WAR IN THE AIR

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 2 August 1941, Page 5

WAR IN THE AIR

RUSSIAN AND GERMAN LOSSES COMMENTS BY R A T OFFIC ER COl RAGE OF SOVIET PILOTS Rugby, July 31. In a broadcast to-day Air Commodore Goddard of the Royal Air Force : poke about the figures of air victories and losses that have been received I'iom the Russians and the Germans Remarking that he had spent several weeks with the Republican forces in there, he said that from the stories told him by the Spanish he was quite sure that the Russian air force was lighting with unbounded courage. “1 also heard that the Russians in Spain were no braggn *.s but what they said was true.” Regarding the German claims, Air Commodore Goddard reminded his listeners that during the Battle of Britain Dr. Goebbels’s accounts of the day'.; operations sometimes reached New York before the fighting began. The Nazi figures were habitually grossly faked. The results of an air war had. however, to be judged from a change of tactics, or a changed lilan of campaign rather than from daily figures of losses. "We have been witnessing such a change,” he said. “It is a change In Russia’s favour.” Giving reasons explaining the success of the air defence of Moscow, he pointed out that the city was on about the same latitude as Edinburgh, and at this time of year the night was never much more than twilight. Also the attack came from one direction and not from all round, as in the case of London. These two factors had enabled the Russian fighters - work with great advantage. being able to see and also know the direction the enemy was approaching from. The Germans had had to change their tactics. “We are grateful for the immense help to us by the Soviet air force now, as they also will be for our help in the past, present, and future,” he remarked.—B.O.W.