SURPRISE BLOW

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 August 1942, Page 3

SURPRISE BLOW

SUDDEN AND SUCCESSFUL SOVIET ATTACK ON GERMAN FRONT-LINE AERODROMES. ABOUT 51 NAZI PLANES DESTROYED. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, August 15. The destruction of about 51 German bombers and fighters during one raid on an enemy aerodrome in the Kletskaya area is announced by the Moscow radio. “During the last two days the enemy again attempted to drive wedges into our defence positions and reach the Don,” says the radio. “These enemy operations were supported by large ■ Luftwaffe forces which came from two large front-line aerodromes. “Our planes had the task of destroying these two aerodromes. At dawn a large group of Soviet Stormoviks attacked an enemy aerodrome on which there were about 120 German planes. The Germans were just preparing for a new action, but our planes took them by surprise. “During the first dive attack many bombs were dropped, and our planes machine-gunned the enemy aerodromes. Many fires broke out. Our planes repeated the attack, but this time the enemy anti-aircraft batteries opened terrific fire. Soviet fighter planes, escorting the Stormoviks, attacked the enemy batteries, silencing several units and killed the crews by machine-gun fire. The second attack was as successful as the first. “According to preliminary figures about 4Q German bombers and fighters were destroyed or set on fire. A further 11 were shot down in aerial combat. This successful operation forced the enemy to diminish his air activity for this day.”