Greymouth Evening Star. THURSDAY, MAY 20, 1943. AIR WAR PUBLICITY.

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 May 1943, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. THURSDAY, MAY 20, 1943. AIR WAR PUBLICITY.

the Allies are ready , to launch a major offensive against enemyoe,enpied Europe.—and the.interval is not expected to be extended, —the activities of Allied airmen will I'orni the chief item of news where the Avar against Hitler is concerned. Terrible things have been promised against Germany, the destruction of the Ruhr valley dams being an item in this programme, and there seems little doubt that supremacy in the air has been won by the Allies. This advantage is not yet mastery, as the Luflwaffe is still a strong force, but progress has been made in. tliat direction, and it will be the Axis who will be chiefly on the defensive. The inferential exaggeration of Air Ministry communiques regarding the effect of R.A.F. raids on Germany and enemy-occupied territory, with similar under-statement where Luftwaffe raids on Britain and convoys were concerned, may havi* been prudent in the earlier stages of the war, when the R.A.F. was sadly handicapped in numbers compared with the widespread tasks, but the can afford to be more definite and candid, nowadays, when the balance of gain and loss is so often in the Allies’ favour. It is too much to expect people to believe that every R.A.IU raid is a brilliant payable success, Avhercas most German ventures are miserable failures. The communiques dismiss the enemy achievements with "some damage and a few casualties have been reported,” but subsequent revelations are not in k(*eping with this lighthearted method.

It is gunorally agreed that Hie worst of the blitz against Britain has passed, 'and that the defences have been greatly 'strengthened. Despite some optimistic prejdictions, it is not possibh* to stop tip-and-Irun raids altogether, nor to prevent LiiftIwaffe packs getting over Britain. It has been revealed that the daylight raiders uised by Hie enemy are mostly his fastest lighters with a speed of bOO-ffiiO miles an hour. Even when they fly high in clear weather, and all is in favour of detection ami intercept ion, more than five minutes’ warning cannot often be expected. Britain's highly efficient radio-local ion system is constantly being improved, but all systems, German as well as British, are not entirely reliable at low levels. Flying low also makes Hie raiders a more difficult target, both for fighters and for guns. Another advantage the enemy has is that he is not tied to any special target. One is as good as another to him. This makes a difference when every second is precious. Under all the circumstances, it is not surprising' that Hie Luftwaffe is still able to work considerable mischief in British coastal areas. In raiding Germany, the R.A.F. has a more difficult and dangerous task, and it is not fair to the airmen engaged, for contrary impressions to be encouraged. The loss of hundreds of bombers and thousands of trained airmen during the past few months’ raids over Germany should not be ignored.