NEW AIR TACTICS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25431, 12 January 1944, Page 3

NEW AIR TACTICS

CLAIM BY GERMANS FIGHTERS IN BOMBER STREAM SYDNEY, Jan. 9. Basing his comment on the claim of the commander of a Luftwaffe night fighter squadron to have shot down six Lancasters in 12 minutes during a recent raid, the German Transocean News Agency’s air correspondent gives details of the “brilliant and audacious tactics now employed by experienced night fighters.” The corespondent says: British bombers usually fly in irregular but close formations. One speaks of a bomber stream.’ German night fighters try to link up with such a bpmber stream and fly alongside it and in the midst of it. ... ~ “From such a position it is pretty easy to discover several opponents ana shoot them down within a short time. The danger of being shot down oneself is not great. „ , “In such a bomber stream British rear gunners must be careful in firing against aircraft which are visible only as shadows. Nor are the night fighters accompanying the bombers able to attack our night fighters in the midst of the bomber stream. “When the R.A.F. introduced the joint arrival and departure of its bombers, in order to concsntrate the effect of its attacks some time was needed for the defence to adapt itself to the new conditions, but now German night fighters believe the bomber stream offers them good opportunities.”