A BACKGROUND OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 80, 28 December 1940, Page 8

A BACKGROUND OF THE WAR

The Coastal Command PATROLS OVER HUGE AREA Over the huge Nazi war machine, sprawled from the north of Norway to the southernmost limits of France’s Atlantic coast, British eyes keep ceaseless watch. The eyes are those of the crews of the Coastal Command aircraft, which since the war began have flown prodigious distances in their daily and vital tasks.

Indeed, the Coastal Command’s huge territory covers an area extending over the whole of the North Sea, from Norway to the north-west coast of Germany, over the Low Countries and France, right down to the Mediterranean, nearly 1000 miles out into the Atlantic and as far north as Iceland and into the Arctic regions. Since war began, Coastal Command flying-boats and land craft have flown —or had some two months ago, when these figures were given in ‘‘The Times” —the almqst incredible distance of 19,000,000 miles, which is equivalent to about 782} times round the world. Escort Work This year alone, up to the same time, its aircraft had escorted approximately 1300 convoys, made up of more than 30,000 ships. In the whole war period the Coastal Command had guarded and guided between 90,000,000 and 100,000,000 tons of shipping. Exhaustive searches had made possible more than 150 attacks on enemy submarines, many of which had been sunk and others crippled and put out of commission.

Now there are always plenty of aircraft available for this work but before production had got really going, in the early days of the war, it was often not possible to spare enough fly-ing-boats and land planes to maintain an adequate patrol. Enemy Bluffed •

That was the time when the German submarines "fell for” a monstrous piece of bluff. "Scarecrow patrols” were made from all sorts of training and communications machines flown by auxiliary pilots and they did not carry anything as lethal as a revolver' Submarines did not wait for them to linish their business-like looking swoops but made emergency crash dives, remaining submerged for hours while ships steamed unmolested into port, "protected,” perhaps, by a Tiger Moth. This little joke was kept up throughout the winter till supplies of the proper type of aircraft became available. Of the Coastal Command planes, the Ansons have been one of the greatest surprises of the war. Designed as reconnaissance machines, they have shown truly remarkable ability as lighters, largely because of their power of manoeuvre and the competence of their pilots. Efficient Ansons

Those who have seen these machines patrolling convoys during an attack have commented on their unwavering work. Many thousands of feet above the ships, a grim battle may be raging between Fighter Command Spitfires and Hurricanes and the Junkers and their Messerschmitt escorts; but all the time the Ansons carry on as though nothing is happening. Up and down the line of ships they fly, keeping a constant lookout, and the first attempt at dive-bombing means trouble for the Junkers. Many a mightier foe has crashed to its-doom through underestimating the "sting” of these sturdy machines.

The Short Sunderlands have done, and are doing, a magnificent job. They are the giants of the R.A.F., the military version of the Empire flyingboats. They weigh 25 tons when loaded, have a crew of from eight to 12, and a range of about 170(1 miles. They can hold their own against any enemy —two or more at a time if necessary. “Flying Porcupines”

The Germans have a wholesome respect for them, and it is a pilot of more than average courage who would dare to tackle one unaided. With their guns sticking out at all angles, they seem to be able to fire in any direction. Because of their bristling armaments, the Germans call them “fliegende stacbelschweine” —which means “flying porcupines.” Often Sunderlands are 16 hours on a single patrol, most of the time out of sight of laud. Work Of Australians

One of the best flying-boat units in the command is the Royal Australian Air Force Squadron, which has its base in the West of England. It started operating at the beginning of the war because of a lucky coincidence. Just before September. 1939. some officers Lad arrived from Australia to take delivery of six Sunderlands which were destined for service in Australia. When war broke out the plan was changed and pilots and machines remained in England. The New Zealand squadron of the Bomber Command, incidentally, was formed in much the same way. At the beginning of this year the Commonwealth Government sent over the staff for the maintenance of at complete squadron, and in the late spring it became an independent unit, in July the Australian squadron put in a number of flying hours which may well stand as a record for all time. It has never been rivalled before or since. This squadron has also enjoyed manj notable successes in fights with all sorts of enemy aircraft. Lockheed Hudsons

The American-built Lockheed Hudson Jias proved an unqualified success. Most of the squadrons equipped wit.i them have flown well over I,WOO iuile< and one is well past the l,o0v,0(K mark. Since the capitulation of France and the threat of an invasion of Britain. the work of the Coastal Command htrs increased tremendously. There is no sphere of aerial activity in which it cannot and does not play an important part. It could well adopt the slogan: "If you want a job done we can do it.” Even when the outside world hears nothing of its work its aircraft are scattered over thousands of miles of sea and land, helping to bring Britain food, fighting would-be invaders and hampering the enemy iu all he seeks to do. Air Mines

The German magnetic air mines, which, floated down on a parachute a* big as two houses, are so sensitive thev will explode on the approach oanvone wearing even a steel helmet, are formidable weapons. A description of the removal of one of them has been published in the Australian 1 res . It was Oft. 6in. high and its presence in London suburb caused the tempor-ni-v evacuation of from 10,000 to 15,000 people It was liable to do serious damage over a radius of a quarter of a mile ami less serious damage over twice that radius. This particular missile wits attacked by a party of 100 uavax experts, partly dismantled ami then re-