AIR POWER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22369, 17 September 1934, Page 16

AIR POWER

PLANS FOR STRENGTHENING BRITAIN WILL STILL "LAG" The Imperial Government's belated plans to build 492 fighting and bombing planes within the next five years have been accepted by the nation with unfeigned relief. . Such jubilation as there is, however, is sadly qualified (says the London correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald) by the realisation that, even with this considerable reinforcement of the Royal Air Force, Britain will still " lag " behind her chief foreign competitors for air power. The British dogs' of war will continue, as it were, to be comparatively toothless. Indeed, if the present rate of construction is maintained throughout the world, England, by the end of 1938, will be relatively as weak in the air as she is to-day. This may be seen by a glance at the comparative strength in first-line aircraft, which is as follows;, —

Great Britain ».-•'.'. 840 U.S.A. .. .. ... 1752 France .... :. 1650 Italy .. .. .. 1300 Russia .. .... 1300—1500 Japan .. .. .. 1385

At the end of 1938, or the spring of 1939, Great Britain, under the plan announced by Mr Baldwin, should have about 1310 first-line aircraft. But, in the meantime, other countries will have greatly strengthened their air forces. France, however, in the present year, is attending rather to reorganisation and improvement of equipment, with a view to expansion later on. Parity with the air force \ of the strongest Power within striking distance, definitely promised by responsible Ministers, was not even mentioned by Mr Baldwin, and the omission created great surprise. He did admit, however, that circumstances might arise demanding an adjustment of the plan. : There is little or nothing to fear from America, of course, but the situation there, as regards Avar planes, is decidedly interesting. A great and immediate increase of the United States Army Air Force was recommended, this week, by the official Aviation Investigation Committee which has reported to the Secretary of War, Mr George H.'Dern. The committee, headed by so responsible a public figure of Mr Newton D. Baker, the war-time Secretary of War, says the United States Air Force should be strong enough "to meet the most serious threat of war against our* country than can be conceived." To achieve this, the committee points but that the-Air Force requires immediate and extensive modernisation by: . (1 j The expansion of the force to 2320 fighting planes. (The Congressional Act of 1926 provides for such expansion.) '_./ ; _ (2) The encouragement of the aviation industry in' order to* guarantee quick and efficient expansion in time of war. ■'.• ■■'..>. (3) Increase in the Air Force personnel by 403 officers. (4) A consistent aviation policy. The committee then states that America's naval air force "is stronger than that of any other Power," while America leads the world in commercial aviation. ',' , ' ■■■ , All that is true; PROBLEM OF PERSONNEL. .. To some extent the British Government's modest ambitions have been influenced by the knowledge that trained pilots cannot be evolved by the waving of a magic wand, or the mere evolution of a "plan." Machines can be built so long as money can be found to pay for them, but machines Avithout expert crews are useless. It is this problem of suddenly finding an efficient personnel that has compelled the " stretching " of . the building programme over a period of five years. And here it is opportune, perhaps, to quote the air. correspondent of the London Observer, Avho enlarges Aery aptly bri this subject. "After the pres-. ent year's small increase,',' he ; writes, "the plan will demand an addition, of. about nine squadrons annually up to the financial year 1938-39. All Available trained .'personnel' will, in. fact, be used up by this year's addition of four new squadrons, and the filling up oi the establishment of tAvo squadrons Avhich only existed on paper. For next year and the immediately following year's increases, the output of trained personnel from Halton and Cranwell will not nearly suffice, and additional aircraftsmen and cadets in large numbers should immediately be signed on. These, however, would not finish their training until the end of 1937. "It Avill presumably be necessary to extend the period of service of officers and men due to retire in the next two or three years, and also to take back some who have already retired. Any large increase in the number of shortterm commissions would be most undesir r able, although the temptation will be strong, for within a year of joining thß holders of such commissions are appointed to squadrons. " It takes about three and a-half years to train an aircraftsman or a cadet, and any attempt to hustle the training and shorten the period would have disastrous results on efficiency. But the matter is determined in another way also. For it takes four years to prepare an aerodrome for occupation, so that land acquired and buildings begun now will not be ready until the end of 1937. \ " Thus, in no case, except by panic and extravagant measures, Avould it be possible to secure parity for another five years, and certainly it would never be possible on the basis of Mr Baldwin's statement. " The crux of the matter is provision for such an increase in the number of entries of aircraft apprentices and cadets at Halton and Cranwell as would suffice for a very much greater number of new squadrons than the proposed 35 added to the six budgeted for this year. "No mention was made of neAV auxiliary or special reserve squadrons, but although these absorb fewer regular personnel than do regular squadrons, they are manned partly by regulars, and, therefore, would make demands upon personnel urgently needed for new regular squadrons." Meanwhile France, Germany and America, and even Russia, are doing eA-erything conceivable to make their respective populations "air-minded," and to create large reserA-es: of pilots. To this end, they are strongly encouraging " gliding" as a sort of foundation in training for aeroplane pilots, of the future. Germany at this moment, has 10,000 licensed glider pilots, and* Russia has .30,000. Great Britain can admit only to a beggarly 360.