STAGE COMPLETED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 December 1940, Page 5

STAGE COMPLETED

IN GREATEST AIR CONFLICT IN HISTORY DEFEAT OF GERMAN BLITZKRIEG TOLL OF ENEMY MACHINES AND AIRMEN. HEAVY LOSS OF CIVILIAN LIVES. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) LONDON,, December 2. After raging for I’2 weeks the greatest battle in mstory—the autumn battle for London —has ended. The result is a technical victory for the R.A.F. and military defeat for Germany. The battle began on September 9, though there were heavy raids against England before that date. Losses of enemy planes over England were greater in August that in any succeeding month, namely 1101, compared with 1093 in September, 264 in October and 222 in November, but the strategy and purpose of the August attacks was different. The August raids were designed to break our fighter strength while bombarding the south-east and south coasts and south-eastern England in preparation for invasion and for greater aerial attacks. The blitz-bombing of London was more a battle to paralyse half of England physically and smash it morally. It was an attempt to immobilise road and rail transport and wipe out food stores for millions not only in London, but throughout the country.

LONDON “TAKES IT.” Though there were times in the first few weeks when the question was asked whether London could continue to take the punishment it was receiving, the blitz failed. Of 29,000 Londoners killed and admitted to hospital in 12 weeks 23,700 of the casualties occurred in the first seven weeks, but in the next four weeks the average was below 1300, and in the twelfth week the figure was below 500. Deaths dropped from an average of 421 on the first two nights to none on November 26, and a daily average of only 23 in the twelfth week. Indeed, despite the awful toll of those first days, the weekly average throughout the blitz is now 1000 killed and 1400 sent to hospital. The technical superiority of the R.AF in equipment and men has been largely responsible for the steady reduction in casualties, though increased use of civil defence measures has also been an important factor. Anti-air-craft defences, fighters and the balloon barrage have brought down an average of 107 raiders weekly during the blitz. For six weeks the Germans’ improved methods of dealing with interception reduced the proportion of British and German machines shot down from the second week figure of 1 to 5, to an average of 1 to 3.7 during the blitz—that is, the blitz has cost Germany and Italy (Italy contributing 20 planes) 1288 planes, whereas Britain has lost only 345. It is authoritatively stated that the raiders carried an average of three members of a crew, making a loss of 3864 men. Britain saved all but 163 of her airmen.

Apart from the diminution of casualties, the effects of raids on the civilian population are also satisfactory. Official statements have revealed that key industries have refused to allow production to fall off. One hundred and nine of a total of 331 raids during the blitz have been at night, averaging 7 hours 32 minutes, compared with the day raid average of 46 minutes, but essential night work has been carried on. Newspapers have come out regularly, postal and railway operations have not been interrupted and threeshift factories have stuck to their jobs. Goering has disorganised but not disrupted London life. He has killed and maimed many thousands of Londoners, but the damage has been repaired and services have been restored.

SPLENDID RECORD BRITISH FIGHTER STATION SIX HUNDRED NAZI PLANES DESTROYED. LONDON, December 1. The 600th enemy plane destroyed by the squadrons operating from a single fighter command station was shot down on Saturday following the joint efforts of two Spitfire pilots who belong to the one squadron. One pilot, a 22-year-old flight commander, already had 11 destroyed enemy planes to his credit, and the other, a 2G-year-old pilot officer had 19. Both have already received the D.F.C.