THE CHINA MAIL, AUGUST 10, 1940
CHINA MAI Fighters! Spirit Of Attack
WINDSOR HOUSE
FORCE
When the philosophy
For Victory
At this moment the R.A.F. They clamber into. the cockpits Two things stand out from the counter-attack, even when
ex- awaiting the German raiders while aircraftmen fix safety course of the war so far that give hausted by terrifically All over Britain "Spitfires" and straps.
long A "thumbs-up" signal the Empire encouragement and marches, shows how deeply in- "Hurricanes," warmed-up of force holds the world in
ang trom the flight commander, the pride.
grained was the offensive spirit. ready, await the order that wil|"Hurricanes", aro in the air, "un- One is the qualitative superio- It will be noted that the at- a fearsome grip, only a senet them into the sky to seek dercarts" are raised and the scc-rity of all British fighting forces. tack made by British divisions. saint or an incurable paci-day spent with them, is taken six miles a minute to intercept of the offensive spirit in the period
their prey. This account of altion goes off at a speed of about The other. is the consistent display on Arras was the only real at- tempt made by the retreating fist will suggest that the from "Illustrated."
during which strategically
army of the Allies to cut its way through the enveloping German forces.
the reported raiders.
terror can best be met by visit is one that shares the res-wards lo intercept the suspected
The crack fighter squadron we While the patrol speeds cast-Empire stands on the defensive.
at
Of
as-
seven "Heinies."
from the post. The course
✡
*
*
and
and
tic
*
*
and
✡
While we are there the C. O.
a
thel
and its antidote were discovered
Force can guarantee..
K
*
bases.
It has taken prompt and daring action to prevent the French Navy falling in enemy hands.
A timid, defensive polloy, to the excessive concentration of
·By- Major-General Sir Chas. Gwynn
naval units in Home waters. In
of consequence
the Invasion threat would have immobilised the Navy and led to the loss of opportunities.
Let us see how this qualitative} turning a submissive ponsibility for the defence of Bri-raiders, intensive work proceeds superiority is manifesting itself. On the Egyptian frontier and cheek to the aggressor's tain's "Industrial middle". A cer- at the station.
The Navy has shown conspicous on the borders of Abyssinia, our tain squadron, stationed at-has In the crew room another sec-daring and devotion to duty on troops have been enterprising and slap or meekly inviting a proud record in two wars. Intion of pilots awai; a call. A every occasion. That was to be constantly taking the initiative. his hardest kick by this one already their "bag" is patrol comes home. In a
very expected of it.
Should the Germans succeed in short time the machines
are re- Its resources, its ability to deal setting foot on the shore of Bri- suming an appropriately But first we must go to an ob-fuelled and re-armed, Oxygen with the unforeseen, afford new tain, we may feel confident that accommodating
server corps post. This, a key job bottles are replaced. At an alti- reason for satisfaction. posture. in our air defence plan, belongs tude of more than
our defence will lack neither 10,000 feet It has dealt faithfully with the speed nor violence, Because he made his re-to civilians. Night and day twe pilots must breathe canned air. U-boat menace. It has disproved| And in Britain the Army should cent amazing appeal to men are on duty, looking
On the station there is constant (enemy theories about the vulnera-never require to meet overpower- listening.
[activity. In the armoury am-bility of shipping by air attack. ing numbers or weight of arma- every Briton to lay down He who stands at the sighting munition is being "belted up," Its organisation of the convoy ment. arms and seize the weapon Apparatus spots an aircraft higl. guns are cleaned repaired. system has been magnificently ef- That the Navy and Royal Air
in the sky. He gives it possible, Parachutes, in the special store ficient. of non-violence, Mahatma its identity, its direction and the devoted to their care, are tested Secrets of the magnetic mine Gandhi incurred not re-phones the information
aititude, His companion tele- re-packed.
to the The C. O., a young squadron in a few days. In both legitimate Spirit Of Attack proach but the reverent observer corps centre,
leader is a firm disciplinarian but submarine and mine warfare it Here, seated round a big table, off duty his boys find him very has shown itself more than equal
turn to consider the many ridicule due to a saint in are a dozen men
manifestations of the offen- wearing ear-human. He is one of the young-to the enemy. the guise of a practical phones. The message comes in er "ace" pilots.
The withdrawals from Norway sive spirit of our fighting forces. His
and
The Navy, with the assistance politician.
