AIR WARFARE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 August 1940, Page 2

AIR WARFARE

ENEMY’S CRIPPLING LOSSES TESTIMONY OF OVERSEA JOURNALISTS. CAREFUL VERIFICATION. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, August 20. Mr H. R. Knickerbocker, the wellknown American journalist, in a dispatch from London to his newspaper says: “If Hitler does not attempt to invade Britain soon he will have no air force left. Six months of this type of warfare will put the German Air Force out of action.” Mr Knickerbocker described the British communiques on the air fighting not merely as accurate, but, if anything, an under-estimate of the extent of the British advantage.

Further confirmation of the accuracy of the British communiques dealing with enemy losses in recent raids was provided by a broadcast talk by an Australian, Mr R. W. G. McKay, who has been in England only a week. Mr McKay said that only a few weeks ago he was discussing with friends in Sydney the threatened invasion of England. He had also gathered the impression then that the public accepted the figures of German losses with reserve. “I had that idea, too, but now I know they are true,” said Mr McKay. He added that he had been particularly interested to know whether the figures were exaggerated. An opportunity was afforded him of obtaining firsthand knowledge of the manner in which the losses were compiled by the Air Ministry, and from this he had concluded that the system adopted was most thorough. Previous to the recent large-scale attacks, corroboration of successes against the enemy was demanded. Such corroboration was hardly possible in the present large-scale raids, but even so the greatest care was taken to ensure accuracy.

CHECK ON REPORTS. Thus, when a single pilot reported his successes they were carefully checked. The squadron leader would, for example, know the locality in which he fought, the disposition of the enemy and whether they were routed. Further, a pilot had ammunition for only about 20 minutes of fighting, and it would be impossible for him t’o build up a “cock and bull” story. Losses were' computed as follows: Those known to have been destroyed; those possibly destroyed; those damaged. Mr McKay added that the Air Ministry published only the first list, namely, those known to have been destroyed. Mr McKay also stated that he had had the opportunity to see the numbers and types of enemy planes destroyed. This had served to confirm further that the British figures were not only accurate, but a great underestimate of the total German losses. The number of German aircraft destroyed during yesterday’s raids is now officially stated to be 144. Against this 22 British fighters were lost, but 12 of the pilots were saved. Raiders brought down over and around Britain during the past week have been destroyed in a ratio of near-: ly three bombers to one fighter. During the past seven days, which has seen the most intense air battles ever fought, R.A.F. fighters shot down 571 Na'zi raiders, including 380 bombers or fighter-bombers. On Thursday, when the Germans used at least 600 bombers, apart from fighters, they lost 127, or one-fifth of Iheir raiding bomber strength. Yesterday they lost 92 of 400 bombers sent over.

“The Times,” in a review of the recent encounters, says: “The only possible conclusion is that we have won the first round of the battle of Britain.”