ON HEAVY SCALE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 July 1941, Page 5

ON HEAVY SCALE

THE BRITISH BOMBING OF GERMANY AIR MINISTER’S SURVEY. OPERATIONS EXPANDING APACE. I (British Official Wireless.) I (Received This Day, 10.35 a.m.) RUGBY. July 23. Replying to a question in the House of Commons, the Air Minister, Sir Archibald Sinclair, said the scope of R.A.F. operations was increasing both by day and by night. “Night bombing on a heavy scale,” he continued, “is being steadily and skilfully maintained. Evidence of the damage inflicted is accumulating and is published as soon as it is available. By day we are forcing a reluctant enemy to give battle. We are inflicting substantial damage on factories, communications, shipping and fighter forces. What is still more important, we are compelling him to maintain large air forces in the West, to resist our growing assaults.” The Bomber Command, added the Minister, dropped in May of this year more than twice the tonnage of bombs dropped in May of last year, and in June dropped more than half as much again as was dropped in May. Speaking of air parity, Sir Archibald Sinclair said no efforts were being spared to obtain: first, parity with and then overwhelming superiority over the German Air Force. Asked whether these attacks were succeeding in bringing relief to our Russian allies and whether there was any indication that the Luftwaffe was heading for the West, Sir Archibald Sinclair replied: "I think I had better not say what our information is about the movement's of the Luftwaffe, but certainly the attacks, (both by day and by night are bringing strong pressure to bear on the Germans and we know they are having a considerable effect upon the morale of the German people."