FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1954
1954 - 2161.PDF
148 / v \Xot) FLIGm THE AERONAUTICAlTBtfOKSHELF "Royal Air Force 1939-1945," Volume II: "The Fight Avails," by Denis Richards and Hilary St. George Saunders. Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Illustrated. Price 13s 6d. ALL the world's a stage for the action described in this second »volume of the history of the Royal Air Force in World War II. The climax of Volume I was Britain's lone "Fight at Odds" and victory in the air battles of 1940. Now the spotlight focusses on triumph in North Africa and Italy, and on tragedy in the Far East. But, all the time, the reader is kept aware that, backstage, the star turn—Bomber Command's growing force of heavy bombers—is being groomed for the final act. Science begins to play an ever-increasing part in the struggle; notlmerely by providing new and better aircraft, more powerful bombs and more efficient navigation aids, but by suggesting more lucrative targets—not always wisely—and by analysing bombing results. So, by the spring of 1942, Air Marshal Harris knew, for example, that "whereas 8,000 lb H.C. bombs had destroyed jor damaged on average if acres of built-up property for every ton dropped, and 4,000 lb H.C. bombs a litde less, each ton of incendiaries had laid waste no less than 3J acres." Bearing this in mind, we see Harris planning a blow more massive than any yet attempted in the history! of air warfare— Opsration "Millennium," the first thousand-bomber raid on Cologne. The preparations and the raid itself are described in detail; and even the new facts given of the number of O.T.U. -crews that helped make up the total of 1,046 aircraft that set out for Cologne on May 30th, 1942, of die cost of the raid, and of the disappointments that followed, cannot detract from the material .and psychological success of that vast operation. But even in the air age we see that many of the old lessons of war still apply. Rommel, on the threshold of victory in North Africa, is defeated because he fails to secure his flank by capturing Malta. Aircraft from Malta slowly strangle his seaborne supply lines; yet all the might of Axis air power fails to subdue the island, because it is peopled with heroes and supplied by men who count it a victory to fight through two supply ships from a convoy of 13. There are other significant lessons from the war at sea, par ticularly on the value of mining. Between April 1940 and March 1943, Bomber and Coastal Commands laid nearly 16,000 mines :at a cost of 329 aircraft. These mines sank 369 vessels, totalling 361,821 tons. During the same period, Bomber, Coastal and Fighter Commands delivered some 3,700 attacks on ships at sea -at a cost of 648 aircraft. These attacks sank 107 vessels, totalling 155,076 tons. So it cost six aircraft to sink one ship by direct attack, but less than one aircraft to sink one ship by mining. All .of which, incidentally, goes to show that the forthcoming four-jet Martin Seamaster high-speed mine-laying flying-boat makes very good sense. But a few pages further on there are even more significant figures for U-boat successes. In May 1942 alone, German sub marines sank 109 Allied ships, totalling 531,000 tons, at an average •cost of less than two of their number each month. This is another lesson that we must never forget. So is the simple remark on page 32 that "airfields which cannot be defended are a liability :and not an asset." As with Volume I, it is impossible to do justice to this readable, honest history in a short review. There is something for everyone —the strategist, armchair or otherwise; the historian, who will revel in details of such little-known units as the Malayan Volunteer Air Force, which played a gallant part in the campaign of 1941, flying Avro Cadets, Tiger Moths and Rapides; and the recognition instructor, who will draw inspiration from the story of an attack -on a Rapide by a Blenheim. The 13 appendices, giving details of appointments, aircraft specifications, orders of battle of Com mands at home and overseas, and a glossary of code names and abbreviations, are a wonderful source of reference in themselves. "First Through the Clouds," by F. Warren Merriam. B. T. Batsford, Ltd., 4 Fitzhardinge Street, London, W.l. Illustrated. Price 21s. T HE name of Warren Merriam probably means little to the present generation—which is all the more reason why they should read his book. It is not great literature, but is full of the fun and the fear, the thrills and the spills of the first ten years of real flying in Britain, when pilots sat on aeroplanes, not in them, were surrounded by a birdcage of wires, and breathed •castor-oil fumes. Perhaps the biggest impression the book will make on the minds of most readers is the immense debt that British aviation owes to the Bristol Company. They not only produced good, reason ably safe aeroplanes for people to fly between 1910 