ALLIED AIR FORCES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 5, 8 January 1944, Page 6

ALLIED AIR FORCES

CLEAR SKIES OVER EUROPE (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright.) Rec. 1.15 p.m. ,' LONDON, Jan. 7. Great forces of British and American planes, each many hundreds strong, ranged over Europe in fine weather today, sweeping over^ big " Luftwaffe bases and France without ' sighting a single enemy fighter. - Even U.S.A.A.F. planes thrusting over 100 miles into the German industrial belts were unchallenged. The • only opposition came from anti-aircraft . guns. • Typhoon fighter-bombers kept up • the assault with successful attacks j against - various targets, including " Maupertuis airfield, on Cherbourg peninsula. Afterwards Typhoon; fighters swept the peninsula. One force • comprising 200 Marauders returned home without suffering loss, extending its^record of consecutive sorties.without loss to over 1700. In addition, it ■was the eighth attack which. Marauders had carried out without loss-.against the same, targets since December .12. The .Press Association's aviation ■writer says that the entire absence of German fighters from the European skies today is the clearest indication yet of the Anglo-American air forces' ! complete mastery of the air and the Luftwaffe's urgent need to conserve ' planes. Although the Germans haye . stepped up their fighter strength in western Europe by 1000 planes a year, it is evident that they are still not ' prepared to risk inevitable losses in air clashes. This is the first time that U.S.A.A.F. planes have penetrated so deeply into Germany and not met fighter opposition. The Germans have " frequently neglected targets in occupied ■ territory, but they have never failed to make a desperate bid to save one of their own important war centres.