SOVIET AIR SUCCESS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 41, 17 August 1942, Page 5

SOVIET AIR SUCCESS

51 ENEMY PLANES DESTROYED

RUGBY, August 15. The destruction of about 51 German bombers and fighters' during one raid on an enemy aerodrome in the Kletskaya area is announced by Moscowradio. ■* • "During the last two days the enemy again attempted to drive wedges into our defence positions..and reach, the Don," says the radio. "These enemy operations were supported by large Luftwaffe forces which came from two large front-line aerodromes. * "Our planes had the task of destroying these two aerodromes. At- dawn a large group of Soviet Stormoviks attacked one enemy aerodrome on which there were about 120 German planes. The Germans were just preparing for a new action, but our planes took them by surprise. "During the first dive attack many bombs were dropped, and our planes machine-gunned the enemy aerodromes. Many fires broke out. Our planes repeated the attack, but this time the enemy £fnti-aircraft batteries opened up a terrific fire. Soviet fighter planes, escorting the Stormoviks,. attacked the enemy batteries, silencing several units and killing the -" crews by machine-gun fire. The second attack waS as successful as the first. "According to preliminary figures, about 40 German bombers and fighters were destroyed or set on fire. Eleven others were shot down in aerial combat. This successful operation forced the enemy to diminish his air activity for this day."—B.O.W. (Rec. noon.) LONDON, August 16. A Moscow message reports that Russian bombers and dive-bomberss de-i stroyed or damaged over 660 German tanks in the past fortnight. They also destroyed 3450 troop and ammunition lorries and 600 wagons, and blew up 45 ammunition dumps and 14 petrol, dumps, and silenced 170 field and antiaircraft batteries.