RAID ON WEST OF GERMANY

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23719, 18 August 1942, Page 5

RAID ON WEST OF GERMANY

INDUSTRIAL TARGETS BOMBED LITTLE ACTIVITY OVER BRITAIN (Received August 17, 11 p.m.) (N.Z.P.A.) LONDON, August 17. Targets in the industrial west of Germany were bombed by the Royal Air Force on Saturday night. Some of the attackers were able to pin-point their targets through cloud, while others came beneath the clouds. Five machines were lost. One German night fighter was shot down. Over Britain last night bombs were dropped at scattered points in the Midlands. Little damage was done and no one was hurt.

No enemy activity over Britain had been reported on Saturday. Spitfires of the Fighter Command, however, continued their attacks on railway communications in occupied France. Flying at tree-top height along the railway from Rouen to Staples, British aircraft damaged a number of goods trains. Other Spitfires attacked vessels moored in a canal near Quistreham. One aircraft is missing. During Saturday an American fighter squadron accompanied Canadian fighters in a sweep over France, and took part in sorties and convoyprotection work. This is the fourth time in six weeks that the _ United States airmen have been in action with the Royal Air Force, “American Army aeroplanes arc flowing to Britain in great numbers,” said Lieutenant-General H, H. Arnold, Chief of the United States Army Air Forces, at a press conference. “Fullscale participation in the Royal Air Force raids on Germany is just a question of getting the aeroplanes over to England and: time to build up American strength." Behind the United States Air Force is the servicing and repair department, which is speeding up its work of fitting up aeroplanes, co-operating with the Royal Air Force. Tools are arriving day by day, and as they arrive they are carefully labelled and stored on miles of shelves and steel pigeon-holes. So far this is only a skeleton of the vast unit that will come into being. All American squadrons in Britain will eventually be supplied with tools, spares, and parts by this department, which will also assemble machines and undertake major repairs. “The Russian aircraft industry is producing more heavily than last year,” said M. Yakovley, DeputyPeople’s Commissar for. Industry, in a message on the occasion of Air Force Day to-morrow. He added that aircraft factories had been transferred to the rear beyond the reach of enemy aeroplanes, Hundreds of thousands of skilled workmen had been transplanted! Production had not ceased for a single day. and it was growing daily.

AXIS AIRCRAFT SHOT DOWN

ATTACKS ON MALTA CONVOY

(8.0. W.) RUGBY, August 16. Axis aircraft attacking the Mediterranean convoy on the last lap to Malta suffered severely at the hands of the Royal Air Force. Thirteen were shot down into the sea. states a message from Cairo. On Thursday, when the main convoy came into the harbour, the Royal Air Force had shot down seven, having already destroyed six approaching the island. The success of the air operations cannot be judged solely by the number of aeroplanes destroyed. For the last few days the Royal Air Force has been busy giving support to Malta, and by reconnaissance has kept a close watch over shipping. As soon as the convoy came within fighters’ range of the island, Spitfires took oft, and from the first light to dusk the protection of the convoy at this stage was due to the Royal Air Force fighters’ complete superiority, superb air planning, and organisation, and the flying and ground crews. _ ... The part played by the Royal Air Force in the protection of the convoy on its way to tylalta is told by the new 8.8.C. observer in the Middle East (Mr Godfrey Talbot). He states that throughout the journey Royal Air Force reconnaissance aircraft were in close touch with the convoy. The Royal Air Force lost at least 13 machines in the operations, but this figure as not final. . „ , - ... It appears that the British Smtfires now have local superiority over Malta, and the only actions by the enemy have been fighter sweeps.

AIR OPERATIONS IN JULY

TWENTY-SEVEN RAIDS ON GERMANY (8.0. W.) RUGBY, August 16. In spite of unexpected bad weather, the Royal Air Force took every opportunity during July to continue its bombing offensive. Bomber Command operated against Germany and occupied territory on 18 days and 16 nights, while the Royal Air Force as a whole operated on 23 days and 18 nights. Against military and industrial targets in Germany concerned with war production, the Royal Air Force earned out 27 attacks against 14 targets. Although no four-figure bomber attacks were carried out during the month, three-figure attacks were made on 10 occasions on targets in the Reich, those on Hamburg and Saarbrucken being the most successful. In occupied territory 13 attacks were carried out against 11 targets, including docks, harbour installations, power stations, and railway communications. German aircraft flew over Britain on 18 nights during the mouth and there were 19 daylight raids. Nineteen enemy ships have been sunk or damaged in northern waters, including merchant vessels, armed minesweepers, armed trawlers, motor craft, a tanker, and E-boats. In the Mediterranean, 36 enemy vessels have been sunk or damaged. In all offensive operations against the enemy in the western theatre the Royal Air Force destroyed 113 enemy aeroplanes, of which 55 were over Britain. The Royal Air Force lost 251 aeroplanes, of which none was lost over Britain, In the Middle East the Royal Air Force destroyed 308 enemy aircraft in air combat and lost 181 aeroplanes. In all offensive operations over Germany and occupied -territory and in connexion with the defence of Britain and in the Middle East, and in attacks on Axis shipping, the Royal Air Force destroyed 420 enemy aircraft for the loss of 432. During July 147 enemy aeroplanes were destroyed over Malta.