SKY MASTERY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 December 1941, Page 5

SKY MASTERY

Maintained by Imperial Forces

' ~The measure of the Imperial mastery of the Desert sky appears in particulars of enemy losses from the time the battle opened until midnight last, night. In that period 176 Axis planes have been destroyed, 92 in aerial combat and 84 on the ground. Our losses are said to be considerably smaller. The highlight of yesterday’s air operations was an action in which 15 enemy planes were shot down. Three more were destroyed in operations elsewhere. Commenting on the new Messerschmitts which are being used by the Germans, an observer states that they are not as manoeuvrable as the British fighters, but they are faster. The The British planes, however, can beat them in dog fights, which they avoid. A pilot said they wanted something a bit faster so that they could chase the enemy planes, catch them and crack them. There was great excitement among pilots when it was learnt that a large shipment of new American Kittyhawk fighters had already arrived and would soon be in action. With these our fighter pilots will be able to hit harder at the new Messerschmitts.