AIR WAR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 August 1941, Page 5

AIR WAR

CHANGES IN FAVOUR OF RUSSIANS

R.A.F. OFFICER’S SURVEY.

COMMENT ON NAZI LYING. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, July 31. In a broadcast today Air Commodore Goddard of the Royal Air Force spoke about the figures of air victories and losses that have been received from the Russians and the Germans. Remarking that he had spent several weeks with the Republican forces in Spain when Russian airmen were there, he said that from the stories told him by the Spanish he was quite sure that the Russian air force was fighting with unbounded courage. “I also heard that the Russians in Spain were no braggarts but what they said was true.” Regarding the German claims, Air .Commodore Goddard reminded his listeners that during the Battle of Bri- • tain Dr Goebbels’s accounts of the ’ day’s operations sometimes reached New York before the fighting began. The Nazi figures were habitually grossly faked. The results of an air war had, how-

ever, to be judged from a change of

tactics, or a changed plan of campaign rather than from daily figures of los-

ses, “We ha.ve been witnessing such a change,”, he said. “It is a change in Russia’s favour.”

Giving reasons explaining the success of the air defence of Moscow, he pointed out that the city was on about the same latitude as Edinburgh, and at this time of year the night was never much more than twilight. Also the attack came from one direction and not from all round, as in the case of London.. These two factors had enabled the Russian fighters to work with great advantage, being able to see and also knowing the direction the enemy was approaching from. The Germans had had to change their tactics. “We are grateful for the immense help to us by the Soviet air force now, as they also will be for our help in the past, present, and future,” he remarked. AIR ACTIVITY WIDESPREAD RUSSIAN ATTACKS. ( (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.27 a.m.) RUGBY, August 1. A Russian communique states: “Our Air Force’, in co-operation with land troops, inflicted blows on motor and mechanised units, infantry and artillery and also bombed enemy motor columns carrying fuel and material.” REPORTED ARRESTS OF HIGH NAZI OFFICIALS. “INDISCRETIONS” REGARDING RUSSIA. LONDON, August 1. The Moscow radio broadcast a report' from Ankara that Herr von Schulenburg, the former German Ambassador in Moscow, was placed under house arrest soon after his return to Berlin for, it is reported, his attitude before Germany attacked Russia. The Lisbon correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” says that Dr Karl Boemer, a high official in the Berlin propaganda department, has been arrested. He was Dr Goebbels’s spokesman in communications to the foreign Press. Dr Boemer had disappeared from the Ministry some time before correspondents learned of his arrest, for which the reason was given that he was guilty of “indiscretion” at a diplomatic gathering. The indiscretion is believed to have referred to the Russian campaign.