FLEET AIR ARM

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21646, 6 May 1940, Page 7

FLEET AIR ARM

Successes In Norway

Praise By Admiralty

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, May 3.

The successes of the Fleet Air Arm in Norway since April 24, when naval aeroplanes began to support the land forces, is recounted by the Admiralty, which signalled to the officers and men: "We are proud of the Fleet Air Arm.”

"In the course of operations against a vastly superior air force working from shore bases, the Fleet Air Arm has destroyed at least ten German aeroplanes and damaged many others,” states the Admiralty.

"Naval aeroplanes on April 25, in force, attacked bases for shipping in the Trondheim area. They destroyed at Varnes three hangars, other buildings, and two grounded bombers and successfully bombed and machinegunned nine seaplanes at their moorings. Two tankers were set on fire at Thamshavn.

"Naval aeroplanes on April 28 returned to the attack against Varnes where all the remaining hangars and several grounded aeroplanes were destroyed. Flying-boats and seaplanes were attacked with excellent results. In the course of these operations five enemy aeroplanes were shot down.” Th? Admiralty adds: “Operations of this magnitude insvitably involve loss and it is regretted that the crews of six of our aeroplanes are missing. No losses to his Majesty’s ships occurred since the German invasion of Norway except those announced, while at least twenty aeroplanes have been shot down and others damaged by the fleet’s anti-aircraft gunfire.” Comment by the “Times” The "Times” says: "There can be no two opinions upon the achievements fleet air arm in the Norwegian campaign. Naval aircraft are no match —on paper—for shore-based aeroplanes, for their design is based primarily upon the performance of purely naval duties and, moreover, they are subject to severe limitations caused by the necessity of working around and being stowed in a ship. In spite of these handicaps the fleet air arm in the last few weeks has not only discharged its particular function, giving air protection to the men-of-war in the theatre of action, but it has gone some way to supply for the army operating in Norway the air support it needed, but which the Air Force, lacking aerodromes from which to

work, could not provide, and it reinforced the Air Force’s powerful night attacks upon Norwegian and Danish air bases used by the enemy by bomb attacks upon Trondheim aerodrome, and at Vaernes, in which all hangars and a large number of enemy aeroplanes was destroyed. These exploits are a convincing demonstration of the truth of the maxim that in the air it is the man that counts far more than the machine. The ascendancy established by young men of the fleet air arm in their comparatively clumsy ship-borne aeroplanes over the flower of the German Air Force is quite remarkable, and is rivalled only by their brethren of the Royal Air Force in the same sphere.”