Double-Weight Assaults

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 14 October 1941, Page 3

Double-Weight Assaults

THE R.A.F. OFFENSIVE:

While the German campaign against: Russia lias been proceeding uninterruptedly for more than Iff winiks, there have been several breaks in the British air offensive against Germany. Since June 22, when Hiller’s armies i opened the offensive on (be Eastern • Front, the Royal Air Force has carried ; out many great bombing attacks on Germany. Night after night the bombers wont over on the heaviest raids I since the war started. But there have been fairly long periods when storms over western Europe prevented any long-range attacks being made. Last week, for example, Germany was free . of R.A.F. raids till Friday‘night, no , attack being made for at least seven ; days. The Weather Factor I The weather over Europe during the I summer ami autumn has been very i broken, frequent storms and heavy . low clouds sweeping across from the Atlantic and interfering with the operations of the Royal Air Force Bomber Command. The weather has not prevented the carrying-out of the offensive sweeps over occupied France and numerous attacks on shipping along the enemy coasts. But the long-range night attacks on German ports anil industrial centres are another matter, in which the hours of darkness and ! the state of the weather are very im--1 portant factors. ’ In his memorable broadcast on June 5 in which he guaranteed all pos■j sible aid to Russia in her struggle I against the forces of Nazidom, .Mr. j Churchill said: “We shall bomb Ger- • j many by day as well as by night in ever-increasing measure, casting upon • them month by month a heavier disij charge of bombs and making the Girij man people taste and gulp each month ■; a sharper dose of the miseries they : have showered upon mankind.” ’ That promise has been implemented, i but there have been periods of days ou end when the best of Britain’s bombers have been kept on the ground west Europe. The weather can impose severe limitations upon an air offensive. Growing Power In a speech in the Uou>c of Com- . J mons on July 29, Mr. Churchill had j more to say about the ever-growing i power of the Royal Air Force. “Now ; that the air buttles are developing j “we cun claim that our lighters are at least as much ahead of the enemy 1 j as when we defeated him a year ago. As j for the bombers, iu the past year in j British production alone, taking no I account of the now rapidly expanding j United States imports, we have doubled ! our power of bomb discharge on Germany at 1500 miles range, and iu the next few months—though this time taking account of the American supplies—we shall double it again.” Thus it will be that by the end of this mouth, when long nights usher in the full-scale bombing offensive against Germany, the R.A.F. will have more than enough long-range aircraft to double the total bomb loads and those bombers which carry out the shorter runs may conceivably make two journeys a night. The weight of the attack is assured. Though Mr. Churchill said nothing of the performance, armour and armament of the bombers, the “Aeroplane” says that the quality, too, is assured. The weight of the R.A.F. attacks will be maintained at four times the intensity of those which it carried out last winter, and that part of the offensive which is applied iu daylight can rely upon the efficiency of the lighters to afford it the full effectiveness of precision bombing. R.A.F. 1941 Model j Today the Itoyal Air Force has fourmotor Stirlings, Halifaxes, Fortresses and Liberators, all capable of carrying far bigger loads of bombs far greater distances at far higher speeds than the Wellingtons and other bombers of a year ago. And there are better bombers still to come. In proportion, the German power of attack has advanced less far since the war began. The Nazis started with Dorniers and Heinkels and their chief power of offence still lies iu these two types, with the addition of the Junkers Ju 88 and a few Kuriers which, the "Aeroplane” claims, have not proved satisfactory in action. The now lieinkel He 177 is now in service and is believed to have been used largely in action against Russia. It is a fourengine type, but it has neither the operational experience nor the production facilities behind it which the R.A.F. enjoys iu its newest tyjM's. In fighters, also, British superiority is more marked than ever. The Messerschmitt Me IU9F represents the peak of German development at present, and it lms shown itself in action to be notably inferior to the Hurricanes and Spitfires it has met in combat. The new Focke-Wulf radialmotor lighter is unlikely, says the “Aeroplane,” to show much improvement ou tlie latest Messerschmitt, and should not bother the newest Hurricanes and Spitfires, or the still newer Typhoons and Tornadoes. Long-Range Fighter I The Bristol Beaufighter, llio new long-range fighter, is a great addition to both British striking power by day and security by night. It has proved itself iu these respects, by day in ttie Near East and by night over England. The Beaufighter is a big aeroplane: it has a span of nearly 58 feet and a loaded weight of 20,-OGlb., nearly ID tons, although in the air it handles with the ease of a single-motor lighter. It has - a high speed of more than 330 miles an hour, despite its weight, a range of 1500 miles and the tremendous fire-power of four cannon and six machine-guns. With immensely improved machines, the resumption of bombing attacks ou Germany will see the offensive of the Royal Air Force reach a crescendo during the coming months. The weekend cable messages told of o[>cralkms j against German Europe, from ll>e , Arctic shores of Norway to the coasts of France, and of more successful attacks on enemy convoys iu the Mediterranean. Given u break of better weather Germany’s industrial centres . will experience the full weight of the R.A.F. offensive during the fyst.approaching winter, what time the j ponderous onslaughts on the enemy’s j sea communications play havoc with j bis dwindling Meets of merchant ships , and disrupt his sorely-lvarussed truus \ uort system.—(B.D.W.)