THE CHINA MAIL, OCTOBER 31, 1940.
Pagè
CHINA MAI Shock Troops Of
Of The
WINDSOR HOUSE
SHIPPING LOSSES
the
Anger and despair filled British destroyer when it was realised that the shells were fall- ing short of the. Italian cruiser,
The sinking of the "Em-now almost bursting her turbines press of Britain" has come in a frenzied effort to escape.
Royal
Navy
as a rude shock, though Mussolini, had been wise. He
recently us different directions at a given seç- the importance of the in- knew what sort of fight the Ital- infant was born as
ond. It really was a given second, lan Navy was destined to wage May of last year. cident is capable of exag-when he insisted that the first re- The United States has such a endangered the operation." -
A two-second ferfor would have geration, as witness some quisite of Italian warships
and still more test of war.. of the American broad-speed. Speed,
speed:
Was
casts. The disaster was
Through the sea-mists Italian made possible by new Nazi
sailors discerned the coast-line of tactics which will have to sicily; felt sure they were safe at be met and doubtless will last. be met, and it was made But now a speck appeared in possible by factors which the sky, grew in a matter of see- have contributed largely to the recent increase in British shipping losses.
onds into the shape of a vicious-
looking British naval aircraft. "Al- though shells burst round it, on
and on it came.
service-but it hasn't had the
There is arm-chair comfort in most of the aeroplanes used from aerodromes.
In acroplanes catapulted from the decks of warships, llots are Although, they left aircraft car-cramped in tiny cockpits, often It is one thing to leave a friend-riers 200 miles away, and took with no more protection from the different courses, they arrived stinging: nor'easter than a wind: ly aerodrome, run the gauntlet of over their targets at the second sorean as big as a pocket-handker German anti-aircraft batteries, fly arranged. And did murderous chief. back-having a smack at a few work.
It is the same with gunners, Messerschmidts on the way-and
radio operators, observers and They were told: "The Riche-others in the crews. They must lieu' must never sail again while be complete R.A.F, airmen and this war is in progress. She is in well. And be sailors into the know their raval lying duties as harbour at Dakar, off the West
bargain. Coast of Africa."
;.
By Maurice Fagence
You know, what happened. They saw to it that France's biggest battleship will never sail for Germany:
·The Fleet Air Arm has the same attacks from anti-aircraft guns, Gallant men of the R.A.F. would from bombers and from fighters-be the first to tell you that their cousins of the FAA. are the most thoroughly trained pilots in the world. [2
but without the other blessings.
then have lights to illumine your An increase in such los-
When it dived almost to water-path to friendly "terra flrma" and level, the Italians knew what to a hospitable mess. ses when conditions at sea expect. You have to be near. the and the occupation of surface when you release a tor- pedo, otherwise the jar of hitting French ports began to the water dislocates the propelling favour the U-boat cam-mechanism of the projectile. 'paign was only to be ex- The aircraft flew to within 2 The naval flying man's home is pected. But whatever suc-few hundred yards of the Imlian an aircraft carrier, a tiny speck in. cruiser-essential again, because aa wide expânse of sca. His "terra cesses Germany is able to fast manoeuvring ship can dodge firma" is a swaying deck. achieve are bought at aa 60-It-a-second torpedo, given heavy cost. The 'destruc- tion of enemy submarines
time.
A skim of foam through the 'water,¡ a gigantic roar, and the
is not regularly announc-tiny aircraft had delivered its gift ed by the British Admir- from the British Fleet, in the
"
shape of a torpedo, right into the
alty. Nazi broadcasts hab- bowels of the ship. itually exaggerate the
Speed, speed, speed, urged.Mus-
tonnage of British ship-solin ping sunk to a fantastic
But it hasn't saved them from
extent. But the actual loss the Fleet Air Arm, "shock-troops"
admitted by Britain for a
recent week reached an
of the Royal Navy.
His warships have spcd ..for
the British-Fleet was about. They have cowered behind the vast semicircular harbour bar there.
impressive figure. The Atrica's Tobruk if a wisp of smoke seriousness of this has on the horizon has suggested that not been under-rated in London. There is no rea- son, however, to fear that
The Fleet Air Arm has dived over the bar.to torpedo, bomb and
the efficiency of the con-machine-gun them. voy system has in any way His submarines have skulked at weakened or that the periscope depth; ten times more Royal Navy is not pursu-arraid to show their noses than ing the campaign against the. U-boat menace withYet lads of the Fleet Air Arm have sent them rolling to .the the utmost vigour and bottom. vigilance.
U-boat commanders.
Some of Mussolini's, naval de- tachments, hearing that British ships-o-war are in one part of the Mediterranean, have tried to make a show of bravery six hun- But now they dred miles away. are even nervous about that,
་
Judge their all-round ability from this..
A young midshipman pilot ran out of petrol. There are no petrol pumps at sea, and he was equip- ped only for a sea-landing. So. he brought his machine down on still on his floats. the ground, "ski-ing" to a stand-
Then he scrounged the petrol he wanted, slid off the ground, and got back to his carrier.
