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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1942-12-31, Page 3ARABIAN KNIGHTS Sayid Idris (left) leader of the Setussi Arabs, is greeted by his' troops in traditional spanner. Formerly under Italians, they joined Allies recently in Libya. THE WAR - WEEK — Commentary on Current Events Superiority Of Allied Air Power Insures Success In North Africa Four main factors may be said to account for the great Allied air successes ,in North Africa. They are important, because they have never been present before all to- gether. They are important also because when those four qualities can be combined they make pos- sible decisive results. The dour factors were -and are: 1.—Superiorityin technical quality of aircraft. 2.—Superiority in numbers. 3.—Adequate ground organiza- tion for servicing, maintenance and repair. 4.—Masterly handling of the available squadrons in a balanced offensive. Added to those essential quali- ties is the fact that a chain of air bases were available for occupa- tion as the advance went forward westward from Egypt and east- ward from Algeria. And further- more the axis use of their own air forces was distinguished by neither imagination nor initiative. Not for the first time the . Luft- waffe was so rigidly bound to its ground forces that it could ex- ploit none of the versatility which characterizes ainpower and is so essential for its success. Let us examine more closely those four factors in success. • In the first place the Allied forces had a narked technical superiority in the aircraft employ- ed. The basis of all air -power is the single -seat fighter and both in Egypt and in French North Africa the Supermarine Spitfire, flown by British, American and Imperial pilots showed that it is the fighter "par-excellouce." T h e Spitfires were able to establish real air supremacy—not merely superior- £ty—and so drive the enemy out of the sky. Improved Spitfire Incidentally, a still further fon- proved version of the Spitfire is now in service powered with the new Rolls Royce Merlin Sixty - One motor of greatly increased performance. The result is a high- flying fighter which Is not only delightful to fly but supretue in speed and fire-power. - Tills Sipit- fire. Is a world beater—and for- tunately there are going to he plenty of them. Of the other types of aircraft which have done so well in North Africa the 1-Iurricane and Kitty- hawk fighter bombers, the Am- erican Boston, Baltimore and Mit- chell mediusu bombers, and the Halifax and. Liberator heavy bomb- ers have been outstanding, To single out but ono -the Douglas - Boston III of the British Air Forces, similar. to the American - A-200, has performed maguif!cen.t- ly and has lent itself to. new and brilliant tactics described by' Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder as' "Boston tea parties;" In these ' "parties" ,concentrated Attacks are made by Bostons 1n close forma-' tion against enemy fighter air- drome,s. The bombs aro dropped at •15 yard Intervals over the whole target which is thus com- pletely' .blanketed. Overlaps are liable to be reprimanded Quito early in, the. attacks the Allied -forces had built up superior- ity of numbers over the teats -tate In 1]gypG--estimated at snipe 000 German and 100 Ttatteu first-ihie aircraft. '\elle nia;G-n (1I err u- ized workshops behind the lines made possible the maintenance or the Allied aircraft in action at a constant level. Iu that respect the enemy failed and, as he retreated, abandoned much of his equipment. Malta 11 New Role The use of parachute troops in French North Africa is another example of the exploitation of the right weapons in the right places. The 1,500 mile flight by the Am- erican and British troops under Lt. Col. Edson D. Raft in their Douglas transports from England to Africa must rank as one of the great feats of itskind in , this war and of Immense significance for the future. Iu every way the Twelfth Air Force of the U. S. Army, now .in Africa, msist be congratulated on a fine piece of work ;which. will lead to great things. How great these things are to be in the . near future will depend very much on the air -strength of the United Nations. The axis is likely to try and set up the strong- est possible air cover in a triangle over *Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica and ]Southern Italy—all