1940-03-08 — Page 6

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AIR

FORCE

THE CHINA MAIL, MARCH 8, 1940

DOUBLED

Sir Kingsley Wood's Speech: Secret Estimates

LONDON, TO-DAY,

THE AIR MINISTER, SIR KINGSLEY WOOD, SPEAK- ING ON THE AIR ESTIMATES IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS YESTERDAY, SAID THAT FOR REASONS OF SECURITY THE AMOUNT OF THE ESTIMATES WOULD NOT BE DISCLOSED. He added: "I can state that our Air Estimates this year are of an unprecedented character and involved by far the greatest efforts and expen- diture ever made by this country in any year in relation to our air defences.

"I should like to say that these Estimates repre- sent only part of the further action we are taking and propose to take in conjunction with the Empire overseas, and with our Allies.

"Our expenditure and efforts can-

but not be limited this year

they must be continued and intensified 'un- til we have achieved our fixed "re- solve--the establishment of mastery in the air."

Sir Kingsley mentioned that the fighter and bomber commands and the British air forces In France had carried out day and night over 1,000 sorties well into German ter-

ritory.

and to start a weekly service across the Tasman Sea in April.

He hoped the difficulties preventing a regular air service to Lisbon would shortly be overcome.

To safeguard the position of civil aviation after the war a strong civil aviation advisory committee was be set up.

to

100 PER CENT, UP Giving an outline of the greatly increased R.A.F. output, the Air Min-. Fighters in France, a great, many of ister said it could safely, be said that the the fighting strength of the R.A.F. whom had been in action-over Siegfried Line, had taken off more had increased at least by 100 than 2,000 times for patrol, pursuit cent. during the last 12 months. and combat.

FIGHTERS PROVED.

our

Our fighters had amply proved their worth. Already, without a single loss. on our side, they had brought down some 50 German aircraft round coasts, and we knew that many more of the enemy had been forced down in neutral territory or in the sea

As an illustration of the R.A.F, progress Bir Kingsley said that in Introducing last year's Estimates he had stated that the total strength of the R.A.F. was ap- To-day proaching 100,000 men.

per

In addition we had been able to give, substantial help to friends over- seas.

He confidently believed that even on a numerical basis the output of aircraft accruing to Britain and France was to-day. In OXGPSS of that of Germany.

"We will fly wing-tip to wing-

This tip with our French Ally." was the statement By Air Mar- shal A. 8. Barratt, on assuming command of the British Air Force in France. Photo, shows Air Mar- shal-Barratt, Air Officer Com- Air -manding-in-Chief, British

Force in France, and General J. M. Mendigal, second-in-command of the French Air Force, at the Air. Marshal's H.Q/ (Copyright, Fox),

END OF A PROUD AIR RECORD

London, To-day.

In an official statement issued last evening Imperial Airways announce that the search for the air line's Hannibal has been abandoned and it is, feared she was lost at sea and there are no survivors of the four passengers and four crew. she was carrying.

The statement adds that Hannibal left Jiwani at five o'clock on the morning of March and was expect- ed to arrive at Sharjah at halfpast ten. Last message from the aeroplane was received about nine at Karachi and at dawn' on March 2; a search began in which the. Navy and R.A.F. took part.

The statement makes clear that wreckage seen by the commander of the flying boat Horsa proved on in- vestigation not to be that of Hannibal and concludes: "The accident brings to an end the proud record of eight Handley-Page-42 air liner used by Imperial Airways. Although between them they carried several hundred thousand passengers not one passen- ger has suffered injury or loss of life." British Wireless.

POWER OF AIR FORCE

;

London, To-day. The Air Minister declared in the House of Commons yesterday that Sir Kingsley Wood concluded: "If long-range fighters, Sir Kingsley said the long-nosed Blenheim had far and when serious attacks are made there were a number of new and better navigational facilities and a on this country considerable damage will be caused, but we need not doubt

fifty per cent increase in range over earlier models while the top speed that our people will endure with the

of the Spitfire had been increased ten same high courage as other peoples

-per cent. recently have shown.

"Moreover we can be sure that the the strength of one R.A.F. Com

powerful and efficient air defence. or. ́mand alone had nearly reached that figure.

་ ་ ་

ganisation which we have built up Units of the Coastal Command had will take a heavy toll of the enemy flown more than 5,000,000 miles since and that our bomber force will be

of the outbreak

war, They had both ready and able to hit hard, hit sighted submarines on more than 100 | often and to keep on "hitting." occasions and had delivered more than (Cheers)-Reuter. 60 attacks.

