AIR OFFENSIVE

Waikato Times, Volume 130, Issue 21708, 20 April 1942, Page 4

AIR OFFENSIVE

NON-STOP SWEEPS CONTINENT POUNDED GREAT LOAD OF BOMBS (omnal wireless) (Received April 20. 3.15 p.m.) RUGBY. April 19 Britain's long-promised air offensive is in swing, as a study of the operations of the past week shows strikingly. Some observers even express the opinion that it is already comparable with the Luftwaffe’s offensive during the Battle of Britain. The Ruhr sustained three heavy raids and Hamburg was an important target, while North Italy was raided for the first time in several months. For sheer weight of numbers the Royal Air Force’s great non-stop sweeps over Northern France, Holland and Belgium have been most impressive. One London newspaper correspondent today puts the number of sorties of all kinds made from Britain during the week as at least 3000. Yet the British losses by day have been only 25 (two pilots safe) and eight bombers. The Germans, although on the defensive, have lost 20 fighters. At night we have lost 36 bombers—a small loss in view of the terrific hammering dealt the Germans. In addition the bomb loads now being dropped on Germany are heavier than the Luft*vaffe ever dropped on Britain, except on a few of the worst nights. As the new four-engined bpmbers come more and more into operation these loads will inexorably increase. Pictures of Lubeck released by Germans are printed widely in the newspapers here today and show the immense damage done in one of the principal streets. The German caption reads: “One of the most damaging raids of the war.”