Aerial Warfare Contrasts

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 96, 23 April 1941, Page 7

Aerial Warfare Contrasts

RELATIVE STRENGTHS LONDON, April 3. } A survey of the relative strengths of the British and enemy air forces, and the contrasting uses made of them, brings heartening evidence of the Empire’s improving position. It is admitted that the growth to clear British superiority cannot be attained quicky, but experts, speculating on Germany’s operational strength, conelude that "it is not the mammoth force the Germans would have Britons believe. Factors weakening the German air weapon include the expensiveness of the large scale day bombing of the last three months of 1940, resulting in the enemy’s refusal again to risk a large force in daylight; the seizure by the R.A.F. from the Germans of the air offensive in recent weeks; the reduction of the Italian force in the Middle East to a state of impotence, described as “paralysis,” and “the war’s tactical puzzle No. 1; and the diversion of strong German bomber and fighter forces to Bulgaria, Rumania, Hicily, and Tripoli in an attempt to counteract the R.A.F. challenge in those countries. , The aeronautical correspondent of Tho Times, London, estimates the German fighter bomber strength at 8060, excluding various types which could be used at a pinch for operational purposes. The total strength in northern France and the Low Countries is 4000, yet all Germany is able to attain in Britain is small sporadic successes, almost incidentally. These, while causing damage in London, Coventry, Bristol, Cardiff, Southampton, some other places, destroyed only a minimum amount of importance to the I’ritish war effort. Britain’s life goes on unimpaired. These seems no continuity in the German strategy. It resembles the indiscriminate tipping of bombs. The R.A.F. offensive method is in striking contrast. British airmen set out to destroy docks, oil plants, marshalling yards, nnd other legitimate objectives, and they fly to Germany with that single intention. There is no nocturnal roaming in the hope of find incr accidental targets. The R.A.F. steadily and relentlessly bombs Germany according to a carefully prepared plan designed to direct bombs at the weakest point of the enemy’s war machine. Its flying distances are six times those flown by the Germans from tho occupied territory to Britain. It strikes Northern Italy’s i war factories, nnd still finds time tj ’ smash invasion preparations, raid suo- ; marine bases, gun-d e nvoys, sow mine- , in the Baltic and e’sewhete, and patrol the whole area from Norway to tho Mediterranean.