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Aviation History
1944
1944 - 0688.PDF
/ 356 FLIGHT WAR IN THE AIR prevented the enemy from sending forces of 100 bombers at a time to attack London and other parts by night. That more machines have not b«en sent is probably due to the pre vailing policy of conservation rather than to losses inflicted by our own raids on the airfields. The weather also has doubtless had a good deal to do with the choice of nights for an attack on England. The Germans do not care to come over on clear nights, especially if there is a moon, for such conditions favour our night-fighters, ft is also possible that the Germans have learnt a lesson, and now realise that night raiding makes no difference to British war effort. A comparatively small raid can be represented to their own people as a heavy one and as a reprisal for the damage done to Berlin and other German cities. But the proportion of losses suffered by the German raiders has not been light, fn the aggregate the losses have not been considerable, but they must have a discouraging effect upon the small number of aircrews sent out on each raid. Hill Tops in Italy "THE position in Italy gives the Allies •*• no grounds for satisfaction. The destruction of Cassino by bombing has brought them no nearer to capturing the place, and one cannot help ques tioning why aircraft were called upon to do this job, when ample artillery was available. In any case, the Ger mans have proved themselves fully as capable of holding our men at bay from improvised positions in the ruins as they were when the buildings of the town were standing upright. The destruction of the monastery has also failed to bring about the capture of the town, and we do not know whether it even saved the lives of any of our men. Parties of New Zealanders aud Gurkhas had established themselves on various high points round about, and for some time they have had to AIRGUNS : The N.A-B.25 Mitchell, showing the 75mm. cannon in the lower part of the nose. The two machine guns on the centre line are 0.5m. calibre and the bulge on the top starboard side is made by the recording camera. be supplied by air. Correspon dents have mar velled how these parties got up to such positions, where not even jeeps, mules, or even porters could reach them with supplies. No feat seems to be beyond the capacities of New Zealanders, while all Gurkhas are essentially mountaineers, and very fine moun taineers, too. The early attempts to drop supplies to these parties by parachute were not always successful, and it must have been terribly disappointing to men who were hungry and thirsty, as well as short of ammunition, to watch the parachutes with their badly needed supplies in the canisters floating down out of their reach, and probably fall ing a good distance down the moun tain side. The pilots persevered, and soon became more expert in dropping the parachutes and canisters on the peaks occupied by the troops; but at the best it must have been a chancy business, and the men must have had a very uncomfortable time. One is glad to know that they have been with drawn, though the descent from their eyries (doubtless made by night) would inevitably have been a hazard ous affair, probably not much less dangerous than their original ascent. In the meantime there is a stalemate at Cassino, but when the weather im proves the Allies may be able to make an advance. In any case, progress seems to depend on the infantry, with artillery support, and too much must not be expected from our superiority in the air. Aircraft in a land struggle are a specialised arm, extremely potent on the right occa sion, but by no means maids of all work. The Activity in Burma ""PHE news from Burma gives small -*- opportunity for an observer at a distance to attempt a summary. There the Fourteenth Army holds undoubted air superiority, but we have no means of judging what that superiority is exactly worth. The Japanese are moving towards our base at Imphal, the capital of Manipur State, from several directions, and at one point at least have met with some success. The enemy had assembled a not in considerable force of aircraft "to back his advance, but before the end of March the British and American fighters had destroyed 133 enemy machines for a loss of only 33. One AIR SEA.BATTLE : A mid-Atlantic scene as two Wildcat fighters from the escort carrier H.M.S. Biter shoot down a Junkers 290. The dark cloud on the horizon is where the Ju 290 hit the water in flames.
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