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Aviation History
1949
1949 - 1238.PDF
F LI G HI JULY 7TH, w FOIL" COMPLETED Pattern of Activity in Phases II and III : Accounts by "Flight" Staff in the Air and on the Ground Illustrated by ' Flight " photographs IN our narrative of the opening phase of ExerciseFoil last week, we emphasized that the design of theoperation had a fighter bias, the cardinal purpose having been to exercise and refine the air defence system of Great Britain. Now that the second and third phases are over—the Exercise ended at dusk last Sunday—it can justifiably be concluded that a good deal, of fundamental importance, has been learned. Naturally enough, the full scale of benefit will not be assessable until all the records, logs, reports and tactical analyses have been fully resolved ; nevertheless, there is immediate reward in having given the Auxiliaries and Territorials a refreshing breath of operational air. In this context, of course, there is some pertinence to Regular personnel, for there are many R.A.F. and Army people who have joined since 1945 (aside from National Service entry) and thus have no experience of wartime work. Phase II started on Tuesday morning (June 28th), the first strong attack being made by 20 Wellingtons which entered the area near Yarmouth at 16,oooft and curved over London before flying out over Kent. Five 12 Group Meteor and Vampire squadrons engaged the Wellingtons at different times and, naturally enough, claimed mauling successes. To give some realism to high-altitude, high-speed inter- ception, Air Marshal Sir Basil Embry co-operated with Air Marshal Sir Aubrey Ellwood in seconding a squadron At the Fighter Command H.Q. conference which opened Exercise " Foil " are (left to right) Air Marshal Sir Aubrey Ellwood. the A.O.C.-in-C. Bomber Command, Lt.-Gen. Sir Ivor Thomas, G.O.C.-in-C. Anti-Aircraft Command, and Air Marshal Sir Basil Embry, A.O.C.-in-C. Fighter Command. Symbolic ofR.AJ.-U.S.A.F. co-operation is the scene above, where \2-Group Meteors fly over one of the visiting F-BQs at Horsham St. Faith. of Vampires to the attacking side to simulate a high-level formation of jet bombers. The Vampires made an attack on a target near Bath at 35,000ft. Continuing experimenta- tion, the A.O.C. in C. Fighter Command sent in two Meteor squadrons and the Dutch Meteor squadron, operating as a fighter wing, to attack the Vampires. This resulted in claims of successful interceptions and combats. At the same time (1445 hours) six Meteors intercepted and attacked eight B-29S of the U.S. Third Air Division at 25,000ft over North London. Three Superforts were also attacked at 1645 by a Meteor squadron at 30,000ft above Dover and, some little while later, other B-20.S were engaged at 26,000 and 30,000ft over the North Sea. Then, at 1830, a second Vampire high-level bombing attack was launched. The four Vampires crossed over Yarmouth at 29,000ft, aiming for Coventry, but were successfully intercepted by a pair of Meteors from Horsham St. Faith; 10 minutes later, the Meteors also attacked a couple of B-29S 10 miles north of Cromer at the same height. The third Vampire high-level incursion was opposed by six Netherlands Meteors—one for each Vampire—at 20,000ft over Bury St. Edmunds.
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