RECORD SUPPORT FROM AIR

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 236, 3 July 1944, Page 5

RECORD SUPPORT FROM AIR

Flights For Invasion (British Official Wireless.) (Received July 2, 7 p.m.) RUGBY, July 1. In spite of adverse weather, which severely limited air activity on several days, approximately 90,000 sorties were flown 'by Allied Expeditionary Air Force pilots during June. This is by far the greatest monthly aggregate ever recorded by a single command in the history of air ■warfare and illustrates the 'tremendous air power behind the planning of Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh Mallory. (Sixty-live thousand sorties were flown in May.) Nearly a quarter of the Command’s June sorties were concerned with providing beach cover for the landings. On many days more than 1060 aircraft patrolled the landing area. Thunderbolts, Mustangs and Lightning fighter-bombers of the Ninth Air Force flew 24.986 individual sorties during June and dropped over 6700 tons of bombs on German targets in France. They destroyed 210 enemy aircraft and lost 23'7. Ninth Air Force reconnaissance planes flew 2471 individual missions, destroying nine enemy aircraft for the loss of 14. Some hours after Fridays dusk attack on enemy troop concentrations and armoured vehicles at Villers Bocage. Lancasters of Bomber Command, were over the railway yards and junction of Vierzon, to the south of Orleans. Vierzon is a very important junction 'for traffic coming toward Normandy and Brittany from the south and east of France. The crews reported clear weather over the target and bombing was concentrated on the markers, which were accurately placed. Numerous fires were observed. Enemy fighters wtre very active and some pursued (he bombers for 40 miles ou the homeward journe'y. Last night a force of Mosquitoes of Bomber Command 1 ataeked the synthetic oil plant near Homberg, on the Rhine. Mines were also laid in enemy waters. One of our bombers is missing.