AIR INFANTRY

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 April 1937, Page 12

AIR INFANTRY

TESTS AT ALDERSHOT.

LONDON, March 6,

The British, military mission which attended the last Russian army manoeuvres was so impressed by the Soviet “Air Infantry” that the W’ai Office and Air Ministry are contejnplating the formation of a similar corps in Britain. Tests were recently carried out at Aidershot with Ainiy Co-operation Squadrons and are reported to have been successful. So tar as can be ascertained the War Office at present favours the establishment of. an Air Infantry Corps and Air Trains for-the transport ol supplies such as ammunition, petrol, and provisions. 1 Landings so far have been made by the aeroplane, but it is intended to practice the dropping of troops by parachute, since it is realised that on occasion that would have to be done in the absence of suitable landingplaces for the machines. The strategical and tactical implications involved iji this new aid to 'modern warfare are so important, as to make neglect of the air method of transport highly dangerous should Britain again be engaged ip a major war.

The. uses Io which air infantry could conceivably be put include the destruction -of railway bridges and ammunition dumps and the raiding ol headquarters. Aerial supply trains would, at times, prove invaluable. The provision of petrol to armoured fighting velijclcs is a, problem of the highest importance, and so is the supply of ammunition to the fighting troops generally. It has been proved that reliance cannot always be placed on normal mechanical transport.

Occasionally, too, the air might be the only means of. provisioning an isolated post. In Russia, use is made of the air arm in moving not only troops, but lorries and light, tanks to distant parts of the field of operations. These vehicles are carried under the fuselage of specially-built machines. The use of the parachute in Landing light infantry is also practised by the Russians on a considerable scale.

In view of, these facts, and illuminating evidence concerning the successful experiments made by the Italians in Abyssinia in the face of. almost insuperable difficulties, the War Office, in co-operation with the Air Ministry has decided to organise further tests.