well-equjpped with airfields. The- Sicilian Chan- nel between Tunis and Marsala in Sicily is about 90' miles wide which means that strong Allied fighter sweeps would be possible from Tunis in support of concen- trated bombing. Furthermore, Mal ta—which now turns from grim and gallant defence toswift and shattering attack—is-only 60 miles from the Slcilian shore. Now at last Malta comes late her own. The first task is thus to clear the axis neck and crop out of Africa. The next is to establish air superiority from,. African air bases out over the Mediterranean. The third is to destroy as much as possible of the Luftwaffe on its advanced bases to ,create the conditions in which successful combined operations can be ad- vanced a step further.. The Luft- waffe must be nsacle to fight—the more it fights the better for the Allied cause. Aircraft production in America and Great Britain now outstrips that of the axis by a wide margin. Tho higher the rate of wastage which can be forced on the axis the quicker will come the absolute air mastery which is the key to victory. 0f the 21,500,000 women between the ages of 14 and 65 in the United States, more than 13,500,000 are employed. THE BOOK SHELF OUR HEARTS WERE YOUNG AND GAY By Cornelia Otis Skinner and Emily Kimbrough Cornelia Otis Skinner and Emily Kimbrough went abroad together. This *as in the early twenties, and they were not quite in theirs. "Emily," Cornelia said, "et- tracts' trouble the way blet serge, attracts lint." But it was, after all, Cornelia who same down with the measles and a great many complications; Emily did nearly d.rv; n a num, but her intention was onlje to be helpful; and when she hit an English nobleman in the face, it was unprenieditaited and in sport. Certainly the ship- wreck was not the fault of either of then, though Cornelia has al•, ways averred that the mere' feet of Emily's being there helped to bring it about. They. were young and foolish and their hearts wore gay. They laughed at nearly everything but they cried, too, ;lt lisgland, and the sight of France, the Eiffel Tower - and Joan of Arc. They had been brought up to know about such places, and sure enough they were time, and Cor nolia and Emily were there to see them. They were every young Ameri- can girl on her first trip abroad. They discovered and they owned Europe, or such part of it ea they awkwardly cantered over, and they adored almost everything they encountered. Stich things as they did not adore they hated.. They would not have known enough nor hoav to be bored. They longed to be considered worldly but they were not of the world; they were on top of it. Our Hearts Were Young and Gay . -.. By Cornelia Otis Skinner and Emily Kimbrough . , . Dodd, Mead & Company ... Price $3.00. ✓ OICE P RO F T HSE ES SAVE THE YOUNG PIGS Lowering the mortality rate in young pigs is the greatest single step ,toward meeting the bacon production objective of 670,000,- 000 pounds set in the new British agreement. In fact, this may be the only assured means of, achiev-• ing the goal. Too many young pigs are lost each year — almost invariably through ignorance rather than carelessness. Lack of iron, result- ing in anaemia, worms and disease germs are common causes of seri-, ous losses in young pigs. —Winnipeg Tribune. —o -- LOOK IT UP, HITLER `Granting that Herr Hitler feels all the admiration for the music of Richard Wagner he pro- fesses, its still a cinch bet one of the composer's works is never played or mentioned in his pres. ence. That's his 'Rule Britannia' March which he wrote and sent to the London Philharmonic Orch- estra for performance in 1840." —Detroit Free Press. — 0— WE DON'T BELIEVE IT One o' out readers claims to of overheard the followin' dia- logue: Buyer—"How about a little butter?" Dealer—"We ain't got none."' Buyer—"Oh, go down in the cellar and have a look aronud." Dealer—"I can't." Buyer—"Why not?" ° Dealer --"Cellar steps are block- ed with cases." Buyer—"Cases of what?" Dealer—"Butter." —Starbeanis. — 0— COLD-BLOODED' Japanese airmen have deliber- ately bombed Red Cross hospitals in the South Pacific. That's just another double-cross by the Japs. -Windsor Star. —e— THEY GO UNDER Lloyd's of London is now housed in offices 50 feet under- ground. Yes, they're the under- writers, —Hamilton Spectator. —0— MATTER OF OPINION Dad gets more pleasure out of a made -over dress than