Evening star., 1943-01-30
Weather Alternately
Hampers and Assists
Raj in lis Forays
Sometimes Tureets
Are Obscured, but
Cover Is Often Given
BY PETER MASEFIELD,
North American Newspaper Alliance

North American Newspaper Alliance.
LONDON (By Cable) Change
able weather impedes operational
flying from Britain because 1t OBJ
scures the targets and necessitates
the diversion of aircraft to other
landing bases, but it sometimes as
sists by offering a cloud cover in
which to approach targets unseen
or into which to escape If necessary.
The weather plays greater part
than Is usually realized in air war
fare over Germany and German
occupied territory, particularly in
the wintertime when rapid changes
initiate against accurate forecast
ing.
Radio communication cannot be
used as freely as in peacetime be-
cause the Germans always listen in.
Cloudy All Winter.
Daylight operations are regu-
lated to take the greatest advantage
of the prevailing weather. Cloudy
skies prevail between october and
March from 1000 to 10000 feet up.
Cloud-hopping tactics are then fire.
quently employed, necessitating the
most accurate navigation almost
solely by dead reckoning. British
De Havilland Mosquitoes and Amer
ican Douglas Bostons, each carry
ing 1000 pounds Of weight in bombs,
have participated in this work as
have heavy bombers. Once a large
force of Strings flew 1900 miles to
Danzig and back to deliver an ac-
curate low-level attack.
The chief menace is ice on wings
and airscrews which. despite de-
icing equipment, compels dropping
down below the clouds or climbing
to 10000 feet TO escape the deadly
layer. American fortresses take up
the attack in clear weather, being
effective on short-range runs at
over 10000 feet. The summer will
give them better chances.
Assistance From Moon.
At night, the weather largely die
tates the nature of the operations
and the choice of targets. The
Royal Air Force goes out whenever
possible. The best period is when
the moon helps to light up the
ground and enables checking the
navigation and targets. The chief
difficulties of night t-bombing are
mist over the home bases, cloud
over the target, and Ice When con-
ditions are bad over Germany, the
British bomber command changes
to mine laying or attacks targets in
France, particularly U-boat bases.
Dozens of German ships lie wrecked,
and large fleets of mine -sweepers
must be maintained to counteract
the menace.
The weather is becoming less of a
hindrance owing to the constant
devising of new instruments to en-
able flying In every kind of weather,
while the technique of blind land
ing in fog is being steadily de-
veloped. AS Allied air power in
creases, so grows the Importance of
instrument flying.
The time Is approaching when
every sunny day will see skillful
high and low level. attacks. pressed
home in force on on@targetss In Ger
many, while on cloudy and nioor,iess
nights, powerful forces of bombers,
flying entirely blind, will deliver a
tremendous weight of bombs on
their appointed ob3Actives.
The modern developments which
are making possible flying under all
conditions favor the side which is
the strongest in the air and can
maintain the most nearly continu-
Gus attacks. Undoubtedly that side
is the Allies.