AERIAL COMBATS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 265, 8 October 1940, Page 8

AERIAL COMBATS

TERMS AND TACTICS. SPITFIRE PILOT EXPLAINS. The war in the air goes on, and day by day the Royal Air Force is smiting the enemy with well-aimed, damaging blows. It is becoming more and more probable that the war will be won in the air. For that reason the public are becoming even more interested in aerial warfare and the tactics employed. And, in particular; it wants to know the meanings pf the various terms that recur in the descriptions pf aerial combats. Borne of the many inquiries that are commonly made on this subject were referred by the Glasgow Sunday Post to a Spitfire pilot. Mis answers were as follow : „ What is meant by a dog fight?—l thought most fpik knew that one. It seems that they don’t. It means a rough-and-tumble between single-seater fighters. The name was firstgivpn early in the last war. We may start a battle in squadrons, but the formation is apt to break up into a series of single combats- And, you know, we are just like a bunch of dogs growling round each other. mow do the fighters manage to avoid each other in a dog fight ally we don’t. Collisions have occurred when there has been a big bunch of us engaged. But there is a lot of sky, and we are not often as close together as we appear from the ground. How do the different members of a flight, or squadron, manage to communicate during a fight?—All singleseater fighters have two-way radio so that pilots can speak to each other. And there have been times when I’ve been glad that wag the case. Often > we are able to warn a pal that there is an enemy aeroplane on his tail. How do anti-aircraft guns avoid hitting our fighters in a dog fight?—Thai was a point that worried me n'hen I first joined up. I didn’t relish the idea of our own guns chasing me. I soon found they don’t fit® at all when we are tangled up in a scrap. But they are ready to get busy if an enemy aeroplane manages to get away. Who takes command of a formation if the squadron-leader is shot down?— I’m glad to say that is one I’can t answer from actual experience. But in any case, once the commanding officer has given the order to attack the scrap usually develops on individual lines — and a pilot is left to use his own judgment. You pack up when your ammunition is finished. The officer ne*xt in command is the official “boss” once the loader lias been shot down. What is meant by a “burst of fire ? —We are buzzing around pretty fast when we are up there —-and the enemy is only in the sights for short spells at a time. We smauK home as many bullets as we can in that time—a burst, in fact. A burst may average between one second and five seconds. A Spitfire or Hurricane, fires 9600 shots a minute- —which means 160 each second. It’s a lot of lead if you’re in the road. What are tracer bullets? —Tracers are designed to leave a trail of smoke behind them, thus showing if the bullets are hitting the target. There is always a number in every belt of ammunition- —and very usoful they are. And, by the way, when they oome in oontact with inflammable material, such as petrol, fabric, balloons, etc., they have incendiary effect. What is meant by a pilot “blacking out” in a turn ?—Most of us can tell you that from actual, experience, And not a pleasant experience either. If you go into a steep turn at high speed, centrifugal force—the same force which keeps water in a glass when you swing it over your head — drains the blood from your head ana eyes. You are liablo to lose consciousness. Even if you regain it you may find yourself blind. But once the turn is stopped everv 4 ing becomes normal again. . How fast can a Hurricane climb to intercept the raider? —It doesn’t take long believe me. A Hurricane can get to l6 ; 000ft in four minutes, 20,000 in nine minutes.

The vertical rate of climb is 25 miles an hour, thou’gh the aeroplane may be travelling horizontally at 200 miles an hour in a climb. How’ do w'e react to high speed ? Actually we never notice it. It’s as comfortable in a Spitfire or a Hurricane as in a taxi- Always provided, of course, that the pilot is an experienced man. You’ve got to get used'to high-speed pow’er dives of 400 miJes an hour: —but you soon stop thinking about speed altogether, except for its use in chasing the enemy. How' are victories reported after a combat?—When we have been in a scrap we have to give even the smallest details of it in what is known as a “combat” report. If you see an enemy • aeroplane hit the ground you tally one! But if you have only seen it go down out of control you don’t count it is an official victory—which is why the Nazi air losses arc a sight bigger than you think. To amplify the written report, mechanics also carry a camera which takes photos so long as the trigger is pressed. Has a German aeroplane ever surrendered in the air ? —Yes, sir 1 I’ve seen a badly-disabled German aeroplane'. “pack in” myself. The usual sign of surrender is whey they lower their under-carriages and shut off their motors. Once a Nazi bomber pilot did it—then tried to shoot down the Hurricane which came alongside to escort- him to the ground. He didirt have time to surrender a second time 1 What sort of advice is given to a pilot before his first combat ?—Speaklim for myself, I was warned to keep an eve on the weak spot belund my “tail”” to watch for an enemy attacking out of the sun, to guard against turning away from an attack on an enemy° bomber in such a way as to leave mvself exposed to their attack, and to conserve my ammunition until l was well within range. . I took good care to stick to orders — and it paid: