Fewer British Planes Hold Upper Hand In Africa

Northern Advocate, 7 October 1941, Page 5

Fewer British Planes Hold Upper Hand In Africa

LONDON, October 6. Air Force activity in the Western Desert, from the entry of Italy into the war until the present time, may be divided into four- stages, says the British Official Wireless. The stages are: — (1) From June, 1040, until the Italian advance in September. (2) General Wavell’s historic campaign which destroyed the Italian army. (3) The German advance which retook the whole territory to the Egyptian frontier, with the exception of Tobruk. f 4) The period of relative stability which has not yet ended. Axis Losses Heavier During the whole of this period the Royal Air Force has been active, bombing the enemy supply organisation, his lines of communication, his troops and his shipping. During the great part the British air forces have been outnumbered, sometimes as heavily as three to one. yet during the whole campaign effective air power has been in British and Imperial hands, because of superior men and machines. Between June, 1940, and July 31, 1941, 275 British machines were shot down, but the Axis lost 421 aircraft in combat and a further 513 on the ground. Tribute to Accuracy The accuracy of Royal Air Force bombing attacks had a quaint testimonial from a captured Italian officer. He said that neither he nor his friends used to leave their cafe in Benghazi during the raids, because they knew that all the bombs would fall into the harbour among the shipping and docks. On the other hand, he was never able to run from his mess to his post without being machine-gunned from the air. A lull in hostile air activity took place in the autumn of 1940. This was attributed to' persistent raids on the enemy, coupled with the news of how the Luftwaffe was faring in the battle of Britain. German Reinforcements The Italian air force early was reinforced by German machines and pilots, and this stiffening reached a peak in February,- 1941, about the time of General Wavell’s maximum penetration. The British and Imperial foi'ces were considerably reduced during the operations in Greece and Crete, and at that time were in their greatest minority. The Fleet Air Arm has played an important part in many of the operations, and the work of the Australian, South African and New Zealand Air Forces has been magnificent. Squadrons of the Greek and Yugoslav air forces also have been in action with great success. When the full history of the war comes to be written, one of the greatest triumphs of the Allied cause will be seen to be the masterly work done by these airmen in the face of superior odds.