GREAT AIR BATTLE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXIV, Issue 38, 13 January 1944, Page 5

GREAT AIR BATTLE

HEAVY NAZI LOSSES.

ENEMY'S LATJEST DEVICES. (Rec. 11.40 a.m.) L.JNDON, Jan. 12 To-day's German communique claims that 136 of the raiders were shot down. A German military spokesman described the engagement as the greatest air battle of the war. Tho Evening Standard's correspondent with the United States iorces says that preliminary reports lrom U.S.A.A.F. fighter stations indicate that when the total number of enemy casualties is assessed it will reach a new high record for daylight air battles over Europe. Several groups report that the German losses were four to one American. However, it is probable that the American lossea will be high, because the Germans put up the strongest opposition lor several weeks.

The correspondent adds that he understands that the heavy »bombers were not escorted for part of the trip but swarms of Lightnings and Thunderbolts and also a new version of the Mustang, accompanied the bomber groups most of the way, and the R.A.F. and Allied fighters covered them during their withdrawal. One Thunderbolt formation reported that without loss to itself it shot down 12 German planes. Whatever the American losses were, they achieved one important object—they tempted the German fighter strength into the air, forcing them to fight for nearly four hours. The Germans had every type of plane protecting the targets. ENEMY CHALLENGE.

One pilot said that the fighters started their attacks at the Zuidcr Zee, and, in spite of the escort, came at the bombers in bunches. Swarms of fighters, including longrange Messerschmitt lOy's, challenged the bombers, which also had to contend with planes trailing bombs on long cables, planes firing rocket shells, and rocket anti-air-craft shells. Some of the bomber groups met hundreds of enemy fighters which attacked in formations of 30 at a time, smashing their way towards the heart of the Fortress formations.

The German News Agency states that the massed Allied fighter umbrella which accompanied the American bombers nailed down a considerable proportion of the German, fighter strength. "We used new defence tactics. An alarm was given to a chain of defence stations after the first Americans had crossed German observation posts. The defences thus passed from hand to hand and succeeded in breaking up the enemy attacks and thereby preventing heavy concentration against the targets."