AMERICAN PLANES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20825, 2 July 1942, Page 5

AMERICAN PLANES

FLOWN TO AUSTRALIA SHIPS AND TIME SAVED FERRY PILOTS' TASK (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Special Australian Correspondent.) (2.40 p.m.) SYDNEY, July 1. United States pilots are ferrying heavy and medium bombers from American territory to Australia. This has been officially announced following the Washington statement that world-wide military aerial transport has been established. The planes are overhauled and reconditioned immediately they reach Australia. They can be in action within a week of leaving the United States. The American Army spokesman states that previously it took a month to ship the planes in crates from America to Australia. On i - eaching Australia they had to be re-assembled and tested. Ferrying has eliminated such delays and also allowed valuable shipping space to be used for the transport of other war materials. The rate of ferrying planes has not been disclosed, but it is stated to be “considerable.” The stoppage of this aircraft ferrying system has been one of the main purposes behind the Japanese occupation of the Solomons and must be an Important consideration in dictating subsequent enemy moves. So far, however, the enemy endeavours to disrupt the ferrying service have been completely unsuccessful. Ferry pilots describe their work as “mostly enervating” and “intensely boring.”