AIR WARFARE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 March 1941, Page 6

AIR WARFARE

DISPROPORTIONATE ENEMY LOSSES DESTRUCTION OF NIGHT BOMBERS. AUTHORITATIVE BRITISH FIGURES. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11 a.m.) RUGBY, March 16. During the week ended at midnight on March 15, 42 enemy aircraft were destroyed over Britain and the British coasts. Of these, 35 were 'destroyed during the hours of darkness. In the same period, the R.A.F. lost one aircraft in this area. Over enemy and enemy-oc-cupied territory, and over the sea, the R.A.F. destroyed six enemy aircraft and lost nineteen. One British bomber which was reported missing from last night's operations and announced as having "landed safely away from its base." is not included in these figures. In the same week, one enemy aircraft was destroyed by a Norwegian merchant ship, one by a British naval ship and two probably were destroyed. The previous week's figures of aircraft destroyed by ships should now be increased by one, it having been confirmed that an enemy aircraft crashed in the sea after hitting a trawler's mast on March 7. In the Middle East theatre of war. up to March 14. forty-eight enemy aircraft had been destroyed for a loss of three R.A.F. machines. The figures given here take into account the increase of two over the figures given for March 11 and one for March 14. which are dealt with in the latest R.A.F. Middle East communique.