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Aviation History
1944
1944 - 0743.PDF
'APRIL 13TH, 1944 F LiC HT 3S5 ^__ ENEMY AIR LOSSES TO APRIL 1st Mar. 26 ... „ 27 ... ,. 28 ... „ 29 ... „ 30 ... „ 31 ... Apr. 1 ... Over G.B. 0 II 0 0 0 0 0 II Touts : West, 8.135 N.W. Africa Over Con't. 3 0 0 1 1 0 0 5 Middle East 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ; Middle East, over and Italy, 4,916. Italy 7 0 16 22 15 4 0 64 5,845 ; WAR IN THE AIR and so on April 3rd naval aircraft made an attack and are reported to have scored several hits with bombs. This feat, it is to be hoped, will pre vent the Tirpiiz from making any more attempts to go out raiding on Allied convoy routes, and she may sur vive to be surrendered when the Armistice comes. But what a differ ence the German fleet will present to the imposing array of battleships and ^cruisers which grave themselves UD to Beatty in 1918! That most of those ships were scuttled did not matter much ; they provided useful salvage. The attack on the Tirpitz introduced the Fairey Barracuda to the public. Actually the type has been in service with the Fleet Air Arm for about a year, and the number of squadrons equipped with it has been steadily in creased. The Admiralty statement showed that two forces of Barracudas were flown off the carriers, and they were supported by a strong body of naval fighters. No enemy fighters were met, but there was flak from the ship and from ground batteries. By the time the attack was over the fire from the ship had been silenced, no doubt by the medium bombs dropped. The main defence was a smoke screen, but this did not protect the-t5aTtleship>arKl the later attacksscored hitsj The loss BRITISH ft U.S. AIR LOSSES TO APRIL 1st Mar. 26 M 27 ., 28 ,r 29 ,. 30 ,. 31 Apr. 1 Over G.B. A'cft. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Continent B'brs. F'trs. 15 2 6 10 S 3 II 9 96 3 0 1 12 4 145 32 Middle East A'cft. 0 0 0 0 0 L 1 0 1 Ita Art 5 3 10 II 12 2 2 45 Totals : West, 10.921 ; Middle East, abouf 2,383 ; N.W. Africa and Italy, 1,911. of three Barracudas and one fighter (whose pilot is safe) was a very moderate price to pay, especially if the damage done was as effective as is hoped. Ploesti has again been bombed by American heavy bombers from the Mediterranean. The chief targets were the railway yards and an adjacent re finery. The wells themselves do not make easy targets, and refineries are cli more vulnerable. THE NAVY'S NEWEST : The Fairey Barracuda (Rolls-Royce Merlin engine) inbuilt to a most difficult specification to meet the requirements of the Fleet Air Arm. It had to be equally suitable for dive, precision and torpedo bombing ; to be reasonably fast and yet take off and land on a carrier's deck ; wings had to fold to enable it to go below on the lift; pilot and crew had to have a good view. This latter consideration is presumably the reason for the high-wing arrangement which, in its turn, necessitates the high position of the tailplane to give good control in the dive. No official release of information has yet been made, but from external appearances it may be assumed that the diving brakes-cum lift flaps are of the Youngman type.
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