IN FULL SWING

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXII, Issue 119, 20 April 1942, Page 5

IN FULL SWING

BRITAIN'S AIR OFFENSIVE

TERRIFIC BOMB LOADS. (United Press Association —Copyright.) (11.40 a.m.).RUGBY, April 19. Britain's long promised air offensive is in full swing, as a study of the operations in the past "week shows strikingly. Some observers even express the opinion that it is already comparable with the. Luftwaffe's offensive during the Battle of Britain.

The Ruhr sustained three heavy raids and Hamburg was an important target, while the north of Italy was raided for the first time in several months. For sheer weight of numbers, the R.A.F.'s great non-stop sweeps over Northern Erance, Holland and Belgium have been most impressive. One London newspaper correspondent to-day puts the number ot sorties of all kinds made from Britain during the week as at least 3000. Yet the British losses by day were only 25 (with two pilots safe) and cignt bombers. 'Che Germans, although on the uiensive, lost 20 lighters.

At night the R.A.F. lost 36 bombers—a small loss in view of the terrific hammering dealt the Germans. in addition .the bomb loads now being dropped on Germany are heavier than trie Luftwaffe ever dropped on Britain except ou a lew ol the worst nights. As the new lour-engined bombers come more and more into operation these loads will inexorably increase. Pictures of Lubeck released by the Germans are printed widely in the newspapers here to-day and show the immense damage done in one of" the principal street*. The German caption reads: "One of the Most Damaging Raids of the War."

According to the German news agency, the report of the buildin.r commission which inspected"" Lubeck after the recent R.A.E. raid stated: "It will take years to rebuild the town. There was severe damage from high-explosive of heavy calibre, but chiefly from incendiaries. Many houses must be blown up as repair is impossible." The report mentions damage to the Draeger works which make gas apparatus and anti-gas wear.—Official Wireless.