINGS, _. . - NAVIGATION ST. Telegrams: Autocar,Coventry. Telegrams: Autopress, Birmingham. Telephone: Coventry 5210. Telephone: Midland 297 1 (5 lines). Telephone: Waterloo 3333 (35 linei). MANCHESTER, 3 : GLASGOW, C.2 : 260, DEANSGATE. 26B, RENFIELD ST. Telegrams : Iliffe, Manchester. Telegrams: Iliffe, Glasgow. Telephone : Bladdriars 4412. Telephone : Central 4857. Registered at the G.P.O. a: a Newspaper. No. 1786. Vol. XLIII. March 18th, 1943. Thursdays, One Shilling. CThe Outlook Laying Down PrinciplesT HE speech with which Sir Archibald Sinclair intro- duced the Air Estimates on Thursday last will go down to history as a classic utterance, because it gave authoritative denial to certain charges which have been brought against the Air Ministry, and also it laid down principles which should guide the thoughts of future students of air warfare. Over and over again in the past three years have critics of the Air Ministry and the Royal Air Force charged ' those two bodies with holding the doctrine that the air could win the war by itself. The Air Staff itself has never put forward such a theory, but many private individuals who have claimed to be its friends have done so. The writings of the Italian General Douhet and also ' of the Russo-American Mr. De Seversky have no doubt been largely responsible for the spread of this idea, even among those who have not themselves read their books, but there is always a tendency for the public to imagine that a newly invented weapon will dominate all future wars. Sir Archibald was at pains to deny this dangerous doctrine in the clearest language. He hoped that the * facts which he gave to the House would dispose once and for all of "the illusion " that the R.A.F. was fight- ing a separate war. The triumphs of the Eighth Army have provided the model for combined work by ground troops and air power, and Sir Archibald told the-House that the lessons learnt in Africa were being studied in this country. He went on to make a most important declaration, namely, that "it is not only on the squadrons of Army Co-operation Command that the Army will rely when it is fighting on the Continent of Europe. The whole resources of the Royal Air Force will be united with those of the Army. ..." That is a statement of tremendous importance which must guide the thoughts, doctrine and teaching of the Air Staff, the Air Staff College, and the College of Imperial Defence for the future. The highest possible authority has now laid it down that the most novel of our weapons offers no short cut to victory. In the future, as in the long past, the harmonious working together of all arms is the only sound theory of strategy and tactics. First Things FirstA NOTHER striking passage in Sir Archibald's speech laid down the various functions of the Royal Air Force in order of importance. These, he said, were, first, to protect our war industries, communica- tions and homes from the attacks of the enemy; secondly, to take its share with the Navy in the defence of overseas routes; thirdly, to combine with the two other Services in offensive operations against the enenvy's forces; and, fourthly, to attack the enemy's war industries, transport and military bases. In the past (at any rate before the Battle of Britain) the Air Ministry unmistakably (though not in so many * words) gave pride of place to Bomber Command. Sir Archibald's list shows Fighter Command as performing the primary function of air power, Coastal Command next in importance, then the whole force of the R.A.F. in third place, and Bomber Command in the fourth. This listing is undoubtedly correct. It in no way counters the maxim that attack is the best form of defence, as a general principle, but it does make it clear that one cannot attack unless and until one has made one's base safe. The sea ranks next to our homeland, while, as stated above, combined attack by all arms is the way to win the war.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