and the out break of the 1914-18 war, but also, through their flying schools ;at Lark Hill and Brooklands, taught more than 80 per cent of the pilots available in Britain' in August 1914, among them many who later became famous, including Lt. P. B. Joubert de la Ferte, R. H. Barnwell, Jack Alcock, Maj. R. Brooke-Popham, H. G. Brackley and James Bird. Merriam himself taught just on a thousand pupils and, by 1919, had flown over 5,000 hours in nearly 60 types of aircraft, despite defective eyesight that very nearly grounded him from the start. On one occasion, it caused him to mistake an Admiralty official carrying two attache-cases for a mechanic bringing a couple of cans of petrol long after he had called for them, with the result that an outburst of choice language fell on unappreciative ears. During the 1914-18 war, Merriam completed a few operational flights with the R.N.A.S. and believes he sank a U-boat with 65 lb bombs from a Sopwith Baby seaplane. Afterwards, he did some joy-ride flying with Avro 504 seaplanes, flight-tested the Saunders Kittiwake amphibian, and then turned to gliding. Every stage of his career is covered by the 50 illustrations, some of which will gladden the hearts of collectors, although the captions are not always accurate. "Theory and Design of Steam and Gas Turbines," by John P. Lee. McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc., New York (London: 95 Farringdon Street, E.C.4). Illustrated. Price 64s. AS its price suggests, this is a large and well-produced volume, **• and it succeeds admirably in its stated aim,..which is the provision of a good basis of theory and practice' in order that steam-turbine engineers may be introduced-to the gas turbine (and, if necessary, vice versa) and students introduced to both. Unfortunately, like so many authors-bf gas-turbine "standard works," Mr. Lee—he is associate professor of mechanical engineer ing at North Carolina State CoHege—has not been able to keep abreast of his subject; in fact, the major part of this otherwise fine book could have been written before 1950. Even the turbo prop, in all its forms, rates only eleven lines of text and a drawing of a particularly.. Joninstructive unit of 1945. If, in any future edition, Mr, .Me can find some way of dealing with some of the many adjjances in aircraft propulsion (such as two-spool com- pressiortand the by-pass engine) the value of die book will be greatly increased. "Hydraulic Systems and Equipment," by R. Hadekel. Cam bridge University Press, Bentley House, 200 Euston Road, London, N.W.I. Illustrated. Price 18s. """THIS compact book is described by the publishers in the follow- "• ing terms: "Clear description, with 313 diagrams, of the prin ciples of control gear, the design of hydraulic circuits, and the construction of valves and other equipment. Mr. Hadekel writes for designers, shop foremen and maintenance engineers and all who use hydraulic machinery, and for students-and teachers in technical colleges and engineering faculties*'' ' The author, who is well known for Jris Displacement Pumps and Motors, has deliberately refrajaetl from describing or illus trating any actual pieces of hyjdffulic equipment; his concern is solely that of performancewdCsign and functional characteristics, and he covers the fiel^Hadmirably. Although not specifically directed towards akptffft systems, his notes frequently cite them as useful exampjarffand the aircraft system designer will find the book just asvsmfable as would, say, the designer of control systems for maelfine,'tools. The printing and the numerous line drawings are excellent. "Aircraft Year Book, 1953." Official Publication of the Aircraft Industries Association, Inc., 511 Eleventh Street, N.W., Washing ton 4, D.C., U.S.A. Illustrated. Price $6.00. '"PHE 1953 edition of this year book, now available, is as packed -*• with indispensable facts and figures as any of its predecessors. It covers almost every aspect of U.S. aviation. There is a com plete review of recent events in military and civil flying; and here is a comprehensive directory of aircraft, executives and star sues, recording everything from passenger-miles flown by U.S. aBm.^ since 1940 to aircraft production figures and tables of all ofo13' aviation records. , Very full details are given of the activities and resourcs ot major companies in the U.S. aircraft and airline industries; here is a review of current research; and a special section or tj>e functions of all Government departments that have a finger i the aviation pie, including even the Library of Congress, F res| Service and Post Office. A full page is devoted to every ty - °' aeroplane currently in production, complete with a photog '-!*' three-view drawing and full specification details, from which ^ a lot of new and interesting data can be gleaned. The res 1S certainly a "must" for every aviation library.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
