AERIAL WARFARE

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 July 1943, Page 2

AERIAL WARFARE

BOMBSIGHT PRECISION (Rec. 10.15 j u ]y 21. Scientists may soon improve the Norden bombsight to permit precision bombing from altitudes of 10 to ID miles, according to Theodore Bai th, president of Norden Incorporated. He described the bomb-sight as almost human, except it never makes mistakes. The bomb-sight has tnousands of precision parts, and is one of the world’s most difficult instruments to manufacture. Its parts aie held to such close tolerances as to make the finest watch the crudest gadget in comparison. “That is why we do not worry about reports that the enemy may have captured some of our sights. The enemy could not duplicate the sight and related eouipment within at least two years, with a further two years to get mto production, after which there would be the tremendous problem of training bombardiers. SMASHED* DAM. "RUGBY, July 21. “The greatest catastrophe in Europe, and the worst experience since Britain began to drop bombs, is how an uncensored letter from a German to a compatriot in-Norway describes the destruction of the Mohne Dam. The writer stated that three mines dropped in the dam made a breach of a 150 feet across, leaving only la feet of the wall, which held 90 leet of water. Within five minutes the water was knee high 7 miles away, and within 20 minutes all the watei had escaped. The force of the watei was almost unbelievable. There was a dreadful number of dead. People climbed trees and roofs which collapsed under them. In Nehicm, there were six large new buildings oi which not a stone was left.

INSTRUCTOR’S OFFENCE

LONDON, July 20

Sub-Lieutenant J. B. Leeming, Fleet Air Arm, was sentenced to be dismissed his ship, and severely ie P" rimanded at a court-martial, at which he pleaded guilty to three charges arising a “ accident at Downside Scnool on June 1. Leeming was accused of having flown outside the local training area at an altitude under 2000 feet without authority or due cause, and having flown m the neighbourhood of Downside School in a manner likely to cause an accident or annoyance to persons, and damage to property. Leeming was an instructor. He was carrying om a “follow-my-leader” exercise with New Zealanders. Sub-Lieutenant A. G. McCracken, was in another plane, which crashed, McCracken being killed. N.Z. BOMBER (N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent) LONDON, July 21. “Express Delivery” is the name given to the Halifax bomber in which Flight Lieutenant W. T. Brown, oi Oamaru, and Pilot Officers A. Whitelaw of Palmerston North, J. Parkes of Hamilton, and J. Austen oi New Plymouth, completed thirty raids over Germany and enemy-occupied countries. The targets included the submarine base at Lorient. They also went twice to Berlin, four times to Duisburg, three times to Essen, and to Bochum, Krefeld, Dortmund, Wuppertal, and Dusseldorf. Brown, who is captain, said it was a quiet tour, but three times they i eturned with only three engines working. The crew saw plenty of night fighters, but they were not attacked once. The most spectacular raid was on Wuppertal, when they saw flames beneath the smoke 100 miles away. The crew painted a yellow bomb on the Halifax, marking each raid.