NIGHT INTERCEPTION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 16 May 1941, Page 5

NIGHT INTERCEPTION

BRITAIN MORE THAN SHADE AHEAD CONSISTENT RISE OF VICTORIES [British Official Wireless] Rugby May, 14. The Minister of Home Security, Mr Morrison, in a speech in London, referring to the progress made by the night fighters, said: “We do not underrate their task. It seems to us that night interception must be like trying to swat a fly in a large dark room at midnight with a small fly-swater and in the knowledge that maybe the fly is not there anyway. “Yet there have been great achievements. I am told that research and development have gone as far in this last ten months as they would have done in ten years of normal peacetime, so that to-day those who know best think that in night interception we are rather more than a shade ahead of the enemy. There has been good progress in moonlight interception, and some progress even on dark nights. “Yet we must beware of jumping into conclusions too easily or setting our hopes too high or counting on their fulfilment too soon. But the significant thing is the steady and consistent rise in the curve of victories since the dark times of the winter.” SOME ENEMY DAY ACTIVITY [British Official Wireless] (Rec. noon) Rugby, May 15. An official communique states: “There has been some activity by enemy aircraft in coastal areas to-day. Bombs were dropped at several points but there was little damage or casualties. One enemy bomber was shot down by our fighters over Britain to-day.”