Evening star., 1941-06-14

ing the Amerl- EA
can public. there
have been significant disclosures
from time to time. BY piecing these
together, it is possible to draw a
picture OF widespread activities in
volving United States aircraft OF
many types.
Not only United States combat
planes but also transports now are
involved in the war. British repre-
sentatives in the United States have
disclosed that British troop REIN
forcements now are being trans
ported to Iraq from India in a feet
of American transport planes which
until recently were in use on regular
passenger runs in the United States.
20 Airliners Sent.
These passenger planes were as
sembled for British use in response
to a request made by President
Roosevelt on April % and it is
estimated that 20 American airliners
were made available at that time
Because of the difficult situation
when the Iraq revolt first broke out
due largely to a shortage of British
troops in the country, the British
had urgent need of air transports
to move troops TO key points. The
American airliners, then arriving
from the United States. were
stripped of seats and trimmings
almost doubling their carrying
capacity, some of them to 40 persons
Some of the planes, acquired by the
Indian government, have been used
also to evacuate civilians from Iraq
to India.
THE use of these transports Is in
accordance with a rapidly develop
ing trend of bringing into active
service other types OF American
planes" it was explained by British
representative here.
1T was an American Phys ire
named the Catalina in BRITAIN at
tached to the coastal command that
was responsible for tracking down
the giant German warship Bismarck
and giving her position away to
units of the British fleet which SUBJ
seouently destroyed her; and the
fighter command of the Royal Air
Force is sending into service all the
American built Douglas DB-7 Hav-
cos it can lay its hands on, since
these planes have proved themselves
highly effective as night fighters"
Havocs Figure Largely.
The Havocs have figured repeat
edly in news from England and are
understood to be part OF the new
bulwark which British leaders have
said is being erected against Nazi
night raiders.
In the most recent heavy fighting
in Crete and Iraq. American war
planes have played part. At the
start of the Cretan invasion, British
airports were brought under massed
German air attacks and had to be
abandoned by the r. A. F. There
were no remaining airports within
range Of Crete for fighters OF the
Spitfire and Hurricane types.
In the emergency, American twin
engined medium bombers were
equipped with extra guns and flown
from Egyptian bases to Crete. where
news accounts indicate they took
grim toll of German aircraft and
man power. These planes, 1t Is
understood, were chiefly Martin me-
dium bombers of the 167 and 1877
models.
The Martins already had played
important parts in the Mediterra-
mean, where they have been used for
months for reconnaissance and
other purposes. 1t was Martin
which photographed the results OF
the great laramie air raids which
broke the backbone of Italian sea
power
Brewster Buffalo single-seater
fighters have been playing their part
in subduing the Nazi-inspired re-
volt in Iraq. The latest news dis
patches indicate that the German
airmen who arrived in Iraq belatedly
to support the revolt are fleeing
from British and free French" at
tacks in Brewster and other air
craft.
American-bu built airplanes and other
equipment now are being used by
both British and "Free French
forces in the Syrian campaign.
| United States Hudson and Douglas
bomber and reconnaissance planes
have been taking part for months
in raids by the British coastal and
bomber commands on the French
Netherlands, German, Danish ano
Norwegian coasts.
More recently, Boeing flying fort
ress bombers and four-engineo
Consolidated Liberator bombers have
been carrying heavy bombing at
tacks ia rinto Germany.