NOTES ON THE WAR NEWS

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 50, 27 August 1940, Page 10

NOTES ON THE WAR NEWS

WAR IN THE AIR

HEARTENING SIGNS

SOME POINTS IN OUR FAVOUR

The announcement by the Minister of Aircraft Production (Lord Beaverbrook) of the new record reached in British aircraft production is especially heartening at a time when all the evidence points to an intensification of the air war. Last week the men and women engaged in the aircraft industry and all those who take a part in supplying the necessary raw materials produced more fighters and bombers for the Royal Air Force than ever before in the history of aviation. But that is not all. There is growing evidence that British men and machines, apart from numerical strength, have a decided superiority over German men and machines.

It was indicated in a Daventry broadcast today that German leaders are not satisfied with the prowess shown by their pilots and that numbers are being withdrawn temporarily from active service to undergo additional training, especially in bombing tactics and night flying. This may account to some extent for the changed tactics of the German air force in the last few days. Mass air attacks, which, have proved very costly in men and machines, have given way to sporadic raids. . _, ■ Contrast in Policy. v Germany's policy of delivering lightning strokes of tremendous weight has made necessary a constant supply of pilots, observers, and gunners, and apparently men have been pressed into active service before they have been properly trained. Contrary to the British system, the Germans endeavour to put straight into new squadrons as many of the new aeroplanes produced as possible.' Recruits, fresh from training establishments, with relatively little flying experience, are sent to collect new aeroplanes and complete their training on them as new operational units. • It can be stated authoritatively that British bomber and fighter pilots receive not only a longer period of training than the Germsfn' pilots, but the training is more thorough. Before he is asked to undertake active service the average British pilot is given up to seven months of inten-; sive training, and for pilots of the Coastal Command the period is as long as eleven months.- The German minimum of actual flying experience is stated to be about 50 hours —it has probably been less since the intensive campaign against Britain started— whereas the minimum for British pilots is about double that. Thus when British pilots take the air against the enemy they have the initial advantage, of more' thorough '■ training, ' rthl's' r becoming even greater when the. superiority of the British machines is taken into account. The Eight-Gun Fighters. If the raids on Britain have proved anything, they have proved conclusively the great efficiency of the British fighter machines and - their marked superiority in ease of manoeuvre and in other ways over the Messerschmitt 109's and 110's and the Heinkel 113's. ~ Each of the eight guns on British fighters fire 1200 rounds per minute, so that each of the eight-gun fighters is capable of pouring out 9600 rounds per minute or 160 rounds per second. These figures bring home in a very, striking way the ability of British" fighters to deal effectively with anything that Germany can send over the British Isles. The devastating fire from the guns is concentrated, at the most effective fighting range, upon a small area, so that the target machine may be practically blasted to pieces with bullets. In general tactics, too, the British planes and personnel show a marked superiority over their foes. British fighters operate together in comparatively small numbers, their policy being to constantly harry large formations of German bombers. It is probably owing to these tactics that the Germans lost so heavily, in bomber machines when they were carrying out mass attacks on Britain. Use of Man-Power. The Germans also believe in concentrating their best men in one formation. This may prove effective in some, cases, but it leaves other formations comparatively weak and therefore an easier mark for the British fighters. In. the British Air Force the tendency is to distribute the best men among the various squadrons. This, it has been found, has the result of bringing about an improvement in the general standard and in creating a much better spirit in the service as a whole. One of the outstanding features of the battles which have taken place over Britain in recent months has been the large proportion. of fighter pilots who have been saved when their machines have been shot down. Today, for instance, at the time' of writing, thirteen fighters were reported to have been shot down, and six of the pilots are reported to be safe. It can be safely assumed that many of these men who are saved are available to rejoin their squadrons and carry on with the job of defending Britain's shores. Over Their "Home Ground." British pilots have the advantage of fighting, as it were, over their "home ground," V and when they are forced to take to .'their parachutes they have a reasonable prospect of being saved. The Germans, on the other hand, if they escape with their lives, land in hostile territory and become a total loss for the remainder of the war. ■ -: The loss of German air personnel is probably much greater than might b» supposed from the reports of the number of German machines known to have been brought down, either over Britain or in the sea. A commentator in a British newspaper recently pointed out that many enemy machines which escape in a damaged condition take back dead gunners to Germany. Thus the German shortage of trained men is accentuated. Striking Power. It is becoming increasingly clear that the British defences are well prepared for any eventuality. Not only that, but Britain's attacking power is growing steadily. Bombers of the Royal Air Force have by day and night carried the war into enemy territory, striking heavy blows at vital points, and the latest exploit, the raid on Berlin, is pleasing confirmation of the belief that Britain is capable of giving as much, or a great deal more, than she gets.