AIR ATTACKS ON GOODS TRAINS IN FRANCE

Southland Times, Issue 24825, 18 August 1942, Page 5

AIR ATTACKS ON GOODS TRAINS IN FRANCE

(8.0.W.) RUGBY. August 15. Today Spitfires of the Fighter Command, continued their attacks on railway communications in Occupied France. . , Flying at tree-top height along the railway from Rouen to Etaples, aircraft damaged a number of goods trains. Other Spitfires attacked vessels moored in the Canal near Ouistreham. One aircraft is missing. BOMBING OFFENSIVE BY R.A.F. (8.0.W.) RUGBY, August 16. Despite unexpectedly bad weather the Royal Air Force took every opportunity during July to continue its bombing offensive. The Bomber Command operated against Germany and the Occupied territory on 18 days and .16 nights, while the Royal Air Force as a whole operated on 23 days and 18 nights. Against military and industrial targets in. Germany concerned with war production the Royal Air Force carried out 27 attacks against 14 targets. Although no 1000-bomber attacks were carried out during the month attacks with some hundreds of planes . were made on 10 occasions on targets in the Reich. Those on Hamburg and Saarbrucken were the most successful.

In Occupied territory 13 attacks were carried out against 11 targets, including docks, harbour installations, power stations and railway communications. German aircraft flew over Britain on 18 nights during the month and there were 19 daylight raids. Nineteen enemy ships have been sunk or damaged in northern waters, including merchant vessels; armed minesweepers, armed trawlers, motor craft, a tanker and E-boats. In the Mediterranean 36 enemy vessels have been sunk or damaged. In all the offensive operations against the enemy in the western theatre the Royal Air Force destroyed 113 enemy planes, of which 55 were shot down over Britain. The Royal Air Force lost 251 planes, of which none were lost over Britain. In the Middle East the Royal Air Force destroyed 308 enemy aircraft in air combat and lost 181 planes. In all the offensive operations over Germany, the Occupied territory and in connection with the defence of Britain and in the Middle East and in attacks on Axis shipping the Royal Air Force destroyed 427 enemy aircraft for the loss of 487. During July 147 enemy planes were destroyed over Malta. United States Air Force pilots who are training with the Royal Air Force squadrons in the Egyptian Desert, have actively participated in the recent Royal Air Force and South African Air Force operations over the battle area. GERMANY MAY PROPOSE COMPROMISE PEACE LONDON, August 16. Germany is banking on a compromise peace. She will probably propose it this autumn, that is before the end of October. This is the opinion of General Wladyslaw Sikorski, Polish Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief. General Sikorski added, in an interview given in London, that he hoped that the negotiations now going on in Moscow would harmonize the efforts of all the Allies, who so far had been deprived of the benefits of a supreme joint command.