|
Service
history
1944
At the
beginning of 1944, the instruction of the naval officers was
resumed. After passing his checks on 28 January M/G Rico made
his first solo flight in 601 and M/G Güimil in 605 at the
premises
of A.B. No 1, whilst M/G Torres made his a week later in 604.
In
February, four Army First Lieutenants arrived to receive
instruction in the
Tiger Moth
as part of their Graduation Course, obligatory for obtaining
promotion
to the rank of Captain.
These two
parallel courses, which included photographic
missions
with 608 and target towing with 604,
continued
during the autumn months
until the
end of July.
In June
nine Cadets of the second
year
aeronautical course, who
had
completed the elementary
phase in
the PT-19, began their
instruction in the Tiger Moth.
Among them
was Carlos Mercader,
now a
retired Colonel, who on numerous
occasions
has delighted us with his rich accounts regarding National
Aviation history.
|
|
Carlos
Mercader
Ravista
Alas óf the EMAer. edition 2000 |
In the
workshops of Boiso Lanza between July 1944 and March 1945 was No 605
of A.B. No 1 undergoing overhaul.
On September
23, on the anniversary of the country's great Gen. José Artigas, the
Military Aeronautics were ordered to fly over the ceremony in his
honour over Plaza Independencia.
They rehearsed
at the EMAer on the 21 and 22 September with formations of nine
Tiger Moths, only changing two of the pilots and two of the machines
for the actual flypast, one of the aircraft, No 611, having been
sent for overhaul.
Twenty-seven
aeroplanes flew in the display in two groups; eighteen PT-19
commanded by Lieut. Col. Isaias Sanchez in E-624 and nine DH82A led
by Major Irazabal in B1-605.
In October, the final phases of annual training using the Tiger Moth
were completed, with air-to-air firing from E-604 and E-606 using a
camera machine-gun.
On 17 October the Cadets took their “Spot Landing” examination on
machines 601, 604 and 606. This consisted of turning off the engine
at 1,000ft above the field and with the propeller stationary flying
a circuit to land on a designated spot on the runway.
|
| |
|
Avn. |
Piloto |
|
|
| Avn. |
Piloto |
605 |
May.
Ramón Irazábal |
Avn. |
Piloto |
| 606 |
Cap.
Rafael Ramagli |
603 |
Alf.
Francisco Otero |
600 |
Tte.1º
Carlos Macció |
| 604 |
Tte
1º Adriano Osimani |
609 |
Tte
1º Luciano Pritsch |
601 |
601 Alf. E Bacardáz |
| 608 |
Tte.1º
Alcides Rovira |
|
|
613 |
Alf.
José M. Mazzetti |
|
de Havilland Squadron
during the air display over
Plaza
Independencia, 23/9/44
On 17 October the Cadets took their “Spot Landing” examination on
machines 601, 604 and 606. This consisted of turning off the engine
at 1,000ft above the field and with the propeller stationary flying
a circuit to land on a designated spot on the runway.
As from
November 17 and for 25 days, Military Aeronautics completed the
annual manoeuvres on fields at the Monzon-Heber estate, near the
Jackson Railway Station, in the district of Soriano.
These
manoeuvres constituted one of the biggest military actions ever
organised both in terms of personnel and of aerial support.
The DH82A
Tiger Moths, although now relegated to a secondary role, were
integrated into the campaign alongside the North American AT-6,
Curtiss SNC-1, Fairchild PT-19 and Piper AE1, flying missions which
included photography, reconnaissance and communications duties.
Flight line of Military Aeronautics in the 1944 manoeuvres.
The clarity
of the original glass plate negative permits 44 aircraft to be
identified by type.
Photo FAU Archive 2965
|
The 1,083
hours flown by the Tiger Moth fleet in 1944 represents a drop of
9% when compared with the previous year, at the same time
showing how there was less use of machines at the EMAer in
comparison with the annual average use of the aeroplanes at the
Bases. |
| B.A.Nº1 |
B.A.Nº2 |
E.M.Aer. |
|
No |
hours |
No |
hours |
No |
hours |
| 605 |
101 |
600 |
122 |
601 |
43 |
| 609 |
150 |
602 |
122 |
603 |
15 |
| 613 |
181 |
611 |
84 |
604 |
75 |
| |
|
|
|
606 |
53 |
| |
|
|
|
607 |
63 |
| |
|
|
|
608 |
74 |
| Total |
432 |
Total |
328 |
Total |
323 |
|
Avg. |
144 |
Avg. |
109 |
Avg. |
54 |
|
|