More than 700 convoys had been successfully escorted by aircraft.

i ALLIED COOPERATION Referring to co-operation with France, the Air Minister said this was of the most intimate character.

There was * comprehensive scheme of pooling Information, pro- duction problems were studied to gether and secret equipment was exchanged and new developments

shared.

Speaking of the flying training or- ganisation overseas, Sir Kingsley said. that when in full operation the schools in Canada, Australia and New Zea- laud would produce 20,000 pilots and 30,000 air crews'évery year,

In addition the South African Gov- ernment had most helpfully offered to train pilots for the. R.A.F., and there would also be air schools in Rhodesia and Kenya.

Flights Over Germany

In closing the Air Estimates debate, Sir Kingsley Wood said they had evidence that the recent flights over Germany had not been without effect on the morale of Germans.

There was considerable evidence that the leaflets dropped were read by a very large number of people who were apparently glad to read them notwithstanding the severe penalties with which they were threatened.

Replying to eriticism concerning coastal attacks, the Air Minister Bald obviously no. air defanos.system could be an impenetrable barrier. If that was a fact regarding gen- eral operations, it was still more difficult@during the night to Inter-

more powerful types of aircraft now in production,

"Certainly I have had regard to that," he sald replying to a 'ques-

"It can safely be said that the fight- tion whether his earlier comparing strength of the R.A.F. has been, son' between the Allies and Ger- increased at least a hundred per many had regard to the type and cent during the last twelve months.” quality of machines,,

British Wireless. The Air. Minister. was very dis- war had dealt appointed that the such a great blow to the carefully prepared pre-war plan regarding civil aviation.

"Anxious as I am as regards the position at the end of the war, I feel we should put every ounce we can into our military effort." (Cheers).

The Air Estimates were agreed without further discussion.-Reuter,

ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT

"AMAZED:"-No. good purpose would be served by giving further publicity to the faux pas. Undoubted- ly, ZBW has had more tharf one direct intimation of surprise that such stupid proximity should have escaped attention.

LABOUR PARTY NOT ALTOGETHER SATISFIED

London, To-day.

a

cept every hit-and-run rald in ones MR. HUGH DALTON". (Opposition Labour) asked

and twos on sa' 700-mile coastline. Conditions were worst. In winter, and it was to the credit of the Air Force that they had brought down so many enemy aircraft and driven off marty, more.

PRODUCTION BOARING - Dealing with production, the Air Minister said every month new plant INCREASING EFFICIENCY was coming into operation, many more "Our fighter, defence la increasing. factories were, coming into production, in efficiency daily The Air Force and still more were being built. and the Navy are tackling the pro- Future production had been plan-blem fointly and, I believe, with suc- ned on a 'scale' which' should enable cess." -

in the House of Commons yesterday for a de- finite assurance that all plans were completely prepared for our bombers to take immediate ac- tion against military targets in Germany in the event of any attempt being made to bomb Lon- don or any other objective in this country. (Cheers),

Mr. Dalton, declared that a number of people connected with the produc tion of nircraft were not altogether. satisfied that even yet we were get-

producing a two-seater, long-rangs fighter armed, with "cannon Wand capable of a spood of at least 350 toiles an hour.

un to attain our objective with some Sir Kingsley" Wood gave an un- thing in hand.

qualified assurance that all plans were Plans for production in the Domin- ready in the event of it being de- ions were beginning to bear fruit and cided that “British bomber forom

Admiral Sir Roger Keyes suggest- the first aircraft made in Canada had should be engaged in major opera-ing the maximum rate of output.

He said there was some evidence ed that in order to secure more effec- already been flown. Large additional tions, orders had been placed in America The Air Force would be only toc that rather too many types of planes tive co-operation with the Navy in and Canada.

willing to undertake any commission were under consideration...

the protection of shipping in the Referring to civil aviation, Sir with which they were entrusted. He questioned whether we had in North Sea the coastal, Air Force should Kingsley declared that in conjunction There was no holding back so far as use a fighter of a type equal to the be placed under the complete control with Australia and New Zealand it they were concerned..

Messerschmidt 110, and said it was of the Admiralty and additional had been decided to link up New

ied by persons of technical |bomber and fighter squadrons trained

Reuter, Zealand with the Empire air routes

competence that we should now be without delay.

NEW PLANES Replying to a question raised about