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Aviation History
1943
1943 - 1766.PDF
FLIGHT JULY 8TH, 1943 SCHOOL FOR SUPER-GUNNERS feet, the "enemy fighter" soon entered the arena andword was given to "let battle commence." Our Welling- ton's exercise in this instance was not air gunnery, butevasive action, and the young Canadian pilot officer at the controls warned us to keep our inter-com. pluggedin so that we should know •when to hold tight. The control officer, head in astrodrome, announced Hiepresence of the "enemy" on a parallel course and about 600 yards distant to starboard. Visibility was onlymoderate.* " He's climbing," said the control officer's voice on theinter-com., "now he's beginning to turn to port—he's coming in to attack; here he comes! "—the voice risingin the best John Snagg tradition. '' Here we' go! " sang out the Canadian pilot, twistingthe "spectacles" through 90 degrees and shoving the column forward. The Wimpey heeled over to port, stoodon its wing tip, and then plunged earthwards. Our stomach; a bit beyond the age-limit for R.A.F. aircrew,nevertheless coped tolerably well with this sudden appli- cation of "negative G." Our "mike," however, ceasedto dangle on its cord, and floated up like Charlie Chaplin's celebrated watch as though beseeching us to say a fewappropriate words to the pilot. The landscape rapidly approached, slantwise (much nearer than timid folk like ourselves regard as comfortable), but Johnny Canuck knewhis stuff and eased the column back, reversing the bank, to send the Wimpey up in a steep climbing turn. "G"now became emphatically positive, and Flight felt as though it had swapped torsos with Teddy Brown. Quiteincidentally (to us!) the '' enemy '' had broken away astern and we next saw him high on our port bow. Thistime butterflies fluttered desperately in Flight's tummy again, but the Spit flashed impotently beneath us. Again and again the Spitfire attacked, his every moveinstantly reported by the control officer, while the young Canadian threw his bomber about the sky with astonishingalacrity. It went on for almost exactly 30 minutes, so that, great as was our admiration for both pilot and air-craft, the increasing likelihood of wasting the first-rate lunch so recently enjoyed in the mess made us welcomethe pilot's intimation that the little show was over. A mischievously grinning maintenance crew had in-formed us, just before the take-off, that leaving one's rations behind in their aircraft involved a fine of " half-a-dollar.'' Flight is proud to record that no such obligation was, in fact, incurred—but admits that another tenminutes of "evasive action," as the C.G.S. translates it, would most likely have produced beer money for the ErkSt,It appears we are not quite as young as we used to be i Lend-lease "What's Mine is Yours," is the R.A.F. Attitude Towards the U.S.A.A.FT HIS is not merely a pleasant-sounding slogan em- phasising the ever-growing camaraderie between the R.A.F. and the American air forces. It is the spirit in which the K.A.F. has carried out its part in reverse Lend-Lease There is ample evidence of the great practical assistance in the way of equipment of every kind which has been and still is being given by the R.A.F. to our American ally. As the power of the U.S.A.A.F. steadily builds up in Britain, so the resources and experience of the R.A.F. are placed at their disposal. Tht- essential requirements of the U.S.A.A.F., airfields to house them and provisions to feed them, are given free. There are also many additional services with which the R.A.F. can help. It provides them with many items of equipment and even aircraft to save shipping space, throws open special courses of instruction, and lends personnel to help them settle down in the different operational con- ditions of the offensive base which England has now become. The Air Ministry, in cooperation with the War Office and Ministry of Food, has agreed that the United States forces in the United Kingdom should be provisioned by British procurement agencies, and that local purchases will be made by the U.S. forces themselves only in excep- tional circumstances. Some of the food to be supplied includes potatoes, jam and marmalade, fresh fruit and vegetables, sugar, syrup, tea, chocolate, candy and cookies. The resources of the N.A.A.F.I. have also been put at the disposal of the U.S. forces. It is believed that the total tonnage of foodstuffs supplied will come to between 200,000 and 250,000 tons during 1943. All the airfields and depots necessary to accommodate the men and machines of the U.S.A.A.F. have been pro- vided by the Air Ministry, and wherever it has been neces- sary to augment existing accommodation, airfields have been especially constructed for their use. Two of the largest depots in the world have been allotted to them, one specially constructed and the other relinquished by the Ministry of Aircraft Production. Headquarters for the U.S.A.A.F. and its various commands and a rest centre for officers from operational units have similarly been pro vided at Air Ministry expense. In addition, full liability has been accepted for the repair of all damage to property placed at the disposal of the U.S. forces. American Air Force personnel are receiving instruction side by side with the R.A.F. personnel at a variety of courses organised by the R.A.F. These include flying control duties, night fighter courses, beam approach train- ing, and oxygen courses. Vacancies at the Empire Cen- tral Flying School have been offered to U.S. Army and Navy officers, and U.S. personnel are already undergoing instruction at the works of civilian contractors, side by side with R.A.F. personnel. All such instruction is afforded as reciprocal aid. The American task forces were supplied by the R.A.F. with most ot their radiolocation equipment for the North African campaign, including many stations and experi- enced personnel to operate them. Up to March 31, 1943, 675 aircraft, including a large proportion of Spitfires, as well as communication and training types, have been supplied to the U.S. forces. A large number of these was issued to the U.S.A.A.F. in North-West Africa, along with all the necessary mainten- ance items, such as engine and airscrew tools, and aircraft concealment parts. A very considerable amount of fighter R/T equipment was provided to the U.S.A.A.F. in North Africa at the urgent request of General Spaatz throughout the period October to April last. This was carried out at the expense of the immediate reserves of R.A.F. units. For the winter of 1943-4, plans have been made to meet American requirements for such things as de-icing paste, de-frosting fluid, and propeller de-icing paste. 3,500 dinghies are being supplied, and a proposal that the R.A.F. should supply the U.S. iorces with equipment for 38 mobile workshops is at present under discussion. Until the necessary additional staff has reached the U.S.A.A.F. from America, R.A.F. and W.A.A.F. per- sonnel have been lent in various capacities. Examples of reciprocal aid in this country, though conspicuous, do not complete the picture We continue to send assistance diiect to America in the shape of both personnel and supplies.
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