AIR LOSSES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 October 1941, Page 5

AIR LOSSES

BRITISH AND AXIS TOTALS LAST WEEK. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 26. Comparative air losses during the last week show that Britain, steadily attacking, lost 48 machines, while the Axis, on the defensive or undertaking only small operations, lost 34. Over Britain, during activity on a small scale, the Germans lost five bombers at night and two by day. The R.A.F. has operated daily and nightly over occupied territory. Especially widespread raids were made on the night of October 21-22, when night fighters attacked aerodromes in France and Holland and Coastal Command aircraft bombed Lorient, Brest and a harbour and fuel stores in Denmark. Brest was visited on three successive night and Le Havre on two successive night. Among the daylight sweeps were a successful attack by the Coastal Command on a seaplane base and factory in northern Denmark, attacks on supply ships off the Dutch coast and shipping off Norway and the Netherlands, and on trains, military buildings and positions in northern France.

. Oevr Germany, Bremen was heavily raided on the night of October 20-21 and again the following night. Wilhelmshaven, Emden, Mannheim and targets in north-west Germany and the Rhineland were also visited. Thirty-seven British aircraft —l3 fighters and 24 bombers—are missing, but four pilots are safe, while the Germans lost 23 fighters. In the Middle East the R.A.F. lost eleven to four Axis machines.