WELL EQUIPPED.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 249, 2 August 1941, Page 5

WELL EQUIPPED.

THE R.A.F. IN BURMA. NATIVES CONSTRUCT AERODROMES. LONDON, August 1. The Royal Air Force in Burma has been considerably strengthened, and it is now considered that Burma is welt equipped for both offensive and defensive •action. For some considerable time natives have been hacking aerodromes out of the jungle, and this work is now completed. NOW strongly equipped. DEADLY AIRCRAFT ARRIVES; (Rec. 12.15.) LONDON, August 1. The Japanese occupation of InrloClvina, which brings the Japanese armed forces to the eastern, frontiers of India, gives significance to the news that the R.A.F. in Burma has been strengthened by the arrival of considerable reinforcements, including Ameri-can-built Brewster-Buffalo, multi-gun fighters, and that Burma is therefore now equipped for both offensive and defensive air action. t During the last few months thousands of men and women have neen constructing in the jungle aerodromes between the coast and the -frontiers of China and Thailand, stretching from Lanhio in upper Burma to the Mergui Archipelago in the south. These aerodromes are now completed. They are equipped with all-weather runways suitable for the take-off of fully-loaded, heavy bombers. Plant for the maintenance and repair of, aircraft has been prbvkk'd. Pilots and ground crews live in comfortable quarters. Fuel, bombs and ammunition are stored to meet all possible needs. The aerodromes are so located that they can give Burma maximum protection against air and land from any quarter and give the R.A.F. advance bases from which to operate bomber squadrons. They ensure greater mobility for the R.A.F. in the bar East. , Should the war spread to Malaya, AiroChief Marshal Sir A. Brooke-Pop-liam will he in a position to move squadrons to Burma in a few hours and have his forces located to the best advantage. The Buffaloes are arriving across the Pacific in increasing numbers in the last few months and have enabled the fighter squadrons to he speedily formed. The pilots are all full of praise of the potential fighting qualities of these aircraft. One pilot, a member of a famous Spitfire squadron throughout the Battle of Britain, said: “The Buffalo has amazing qualities of manouevrability combining a high speed with a fast rate of climb, and with multiple, large calibre guns, is an aircraft to be feared.