Russian Air Manoeuvres In Berlin Corridor

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 October 1948, Page 5

Russian Air Manoeuvres In Berlin Corridor

(Rec. 9 a.m.) LONDON, October 7

The British fliers in the Berlin airlift today reported seeing ’ Russian planes drop live bombs about 12 miles north-west .of Berlin, in the Soviet zone. It might be part of the Russian manoeuvres announced earlier.

R.A.F. officers said the observations of the pilots were being considered at a special conference and the findings would be made known later. The. correspondent of rhe British United Press at Berlin says, that lhe Russians gave notice of big air manoeuvres to be held today (Thursday) along lhe air corridors to Berlin' and over the city itself. The correspondent reported that the Russian warning stated that anti-aircraft firing, parachute jump-

ing. and ground-to-air firing at sleeve targets, as well as formation and individual flights by bombers, would be carried out. The Berlin correspondent of the British United Press says that when the Russians had announced that they would hold a parachute practice in an area 20 miles west of Berlin in the Berlin-Buckeburg air corridor, the British authorities lodged an immediate protest. The correspondent adds that Russian action violates two four-Power air safety regulations. British and American air-lift pilots reported that Soviet troops had been making practice parachute jumps in the Allied air corridors. The American chief controller at the Berlin air safety centre said: “They are not hindering the air lift in any way, and we do not consider the matter serious. The jumps, which apparently are connected with the Russian Army autumn manoeuvres, are being made from a very low altitude.” General Clay (United States Military Governor) announced that dismantling orders for 300 factories in the Western zone of Germany would be re-examined “to determine whether dismantling would be in the best interests of European recovery,” says Reuter’s Berlin correspondent.* General Clay said the economic fusion of Bizonia and the French zone would become a virtual reality within the next few days following an agreement reached by French and Anglo-American experts of the respective export and import administrations.

General Clay said that Allied aircraft arc- al present carrying 5000 tons of coal and wood daily to Berlin.