R.A.F. OVER GERMANY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 108, 3 November 1939, Page 7

R.A.F. OVER GERMANY

VALUABLE FLIGHTS

SECRET AERODROMES PHOTOGRAPHED

WIDE SURVEY MADE

ißy Telegiaph—Press Association —Copyright.) LONDON, November 1. The "News Chronicle" says that the seemingly purposeless flights by tlie Royal 'Air Force over the German lines have resulted in the location and photographing of secret German aerodromes hidden in the! woods. The whole of western Germany as far as Berlin has been surveyed and enemy air bases have been listed. The Siegfried Line and road and rail communications have been photographed in detail. Continued flights are keeping tlie information up to date. (Brltlsb- Official Wireless.) (Received November 3. 10 a.m.) RUGBY, November 2. Satisfaction is expressed in informal quarters regarding the activities of tlie Royal Air Force over Germany since the war began, and great importance is attached to the information obtained concerning the German aires fields, guns, methods of camouflage, and other matters. , During the first three, weeks many flights were carried out Over various parts of Germany, and ~ nearly .20,000,000 pamphlets were dropped. During these "pamphlet" raids only occasional resistance by German fighters was encountered. The purpose, of these flights was not confined to dropping pamphlets. , Reconnaissance ot the enemy positions was constantly undertaken and valuable experience was gained of night-and-day flying conditions over enemy territory. .- s ' ■. j More recently the flights have been j of a purely reconnaissance nature and .j in twenty such flights during the last I two months it has been possible to ac-i quire a very complete picture of the whole Siegfried Line, of enemy air bases, and. of other valuable military and strategical objectives in northwest Germany. Twice Royal Air Force planes have been over Berlin,, and a number of other large German cities have been flown over. No bombs have been dropped during these flights. GERMAN PLANE LOSSES. j In encounters with enemy aircraft I several have been shot down.; The I British aircraft losses, though no official total has been declared, are known to be small. During September and October the German aeroplane .losses were 22 accounted for by the. Royal Air Force, eight by the Navy, and one by antiaircraft gunfire and two byj other causes. The last two refer to German bombers which recently crashed in Danish territory after an attack on a British cruiser squadron was re* pulsed. These figures may be on the conservative side, as account is taken; only of cases where full and complete^ proof; of destruction of German planes has besen obtained. Other aircraft may well have been crippled after encountering British anti-aircraft or fighter gunfire and may have been forced to come down before reaching the German air bases. ""j