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Aviation History
1950
1950 - 1267.PDF
6 July 1950 21 THE COMMANDS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE Messages to "Flight" Readers from the Air Officers Commanding-in-Chief: The Duties of their Formations FIGHTER COMMAND From Air Marshal Sir Basil Embry, K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O., D.F.C., A.F.C., A.O.C.-in-C, Fighter Command FIGHTER COMMAND was formed on July 14, 1936, for the express purposeof defending the United Kingdom against air attack. The first major battlefought by the Command must have, in part, been witnessed by many of the present-day readers of Flight. It is probably fair to say that in the year 1950 we are too near that event to measure precisely the importance of the victory we won. It is my belief, however, that the historians of the future may well decide that it had a greater impact on the history of this country, and indeed of the civilized world, than did the battles of Trafalgar and Waterloo, because greater issues were at stake. The achievements of Fighter Command do not, however, derive only from the Battle of Britain, because, being the only Command in the Royal Air Force com- posed entirely of fighter aircraft, it has always been responsible in some measure for formulating the fighter tactics and doctrines used in other theatres outside the United Kingdom. Moreover, the majority of fighter pilots start their careers on fighter aircraft in Fighter Command, and therefore the Command has always carried a tremendous responsibility for training and the development of that particular fighting spirit so essential to the success of fighter operations. It may be justly claimed, therefore, that the influence of Fighter Command was felt wherever fighter aircraft of the Royal Air Force operated during the war. We in Fighter Command today are immensely proud of the achievements of the past and the traditions which have been handed on to us, and we are deter- mined to guard them jealously and, like the wise servant in the New Testament, increase our heritage tenfold. This heritage carries with it great responsibility—responsibility, in the event of war, for the air defence of the United Kingdom and of the sea lanes round our coasts. It must be clear to all that the greatly increased destructive power of modern weapons makes efficient air defence a vital issue. Indeed, is it not right to say that our survival in any future war will depend on our ability to defend ourselves adequately from air attack? Today, in Fighter Command, our efforts in the air and on the ground are directed towards that aim. We are training by day and by night, in good weather and bad; we are learning to shoot, we are preparing to play our part should the need arise. If, therefore—and here I speak to the general public rather than to the readers of an aviation journal—at times we disturb your peace by our noise or canse you inconvenience, I am sorry, but I should like you to know the reason why, and I ask for your support as your share towards air defence. '"TTAHE role of Fighter Command is concisely described in I the motto which forms part of its recently introduced -*• badge—"Offence Defence." The heraldic description of the badge is, " In front of a portcullis a sword erect." The sword indicates the Command's offensive operations, while the portcullis symbolises its defensive role. The Command's primary task today is the same as it was on its formation in 1936, namely, the defence of the United Kingdom against air attack. It is, therefore, responsible for the operational control of all components of the country's active air defences. In addition to the regular fighter squad- rons, it controls the Royal Auxiliary Air Force fighter squadrons, the Royal Observer Corps and the radar network around the British coastline. It is also responsible for the operational control of the guns of Anti-Aircraft Command. The air defence of a highly industrialized and thickly populated country such as the United Kingdom is an ex- tremely complicated affair which does not merely depend on having an unlimited number of high-performance fighter aircraft or anti-aircraft guns. There must also be an effective warning system so that the fighters will be in the right place at the right time, and the anti-aircraft guns alerted, as well as a system to sort out the warning reports and decide which raid or raids constitute a serious threat. Another require- ment is the closest possible understanding with ,the anti-» aircraft guns, to ensure that they do not engage our own air- craft or enemy aircraft which are being dealt with by our own fighters. In brief, there must be a fully integrated sys- tem for controlling the movements of the fighters and pass- ing on all relevant information about enemy aircraft. It can thus be seen that there is a great deal of procedure and organization behind an effective air defence system. In view of the ever-increasing performance of modern aircraft, it is vitally important that the system shall be maintained at.the highest standard of operation and efficiency that can be achieved, and shall constantly be kept up to date. At the present time, Fighter Command contains two groups—No. 11 (commanded by Air Vice-Marshal T. G. Pike, C.B., C.B.E., D.F.C.), which controls units in the" southern half of England, and No. 12 (commanded by Air Vice-Marshal G. Harcourt-Smith, C.B., C.B.E., M.V.O.), which controls units in the north and Northern Ireland, the groups being sub-divided into sectors. Owing to the rapid increase in bomber performance, and the consequent need for ever more speed in dealing with all matters regarding their interception before they reach their target areas, the fighter sectors are tending to become the key formations within the Command. Each^sector has, in
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