ALLIES CONTROL SKIES

Southland Times, Issue 25642, 9 April 1945, Page 5

ALLIES CONTROL SKIES

AIR FORCES HAMMER REICH (Rec. 11.5 pjn.) LONDON, April 8. “We can now fly anywhere over Germany at any time and in any weather,” declared General H. H. Arnold, Com-mander-in-Chief, U.S.A.A.F., at a Press conference. He added that March was the biggest air month of the war, with a daily average of more than 5000 planes in the air. “We had jet planes before the Germans but did not use them because they are a defensive, and not a offensive, weapon,” said General Arnold. The commander of the Bth Air Force, Lieutenant-General Karl Spaatz, who was present, interposed: “If we had put our production into jet planes instead of fighters we would not have won the air war by now.” I An official correspondent of the R.N.Z.A.F., writing from London, said that pilots of No. 75 (New Zealand) Squadron, operating from England, I have attained a new level of success. In the last three weeks they have flown their Lancasters in more than 400 sorties and have dropped 2000 tons of bombs to add to the destruction of enemy towns and supply sources. Since the crossing of the Rhine nearly 600 New Zealand airmen have taken bombers in support of the Allied ground forces. CITIES IN RUINS By day and by night the pilots are bringing back reports of towns and cities left in smoking ruins. Industrial centres and marshalling yards in the Ruhr valley have received such a hammering that there is just one continual jam of supply transport. Most of the operations have been in daylight when, together with other squadrons of the group, they attack in tight formation from 2000 feet. This latest offensive has provided the heaviest and most accurate bombing in the history of Bomber Command. Dresden has always been regarded as a sticky target because of the heavy defence, but last week the squadron was over there with dramatic results to the enemy. It was' the deepest penetration the squadron had made. Attention was given to such objectives as synthetic oil plants, railway yards and troop concentrations. RUSSIANS SUPPORTED Flight Lieutenant R. A. Banks, of Auckland, reported terrific explosions and smoke thick over the city. “There was a huge pillar of smoke which came up to about 2000 feet,” he said. Our actual job was to give support to the Russian front about 70 miles away and with the clusters of incendiaries we dropped it was no wonder fires started everywhere.” Another daylight attack was to support the 21st Army Group’s capture of Wesel. The Rhine was still to be crossed, but with the British Army only about two miles from the target, extreme bombing accuracy was necessary. “There is a great deal of satisfaction in helping the army,” said Flight Lieutenant L. W. Hannan, of New Plymouth, “and we knew that we had done a job this time. Wesel fell a few hours after we had been there.”

The German opposition is mostly with flak and pilots report that some of it is accurate.

From all these operations the squadron has returned safely. Sometimes aircraft have come in with two engines feathered or the fuselage pitted, but all the pilots have returned without personal injury, and, what is more, in formation.