The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1943-01-21
New u. S. Planes
Harass Enemy
British Reveal the Deadly
Work Of Avenger and
= The Mustang.

). NEW YORK.-The American Fly.
ing Fortress was much talked of in
: the country of its origin before il
took part in Raj raids on the con-
tinent, but other American air APP.
paratus have not received similar
publicity here, torpedo-carrier Aven-
ger and the fighting plane called the
Mustang, for example. ....- l. e.
The Avenger was mentioned as of
the battle of Midway island by SUBJ
sequent authorized dispatches from
Washington, but there appears to
have been nothing about the Mus
tang until London papers produced
its picture with guarded but suf-
ficiently informing description.
From the same source it is
learned that when the unprovoked
attack on Pearl Harbor took place
on December z, the then unnamed
Avenger was being tentatively made
in parts somewhere" in this coun-
try, while waiting for the navy's
OOoIo W opPioNS Li1C
working model it was testing.
With the news of Pearl Harbor
and without waiting for the official
o. K, the manufacturers fastened
to assemble the parts, to launch
completed planes as rapidly as pos
sible, and to name the apparatus, on
account of the inspiring news men
toned, 1.-THE Avenger.' -
Interesting Feature.
The Times of London has two
views of it-one of the port side and
the other a view of the under part.
Neither shows any floats or land
gear. The caption says:
1.-TWO views of the United States
navy's newest torpedo bomber, the
Gruman Avenger. These aircraft
were used with success against the
Japanese at the Battle of Midway
Island, and an interesting feature OF
them is the provision Of two back
ward-firing guns"
With the pictures in the Daily
Telegraph is this added information:
Speed 240 miles per hour, radius
1, 400 miles, weight Of torpedo 1000
pounds i.s..E...5 ~
Much more is allowed to be told
in regard to the Mustang, SO far
used by the Raj army cooperation
command, and declared by the Lon
don Times air expert to be "the
fastest machine in the world" In
design, it is said to have been de-
veIoped from the British Hurricane,
which 10 months ago superseded the
Gladiator as a fighter, but surpasses
the British apparatus point by point
speed, radius, weight and mobility
of armament. The writer in the
Times says:
;; Powerfully Armed.
''Squadrons of the Command are
now being re-equipped with one of
the latest and best American fight
ers, the. Mustang. WHICH is fast and
maneuverable at its operational
heights and is powerfully armed.
. Compared with the early part of
the war when Lysanders were used
for spotting, the speed of Raj
reconnaissance machines has now
been increased enormously. The
advantages of a fast machine for
this purpose are obvious. It can get
back news Of enemy movements
much more quickly and, because of
its speed, it is much less likely to
be intercepted.
The Mustang has already proved
its worth in low-fying attacks
against land targets in occupied ter
ritory. It's powerful armament has
played havoc with anti-aircraft
posts, power and radio stations,
goods trains and squads of enemy
troops. The army cooperation pilots
are delighted with their new
mount. - ~