World War: R. A. F. Against Odds

(4 of 4)

Playfair became a Group Captain in 1923 and in 1928 went to Palestine. For his work there he was made Air Commodore in 1930 and sent to India as Chief Staff Officer. He was put in command of the bomber squadron at Andover in 1933, made an Air Vice Marshal the following year the first man ever to reach that rank at 44. Three months ago he said to his men: "Keep fit, keep cheerful, and above all fight against boredom. These quiet times are nearing their end."

Heroes. Stories of individual exploits last week tended to support the entire R. A. F.'s record of desperate heroism. On the day fighting in the Low Countries began, Australian Pilot "Cobber" Kane returned to his unit with shrapnel wounds in his hands. "Turned out nice again, hasn't it?" said he to his adjutant, then took his machine into action. During the week he accounted for ten German planes.

Highest score for the week was made by Australian Pilot Leslie Clisby, with 14 enemy ships, seven in one day. Coldblooded Pilot Clisby, 26, was seen engaging a Heinkel in action, then disappeared. Three hours later he turned up at the orderly room with two German prisoners in tow. After forcing the Heinkel down he had landed his own ship, chased the German crew into a wood, captured them at revolver's point. Pilot Clisby's commanding officer remarked it was a bit uncommon for pilots to bring back prisoners.

Figures. Germany has a vast reserve force of pilots, and will not soon run short. Even if the R. A. F. brings down two planes for every one of its own lost, Germany is turning out some 2,300 planes a month, and Great Britain only 1,200. Fact is that the Allies have no hope of gaining command of the air even if Lord Beaverbrook can boost home production (see p. 36) until 1941 when the U. S. begins to deliver planes and Canada to deliver pilots in quantity. Unless Germany runs out of airplane gasoline there can be no early equality in the air except in the courage and skill of pilots.

Wings Over England? As the German land drive turned westward from below Sedan and headed for the English Channel, the British Isles waited for the blow that was inevitable. Their only countermeasure last week begun in advance was to try to devastate the Ruhr munitions works, to bomb at long range German aircraft production centres at Dessau, Rostock, Oranienburg, Augsburg, Rangsdorf, Johan-nisthal, Gotha, Schonefeld, Halle, Leipzig. Factories in those places were believed to be supplying Germany with 50 warplanes and 90 motors a day. Hopefully the British declared that their own defenses could inflict 40% losses (coming & going) on Nazi bombers who attack them at home. Nonetheless, the British faced a serious tactical disadvantage if Germany pushed on to the Channel. Then the R. A. F., with its bombers in Britain, would still have to keep its pursuit planes in France, to protect an ally whose Air Force is inadequate. Germany could then strike in either direction, with its opponents' Air Forces split. Against this double threat. Britain last week extended its balloon-&-steel-cable barrage, warned its populace of dangers to come, waited.