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Aviation History
1943
1943 - 0880.PDF
356 FLIGHT APRIL 8TH, 1943 WAR IN THE AIR been able to hold its own to a suffi- cient extent to prevent the enemy from having things all his own way. In short, the Luftwaffe in Russia has failed to do what the R.A.F. has achieved in North Africa. The effort, to be strong on both fronts must be taxing the German air resources to the uttermost, especially when one remem- bers that a very large proportion of fighters is kept in Northern France. The number there recently was a good half oi the German fighter strength ; that may have been reduced by now, but it can hardly be very much re- duced without great risk. In addition to the claims of the two existing fronts, the Germans have to be prepared" for a possible Allied invasion in Northern Europe, and the recent statement by Mr. Morrison about " regulated areas " round the coasts of Britain must have added to their anxieties. A Raid on Sardinia Probably even the Germans were surprised, as most people in this country have been, to realise that the Americans in North Africa have accumulated a force of nearly 100 Fortress bombers. When one thinks of the great quantities of ground equipment needed before a squadron of heavy bombers can operate effi- ciently, one must marvel at the effort which has established such a formid- able force so far from home. External lines give a considerable advantage to the belligerent which commands the seas, but that principle has hardly ever been more strikingly demon- strated than in-this African camp.iign •—at least since Wellington's Army ANOTHER RENAULT ATTACK : Bombs exploding in the Le Mans Renault works during an attack by Mosquitoes of Bomber Command. was landed in Spain for the'Pcninsular campaign. The port and air bases of Cagliari, in Sardinia, were selected as the witness of this surprising growth of American air power in the Mediter- ranean. The attack was not entir.lv an American show. On the night of Tuesday, March 30th, R.A.F. Wel- lingtons raided the airfield of Deciino- raannu,- in the neighbourhood of Cag- liari, and lit many fires. Then on the following day the Fortresses came over by daylight and attacked the port ar.d' all the three airfields near by. The damage done is said to havt; been very extensive, and a number of 'Axis ships were hit. Particularly gratifying was the effect of one bomb which penetrated an underground fuel storage dep6t at Decimomannu and set it on fire. It must have been a lucky hit, of course, but it must also have been a very beautiful bomb—or else the construction of the under- ground depot was a particularly BRISTOLS IN BURMA : Blenheims making low-level attacks on Japanese shipping in Akyab harbour. slovenly piece of Italian workmanship. The clear atmosphere of the Mediter- ranean is very .suitable for the special tactics of Fortresses, namely, altitude bombing in daylight. The Western Desert Air Force cele- brated the 25th birthday of the R.A.F. by making the largest single raid yet carried out in Africa. The target was the airfield at Sfax, El Maou by name, and nearly 100 light bombers took part. Despite a fierce barrage from the greund none of our aircraft was lost. The smoke covered the target, find results could not be accurately observed, but it is to be hoped that this raid still further reduced the ability of the Axis to dispute the supremacy in the air held by the United Nations. The Position The position in Tunisia.now is very interesting, with the Axis holding a comparatively narrow but very de- fensible strip along the coast, in. which there is not much room to manoeuvre, while the United Nations attack from the south and all along the western edge of the strip. Rommel showed judgment, as usual, in holding the Mareth Line just long enough, and yet withdrawing his troops in good time. , He inflicted losses on the Eighth Army, and he suffered losses himself. " It is believed that his losses were con- siderably the heavier, but details are not yet known. He delayed General Montgomery for a few days, and delay is obviously one of the strategic objects of the Axis in holding out in Tunisia. There followed a retreat across the front of the forces which General Eisenhower brought to Africa, in which Rommel was covered by flank guards', but all t he while was subject to furious attack from the Allied Air Forces, while the. Eighth Army followed up behind him as hard as it could go. The supply lines of the Axis in Africa are by sea, covered by the Italian "fleet in being" but assailed by submarines and air attacks. While the Italian fleet remains in being the British Navy cannot come out in its
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