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Aviation History
1949
1949 - 1636.PDF
FLIGHT, 29 September* EXERCISE "BULLDOG" The Turn of the Bombers : Trainers Assist: Western Union Air Forces Aid the Defences Meteors and B-50s, at grips late on Sunday afternoon, afforded a magnificent view of a modern air engagement. " Flight " photograph. WHEN, in June, we gave a narrative account ofExercise Foil, it was stated that the official inten-tion was to hold exercises alternately with a fighter bias and a bomber bias. Foil was designed primarily as a fighter exercise and was thus basically defensive. The complementary offensive bomber exercise—under the name Bulldog—took place over last week-end. As before, in addition to Regular units, squadrons of the R.Aux.A.F. were engaged, together with squadrons of the French, Dutch and Belgian Air Forces, these being under the overall command of the A.O.C.-in-C, Fighter Command, Air Marshal Sir Basil Embrey. In opposition, Bomber. Com- mand were aided by B-50S and B-29S of the U.S.A.F. Third Air Division under Major-General Leon W. Johnson, and by Mosquitoes of B.A.F.O., whilst the overall direc- tion of the exercise was the responsibility of Air Marshal Sir Aubrey Ellwood, A.O.C.-in-C., Bomber Command Mr. Arthur Henderson, Secretary of State for Air (right) and Major-General Johnson discuss an operation—on which the Air Minister flew in a B-50—with the commander of the aircraft, Lt. Alan B. Thomas. The General flew as second pilot. At H.Q. Bomber Command on the eve of Bulldog are (left to right) Air Marshal Sir Aubrey Ellwood, (Bomber Command), Air Marshal Sir Basil Embrey (Fighter Command), General Sir G. I. Thomas (Anti-Aircraft Command) and Major-General Leon W. Johnson (3rd Air Division, U.S.A.F.). It was extremely unfortunate that, in the event, bad weather in the form of low stratus extending over almost the whole country prevented the exercise being started, as intended, on Friday evening—the more so in that both air- and ground-crews were keyed up to " first night'' pitch and then had to stand down. The "duff" weather continued until Saturday morning was well advanced and,- in fact, the first action of the exercise did not take place until 1300 hours, when individual attacks were made from between 30,000 and 40,000ft by Meteors simulating jet bombers ; the targets, which were raided simultaneously, were London, Leicester, Reading, Swin'don, Oxford, Peter-- borough and Gloucester. In order to provide a wider ambit of experience for air- crew under training (and a refresher course for instructors) Wellingtons, Ansons, Harvards and Prentices of Flying Training Command were given attacking roles to play, and in the early stages of the exercise, at least, Fighter Com- mand airfields were frequently caught on the hop by their low-level attacks. Attacks were widespread from as far north as Rosyth and Glasgow to the southern targets at Portsmouth and Yeovil, while, in the evening dusk, B.A.F.O. Mosquitoes from Celle flew in to attack south-east coastal targets at- low level. Bad weather again had its effects on night bombing activity, and the size of the main force of Lancasters and Lincolns attacking Southampton had to be curtailed— although, fortunately, fair weather favoured the actual B4 :
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