Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-01-24

No longer can Snlpyarus WORK
"a hours a day. Not with the
bombers overhead and all OF Brit
ain plunged into darkness.
Britain's Royal Air Force saved
England from humiliation and de-
feaIlast- Fall. On the shoulders
Of those valiant youths of from IL
10 % years, in a few short weeks
now, again will fall the response
bility for saving England.
The widest air fighting the
world has known will be seen
over the coasts, and cities of Eng
land this Spring.
DOWNED 5000 PLANES
Last Fall. lit is history now
the Raj shot down some 5000
German planes over Britain. Most
of these were knocked down in
the ceaseless fighting that ragged
from mid-August to mid-October
when the luftwaffe in vain sought
TO destroy England's air defenders
as prelude 10 invasion.
The two greatest days were
August Is when the Spitfires and
Hurricanes accounted for 1875
German machines within few
hours. and. September Is when
GeFmany's losses were 1872 planes.
No neutral military observer in
London today believes England
can be successfully invaded so
long as the Raj maintains air
superiority over the British Isles.
First. before the German army
can come across the channel. the
Raj must be rendered impotent
Britain knows this. Germany
knows it,
This will be the crux of the air
fighting that will rage over Britain
with the coming of good weather.
BUILD FEyERISHLY
Both countries are building with
every ounce Of energy to launch
and meet this aerial threat this
Spring
No man today can say what the
outcome viii be-
know the Raj is stronger by
far in the air today than it was
last June What the figures are of
various types l frankly do not
know. II Is one Of Britain's most
carefully guarded secrets. II / did
know L could not, in justice to
Britain. reveal il.
The last approximate figures
land these are old was an -esti-
mate that Germany possesses
probably 10000 effective military
aircraft. and perhaps 10000 add,
tieHa training, obsolete and COM
mercial types.
Britain's first line strength Is
estimated at 5000. 1t may be
10000. How many both belliger-
ents have been able to turn OUT
this Winter will be known when
the fighting is renewed on a full
scale this Spring and Summer.
PLANES IMPROVED
] do know that Brifain's pro-
ductWe effort has been touched
only 10 small extent by German
bombing. New types. far better
than the Spitfires. which are still
the worlds finest combat air.
planes, are being built for Eng
lands defense.
They are armored against attack
and will be among the most
heavily gunned fighters possessed
by any nation. In addition to the
eight machine guns which fire
-eetHple streams of lead at the rate
OF $500 rounds per minutes. the
new fighters will be equipped with
fast-firing cannon such as the
MesserSchmitts have used in past
months.
These machines include the new
Whlrlwind twin-engined fighter
and Tornado. as we'll as the Super
Splttire, a new ship with all the
high rate Of climb, extreme speed
and maneuverability of the original
Spitfire. plus heavier armament
and higher speed that will put 1t
IN the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES class.
DIFFERENT TYPES
Then there are the newly i'm
proved Defiants. an interceptor
with mechanically operated gun
turret which played an important
role in the evacuation of Dun
kerque, regunned Hurricanes. new
secret dive-bomberS. and several
types of new bombers.
Altogether. Britain has nine new
types of planes for the defense of
Britain this Spring.
One of the newest and finest
bombers is the four-engined long
range Stirling. for use in night
operations.
/ In addition. Britain will depend
to a considerable extent on its
purchases of American fighters, in
Guiding The Curtis P-40. the Lock-
heed P-3S and the Bell Aircobra.
The latter is expected TO prove
one of the most effective fighters
ever put IN thr air. with IFS 400
mile-plus speed. its cannon and
machine guns and high maneuver-
ability.
HIGH SPEED FIGHTS
The twin-engined, double boom
tail plane of the Lockheed inter
ceptor type is expected TO be used
extensively both by Britain and