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Aviation History
1943
1943 - 1357.PDF
MAT?1. 27TH, 1943 FLIGHT 545 ENEMY AIR LOSSES TO MAY May 16 '.'. I8 „ 1* „ 20 „ 21 „ 22 Totals: > Over 6.B. 5 3 1 1 0 1 0 . II Con- tinent 2 7 1 2 0 0 13 /Vest, 6,916: Middle North West Africa, Middle East 3 0 0 0 3 10 1 17 East, over 1,841. 22nd N.W. Africa 2 4 10 29 22 22 8 97 5,336; vigorously in defence of its homeland than in Africa, but the total Italian air strength is so small and so techni- cally inferior to that of the Allies that its best efforts, even in .conjunction with the Luftwaffe, could not ade- quately protect Italy from Allied air attack. Italy's most effective method of de- fending herself against Allied air aggression would clearly be to bomb the Allied airfields and bases in North Africa. Her fighters are neither numer- ous enough nor efficient enough to stop the Allied bombers, even when un- escorted, from attacking Italy. Italy, however, has neglected bomber types. Her bomber force is small, and what bombers she has are obsolescent, The Allied bomber force in North Africa is immensely superior, both numerically and technically, to that of the Axis. This was indicated clearly, for example, in the attack on Palermo on May 9, when Allied bombers attacked this port without loss, although this target is within fighter range of several Axis airfields. They dropped nearly as heavy a total tonnage as the German Air Force ever released upon London in a nigh* Meanwhile, our Typhoons, Mos- quitoes, Whirlwinds and Beaufighters of Fighter Command keep up their ceaseless intrusion upon the land and sea communications of the enemy nearer home, and Venturas and tor- pedo-carrying Hampdens of Coastal Command, the former generally escorted by Spitfires, have been giving no respite to his coastal airfields and shipping. Home-based Mitchells andBostons, too, have been in action, and though all these operations have notbeen conducted without some loss, this is far less than the high percentageloss of Fw 1-90 fighter-bombers which have been making themselves rather anuisance just lately over East Anglia and the outlying districts of London. Big Enemy Losses T AST week-end the losses of the -*-' Luftwaffe when it tried to protect its Mediterranean partner's airfields and ports rose to the impressive total of 272 machines in the space of three days ; of these 70 were shot down in combat and reports of individual en- counters again stresses the formidable defensive armament of the Flying Fortresses. There was, for example, the assault on the airfields of Sciacca, Castelvetrano and Borizzo in the west of Sicily. The heaviest blows were directed against Borizzo, where the Fortresses were met by what Js described as " a large number" of enemy fighters; it is significant that only Messerschmitt Me 109s were mentioned; there was no word ol any Macchi 202s or Reg- giani Re2obis, which are Italy's best fighters. At all events, seven Me 109s were shot down in the ensuing scrap and of these six fell to the guns of the bombers and one to the escort of P-3S Lightnings. Additionally, nine enemy aircraft were destroyed on the ground •—as shown by subsequent reconnais- sance photographs—and considerable damage was done to buildings and stores near the arsenal. Sciacca, on the south coast of Sicily's western tip, was the R.A.F.'s main target on the previous night. Wellington bombers started many fires among the hangars arid administrative buildings, and also visited three other airfields, coming down very low to bomb runways and dispersal points. At Castelvetrano, one Wellington, after planting a well-aimed stick right along the flare path, swooped down to within 50ft. of the ground to get below BRITISH & U.S. AIR LOSSES to MAY 22nd May 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Totals Over G.B. A'crft. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Continent B'brs. F'trs. 9 3 16 4 0 6 6 1 0 1 17 4 0 0 43 19 : West, 6,082; Middle E North West Africa Middle East A'crft. — o ooo o — 2 N.W. Africa A'crft. 3 0 7 4 1 7 4 26 ast, about 2,094 . , 690. the fairly strong flak, and got away with it A daylight raid by P-40F Warhawks strafed the wireless station at Sanantioco, in southern Sardinia, and whei> Gen. Doolittle's Strategic Air Force attacked airfields in Sicily and Sardinia last Friday, the enemy lost 19 fighters in combat and 67 air- craft were destroyed on the ground, including a number of six-engined Me 323 transports. MOONLIGHT MENACE : Mosquitoes of a night before take-off. ' intruder '' squadron just TJ.S.A.A.F. DEVELOPMENT A NEW European wing of the Air •*"*• Transport Command, U.S. Army, has been set up with Colonel P&ul E. Burrows as Commanding Officer. Originally the Command dealt with the problem of delivering mili- tary aircraft manufactured* in the United States to Great Britain. Its function is now broadened in that air- craft are delivered to U.S. Air Force units "wherever they are fighting. -Furthermore, the air transportation of critical cargo, mail and personnel is consolidated under the Command. Bases have been and are being estab- lished as well as facilities for handling a vast flow of aircraft and essential supplies, and they will be used jointly by the U.S. Air Transport Command and the Royal Air Force Transport Command. At the terminal points mechanics and other specialists will be employed to check aircraft received by sea ways before they are handed over to the Air Force units to which they are assigned. Colonel Burrows said: "You may have' noted a recent announcement concerning the construction, for Air Transport Command and Royal Air Force Transport Command operations, of the largest airfield in the world in Labrador, ^m the Great Circle air route to the United Kingdom and Europe. A vast increase on the number of air- craft that went through there in 1942 is expected this year. "In the European Wing we are making arrangements to receive these aircraft, and many others that will fly over different routes. It is no small task. It requires numerous bases and installations. It requires a large organisation—how large, I am not per- mitted to say. It is all a part of a vast military undertaking,- shared in by the Allied nations, to bring the war home to Hitler as speedily and forcefully as possible."
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