World War: IN THE AIR: Stuffy and the Beaver

The two bosses of British air power had some encouraging words for their battered countrymen last week. > Relieved of his post as Chief of the R. A. F. Fighter Command in November to undertake a mission to discuss plane production in Canada and the U. S., Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh (“Stuffy”) Dowding arrived in Ottawa, told newsmen: “During the past autumn a method has been found to deal with the night-bombing menace and equipment is being rapidly completed. Of course, I’m not at liberty to give you any details of the methods to be used, but I confidently believe it will not be long now before all the weight and sting has been taken out of the night bombers.” Good guessers thought the device was a new detector that would enable pursuit planes to find raiders at night. > In London, Minister for Aircraft Production Lord Beaverbrook had more specific good news. Guardedly he spoke of some new plane models. The Tornado fighter was “most successful.” The twin-motored Manchester bomber, the four-motored Stirling bomber — designed to cruise at between 246 and 275 m.p.h. —and the twin-engined Whirlwind fighter were “in operation.” On Britain’s total air power he said hopefully: “We are not short of planes and are receiving . . . U. S. aircraft . . .

flown across the Atlantic in a steady stream. . . . Britain now has more air planes of every type in operation than ever before in history. …”