WAR NEWS

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 4483, 3 September 1940, Page 1

WAR NEWS

INCREASING ATTACK BY BRITISH AIR FORCE GEE,MANS CHANGE TACTICS IN RAIDS ‘The Times’ says the change of tactics in the Gorman air attacks is a sufficient admission of failure to encourage the defenders, though it certainly promises them no early relaxation of the strain. Having been taught discretion by the severity of the losses .sustained in the attacks, the “Luftwaffe" (Nazi Air Force) has fallen back upon the night bombing as the main offensive recourse. It is a method giving a better chance of avoiding casualties, and in. fact the destruction dealt out by our fighters, though they still! maintain a remarkable superiority to their opponents, is not on the same scale that they achieved and still achieve by daylight. But this, immunity of the bombers is l preserved only at the cost of much greater uncertainty of navigation and aim. And in proportion as civilians and their property suffer, military targets go unscathed. Meanwhile, an equally determined and much better offensive is directed without intermission upon the military vitals of Germany herself. It has been going on since last September, and the experience the pilots gained in the leaflet raids is now being turned to brilliant account. While the Germans are wasting a large proportion of their ammunition in destruction that can have no effect on the issue of the fight, their own aerodromes, factories', oil depots and communications, are every night going up in flames behind them.

GREAT AIR BATTLE OVER ENG’ LAND NAZI ATTEMPT TO PENETRATE INLAND FORMATIONS BROKEN UP FIERCE ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE London. Aug. 28. A formation of 23 German bombers under a large lighter escort approached the south-east coast this morning and encountered fierce anti-aircraft fire. Shells burst among the formation as it proceeded inland. Loud explosions were heard. British fighters intercepted the bombers. Two airmen were soon to bale out. One parachute drifted to sea and the other came down inland. A British fighter shot down a Messerschmitt over south-eastern England. The pilot baled out and landed in an orchard. Eight high explosive bombs fell on a south-eastern coastal town shortly after midnight, causing considerable damage, including the demolition of a nursery. 'There were no casualties. i STRANGE EFFECT ON POPULATION. The ‘Easier Nachrichten’s’ London correspondent .says the increasing air attacks against London have a strange effect on the population. The greater the number of the raids .the calmer their demeanor. He adds .that all bombs have fallen far from military objectives.

310 RITA L BLOWS DEALT NAZI INDUSTRIES SUFFER

The dislocation in the industrial life of Germany and the damage to industrial plant, and in particular to the German synthetic oil works, by the repeated E.A.F. attacks is commented upon in official circles, in London. Since the beginning of the war at least 170 attacks have been made by the E.A.F. against various oil targets in Germany. These attacks, it is felt, must unquestionably have further considerably increased Germany’s difficulties as regards oil supplies. The E.A.F. air activity lias, naturally been directed mainly against western Germany so far where not only TO per cent, of the German synthetic oil -supplies is located, but also where 2,5100,000 tons out of the total capacity of the German oil refineries, of 3,000,000 tons are to be found. German transport) has undoubtedly! severely suffered from the E.A.F.. raids. Considerable damage has been done to the docks, at Hamburg and Bremen, and must seriously hamper Germany’s, seaborne transport. Ships now largely have to use ports further east, and the destruction caused at the ports necessitates further recourse to the already overstrained German railways system. BIG GERMAN LOSSES IN PLANES Wireless News. The Germans, have lost 293 planes in their raids over England for the last week. During the same period close on 7(00 German airmen wore accounted for as against 110 British, many of whom were saved. In the twelve months. Germany lias lost nearly LOGO planes.