SOVIET ACE'S SCORE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 24, 28 July 1944, Page 5

SOVIET ACE'S SCORE

NEW YORK, July 27. The "New York Times" reports that the Soviet Embassy, in a letter to ,the. Bell Aircraft Corporation, disclosed that Lieutenant-Colonel Pokryshkin, Hero of the Soviet Union, flying American Airacobras, has brought down 48 enemy planes. The letter named nine other Russian aviators who were credited with shooting down from 19 to 44 planes each. Detailed reports from Moscow, says the "New York Times," reveal- that Pokryshkin is credited with 59 kills, making him the top-ranking Allied flying ace. Apparently Pokryshkin brought down 48 planes flying Airacobras and 11 flying other planes. [The Airacobra plane is made by the Bell Corporation. It is now often used as a strafing plane.] While Airacobras •have established an excellent record against the Japanese the Russians particularly favour them because of their effectiveness in strafing German armour on the ground.

RUSSIANS AND POLAND LONDON, July 27. Moscow radio announced, .that the Soviet Government and the Polish Committee of National Liberation have signed an agreement on relations between the Polish Administration and the Soviet High Command in Poland. The agreement provides for the Polish Committee to assume full responsibility for civil government as soon as a liberated area ceases to be a zone of direct military operations. The Committee is to establish in liberated territory' an administration in accordance with the Polish Constitution to create machinery for the recruitment of men for the Polish armed forces, and ensure active co-operation with the Russians. The Russian commander-in-chief will have supreme power in Polish territory while operations continue. Polish troops will be under Polish military law. The question of the finance and supply of Russian and Polish troops in Poland will be dealt with in a separate agreement.