AIR FORCE FEAT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20057, 2 October 1939, Page 7

AIR FORCE FEAT

ALLIED SUCCESSES ENEMY AREA MAPPED REMARKABLE PICTURES FIERCEST FIGHT OF WAR LOSSES ABOUT EQUAL (Elcc. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Oct. 2, 11 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. 1. The Air Ministry announces that the “Royal Air Force carried out further successful reconnaissance flights last night over northern Germany. All our machines returned.

“It can now be stated that in the course of yesterday’s air battle high over the Western Front, in which a small formation of our reconnaissance aircraft were engaged by a strong force of enemy fighters, two German lighters were shot down in flames. One of the enemy losses was confirmed by French troops.”

The Air Ministry also announces that the skill of Royal Air Force pilots has provided Britain with a remarkable series of air photographs of the Siegfried Line, over which they flew for miles at a height of only 600 ff., taking close-up photographs of gun emplacements, tank traps, and communication lines, and noting the different types of camouflage. None of (he machines were attacked, either by gunfire or by fighters. German soldiers waved to one plane.

The British headquarters staff has been enabled to build up from the photographs comprehensive picture of Germany’s defences.

Reconnaissance Flights The reconnaissance flights crossed and' recrossed the frontier, building up a complete air picture covering miles of enemy territory. The machines were flying so low that many of the gunners must have believed they were German planes. As one machine flew low over a newly-mounted anti-aircraft battery, the crew saw German troops busy camouflaging the guns. On hearing the drone of the aircraft’s engines, the men stopped working, looked up and waved in greeting. They might not have been so cheerful had they recognised the British bombers.

Another reconnaisance flight had previously flown over the line at 21,000 ft., but heavy banks of clouds made both photography and observation from the ground equally difficult, yet the aircraft were spotted and “archies" opened fire. The shooting was very accurate and several shells burst uncomportably near. Between gaps in the clouds this flight managed to get pictures covering a huge expanse of country behind the Siegfried Line. . Detailed Map The Paris correspondent of the New York Times says that the British and French reconnaissance flights furnished a detailed map of the entire German lines, particularly of the West Wall. Much praise is given to the British, whose daring low-altitude (lights, facilitated the final charting of the enemy positions. The British United Press Paris correspondent says that reports from French headquarters indicate that the fiercest air fighting since the war started occurred on the Western Front. The losses on both sides are not specified, but British and French reconnaissance patrols repeatedly clashed in dog-fights with German fighters over the German lines. The French report states that the losses on both sides were about equal. Planes Shot Down The Berlin radio claims that Germany shot down five British planes over Germany near Saarbrucken and one French near Bichie. It also claims that their fighters have brought down 27 British and 37 French planes in the past month. No confirmation ol these figures is obtainable, but substantial (losses of German jaircraft are known to have been incurred in the same period.

The German High Command claims that two Royal Air Force and several French officers are imprisoned in a German camp with 1000 Poles.

A message from Berlin says that a British plane is reported to have been brought down at Osnabreuck. From where the plane came puzzles experts in view of Osnabreuck’s position. The objective of this and other flights apparently has been to test the effiectiveness of the anti-aircraft guns.

Rome radio reports state that the war will be decided in the air and on the sea, where Britain hitherto has had the upper hand. It adds that the German claim that five British aircraft were brought down over Heligoland is not confirmed.