AIR ASSAULT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 July 1942, Page 4

AIR ASSAULT

AS PRELUDE TO OPENING OF SECOND FRONT ANTICIPATIONS IN UNITED STATES. GROWTH OF BRITISH BOMBER POWER. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) (Received his Day, 1 p.m.) NEW YORK, July 28. The discontinuance by the R.A.F. of 100 C-plane raids is almost certainly the prelude to the opening of a second front, says the “New York Post.” It estimates that Britain disposes of 5,000 first-line heavy bombers, 5,000 medium bombers and more fighters per square mile of its territory than any other belligerent—all this apart from the American air forces in England. . “Cnee started on, an air offensive cannot be let up, even for a few hours, it adds. “It must be carried on until the opposing fighter craft are permanently downed and communications smashed beyond repair. Three weeks of such an assault would make the landing of an army comparatively easy. When one considers that the R-A-iJ. can have no good reason for holding many of its bombers at home, except to organise them for an all-out assault on enemy territory, it will be seen that A.ugust promises the greatest air attacks in history.” The Scripps-Howard Syndicate continues to advocate a second front, by the destruction of German cities from the air. It recalls that in the heaviest raids over London no more than 350 tons of bombs were dropped. The bombs dropped ip the two Coventry raids totalled 275 tons and 400 tons. The British thousand plane fleets dropped 3.000 tons at a time—enough to destroy ten square miles. NAZI DEFENCES ALONG THE NORTH COAST OF FRANCE. (Received This Day, 1 p.m.) LONDON, July 28. The Berlin newsagency has announced that Field Marshal Rundstedt’s technical staff has completed a detailed inspection of extensive and deeply echeloned fortifications on the French Channel coast. The fortifications constitute a system of the most modern defence works, on which tens of thousands of skilled workers have been employed for two years.