DEFENCE AGAINST FLYING BOMBS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 230, 26 June 1944, Page 4

DEFENCE AGAINST FLYING BOMBS

Big Improvement Noted

GREAT SUCCESS BY FIGHTERS

(By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Received June 25, 7.5 p.m.) LONDON, June 24.

Royal Air Force lighters, who have been joined ‘by American Thunderbolts and Lightnings, have achieved great success against the Hying bombs, the activity of which last night, was on a much smaller scale, says the “Evening News” correspondent on the south coast. In one lane not one of a number of Hying bombs got through the firstline defence. The world’s fastest pianos, the Tempest, Typhoon, Spitfire and Mustang, are iu action against the bombs.

Our defences have been improved out of all measure. • Only a small percentage of those sent out reach far inland. Swarms of fighters are on constant patrol over the Channel and the southern counties. They hunt in pairs, taking it iu turn to close in and tire at the bombs, the vulnerable poiuts of which they have discovered.

Eye-witnesses of recent flying-bomb incidents state that the enemy is now using missiles which glide a considerable distance after the engine has stopped. Marauders, Havocs and Thunderbolts late this morning attacked flying-bomb sites at Pas de Calais. They met no fighters and negligible flak. All returned. Home Secretary’s Statement. RUGBY, June 23. The Home Secretary, Mr. Morrison, in a statement in the House of Commons ou the flying bombs, said there were periods when some ten or more flying bombs were in the air at . the same time. The missile exploded with results equivalent to a 1000-kilogramme bomb, with intensive blast effect. Little damage of national importance have been caused, and public utilities had been only slightly effected so far. There had been, as was inevitable, casualties and damage to property by blast, but a substantial number had fallen outside the built-up areas and had done little damage. “So far the success achieved by our fighters and anti-aircraft guns in destroying the things before they reach their objective has been substantial,” Mr. Morrison continued. “According to the German wireless, the whole of southern England is a scene of desolation, and a pall of smoke over the devastated area prevented German pilots assessing the extent of the damage of the raids in Loudon. According to the same imaginative source, the British Government has abandoned London. Well, we are here, assembled in Parliament in London. Such unintelligent lying on, the part of the enemy defeats its own purpose.” He added: “I have compared the number of persons killed in southern England during the first five night attacks by flying bombs with the number of persons killed in five raids in February, and the number is less. The attack has no material effect on our war effort, and if the enemy’s intention was to upset our morale, it has singularly failed. The morale of this nation takes a lot of upsetting.”

Mr. Morrison gave a warning, however. “It may be that these attacks have not yet, reached their peak,” he said. “It may'be that the enemy will improve his devices or that other devices are in store for us. We must therefore continue our vigilance and must not neglect any measures which will defeat his intention.” Flying-bomb activity over southern England continued this morning. Fighters and anti-aircraft batteries destroyed some of them. During an overnight attack which R.A.F. night fighters and searchlights cooperated to blunt, flying bombs exploded in several districts,' causing casualties and damage. To see how the plans to counter the flying-bomb are working out, Air Marshal Sir Roderick Hill, Air Officer Commanding the Air Defence of Britain, took off this morning in his own Spitfire from an airfield on the south eoast of England. Beflin radio claims that tires which were started in London six days ago are still burning and that the glare can be seen as far away as Rouen. It added : “New bases which so far have not been used for our harassing fire will shortly be put into action.”