AXIS AIR WASTAGE

Evening Star, Issue 24327, 16 October 1942, Page 3

AXIS AIR WASTAGE

10,000 RUNES DESTROYED (Rec. 12.40 p.m.) ' WASHINGTON, October la. Ten thousand Axis aircraft have been brought down during the war, not counting the heavy enemy losses in Russia, the Far East, and "the Pacific. This figure is given by the English magazine ‘ Aeroplane,’ which pays tribute to the United States Air Force. Referring to the heavy toll of German fighters taken by the Flying Fortresses and Liberator bombers in, the recent raid on Lille, the paper - says: “ The United States machines are winning successes with a weapon the R.A.F. never possessed—the .5 machine gun. The R.A.F. were equipped only with .303 machine guns and 20 millimetre cannon. ALL-TIME RECORD 42 DAYS TO BUILD SHIP (Rec. 11.50 a.m.) WASHINGTON, October 15. September saw another all-time ship construction record in American shipyards. The Maritime Commission announced that 67 “ Liberty ” ships have been turned out in the average time of 70.1 days from start to finish, which is 13 days less than the previous month’s records. When the original contracts were made it was estimated that construction would require 105 days. In January the average time was 241.3 days. Mr Kaiser’s Oregon shipyards have continued to set the pace by delivering 11 ships in September, averaging 42 days. ENGLAND'S FAMILY GROWN UP HO DICTATION FROM " OLD LADY " (Rec. 11.50 a.m.) WASHINGTON, October 15. The New Zealand Legation has issued a booklet entitled ‘ Meet New Zealand,’ prepared for distribution to members of the American forces in New Zealand. The booklet describes New Zealand’s features, characteristics, and customs, including the traffic system and liquor laws. One section particularly interesting to, Americans says: “We don’t belong to England. We don’t pay taxes to England. Churchill doesn’t tell us what to do. Generally speaking, England gets a whole lot more advice from the dominions than the dominions get from England. You know what it is like for an old lady when the family grows up.” OFFENSIVE PATROL R.A.F. OVER HOLLAND "(British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 10 a m.) RUGBY, October 15. An Air Ministry communique states: Yesterday afternoon Mustangs of the Army Co-operation Command on offensive patrol attacked barges, a goods train, and railway engines in Holland. Three small vessels on the coast were hit and damaged. None of our* aircraft is missing. CIVILIAN AIR RAID CASUALTIES (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 10 a.m.) RUGBY, Oct. 15. Civilian casualties in enemy air raiding in the United Kingdom for the year ended September 3 were 3,224 killed or missing believed killed, and 4,061 injured or detained in hospital. ITALIAN GENERAL KILLED COMMANDER. OF BRESCIA DIVISION (Rec. 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. 15. The Paris radio quoted a Berlin ret port that General Alesandro Predieri, commajider of the Brescia Division, had been killed on the Egyptian front on Tuesday while carrying put his duties. .