NEW WEAPON

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25364, 23 October 1943, Page 5

NEW WEAPON

USE AGAINST U-BOATS SEARCHLIGHTS ON AIRCRAFT (Rec. 8 p.m.) RUGBY, Oct. 21. In the intensive anti-submarine operations carried out during recent months by Coastal Command, working in close co-operation with the Royal Navy, effective use has been made of a special weapon with which aircraft of the command havo been equipped for over a year. This weapon is specially adapted for night attacks on U-boats'. It is a powerful searchlight, produced and perfected after much patient research. The searchlight is known as the “ Leigh light,” and the work of the squadrons using it has been the keystone of success in air operations against U-boats in the Atlantic, where a high percentage of attacks to sightings has been achieved in darkness. Before the searchlight aircraft began their activities U-boats could submerge by day and surface with reasonable security by night to recharge their batteries. At that time attacks on them in darkness were necessarily haphazard, and only practicable on clear moonlight nights. For some months, however, a U-boat has been safe neither by day nor night from the “Leigh light” aircraft, which can patrol between dusk and dawn, with the result that many U-boats have been forced to cruise submerged by night and risk surface movements by day, when they hoped to sight any patrolling aircraft and crashdive before attacks could be made.

The searchlight is installed in the aircraft in such a position that it will not blind the.pilot or crew and will throw on the water a beam many millions of candle-power in strength. When the use of the searchlight was suggested Coastal Command at once saw its possibilities, and the Admiralty gave ready co-operation. An aircraft was placed at the disposal of Wing Commander H. de V. Leigh, and as a result of satisfactory tests more aircraft were allocated for searchlight duties. As soon as a procedure for operating the light had been evolved an R.A.F. operational flight was formed and began practice attacks. When its technique had reached a certain standard the flight was brought to squadron strength and became operational in Coastal Command.

On their first operational sortie they sighted two U-boats, both of which were attacked with the aid of the searchlights. This led to the training of more squadrons, which have been in operation for some time.