France-operations never gentle height of the aircraft is plotted His "boys" are of diverse types, practised-were amazing feats. of the Royal Air Force, wages un- voice cries in the wilder-on the table map around which though all share one characteris- The handling of a difficult posi- ceasing war against the enemy's ness of horrors the they are gathered.
their tremendous, abiding tion with the French Navy showed submarines and surface ships in Within seconds of that report enthusiasm for flying. Average the same capacity to deal with a the open seas and their defended wrong moment.
his from the sky watchers the staff age of the pilots in this squadron situation without precedent.
of that hush-hush sincerity there cannot be operations room, know all about
concern, the is twenty-three. the slightest doubt. But it. The controller, a senior off-makes arrangements for a night-In The Air And On Land cer of the R.A.F. who now fights flying patrol. After a conference his idealism, like that of his aerial battles over the tele- with his flight commanders, th: The quality of the R.A.F., both many others, comes to phones, issues orders.
C.O. changes into flying kit. in personnel and material, has be- grief on the rock of hard|
Awesome indeed is the sight of come world famous. a night-time patrol. In almost It has shown readiness to take realities. He provokes the As a result, an alarm bell jan-pitch blackness all that is to be risks and capacity to come through tough to laugh him to ics in the crew room where the seen is swift-moving shadow them safely.
pilots of the squadron are wait-flashing across the aerodrome and In bombing accuracy and alr scorn when he seriouslyng. An aircraftman on duty at the lick of flame from the exhaust combat it has established ab- asks all Britons to invite the telephone, repeats the con- pipes of the 1,000 horse-power solute supremacy.
troller's instructions. The boys power-units, to the accompani- The Army has had unfortunate, Hitler and Mussolini to ruggle rapidly into their flying inent of the bellow that only big experiences and suffered from the take what they want of gear.
supercharged engines can render. mistakes of the French High Com- They are already wearing fly- The C. O. and his boys come mand. British possessions-evening jackets they call "Mae Wests." hack from their night patrol. We But that the morale and tactical of the "beautiful" British A moment ago they were resting. hear a sound in the distance that skill of the Army is of the highest or playing cards, or reading. Now rises to a deep-throated roar -order is proved by the conduct of Isles themselves, with there is intensive activity marked the section we saw off in search the withdrawal from Belgium and their
by an unflurried efficiency. of that enemy raider "many beautiful
is coming the final retreat to Dunkirk. The ground crew has already back. They wheel round the Only very efficient staff work buildings."
streamed out to the waiting aerodrome and, in the dim flicker could have held the B.E.F.
to- The R.A.F., in spite of numeri- machines. The Fuehrer may be a and "run-up", the pilots arrive at
Engines are startca of the flare path, put down. gether and effected its
inferiority, has pursued re-em-cal The end of the day? No fear barkation with so little loss of similar course. It attacks, the bit of an artist, and the the double, fixing parachu'e har--the fighter pilots keep a twenty-personnel under the circum-enemy's offensive preparations at the fountain head. Its bombing Duce an aesthete in hisness and the combined microphone four hour watch. The squadrons stances.
and oxygen mask as they run. are on the job all the time,
The readiness of our men to aircraft carried the war into the enemy territory, on every front, spare moments; but their
attacking
bases, air and naval present drive for power is)
munition factories, and land and not dictated by a desire
water communications. to feast their eyes on the architectural loveliness of
The following impressions of a as possible against Japanese air-Jusual though the heat was op-
visit to Chiang Kai-shele's capi-raids. There is no
thought of pressive and the Japanese raiders rior forces, either of enemy bomb- England's green and tal some months ago are from removing to another place. Every-were expected to return at апу
an article by Gurther Stein in where one hears the hammering time. pleasant land. The point
the "China Air Mail" (Hong-of innumerable coolies as they While I was waiting for hours the Mahatma wished to kong):
drive deep tunnel shelters into the on the airfield to take the 'planc
bat. stress, however, was that| The spirit prevailing in Chung-rocks. The noise of blasting and back to Hong Kong-the weather
The R.A.F. on the other hand, king. the temporary Chinese the falling of debris is heard as was too clear to risk a flight over
has not been perturbed by anti- it mattered little if Bri-capital, is impressively s'rong and fire lanes are being cut through the Japanese lines-some experts aircraft fire, in making their at- tons lose all their mater-optimistic. The shortcomings of the city's densely crowded rows helped me to calculate the cost to
the backward provincial city-its of houses. At the same
time Japan of that night's raid. About tacks effective.
The Army has not had the same ial belongings, so long as sweltering summer, the appalling much construction work is going eighty bombers had
made the they retain their uncon-steep river-banks, and the
| inconveniences of its situation onjon; hill tops are being levelled to 400-miles flight to Chungking and opportunity as the other. fighting services to show its offensive lack provide building sites; adminis-dropped their full load of bombs.
spirit. querable souls and minds. of adequate communications with trative offices, factories, and 500,000 yen, or £30,000, was Britain manifestly must wait Here he
the outside world-add consider-Idwellings for the great army was assuming ably to the great dificulties which officials, are being erected in sur-mate of the cost of
of found to be a conservative esti-until the enemy is within reach to that the Nazi hordes, the war has created for. China; ¡prisingly large numbers.
