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Aviation History
1944
1944 - 1705.PDF
AUGUST I7TH, 1944 133 BEAUFICHTER STRIKES ^party were on the job immediately, smothering the air craft in foam. Back in the operations room where they had been briefed some hours previously the crews were being interrogated. To stand over them, and listen to the intelligence officers trying to make a complete picture, is to see a typical example of what has long been known as the " fog of war." A convoy of quite modest size may cover an area of 20 square miles, and since the attack is made by the aircraft in line abreast it is easily understandable that, in the excite ment of the moment, the crews only take an interest in the ships which they actually attack. Assessing Damage By continual cross-questioning and suggestion, however, a rough map gradually builds up under the intelligence officers' pencils, and the path of each Beaufighter's attack is plotted. Later this is checked against the photographs taken automatically during the attack. It will then be known who has made successful hits and who has missed. For the operation in question, no fewer than 700 photo graphs were taken and carefully examined. The tactics employed are simple but extremely effective, About two-thirds of the aircraft carry only cannon and rocket projectiles. These form the anti-flak section and their job is to shoot-up the ships in the convoy—there are /_usually three or more aircraft per ship—and as far as possible silence the A.A. guns. Since each of the Beaus carries eight armour-piercing rocket projectiles it has an offensive strength equal to the full broadside of a six-inch gun cruiser and it is riot surprising that the silencing is frequently very effective! Immediately behind the anti-flak aircraft—before the gunners can recover—the Beaufighter Xs, each carrying an 18-inch torpedo, make their attack and getaway. There was a time when airborne marine torpedoes had to be dropped from a very low height and from an aircraft flying slowly and exactly level. Even then a large proportion of the torpedoes either dived straight to the bottom of the sea or smacked the surface in such a manner that its back was broken. To-day they are incredibly clever. They can be dropped at almost any speed and from any height up to a limit of 500ft. If the release is made while the Beaufighter is jinking, the torpedo automatically takes up a level attitude. Engine design for marine torpedoes has remained static for many years. Basically it is a 4-cylinder radial com pressed-air engine with a bore and stroke of 4 inches. As the air passes to the engine from the reducing valve it is mixed with a quantity of light diesel oil and the resulting f mixture fired. This, of course, greatly increases the pressure of the available gases. It will be interesting to see whether, at some future date, the reciprocating engine will give place •to a turbine with the exhaust gases assisting in the form of jet propulsion. This system appears to have possibilities A Beaufighter X carrying an 18-inch torpedo. This photo graph was taken during a demonstration flight, during which the starboard engine was stopped and the airscrew feathered to show how the Beaufighter, fully loaded, could fly on one engine. for aircraft and it may be that longer range and greater speed may be given to marine torpedoes by its use. To return to things aeronautical. When it was suggested to the pilots that the renowned Beaufighter was '' on its way out'' after many years of good service, they were most indignant. They could hot imagine a better aircraft for the job. It was fast enough, highly manoeuvrable and the view for attack excellent. Range is ample since there can be no relief of the pilot. There is some considerable difference of opinion between pilots as to the effectiveness of the two weapons—torpedo or rocket projectile—for the actual job of destroying the ships. As an anti-flak weapon the Beau with R.P. and 20 mm. cannon is peerless. Two or three of them attack- one ship smother the whole deck with missiles, and it is the opinion of pilots that this is sufficient to destroy merchant men and light naval forces. The Torpedo-Beau pilots, on the other hand, delight in the effectiveness of their sleek weapon. In their eyes the torpedo is a thing of beauty, and it cannot be gainsaid that the explosion of a modern warhead against the hull of a ship of any kind usually means the end of that ship. The argument between the two enthusiasts usually takes the form of a discussion as to the accuracy of aim. The R.P. pilots reckon they can put their shells on a pocket handkerchief and the torpedo pilots say "If only you subdue the flak for us we will hit the ships and sink them." This loyalty to aircraft and weapons is common throughout the whole R.A.F., and, while it is a very desirable thing, it is prone to mislead earnest enquirers. AIRBORNE ARMY SUPREME Headquarters has announced the combination of all its airborne forces, both American and British, under one command to form an airborne army. In this command will be all the combat troops, gliders and the paratroop and tug aircraft. Lt. Gen. Lewis H. Brereton, United States Army, is to command the new army, and his deputy will be Lt. Gen. Frederick A. M. Browning, C.B., D.S.O., who has been respon sible, almost entirely, for the formation and training of air borne troops in the British Army. We have large airborne forces now available, and it is thougRt that the new organisation at the disposal of Gen. Eisenhower will make them more effective. The formation of this new- army represents a great advance on anything the Germans have done with airborne troops. They have never organised am formations larger than a division, and even these were not independent units because they had to rely solely on the Luftwaffe for aircraft and aircrews. The Anglo-American Airborne Army will have none of these drawbacks. Major Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg, United States Army, Deputy C.-in-C. A.E.A.F. under Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory, has assumed command of the U.S. gth A.A.F. in place ot Lt. Gen. Brereton. Major Gen. Ralph Royce, it is also announced, now becomes Deputy C.-in-C. Allied Expeditionary Air Forces.
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