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Aviation History
1944
1944 - 1939.PDF
EEPTEMPER 2IST, 1944 fe\ ,:•''. ^yp\2s«?> 303 Supply by Sea and Air : Tactical Bombing in Excelsis : British and U.S. Methods of Air Support the 7th Army from the south is one of the marvels of this remarkable cam paign in France. The distances covered were enormous, and the time taken to Cover them was very short. This result was due to the speed of mechanised armies. In neither advance does the air seem to have played much part, since the carrier aircraft covered the original landings in the Riviera. Neither force has had to worry about CHERBOURG is a port of value on the northern coast of France, but as the Allies moved eastward at a pace unprecedented in the history of war it became urgently necessary that they should seize a port not far from their front line. Le Havre was the first to fall, but at the time of writing it is uncertain how long it will take to make the harbour usable. The heavy attack by Bomber Com mand may be presumed to have fallen on the German forts rather than on the harbour, but the Germans \/J»- themselves usually try to demolish as much as they can in a town which they know they can no longer hold. In the meantime the advance of the armour of Gen. Eisenhower had to pause, waiting for supplies. A whole fleet of Dakota transport aircraft was immediately set to work to fly to and fro, carrying as much as possible of the stuff which the armies needed. The organisation of this air supply line was a-very fine piece of work, but sea transport, slow though it may be, is still the bedrock of the supply system for the Army. Even railways, which are faster, and in the working of which there is no lack of experience, cannot compete fin utility with sea transport. The day is far distant when air transport (using the fastest of, all the carriers) can be counted as a (rival to ' shipping and railways. Nevertheless, as an emergency measure, this use of the Dakotas was highly to be praised. Aircraft did not only drop bombs on Le Havre and the other Channel ports. They also dropped leaflets and (a very clever idea) safe-conduct passes which must have been very tempting to German soldiers who knew there was no chance of relief or escape for them. Fear and depression are very infectious complaints, and, while many German bodies are fight ing stubbornly, others are-only too glad to surrender. The number of prisoners taken by the Allies the landings in Normandyvarfid^-the Riviera must have made.^rvery con siderable diminu tion in the total German strength, without counting all the slain and the wounded who were got away. The meeting and joining of hands between the Army cf Gen. Patton and NO ROOM TO SWING : L.S.T.s • (Landing Ships, Tank) are now com peting with the baby flat tops. A port able landing strip is carried and eight aircraft can be stowed on board. They were used in their new role dur ing the invasion of France TOWERS OF STRENGTH: Seafire Ills of the Fleet Air Arm being ser viced at the North Front airfield in Gibraltar. At night the airfield is floodlit by lights concealed in the rock face. opposition from the Luftwaffe, and, with the F.F.I, providing any amount of accurate information about the posi tions1 of the German forces, there can not have been much need even for reconnaissance aircraft. No doubt both forces would have liked to have some rocket-firing Beaufighters with thtem to deal with enemy tanks, but none the less they have never been unduly held up. A series of battles or almost devoid, of aircraH must hav^ seemed strange to modern Generals.
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