VICTORY FOR R.A.F.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 3 December 1940, Page 5

VICTORY FOR R.A.F.

GREAT AUTUMN BATTLE OF LONDON Another Phase of Air War Ended BIG DROP IN CIVILIAN CASUALTIES [United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright] LONDON, 2nd December. After raging 1 2 weeks the greatest air battle in history the autumn battle of London—has ended. Ihe result is a technical victory for the R.A.F. and military defeat for Germany. The battle began on 9th September, though there were heavy raids against England before that date. Losses of enemy planes over [England were greater in August than in any succeeding month, j namely, 1101, compared with 1093 in September, 264 in October | and 222 in November, but the strategy and purpose of the August attacks was different. The August raids were designed to break our fighter strength while bombarding the south-east and south coasts and south-eastern England in preparation for invasion and for greater aerial attacks. | The blitz-bombing of London was more a battle to paralyse half England physically and smash it morally. It was an attempt to immobilise road and rail transport and wipe out food stores for millions, not only in London but throughout the country. Though there were times in the first few weeks when the question was asked whether London could continue to take the punishment it was receiving, the blitz failed. Of 29,000 Londoners killed and admitted to hospital in 12 weeks 23,700 of the casualties occurred in the first seven weeks, but in the next four weeks the average was below 1 300, and in the twelfth week the figure was below 500.

I Deaths dropped from an average of . 421 on the First two nights to none on , 26th November, and a daily average of j only 23 in the twelfth week. Indeed, t despite the awful toll of those first days, the weekly average throughout t the- blitz is now 1000 killed and 1400 sent to hospital. [ The technical superiority of the ; R.A.F. in equipment and men has been largely responsible for the steady reduction in casualties, though increased use of civil defence measures has also been an important factor. Anti-air-craft defences, fighters and the balloon barrage have brought down an average of 107 raiders weekly during the blitz. For six weeks the Germans’ improved methods of dealing with interception reduced the proportion of British and German machines shot down from the second week figure of ! 1 to 5, to an average of 1 to 3.7 durr in S the blitz—that is. the blitz has cost Germany and Italy (Italy contri- | buting 20 planes) 1288 planes, whereI as Britain has lost only 345. ! 11 is authoritatively stated that the j raiders carried an average of three members of a crew, making a loss of 5 3864 men. Britain saved all but 163 of her airmen. Apart from the deminution of casualties, the effects of raids on the civil- ' ian population are also satisfactory. ' Official statements have revealed that [ key industries have refused to allow ! Production to fall off. One hundred and - nine of a total of 331 raids during the blitz have been at night, averaging 7 hours 32 minutes, compared with the ! day raid average of 46 minutes, but essential night work has been carried ! on - Newspapers have come out regularly , postal and railway operations i have not been interrupted and three- [ shlft factories have stuck to their jobs Goering has disorganised but not dis- ( rupted London life. He has killed and > maimed many thousands of Londoners, [ ° ut damage has been repaired and 1 services restored. ; IN ALL THEATRES OF WAR AIRCRAFT LOSSES FOR NOVEMBER LONDON, Ist December. During November 48 British aircraft wfere lost over enemy or occupied territory and enemy waters. Fiftynine Italian aircraft were destroyed excluding those brought down in the Grecian theatre. The total German and Italian victims to the R.A.F. for November were 293, and the total R.A.F. losses in all the war theatres were 120. However, 27 British fighter pilots were saved. 600 ENEMYPLANES FIGHTER STATION’S TALLY LONDON, Ist December The 600th enemy plane destroyed by the squadrons operating from a single Fighter Command station was shot down on Saturday following the joint efforts of two Spitfire pilots who belong to the one squadron. One pilot, a 22-year-old flight commander, already had eleven destroyed enemy planes to his credit, and the other, a 26-year-old pilot officer, had nineteen. Both have already received the D.F.C. SWISS UNDER FIRE NAZI PROPAGANDA MACHINE REPORT OF COVENTRY RAID [U.P.A.—By Electric Telegraph-Copyright] LONDON, Ist December. The whole fury of the German propaganda machine has been let loose on the Swiss Press for a report published on the bombing of Coventry. The London correspondent of the paper made it clear that Coventry had not been annihilated and that only temporary damage to the armaments industry had been caused. This truthful report, according to the Nazis, can bring only disrepute to the German people. It is significant that the belief exists in high Nazi circles that the reputation of the German nation rests on the ability of the German air force to wipe out a British town and its inhabitants. Signor Ansaldo, Mussolini’s mouth- 1 piece, recently warned the Italian troops to take with a grain of salt ' reports of British towns in ruins. I When this attitude is adopted by the Swiss Press, however, the Nazis consider it as proof that it is in the pay of Britain. Another cause for the German outburst is that the Swiss authorities have dissolved the totalitarian national movement and the Communist Party. BRITISH AIR OFFENSIVE day and night raids all planes return safely [British Official Wireless] (Received 3rd Decemebr, 12.10 p.m.) RUGBY, 2nd November. An Air Ministry communique states: ‘On Sunday morning aircraft of the Coastal Command attacked a military camp at Christiansund. Bombs fell along the waterfront damaging buildings, and others damaged warehouses on the quayside. Another aircraft of the Coastal Command successfully attacked a gasworks at Esjberg. An ex-

plosion followed the bombing. None of our aircraft was lost on these operations. “On Monday night our bombers attacked shipbuilding yards at Wilshelmshaven. All our aircraft returned.