DANGER OF ATTACK IN ANTIPODES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 301, 21 December 1939, Page 7

DANGER OF ATTACK IN ANTIPODES

VALUE OF EMPIRE TRAINING SCHEME INCREASE IN PERMANENT ’ DEFENCE FORCES

(By Telegraph—Preus Association—Copyright) OTTAWA. Dec. 19. The leader of the British Air Mission, Lord Riverdale, said that he is particularly pleased at the way the Empire air plan affects Australia and New Zealand, "where there is danger of an attack.” He added: “They will have men in training constantly lo augment their permanent defence force.” The training scheme provides for an estimated expenditure of £150,01)0,000. An official summary states that the jost will be borne by Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Britain on a percentage basis. Canada’s share is ; £87,500,000. The staff will be 40,000,1 exclusive of students, and includes i 2700 officers, 6000 civilians, and 30,000 ! technicians to handle administration and instruction at 67 bases in Canada. There will be hundreds of aircraft, i mostly supplied by Britain, and 60 new j airports are needed. Mr. Frederick Birchall, in the New j York Times, estimates a suppiy of i 25,000 pilots annually, 10,000 irom i Canada, 2000 from Australia, and 2560 ; from New Zealand, exclusive of 600, expected to finish training annually in '

Australia. I x Australian pilots will first be trained at home and will spend 14 weeks at , 1 schools learning advanced flying, night ’ s and blind Hying, and bombing and ' fighting. Observers will be 12 weeks in ' ten schools for navigation, reconnaissance, and photography, and six weeks bombing and gunnery. Schools for gunners are for 16 weeks and there' are four wireless schools with a four- ■ weeks' course. Lord Riverdale initialled the agree- | ment for Australia for immediate i operation. Canada will bear the costs , o£ t ransport. ! r In a broadcast on the air training scheme, Ihe British Air 1 Minister, Sir Kingsley Wood, said the P scheme would put British ascendancy 1 over the enemy in the air beyond ' challenge. He expressed the view that considering the size of the scheme ; the Empire had done a fine job in fixing up such an inspiring and con- , structive plan in such a short time. "11, will indeed be a great demonstration of Empire unity when men of j the Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal i New Zealand Air Force and our own i Royal Air Force train together in sale ; Canadian flying schools,” Sir Kingsley : Wood said. Each Dominion would supply locally ; made aircraft to an increasing extent I Irom its own manufacturing resources. , While the negotiations had been in ; progress, the participating Govern- I ments had gone ahead with the pre- ■ liininary steps permiting of rapid ex- , ecution of the great plan. TRYING TO RECOVER MORALE?' REASON FOR HELIGOLAND COMBAT NAZIS ALARMED BY FLEET LOSSES ( British Official Wirelena ] RUGBY, Dec. 19. ] Informed circles in London regard - .the strenuous resistance made by Ger- • man lighters to the Royal Air Force ’ reconnaissance yesterday as indicating an increased desire by the German High Command to preserve their di--1 minished fleet. i The Royal Air Force expedition had . ! as its object the seeking out and destruction of enemy ships at sea but i the Germans had withdrawn naval .forces in an endeavour to protect i ’ i (hem from discovery, leaving the pas- , sage of the Royal Air Force aircraft ; to be disputed by their fighters. In the 11 severe fighting which followed the de- : termination and skill of the Royal Air i Force personnel, resulting in Ihe de- : struction of 12 enemy fignters for the ' 1 loss of seven Royal. Air Force bomb- < ’ |ers, demonstrated, as did last Thurs-I J day’s engagement, w hen five out of 20 j Messerschmitts were destroyed at a 1 icost of three Royal Air Force ' machines in a4O minutes' fight, the superiority at present held by the i R’lyal Air Force. Not. Conclusive. It is, however, recognised that no accurate conclusion on the compara- . , five strength of fighters and bombers ' can be obtained until large-scale | operations have taken place, although y the success so far attending the Royal Air Force lighters when driving off enemy bomb raids may prove in ihe future to be a link in the chain of , evidence favourable to the Royal Air Force. That the recent loss of German