bombs alone. Yet the result But there is ample evidence marching over the passive than to daunt the energies of the but they seem to stimulate rather
achieved was no more than the from Norway. Belgium and destruction bodies
Chungking is the first Chinese lives and some
of twenty civilian Northern France that the British of non-resisting Government and its officials.
fifty dwelling-Army is inspired with high cour- of city I have seen where only a Britons straight into their
One of the main activities
houses, and of whatever furniture] Chungking is
small part of the population seems! "digging in" to homes, would impose no make the new capital as immune to be superfluous or occupied with had been left intact in the Ger-age, imagination and aggressive-
futile activities. Almost everybody No place of importance had been man Embassy after a former raid. subsequent restrictions on
who is able to do his or her share hit.
is "bigger than the American cre- the freedom of the van- of peace and good-will and is detailed to some useful work, It will not be easy for
the dit of about £50,000,000 extend~ which gives the city the appear-Japanese bombers quished to exercise their shake hands heartily with ance of an ant-hill.
to paralyse ed by the United States Export- Chungking Chungking, even if they redouble Import Bank." Chungking is now mental powers and seek Hitler, as a first step to-respect: the big heel of the Jap-safer than Hankow ever was. The will at least remain on the same seems an ant-hill, too, in another their costly efforts. Chungking is satisfied that Russian assistance spiritual satisfaction in wards the establishment anese army is always threatening Government is not worried about scale as hitherto. Altogether it their own way. But he of world peace on an un-efforts are achieving.
to destroy what these unceasing the new capital. It's troubles lie would seem that the commercial
Japanese in a different field.
credits still available will be considered the possibility assailable basis. But those planes may come over at any
sufficient to finance China's im-
for The Chinese leaders admit that ports for military. needs
China Cannot Be Beaten
*
*
fuel and
Our fighter aircraft never hesi- tated to engage numerically supe-
ing'
́aircraft or fighter escorts.
It has been the enemy, who, even in... superior numbers, cought safety by evading com
take offensive action.
ness.
*
1
*
of the Nazi and Fascist who smile at the Mahatma moment to interrupt the bustle
and to works havoc. Xét this the country's financial position is considerable time to come. guests refusing to allow must pause to give him thought does not seem to disturb becoming Increasingly difficult, their democratic hosts to credit for his supreme years of warfare.
(those who are trained by two especially with regard to the pro- Moreover, I was assured by vision of foreign exchange for General Chiang Kai-shek as well vacate their peacefully in-moral
courage in pro- I had a chance of watching them the payment of imported goods. as by the, Minister of Economic vaded houses. In that claiming a mission with during an air alarm in daytime. But it is an exaggeration to say, Affairs that China had now achie- and during the first night raid. as some observers do, that China's ved self-sufficiency in small arms évent, all the non-violent which he honestly feels Every official grabbed a bag of means of financing essential im-and small-arms ammunition. resisters had to do is to he has been entrusted by important papers or whatever else ports are already largely deplet- The country could carry (was most' valuable (the shelters ed. I was told. in Chungking that on the war for years, even if the submit to being slaughter-God. Meanwhile, the Em-have special accommodation for about £60,000,000 of foreign com- last remaining trade routes to the ed-every man, woman pire prefers to hope that their children; an orderly exodus hausted. I was not able, however, rupted by the Japanese blockade documents, etc.); women carried mercial credits are still unex-outside world were to be Inter- and child rather than India will find herself able took place towards the many to discover how. tangible the un- of the French port of Haiphong avow allegiance to false to respond to Lord Lin-well-built shelters or up the wood-dertakings of foreign partners to and the British port of Rangoon.
ed hill-sides into the country, ideals.
such credit agreements are. The As to other financial resources, lithgow's new offer and
practical value of the £20,000,000 It may be estimated that earlier
*
It all sounds deliriously thus co-operate to the full There was no trace of punic credit from Belgium is especially this year roughly £20,000,000 or war-weariness among the dimcult to establish. Tho total must have been left of the old fantastic. We may next in completing the mission crowds, and the moment the "all-Includes the third commercial silver cover of the currency, be- expect India's great-soul-which Britain, last bas-clear sounded, everybody went credit which has just been grant-fore £5,000,000 of it was used for ed saint to suggest that tion of liberty in Europe, on the morning after
silently back to work-or to beded to China by the Soviet Union the creation of the British-Chin- the raid, as part of a now Sino-Sovie: Com-cso stabilisation fund. Even if
there should` have Mr. Churchill should fly has had entrusted to her which cost every inhabitant of mercial Treaty,
been further. [Chungking at least, four hours, of| The extent of this credit is not calls in the meantime, the sliver to Berlin with a message by grim realities.
sleep, business was going on as divulged, but I was told that it reserve must still be considerable.
+