Notes on the News

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 27 May 1938, Page 2

Notes on the News

Rival Air Forces In Spain

Spanish Loyalists again claim to have won a great victory in the air aver the insurgent forces. They claim jliat 17 Italian Fiat machines "ere shot down and that a Savoia bomber crashed in no-mans’-laml. Their claim is borne out by the fact that, although in respect of quantity the insurgent air force is far superior to that of the loyalists, exports are inclined to agree that the loyalists have the bettor machines. And, for the purpose of finding this out. if for no oilier reason, it has been worth the while of Hitler and Mussolini to send machines to Spain. No definite figure can ho arrived at as to how many planes have been sent to Franco from Germany and Italy, but it is known that there is a large number of the very latest machines from both countries in Spain. The loyalist, forces, on the other hand, are equip I ied almost entirely with Russian and second-hand American planes. Germany And Italy Of the German machines which have been of most service to the insurgents, the new Heinkel “H.T3. 312,” a singleseater fighter capable of over 310 m.p.h., the Heinkel “H.E. 51,” a somewhat slower single-seater lighter, and fhe Heinkel “H.E. 111.” a medium bomber, capable of 300 m.p.h.. are the most prominent. In addition, tliere is the Junkers "J.U. 80.” a heavy bomber. All of these machines are of comparatively new design. Another Junkers heavy bomber, the "J.U. 52.” has also seen considerable service in Spain. This machine is of old design, and is very similar in const ruction to the majority of the passenger air liners employed by the German Luft Ilansa Company, on its regular Italy’s contribution of new machines has consisted chiefly of the Fiat “C.R. 32.” a fast single-seater biplane, the Savoia-Marchetti “S. 81.” m three-en-gined bomber capable -*f over 200 m.p.h.. and the “S.M 87013." a high performance bomber. Against these new machines of two of Euro tie’s leading air Powers are pitted the somewhat ohler and less advanced Russian types, supplemented by as many second-hand American machines as tlie Loyalist Government could find Ihc money to buy. Soviet Type. Up to 1936 Russia' - Air Force consisted very largely .f 1 e eouipmen' from old prototypes brought ?n.. oetween 1929 and 1931. For the past >aa» and a half, however, new rypes have been rapidly produced and put into construction, though it is probable that not a great many of these have seen service in Spain. The main bombing equipment of the Soviet Air Force consists of the .11 heavy and rather slow machine. The “1.5” single-seater biplane constitutes the main equipment of the lighting force. The “A.X.T. 25” long distance bomber is another of the rather slow and obsolete Russian types. One of the most modern of the Soviet fighting machines is ‘he *1 17.” comparable in speed to the Italian and German fighters. “Assault Aeroplane” Another Russian plane which is said to have had considerable success in ►Spain is a machine of an entirely new type. It has been described by General Debeney, a, former Chief of the General Staff of the French Army, as an .“assault aeroplane.” It is of Russian construction and design throughout, and is provided with four machine-guns, pneumatically controlled, and four 310-pound delayaction bombs. Both guns and bombs are attached to the undercarriage. The machine dives upon the target down to a height of 30 to 150 feet and sprays it with machine-gun bullets and bombs which burst some seconds after it has passed. By this means the plane covers its retreat. Whole flights of these machines have, it is stated, produced considerable moral and material effect, but, as their methods become known, it is possVle to deal with them effectively by anti-aircraft measures. Lessons Of War The loyalists’ claim to have shot down 17 Italian Fiat machines, if true, goes a long way to disprove Mussolini's assertion that Italian planes were supreme in Spain. “Our C.R. 32 planes,” lie said in n recent speech, “have played havoc with the Curtiss tuid Napier planes in the skies of Spain.” Foreign observers in Spain do not beat’ this statement out. They are agreed that, although Franco’s machines are on the whole newer and faster than those of the loyalists, they lose their advantage through lack of manoeuvreability. The older machines of the loyalists are thus able, though frequently outnumbered, to hold their own and, in cases where Ihe numbers are more or less evenly balanced, to gain the ascendancy. The important lesson, therefore, which German Italian aircraft designers have learned from Spain is that newness of design and high speed is not always the most important point in aerial combat. Dominions Office Lord Stanley has been appointed Secretary of State for the Dominions, and Mr. Malcolm MacDonald has been transferred from there to be Secretary of .State for the Colonies. The Dominions Office was established in 1925 to take over from the Colonial Office the business connected with the self-governing Dominions. It is presided over by a Secretary of State (changing with the Ministry), assisted by a Permanent, a Parliamentary, and two Assistant Under-Secretaries. The department was established because the organisation of the Colonial Office was no longer in correspondence with the actual constitutional position in the Empire. It failed to give sufficiently clear recognition to the profound difference between the work of communication and consultation with the self-governing nations const it ut* Ing the British Commonwealth of Nations, and the administrative work of controlling and developing the colonies and protectorates. The Dominions Office is at present organised in four departments: (3) Inter-imperial relations, nationality, honours and ceremonies, disarmament, and defence; (2) international relations affecting the Dominions; (3) eco- < liomic questions, including communications; (4) miscellaneous matters affect- ! ing individual Dominions, Southern ' Rhodesia, the South African High Com- I mission territories, establishment ques- j tions. 1