“SCARECROW PATROL”

Southland Times, Issue 24650, 23 January 1942, Page 5

“SCARECROW PATROL”

SUCCESSFUL BLUFF OF R.A.F.

(Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, January 21. In the early days of the war the shortage of planes was so serious that it was made up by bluff,” said WingCommander G. G. Barrett in an address to the Royal United Services Institution.

He said that unarmed Tiger, Hornet and Moth planes patrolled the North Sea. They were christened “the scarecrow patrol.” Light training aircraft operated in incredibly bad weather. They were capable of flying for a maximum of 150 minutes. U-boats sighting these planes dived without, waiting to discover whether they were capable of attack. “The scarecrow patrol” undoubtedly saved much shipping. Wing-Commander Barrett disclosed that the Scharnhorst was probably torpedoed during a daring dawn raid in which a single Beaufort dashed into Brest, skimmed the water and despite intensive anti-aircraft fire hopped over the protective mole and dropped a torpedo. Ships’ guns and shore batteries opened up. The Beaufort faced the heaviest concentration of fire ever directed against a single plane at such short range. It is believed that the torpedo scored a direct hit. The plane unfortunately was shot down and the crew of four killed. ,