mother. • Kitchener Record. Air Depots Built In African Jungle Emergency landing Places In Wildest Pert of Africa A .great nlany:planes have been flown from the British lsles to the Middle hast, but thousands have been shipped from the United Statesto ports In West Africa, re- asseinhled, and then flown to their bases. President Roosevelt stated a long time ago that the Allies had a huge assembly base sozuosvltere down the coast of the Red Sea from which planes, gime and Sup- plies worn sent to the Egyptian front. * * An olllcer of the Royal Air Force who has arrived in New York re- vealed that there Is an assembly depot ie a jungle in Western Africa from which thousands of Planes, shipped from the United States, have been flown to the Nortel Africa fronts, It because necessary to establish African depots after, the fall of France which made the Mediterranean route dangerous, and this, the ling- , est of the plants, is 6,000 miles from the theatre of war. The place selected was only a tribal hamlet on the fringe of a forest along the coast, but it hacl a good harbor. Thousands of natives were round- ed up, and with the aid of army engineers, they built,deep in the hinterland, what is one o£ the best equipped air depots in the world. There is a Journey or about 4,000 miles through some of the•wildest parts 01 Africa before reaching the edge of the Sudan desert, and en- gineers had to hack their way through in order to establish emer- gency landing places where planes could refuel and be serviced. There were not even paths through. the forests, In order to win the co-operation of the natives the word was spread that if they found any airmen who are forced down, rewards would be paid in gold for conducting them to the nearest emergency. field. * * ei Tice R.A.F. officer, who has flown the route himself, says it is one of the most interesting, and per- haps most terrifying territories in the world. The land below teems with lions and other wild animals, and if airmen came down in certain places a bag of gold world not be much use to then. When the ' planes reach Khartoum the worst of the trip is over, but a 2,000 -mile stretch of sand remains, and the moitoony is only broken by seeing an occasional Arab tent, or a camel caravan. SCOUTING . • . The Chief Scout for Canada, His Excellency the Governor-Gen- eral, has announced the week of February 21-27 as Boy Scout Week in Canada. The opening feature of the observance will be memorial services for Lord Baden- Powell on February 21, the day prior to the birthday of the Founder of the Boy Scout Move- ment. A few Boy Scouts of Liverpool, England, opened a Service Bureau to give information in the much bombed city. It proved so suc- cessful that the police, when con- fronted. with a problem adopted the habit of telling people "Go to the Scouts about .it," The service has been extended and three Scout help centres are now in operation. A group of British Boy Scouts, anxious to do their bit in pur- chasing war . bonds, organized a mole hunting expedition. They skinned the moles, sold the skins and invested the proceeds in bonds. k * * Twenty Scottish Wolf Cubs were waiting outside a theatre to . see the movie version of Rudyard ICipling's' "Jungle Book." Nearby was a crippled sidewalk artist. The Cubs went into a huddle, reacheda unanimous • decision, turned the movie money over to the cripple and went home without seeing the picture. Their good turn for the day was done, * * * A Jewish contingent of the United States Army has made a donation of five pounds to a British Boy Scout Troop which extended the facilities of its THE UNCONQU, RA LES Ey E. K. In The Christian Soignee Monitor They were twelve young, very young'+renchmen, usostly from the Norman and Breton omit. When the wax started, they all volunteered for the French flying forces and became student-pllote in one of Prance's air schools. They were eager to fight against the hereditary eneny of their country, but Prance broke down and the students were dlsutigsed. Yet the twelve would not return to their homes. They decided to continue the struggle against the Nazis on their own.. k * * General de Gaulle's appeal to tate French h#td reaehod them, and in their secret meetings the young Hien resolved to join the Free Preueh army. They borrowed money from their parents and friends and bought a small Muer top sailing vessel, the `13uhara-". They installed an outboard mo- tor, purchased some food, and on a cold, toggy winter day set out ' to sea, hoping to reach England. Soon the motor broke down, and the small coat went adrift. When dawn rose, the craft was over- taken by a German patrol -boat encs the young men were arrested. * * * When they returned to port, and were led to prison surrounded by German soldiers, the town people watched from their thresholds; grim and sad. The trial before the German military court was summary. The German judges of- fered mercy to any of the young men who were willing to denounce the instigators of their flight, All refused! The Nazis sentenced the oldest of them to be executed, and the others to hard labor for life- time. None of them flinched. When they were brought back to prison, Jean M. and Pierre D. who were Sentenced to die, weep separated from their comrades. When (ironing fell, a song wap heard from .their cell: Mourir pour la patrle, C'est le sort le plus hese, Lo plus diene . d'envie...1 It was Pierre who sang with loud voice. A prison guard Imre slit a letter to the others who. eat 114 gloomy silence watching the thief; gleans 4f daylight breasting through the small cell window. Tliey tee- oginizeci Jean's. itandwrlting; Dear Friends and Brothers: to- morrow at dawn, about 5 o'oloek, we will he told that our atelltion for clemency Pae refused, and an' boa later we will have left this life. Before we Rall , beneath :the Gersnan bullets, we will stand hand in hand and ore, "\'Ivs 1n France•!" You, like us, bare ,-oms tatted the crime o£ loving our country. We pay without rgret the price of our patriotism , And you, dear ,•uun•ades, 5rr tine of hope and 111 ioetune, remember ns and be worthy of us. Pray for our dear France and for re too, - and tell the with ererrsitar,. Adieu • Jean M. • * * s Botts were shot at deal,. :rimy y died as they had lived, setuag- eously. The ten others were tient to Getman coneeutratiosi ham•pe in France. They are stili Mete, living ander Nazi iron rule, ivhas- ed by ruthless Nazi hangns':s,. s"et neither they nor their m'sr'tcsad comrades have been forgotten. French underground papers have published their story, and sheer names have become a syn ie l of French resistance against Nazi oppression, Thousands and thous- ands of French youth are willing to follow their example, Scout Hall,to the unit for religi- ous services. * * A fernier Patrol Leader of 01 Northampton Boy Scout Troop, now in the R.A.F., has 'formed a Boy Scout Troop in Iran. The troop is operating smoothly de. spite language difficulties. All orders have to be passed on to the 'boys through an interpreter. * :k * Eight months ago the Medical Officer at Lansdowne Barracits, Ottawa, asked Boy Scouts to pro- vide the centrewith used tnedi. eine. bottles. Since that time Ot- tawa Scouts have provided thou- sands every month. The military centre has not had to purchase one bottle, and an official reports a cash saving of $205, the amount spent in medicine bottles during the samo period the year before, The "Rock" A rock and not much more, a chunk of limestone two and a half miles long and 1,550 yards wide, Gibraltar controls the Medi- terranean for 500 miles, • War Shortens Men's Shirttails The United States War Produc- tion Board has shortened the na- tion's shirttails to insure an ade- quate supply of the visible parts of these garments and ordered, for similar reasons, sweeping re- forms in pyjama styles. Pants - cuff fans and zoot-suit addicts were deprived of further oppor- tunity to indulge their fancies along those lines. The board ordered from two to three inches taken off men's and boys' shirts made after Dee. 15 and estimated that this will result in an annual saving of several million yards of cotton and other fobries. More than 10,000,000 additional shirts will be manuiae- tured from the material sated, it said. At the same time, the order ins - posed a general simplification pro- gram on men'sand boys' pyjamas, effective Dec, 15, which will save enough material to snake 2,200,- 000 additional pairs of pyjamas. LIFE'S LIKE THAT By Fred Neber "Do 1 look like a person who stops every time a strange man v,•ltisttsa at me?!!" POP—Talking Turkey WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I'VE BEEN RAIDING THE' ICE BOX ,- A LITTLE BIRD TOLD ME, SII By J. MILLAR WATT T (rtelensnd by The 6d1 Syndicate, tee.)