HEAVY BURDEN ON GERMANS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 97, 20 January 1944, Page 5

HEAVY BURDEN ON GERMANS

Yugoslav Partisans

HOUSE OF COMMONS STATEMENT (British Official Wireless.) UGBY, January 18. The importance of the Yugoslav resistance was underlined in the House of Commons in a statement in which the War Minister, Sir James Grigg, summarized the progress of the fighting of the past few weeks. “At the beginning of December,” he said, “the enemy launched a widespread offensive against the Yugoslav National Army of Liberation. In general, this largescale German offensive was a failure in central Bosnia, where fighting is still in progress. “The Partisan army has been supplied with war material by the Allies to the full extent that the military situation has permitted. The Partisan operations, on numerous occasions, have been supported by our air forces and close liaison has been maintained by Allied officers in Yugoslavia. “The Partisan army at one time or another during ihe period, engaged up to 15 German divisions which might otherwise have leen profitably employed elsewhere. Large areas of Yugoslavia are entirely under Partisan control. -

“Further, by 'heir interruption ot German sea, road, and rail communications, the Partisans have inflicted a heavy burden on the German organization of supplies.” Violent Fighting.

Violent fighting continues on all sectors of the Yugoslav front. Today’s communique from General Tito’e headquarters says that particularly bitter fighting is going on in western Bosnia. Here, motorized German forces are trying to break through to an important town. Strong forces of German marines have landed on the island of Brassa, just south of Split, off the Dalmatian coast.

N.Z. PILOTS HELP THE PARTISANS

Flying Spitfires From Italy (Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F.) ITALY, January 14. While New Zealand troops struggled through steen hills on the Eighth Army's front below the Majella Mountains, other men from the Dominion have been fighting another battle against the Germans in southern Europe. They are Spitfire pilots of tho Coastal Air Force. Day after day since the Allied landing in Italy at least eight New Zealanders in these squadrons have crossed the Adriatic to attack with their bombs, cannon and machineguns in support of the Patriot forces fighting in Yugoslavia. Not many miles from the Spitfires’ bases in Italy they have found targets in German encampments, radio stations, columns, and transport along the roads of Yugoslavia. Unlike most Spitfire pilots operating in Italy, they also found German fighter Opposition, and shot down several Messerschmitts in running battles over the sea. One of the coastal fighter squadrons, famous for its battles in the defence of Malta, now has as its commanding officer a New Zealand Squadron Leader, Richard Webb, Levin, formerly a test-pilot in the Middle East. Webb and Flight Lieutenant Edward Schrader, Wellington, shared in the destruction of four Gorman fighters caught trying to interfere with a sea rescue operation. His squadron—one of the youngest in the R.A.F. —has shot down eight Messerschmitts in a few Weeks. Another New Zealander, Pilot Officer Norman Harrison, a Rakaia farmer, has scored two and a half confirmed. “The Hun has the wind up these days,” Webb said in an interview. “It is very different from Maltn. In one month there. October, 1942, we shot down 21J. Now, every time they are near there are several of us share in. the kill.” Two more old Maltn fighter formations, one of them tho Gold Coast squadron, which with 322 confirmed victories has one of the highest total scores in the R.A.F. in this war. have New Zealand pilots. They are Flying Officer Arnold Lamb. Dunedin. Pilot Officer R. S. Caldwell. Huntly. and Flight Sergeants 0.. F- . Wellington. Austin, Christchurch. and K. C. Loe. Marlborough, all of whom have been flying Spitfires on these strafing and bombing raids across Yugoslavia and Albania.