GRIMMER STAGE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 March 1941, Page 6

GRIMMER STAGE

ABOUT TO BE REACHED BRITISH AIR SECRETARY CONFIDENT. R.A.F.’s ACHIEVEMENTS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.37 a.m.) RUGBY, March 12. Only brief reference to the actual achievements of the Royal Air Force was made by the Secretary of Air, Sir Archibald Sinclair, today when when he presented the Air Estimates in the House of Commons. The speech was mainly devoted to developments and expansion which had taken place and are in prospect in regard to personnel and materials, as well as organisation and on account of new types of machine of British and American manufacture.

Sir Archibald Sinclair expressed his own belief that tfie war was about to enter a grimmer phase but he was completely confident of the final issue. This confidence was based primarily on the Royal Air Force's achievements, which he summarised in two graphic sentences. Sir Archibald Sinclair said: “In the last ten months, in two theatres of war, the R.A.F. fought against very great odds but not without success, as the destruction, mainly by our incomparable fighter squadrons, of some 4,250 German and 1,100 Italian aircraft for the loss in combat of fewer than 1,800 aircraft of our own, security of our shores, and the part played by the R.A.F. in the disruption of the Italian Empire, combine to testify. Our bombers made 280 raids on aerodromes and seaplane bases, 300 on docks and shipping, 470 on railways and communications and 630 on industrial targets. All these were in Germany. Many heavy raids also have been made ori objectives in occupied territory.”

Speaking of the work of the Coastal Command, which included convoy, patrol. attacks on enemy shipping, bases and U-boats, Sir Archibald Sinclair said: These aircraft had flown sixteen million- miles in the course of their duties. Air war, both at home and in the Middle East, would be continued and was not being fought by the R.A.F. fleet and Air Arm alone. Squadrons of Canadian, South African, Australian, New Zealanders, and Rhodesians and squadrons manned by men from India, Newfoundland and all the colonial Empire were playing their part in the battle.