SIGNIFICANT FIGURE

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 85, 7 October 1940, Page 8

SIGNIFICANT FIGURE

NAZI STATEMENT ON AIR

LOSSES

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, October 5.

During yesterday's daylight and night operations the enemy admitted the loss of five aircraft, says an Air Ministry bulletin. In this period the British claimed that only three enemy aircraft were destroyed, and two others were reported as "probables," though they were not claimed and will not be claimed as definitely destroyed.

The enemy's admission shows that at least two more aircraft were in fact brought down. This goes to prove that a large number of enemy aircraft are so badly damaged by the British fighters and anti-aircraft guns that they do not return to their bases.

Following almost every engagement over this country, a number of enemy aircraft are reported as '"probables" which are not definitely claimed or announced as enemy losses. When these numbers are small the enemy is apt to make a fairly genuine admission. If he did the same on the occasions when a large number of his aircraft are destroyed the results migbjfc be very startling. For example, on one occasion when 185 enemy aircraft were destroyed the reports showed 42 "probables" and 75 aircraft damaged in addition. On another date, when 85 aircraft were destroyed, there were 34 "probables" and 53 damaged.

In announcing an astronomic figure for the total British losses since the beginning of the raids on Britain, the German and Italian broadcasts give the same figures but render their value useless by the fact that Rome reveals the German news agency as its source of information, while the German news agency cites the Italian newspaper "Popolo di Roma" as its own source.