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Aviation History
1944
1944 - 0220.PDF
112 WAR IN THE AIR fronts except the West, have turned once more to air attacks on the con voys when the U-boats have obviously failed. The aircraft which the Ger mans send out from bases on the Bay of Biscay are necessarily heavy machines, and they have to risk en counters' with the interceptor fighters from the escort carriers. For them the heavy German machines would be just so much cold meat. But the long- range machines of Coastal Command are only too eager, to act as fighters, and they have more than held their own against German aircraft of the same class. Dog-fights between heavy bombers are a strange development of this strange war. The Daylight Offensive ''THE great daylight offensive against -*• targets in northern France and the Low Countries goes on day after day without intermission, and with a mini mum of opposition by German fighters. The casualties on both sides are small, and it is clear that it is de liberate policy on the German part not to engage in air combat. In that part of Europe at least the Germans are not short of fighters, though the prospects of replacing losses may well be dubious. If Gen. Spaatz was cor rect in his estimate that recent raids on enemy fighter factories have cut down the planned German production by 40 per cent., then there is an obvious reason why the Germans should not risk losses except for the defence of some place which they consider of vital importance. In that part of France there must be many places which the Germans are *ery loth to see damaged. It is a heavily fortified slice of Europe, for the Germans do not know any more than the Editor of Flight does whether it will be the place selected for an Allied invasion. It must be teeming with German troops, both those man ning the coast defences and also mobile units. There mav also be so-called HONOURABLE HERNIA : The damaged bomb doors and fuselage of a Bristol Beaufort after making a wheels-up landing. "secret weapons" in the area, which the enemy would not like to see bombed out of existence. Of late the communiques have been vague about the targets which the British and American medium bombers have been attacking so relent lessly, though many personal reports have emphasised the great accuracy with which the bombs have been dropped on them. The main defence has been only flak. That has been heavy, but it has not stopped the Allied airmen, and it has not brought down many of them. Defensive fighters only appear on rare occasions, and when they do the escortsAf Spit fires and Typhoons deal wjCh them. The situation is interesting, jfad it does not suggest any great confidence on the part of the German Hisp Command that they will be able to/win the war. Another strange new weapon has been used by German/ships attacked by Coastal Command/lire raft off Nor- Mr ' -M way.fit was described as a sort of paradriute projectile, fit was fired from a gpn* and at the efid of its travel a parachute opened, presumably with some sort of shell dangling from it. It does not sound_ a very efficient weapon for repelling aircraft attacks, but at the present time the Germans are giving a lot of attention, to turning out strange weapons. The glider bombs used in the latest attack on a convoy seem to have caused more amusement to our airmen than damage to the shipping. Bombs trailed by fighters have been used against American heavy bombers. They sound a more unpleasant device, but, as General Spaatz has said, they will not stop the Americans from pushing on with their daylight attacks. Heavier losses may be expected in the future, but they will be faced, for the very good reason that the sooner the war is won the smaller will be the total of Allied casualties. All the Allies are rejoicing over tb. splendid victory by which <**? Russians have brought the siege of Leningrad to an end. No longer will that devoted city have to endure the indiscriminate shelling from German RECOGNITION PROBLEM : A captured Fieseler Storch observation aircraft used by the Allies in Italy. In the background is a Stinson Vigilant.
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