ALLIED AIR MIGHT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXIV, Issue 262, 3 October 1944, Page 2

ALLIED AIR MIGHT

HAVOC ACCELERATED. (N.Z. Press Association.—Copyright.) (Hoc. 11 a.m.) RUGBY, Oct. 2. Day bomber sorties in September again outnumbered the night sorties, this time in the proportion of 10 to six. The liberation of the greater part of France and Belgium enabled the Bomber Command to concentrate much effort on Germany. There was a marked increase in the rate at which large areas were devastated. German industrial and railway towns -which previously had been attacked for strategic reasons became targets for tactical bombing. For instance, Frankfurt, which was previously attacked because of its chemical and engineering industries, was heavily attacked in "September because it is now a most important supply base and centre of communications for tbo defence of Germany. The rate of destruction in Germany was aiso increased by the use of comparatively small forces bombing with such accuracy that as much damage was done as in the much heavier attacks of the past.. Thus little more than 200 Lancasters destroyed almost the whole of Darmstadt, a centre of the chemical industries and -a base for the armies defending the Upper llhineland. The removal of a largo part of the flying-bomb menace reduced even further the defensive commitments of the Air Defence of Great Britain, threequarters of whose sorties ill September were purely offensive. The R.A.F. Coastal Command flew over 3000 sorties on patrols against U-boats. " • No German bombers operated against Britain during the month. Excluding all operations connected with the campaign in Normandy, the R.A.F. losses were 130 aircraft in offensive action against Europe, while 11 enemy planes were destroyed. Over Britain the enemy lost four aircraft and the R.A.F. none. The losses announced by Allied Headquarters in Italy were 39 Axis and 279 Allied aircraft. The losses' announced by the R.A.F. Middle East Command were 13 Axis and one Allied aircraft. The South-East Asia Command announced two Japanese and 16 Allied aircraft lost.—Official Wireless.