AIR STRENGTH

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 122, 5 March 1942, Page 5

AIR STRENGTH

BRITAIN’S POSITION REVIEWED. INDIRECT AID TO RUSSIA.

THE BOMBING OF GERMANY. (United Press Association—Copyright.) (Rec. 10.25 a.m.) LONDON, Mar. 4. The Secretary of State for Air (Sir John Sinclair) announced in the House of Commons that the bomber offensive against Germany would be resumed on the largest possible scale at the earliest possible moment. The Minister said: “It is true that the German bomber force has acquired other occupations since a year ago, but there never has been a time during recent months when there has not been a very substantial number of bombers within easy reach of all the cities of "this country. Our temporary exile from our own Chamber is a warning against discounting too lightheartedly the menace of the bomber but, I feel sure that members will join me in giving credit to the Royal Air Force that so much remains intact and that Britain’s armourers can work almost unhindered by the German air force.”

Sir John paid a tribute to the R.A.F. squadrons which had the privilege of fighting alongside our Russian allies and spoke of the increasing numbers of f British aircraft on the Russian front, adding that this was not the most important way the R.A.F. was helping Russia. “Not only have our squadrons at Malta and in Africa engaged large numbers of German fighter squadrons but also by fighter and bomber sweeps over north-west-ern France, by constant fighter patrols and activity in the same region, by fighter and bomber attacks upon shipping in the narrow seas, and by our bomber attacks upon industrial Germany and targets of great importance to Germany in the occupied territories, we have succeeded in keeping a larger number of German fighter squadrons facing west than the Germans can spare from their eastern front. “The coal mines and factories in Belgium and northern France, which are working perforce for the enemy, suffered heavily. For five months, for example, the industrial activity of a wide area around Lille has been curtailed for many weeks by as much as 50 per cent, on account of damage to the power plants. The Balance of Casualties. “The remarkable thing is that although fighting over the enemy’s territory has of course been hard our fighter squadrons have managed to keep the balance of casualties in their favour. In offensive fighting from this country during the last 12 months we destroyed 823 enemy fighters compared with 537 of our own.”

Saying that he could not express an opinion about the recent passage of the enemy warships through the Straits of Dover, but that the report of the official inquiry had been completed and would be immediately examined by the Admiralty and his Department, Sir John Sinclair said that the Straits were virtually closed to enemy merchant vessels by combined air action with the Navy and only a few fast motor vessels were able to slip through in the last five months, whereas an average of 25 enemy merchant ships of 1000 tons or more passed through monthly hitherto.

Speaking of the Far East Sir John Sinclair said that despite the problem of transporting and maintenance, crews, petrol, bombs Ammunition and large numbers of aircraft had been sent. Extreme risks had been taken to get them there. Some were lost on the way and many were v lost in heavy fighting but reinforcements continued to arrive in that theatre of war. There had been close successful co-operation with the Army in Burma. In the Middle East during the six months preceding General Sir Claude Auchinieck’s advance the Royal Air Force and naval aircraft sank some 175,000 tons of enemy merchant shipping in the Mediterranean. “To send a ship to the bottom with 50 tanks on board is a big contribution to success in the land battle, said Sir John. When battle was joined the British air superiority was quickly asserted. It enabled the aii forces to throw their whole weight into the land battle. The same air superiority and the same slashing attacks by British fighters and bombers upon enemy troops and vehicles supported General Auchinleclc both in advance and in withdrawal. British Official Wireless.