§ 15. Mr. Stokesasked the Secretary of State for Air whether he is satisfied that there are sufficient aircraft of a type superior to the Junker 88, Messerschmidt 109F and Focke Wulf 190 in Tunisia to ensure British and American ascendancy?
§ Sir A. SinclairThe hon. Member may be assured that in planning the composition of the Allied Air Forces in this theatre the nature of the opposition has been taken fully into account.
§ Mr. StokesHas the attention of my right hon. Friend been called to a report by a correspondent in the "Daily Telegraph" on 2nd February, in which it was stated categorically that we had nothing there equal to the fighers of the German air force, and that it was only the gallantry of our pilots which kept the Germans on the ground?
§ Sir A. SinclairI can assure my hon. Friend that his informant was mistaken. The Spitfire V and the Lightning are fully equal at medium heights to any fighter that the Germans have got out there, and the Spitfire IX in all respects. The results of the fighting show the truth of that appreciation, because in the first three months of the campaign in North Africa 607 Axis aircraft were destroyed for the loss of 250 Allied machines.
§ Mr. StokesWill the right hon. Gentleman take the trouble to study that report, because that newspaper is supposed to be reliable?