AIR STRENGTH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 178, 29 July 1940, Page 6

AIR STRENGTH.

GERMAN POSITION.

NO SHORTAGE OF 'PLANES. PROBLEM OF PILOTS. Observations by British aeronautical correspondents are particularly interesting in view of Reich Marshal Goering's declaration that his Air Force is completely prepared, at a signal from Hitler, to attack England, and is stronger now than at the beginning of the war. These correspondents have been pointing out that it would be fallacious to ascribe Germany's delay in launching an attack on Britain to any shortage of aeroplanes. It has been stated in some quarters, for instance, that Germany is ehort of bombers, when it is a well-known fact that she is particularly strong in this class of machine, especially the welltried Dornier, Heinkel and Junkers types. In point of fact, she has been using new and improved types of bo robe re since March as well as using Messerschmitt 110's converted from fighters to bombers. Some over-optimistic critics have jumped to the conclusion that this means that she is running short of bombers; on the contrary, it means that her production is «o great that she can build new types. The new Messerschmitt bomber, for instance, isjnot a fighter hastily turned into a bomber for lack of machines, but a carefully planned adaptation to produce a far more rapid bomber and one better designed for actual fighting. It would not have the cruising range of the Dornier and the Heinkel, 'but would be better suited for rapid bombing raids from nearer bases, euch as those on the French coast. Details and pictures of this new twin-engined Meeserschmitt bomber were actually released to the British Press on March 27, so that it ie no extemporised surprise. German Production. Accurate figures of production are naturally almost impossible to obtain; but the most recent British and American estimates are that Germany is building "eixty a day" or about 1800 a month. For Germany, the main problem is not to build machines, but to train eufficient personnel to uee them. The mgst reliable estimate is that Germany had about 15,000 trained pilots when war broke out, and that ehe lost something like a sixth of them in action or accidents. It is not known how many have been trained since, but there are numeroue reports that captured pilote are under-trained. The successes of the R.A.F. have been attributed very largely to lack of adequate training on the" part of the Germane. This applies to gunners and crews, ae well as to pilote. Even eo, Germany would «till have about 12,500 pilote on the estimate, together with those trained since the war broke out, to man an air fleet now estimated at about 18,000 machines. While her problem is to produce pilots for her 1800 new aeroplanes each month and to make good the wastage in combat, she still has sufficient personnel to launch an overwhelming aerial blitzkrieg. Britain's Leeway. The British problem 'm of a different nature, and relate* .primarily to the time factor. Britain has a qualitative superiority in many classes of aircraft (dive-bombere being a significant exception, save for the Blackburn Skua of the Fleet Air Arm), but admittedly she •till has a marked quantitative inferiority. British sources claim that their monthly production is now greater than that of Germany, but this ie a very recent development. Semi-official American sources place Britain's production at between 1500 and 2000 aeroplanes a month at present, and this fits in with the early-quoted estimate of German production at 1800 a month. As for American purchases 3000 aeroplanes wore delivered to the Allies by the middle of .Tune, and it ie believed that 400 or 500 a month would represent satisfactory delivery in the next few months. It ie thus clear that, however greatlv long-range factors nf production and training may favour Britain, many monthe are needed to make up her leeway in production. It is the time element that is all-important, and this constitutes the greatest argument why Hitler should resort to a shattering aerial invasion of Britain in the near future, for the long winter months cannot improve hie relative position* in the air.

The HeiiVkel Ho 113, the now German einjrle-seater fighter. i« a sleek aircraft with a wide-spreading undercarriage. It is equipped with a new version Daim-ler-Benz engine, the DB-601, developing 1500 horse power. °