HC Deb 20 January 1943 vol 386 c192
25. Mr. Purbrick

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether any of our fighter-bombers are equipped so that they can also dive bomb?

Sir A. Sinclair

No, Sir.

Mr. Purbrick

Would it not be advisable to have some of those fighter-bombers so equipped that they could also serve as dive-bombers under suitable conditions?

Sir A. Sinclair

No, Sir; because the effect of that would be to impair their performance as fighters, and it would be very unfair to the pilots who have to fly those aircraft.

Mr. Shinwell

Have we abandoned the policy of producing dive-bombers?

Sir A. Sinclair

We have never produced dive-bombers, but they are coming to us from the United States of America.

Mr. Shinwell

Are we using dive-bombers?

Sir A. Sinclair

There are dive-bombers in squadrons now in active theatres of war.

Mr. Purbrick

In view of the fact that the Prime Minister stated in the House last July that the majority of Air Marshals and others of high rank opposed dive-bombers, how is it that dive-bombers were ordered two years previously, and—

Mr. Speaker

rose—