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Aviation History
1944
1944 - 0638.PDF
330 WAR IN THE AIR fore in this »var. The case of Crete need not be considered, because the circumstances there were exceptional, and everything favoured the success of the invaders, provided that they were willing to pay the price in casualties, which the Germans are never reluct ant to do. We tried experiments with air-borne troops in Sicily, and it was admitted that mistakes were made, even though General Montgomery said that the air-borne men had saved the Eighth Army a week in establish ing itself on the island. It is to be hoped that the South-East Asia Com mand has profited by the lessons learnt from the earlier experiments. One rule seems to be (though rules can only be put forward tentatively as yet) that air-borne troops must meet with rapid success, for otherwise they may become a liability instead of an asset. The conditions of Burma are doubtless peculiar, and as the enemy there is very weak in the air the supplying of an air-borne contingent may be easier there than elsewhere. The Wingate Force was supplied by air, and the same service has been rendered to Australians in New Guinea, so pre sumably the force in Burma can be served in the same way. But it will evidently, have to travel a long way before it can achieve its object, what ever that may be, and one does not like to think of all the/possible diffi culties which may._.cxQ§fup to interfer" with-^rre adequate sltpplyiffg ,by air of a fcofjsid«able forofc, which wout&Jind itsMfJinl^eryydrmcult position ii its unufiial not QC comnraMications *ere FOR GERMAN AIR TOURISTS : The Z —which are guaranteed to give any Although there is a general feeling of confidence that the Battle of the Atlantic has gone definitely in favour of the United Nations for the time being, all naval and air authorities know well that vigilance must not be relaxed for a minute. The Germans will always be quick to stage a come back if the British and Americans give them a chance. Therefore it was pleasing to learn recently that the United States has supplied Britain with 38 escort carriers on Lend-Lease terms. Col. Knox has stated that the U.S. Navy now possesses about 50 of these invaluable vessels. It does not matter much whether they are in the hands of American or British crews, so long as they serve the com- THEIR PLACE IN THE SUN : Indian pilots of an I.A.F. Hurricane squadron resting on a forward airfield. The man wearing a pagri is a Sikh. rocket guns—newly released from secrecy marauding German a hot reception. mon purpose by defeating the enemy U-boats. Red Air Scouts Some weeks ago it was pointed out in these columns that no small part of the Russian ability to bring off sur prises by striking now here, now there, and always out-manceuvring the Germans, must be due to the air superiority which our Allies have now established. Reconnaissance is of the essence of surprise, or of countering surprise, in war, and the Russian Generals obviously have good informa tion as to the movements of their opponents, while the Germans often appear to be quite in the dark. The Russian freedom to reconnoitre from the air would account for this. Altogether the Luftwaffe in Russia must be having a very unhappy time. It is extremely short of fighters, which means that its bombers are subject to heavy casualties when they try to interfere with the movements o^ the Russian troops. Quite recently It was reported that the Luftwaffe was trying to cut the communications of Marshal Konev across the river Dniester. It would be natural for the retreating Germans to use any and every weapon to try to check this remarkable advance of the Red Army ; but it does not appear that the Luft waffe was able to do much. In fact, if we judge by the numbers of aircraft which are claimed as destroyed in the Russian communiques, not very many German machines can be taking the air on any day. On the other hand, one does read every now and then of good work carried out by the Stormo- viks against the German troops. These Russian tactical bombers must be well protected by fighters (for the production of aircraft in Russia is now
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