COMING MONTHS’ OFFENSIVE

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 282, 23 August 1940, Page 9

COMING MONTHS’ OFFENSIVE

Air Secretary Tells AIM TO CLEANSE EUROPE

Proud Tally Of R.A.F.

LONDON, August 21.

“In the coming months, with the help of the Dominions and our allies, we shall sally out from our fortress and seek to cleanse Europe of the stain and horror of its gangster rule,” said the Secretary of Air, Sir Archibald Sinclair, in a broadcast today.

“No doubt you are rightly encouraged by the result of the recent air battles, but you would be mistaken if you are beginning to think that the danger of massed air attacks has passed,” the Minister added. He said that the first track in an assembly-line system in a British aircraft factory was now operating for the final stages of construction of the Miles Master, the fastest single-engined training plane in the world. , Recent Vital Test.

Sir Archibald paid a high tribute to young British airmen , as “a sure shield of our homes and liberties, and in their strong, young hands they carry the destinies of the country.” Sir Archibald Sinclair said: "You can hardly rate the importance of recent battles in the air too highly.” After giving the figures of German and British losses since August. 8, the Minister said: "It is true that in this fighting we suffered the loss, killed or captured, of nearly 300 pilots, air-gun-ners, -wireless operators and observers, but the Germans lost .substantially more in machines and crews.” He paid a tribute also to the ground staff, who did valuable, though unspectacular, service, and to the workmen ■Who built the aeroplanes “with such good, honest workmanship ‘that they can take almost any amount of punishment.” Praising the Air Staff, he added: “The decision to adopt light-gun fighters like the Hurricane and the Spitfire may well rank as one of the jrcat decisions in the history of the war.” Sir Archibald Sinclair gave a solemn warning against relapsing into any mood of complacency, and added: "The future may well hold for us far greater ordeals than any through which we have yet passed. In spite of the heavy casualties inflicted on the German air force, especially on their lighters and medium dive bombers, only a small fraction of their heavy bomber force has yet been engaged. Vigilance, energy and the sacrifice, of convenience, even rights and liberties, are still urgently necessary to frustrate invasion.

“Perhaps if we relax none of our preparations Hitler may recoil from launching an attack. If so, it will be hailed all over the world as the first downward lurch in his rocketing, ranting career.” Successes Over Britain, Sir Archibald Sinclair, in the House of Commons, gave the latest figures as n -result of air fighting. Including 55 planes shot down by anti-aircraft guns, ■the British defences had accounted for 701 German aircraft since August 8, mainly through tlie prowess of the fighters. “We have lost in fighters over Britain and in bombers over Germany and Italy a total df 192 planes,” the Minister said. “Our casualties iu the air over t his country and round our coast have been 1)0 fighter pilots, compared with more than 1000 German pilots and crews.”

If there were included the bomber crews lost over Germany since August 8, the British losses were much less than ttOO personnel, and the comparable German losses were much more than 1500 in pilots and. bomber crews. The British night attacks, he said, were much heavier than their day attacks, and as the nights grew longer so also would the arm of the heavy bomber squadrons lengthen until they were striking ever dee{>er lido the enemies’ vitals. Sir Archibald Sinclair emphasized that long-range thinking on military problems of the war was not being neglected. In the notable successes of the fighter and bomber squadrons could seen some of the results of long-range thinking in the past, that, process of looking ahead would remain in active operation. Speakr-rn who had pleaded for an offensive spirit, were forcing an already open door. The War Ofiice bad Just as much offensive spirit as had tinR.A.F. Referring in particular to air matters, he said that substantial progress was being made with the Umpire air training scheme. They had expected to reach a certain figure of pilot production from Canada in July or August next, but they wore now going Io got that figure by April. By now they should have bad in full operation five schools in France. One of the first things be did was io make preliminary arrangements for stalling schools in North Africa, but with the collapse of France all that had gone Jry, the board.