To begin with; they get a full course of ordinary dying, forno- tion dying and gunnery from the He sets out at dead of night||RAF. Then their naval work this. and:does 500 miles on sheer navi- "begins.
Judge their doggedness from:
Dive-bombing German
The collapse of France gave Germany numerous bases nearer the trade routes for attacking Brit- ish shipping. That is ob viously one explanation. for the intensified sub-
They have to learn how to be ships in a Norwegian flord, à Fleet British naval aircraft hunt them gational ability not daring to ask. marine warfare. There has out, test them with three tons of his whereabouts by radio, because catapulted into the air: how to Air Arm machine was hit by anti- been concentration · of bombs a minute. Fleet Air Armany ship that told him would re-take off from and land on a ship aircraft fire. His port petrol tank. veal its whereabouts to the enemy, that is trying to stand on-endálight, the pilot dived into the units have maintained a grim smaller units of the fleet
tattoo of five tons a minute on to meet the invasioni dan German naval base. ger, a situation which will No wonder they hope that one be much relieved when day 11 Duce will discover a bomb- proof harbour for good Italian America's 50 destroyers. Pilors. come into service. The
A picturesque scone near York as the farmer carries on with the barvesting, beneath heavy clouds. (Copyright, 'Fox).
n
Round and round-he goes in that 500-mile course, always do- work, and ing reconnaissance sometimes a spot of fighting as well.
:
Then, whatever his evolutions
There are no German airmen new difficulty thus pre-doing work comparable with that sented will undoubtedly of the Fleet Air Arm-the young-in a barren sea, devoid of land- be overcome. If the air est Air Force in the world. The marks, he must steer a dead course blitzkrieg, always regard-
ruthlessness
of U-bop the part Allied cause threatened to
for that speck he calls home.
how to bring a machine equipped flord. with floats down into the water.
You may not believe it, but water is harder than clay. And dances about, which clay can't be persuaded to do. What is more, water is ever-changing. You need a hundred different techniques for "landing" init..
Next, the pilot must learn to be Even if naval exigencies have a complete sailor. When afloat he compelled the aircraft carrier to must do ordinary ship's duties; move while he was away from When his craft is on the surface. home," he should be able to spot of the sea he must navigate it as It.
a ship-must furation asia) mus-, ter of a ship. Yet, as probably a cunning]
Under the noses of the Germans be put out the fire when he had only 20 gallons of petrol left, took cff, and made а safe landing. alongside a British destroyer.
If you would know about the men as personalities, read this.
¡An Air Arm pilot brought his machine down in a harbour off the West Coast of Ireland because -his engine was in need of repair.
The Eire harbour-master lent him a mechanic, the job was com-
pleted, and off he went.
Some hours later Dublin was on the telephone to the harbour-
muster. ^
ed as the greater danger then only one in four. It has failed, it is hardly has been frankly admitted likely that
utmost since then that the whole
"We understand you have in- terned a British flying-boat that commanders crash to earth just. as enemy has followed him back, He must fly machines that are put down In, your harbour," said can defeat the enormous America entered the war. hoping he would reveal a won- necessarily far inferior to any-the Voice of Oficialdom.
"Sure, I've done,no such thing, "strength of British sea The situation was saved derful target, he must not worry thing in service with the R.A.F.
If no flashing message comes from
'sang."- back" ~"the" harbourmaster. They must be given added "They've flown away. I couldn't power or come anywhere in time by the adoption of the sea.
strength to enable them to with- think of being neutrál against near starving Britain into the convoy system and As well as navigational ability, stand the shock of landing on young men 'so charming.” surrender. Such a desper the complete Government he must have the patience and deck or in the sea and that can Charming? Forgive Mussolini it
fortitude to wait bravely for a only be got at the expense of he fails to agree. ate situation nearly arose control of all matter sign from the dark sen.
lightness and manoeuvrability. "He is known to have car-mark- in 1917, when in the affecting Britain's nat-In such a way the Fleet Air Arm
They must be considerablyed some four hundred of his best month of April alone 881,-ional life and the direc-daily covers. 8,000,000 square miles smaller than machines used: from machines to keep a special watch 000 tons of Allied and tion of national effort. of often storm-tossed sen-160 land base, Even the biggest on the hornets of the Royal Navy.
times the area of England. neutral shipping were Things are vastly differ sunk The chances of a ent to-day. There can be ship leaving the United no question of losing the Kingdom on a voyage and war at sea while it is be-wed Narsit, the air alt of the Air Arm Chift can be bouned returning safely were ing won in the air.
| Fleet Air Arm had to appear from comfortably in such a parent ship
When British destroyers at
aircraft carriers would only be able to give ship's space for half a dozen or so big R.A.F. mach Anes.
Seventy and more tiny Fleet
He can little afford to spare them with Libya, Abyssinia, ant Italy itself continually under fire from our RAF...
He realises that even the Royal run Inst enough to escape the grasp of the Italian Navy can't
Fleet Air Arm.