MUCH STRONGER NOW

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 48, 26 February 1941, Page 5

MUCH STRONGER NOW

ROYAL AIR FORCE PREPARING TO DELIVER MIGHTY BLOWS (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) Received Feb. 25, 5.5 p.m. LONDON, Feb. 24. K.A.F. planes patrolled the Straits ol Dover to-day without any oppos.tion from the German air force. Fighters at times went as far as the French coast in brilliant weather. Future developments in the battle ol the aii will obviously depend largely on the weather. Large-scale air attacks on Great Britain, including London, will shortly become possible again, and a Nazi air offensive can be expected. While it is true that many French aerodromes are practically unfit for use, the weather is improving daily. The Royai Air Force is in good shape and rapidly expanding. We have a much stronger fighter force than we had several months ago, and it is well provided with reserves of ali kinds. Though Germany has sent a considerable number of planes and crews to help Italy and assist the Nazi army in the Balkans, the main force is still on the other side of the Channel, but it is not thought she has anything up her sleeve in the way of new aircraft to launch against Britain. The German air force is, however, experimenting with methods of getting machines off the ground when the conditions at the aerodrome are bad. and assisted take-off s for bombers are being tried, though there is nothing to show that this method is being used yet. The big sweep which the R.A.F. carried out over the Channel recently may be regarded as trial runs for the greater battle to come. Mr. Churchill has already spoken of arranging to alter the prccentage whereby Germany drops three or four bombs on England to one of ours on Germany. With its ever-increas-ing bomber strength, the Royal Air Force is preparing some mighty blows for the Germans. SPECULATION AS TO NAZI AIR FORCE EFFECT OF WIDER FRONTS IVEAKUji SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR FEWER ATTACKS. \ [ British Official Wireless. 1 Received Feo. 2t>, 0.0 p.m. RUGBr', reo. 24. Dispositions of tne German Air Force in relation to tne operation or the Luftwaffe may be contemplating, is, naturally, -of great interest to Britain at tne present time. Questions, in particular, being rluscusseu in London are, in the first place, does Germany’s aii strength permit sufficient concentration in the Balkans to support any military operations she may have in mind there, and, secondly, 11 such concentration is possible, wliat bearing has this on the undoubted recent diminution of tne Luftwaffe’s activity over tn.s country In regard to the first question it is clear tnat the Germans nave moved some hundreds o£ machines to the Mediterranean area, including a number of Junkers 87’s and long-range reconnaissance planes. Some longrange fighters have also been shitteu, though probably not a large number. Whatever shilt in squadrons has been made, it is unquestionable, however, that the Germans have gone down into Rumania with a balanced air force—that is an air force sufficient lor full strategic and tactical co-operation with land forces. The second question is of primaryimportance in Britain. The lessened air onslaught, however, cannot be credited to a decreasing of attacking strength. Incidence of bad weather is held to be solely responsible for fewer German raids, as it is responsible for lessened British olfenisve air activity. This weather factor must be taken as applying to Britain in a general sense, and has not necessarily a bearing on the undoubted heavy and successive raids recently on Swansea and other areas. So extended is the area of bases from which German bombers can operate, that the weather is bound to be more favourable in some areas than others. In any case, no doubts are entertained that large scale attacks on London and other targets will shortly be resumed. As regards the possibility of daylight attacks, it is agreed that Britain has now a much stronger fighter force than when she beat the German onslaught last autumn, and the force is steadily expanding. “We are in very good shape to give the Germans battle,” sums up a situation to which Britain’s airmen and civilian population can look forward with confidence. On one occasion during a recent inspection of R.A.F. aerodromes, the King visited several Polish squadrons and expressed appreciation of the smartness and enthusiasm of Polish airmen.