KEY TO SUCCESS

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22476, 11 January 1943, Page 2

KEY TO SUCCESS

Supremacy In The Air British Official Wireless RUGBY. January 8. Hitler faces 1943 with the inescapable. ominous fact that his production of aircraft has reached its zenith and may even be declining, while that of the Allies, is not yet at its peak. If. as many believe, says the Air Ministry News Service, supremacy in the air is the key to success then the key has been wrenched from his grasp and is in the hands of the Allies. In the year just ended German commitments have increased until it :s beyond the power of air staffs adequately to meet them. To-day less than 50 per cent, of the German Air Force remains in Russia. The Germans are short of fighters and are being forced to use bombers for supply purposes instead of offensive operations. Aircraft have been withdrawn from Northern Norway, leaving the force there insufficient to obstruct the passage of convoys to Russia and to maintain an effective offensive against Murmansk and Archangel. More than 50 per cent, of the Luftwaffe is in Western Europe and the Mediterranean, but the Germans are completely outnumbered in Northern France, Belgium and Holland and are short of night-fighters to intercept Allied raids on Germany and Northern Italy. Only a token force can op mounted to make occasional on coastal targets in Britain, for provision in home propaganda. In effect, the functions of the entire German Air Force in Western Europe are entirely defensive, bombers having been withdrawn from oaensre roles to act as night-fighters and protect convoys and transport supplies across the Mediterranean. The Luftwaffe is hampered by the weakness of the Italian Air Force and is now unequal to its many tasks, and is being forced more and more on the defensive. The Calais radio admitted the Allies' air superiority but added, “Numerical supremacy does not mean decisive leadership. Fighting spirit is also necessary for air superiority.”