SIDE BY SIDE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 October 1941, Page 5

SIDE BY SIDE

BRITISH AND RUSSIAN AIRCRAFT POWERFUL & DESTRUCTIVE ATTACKS. CONFIDENCE IN OUTLOOK. 1 (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, October 3. Every day now on the Russian battlefront can be seen the red, white and blue circles of Royal Air Force fighters and the crimson star of Russian bombers and fighters going into action side by side against the Germans. The Soviet army newspaper, “Red Star,” in a special article, says that the first joint action of the Allies has made it clear that attacks on the enemy will become increasingly poweiful and destructive. The newspaper is full of praise for the R.A.F. machines and also the personnel, who come from all parts of the Empire, and it adds that many fought in France last year and all were in the fighting over Britain. On their side the R.A.F. has given high praise to the Russian bombers for their long-distance flights over Germany and particularly to the powerful Russian dive-bombers, which they describe as better than any other type in speed and ability to manoeuvre. The “Red Star” tells how British and Russian fighters scored a big success against Nazi planes which were attempting to attack an aerodrome. They sailed right into the enemy and, rapidly separating the fighters from the bombers, forced the latter to drop their bombs at random. Ten German machines were shot down. There were no Russian or British casualties. The Russian air force is playing ah important part in the effective counterthrusts on the Leningrad front (says the. United Press Association). One air squadron in September destroyed 864 supply lorries, 70 tanks, 80 armoured cars, and 61 oil tankers, and blew up 15 ammunitions dumps, and shot down 38 planes. The same squadron in the past three days has destroyed 300 lorries, 38 armoured cars. 14 tanks, and several artillery batterries, and has wiped out a large number of infantrymen. German war prisoners acknowledge the effectiveness of Russia’s storm bombers. The national broadcasting station at Ankara stated that the Turkish military authorities have been informed that the Germans may encounter considerable difficulty with aeroplane lublicating oil, which is not adapted to the Russian winter. The Germafis are also concerned over the need for ski landing gear. The Russians, it is said, may easily possess the advantage in the air when the winter arrives.