EFFICIENCY OF RAIDS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 87, 13 April 1944, Page 5

EFFICIENCY OF RAIDS

MOUNTING ASSAULT

Rec. 12.45 p.m. RUGBY, April 12. For every bomber which the British and American forces in Britain lost in March, they dropped five times as much bomb tonnage as the Germans dropped on Britain, per bomber lost, in the same period. This is the latest indication of the efficiency of the bomber offensive. Moreover, in the first quarter this year the Allied air' forces in Britain made 36 major attacks on Germany and German-occu-pied territory, in which they dropped a total of over 53,000 tons, with an average weight of nearly 1500 tons per raid. In the same quarter last year the comparable figures were 34 major attacks with a total of over 20,000 tons and an average weight of only 600 tons per raid. In the same period of 1942 there were four major attacks with a total of 1100 tons, averaging 300 tons per raid. The average weight for the seven biggest operations in the quarter just ended was 2500 tons. Faced with this mounting assault, Germany was not idle. An enormous programme of fighter production was begun in 1942 with the sole object of protecting German industry. The Allies have lately been attacking this frenzied fighter production effort with great success, and without doubt have diminished it. Nevertheless, the- full effects of their assaults on aircraft factories have not yet had time to show themselves in the front line. Indeed, the German front , line air strength on what may be called the Western Front—namely, aircraft assembled for the defence of Germany and the occupied countries against British and American attacks—is reckoned to be larger by 200 to 300 machines than in November. If the Allies had not in the last few months put forth great efforts to hinder the German air production and waste the German air strength in fighting, this increase would naturally have been much greater. In the coming months the reduction in the enemy air strength should become apparent at the front. The situation may be likened to an attack on a water supply. Damage to waterworks does not at once diminish the flow from the taps.—B.O.W.