ROYAL AIR FORCE
STRENGTH A MYSTERY EVERY CLUE CONCEALED LONDON. Juno 20 Europe's biggest rearmament mystery is the strength of the British Air Force, says the Daily Mail's aeronautical correspondent. Ibis aris.es, he savs, from the fact that the experts are deliberately concealing every clue. The authorities, says the writer, began by withholding the type of aircraft with which the squadrons are being equipped. Then they refused details of personnel, also the numbers of aircraft in the squadrons and the total of first-line aircraft. The addition of one squadron in the last six months, while pilots and aircraft were increased, obviously implies that each squadron is being given more aeroplanes for home defence. First-line machines increased from 572 in January, 1935, to 1542 in January, 1938, which is the last figure available. At the same time, first-line aircraft should now number 2000, but. with the vast acceleration of production, is probably much greater. The correspondent adds that the Air Ministry will shortly announce three additional "shadow" factories in the Midlands.
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Bibliographic details
New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23381, 24 June 1939, Page 15
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170ROYAL AIR FORCE New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23381, 24 June 1939, Page 15
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