HARDER BLOWS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 June 1943, Page 3

HARDER BLOWS

STRUCK BY INCREASING FORCES IN SPITE OF R.A.F. LOSSES OF BOMBERS. RECENT BRITISH AND AMERICAN ACTIVITY. (British Official- Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.40 a.m.) RUGBY, June 23. The capacity of the R.A.F. to sustain the losses incurred in the terrific bombing effort against Germany was made clear by a R.A.F. Authority in London. Despite the losses of both heavy and medium bombers, the strength of the R.A.F. has been appreciably expanded. Sorties carried out in May, 1943,

numbered twice as many as those of * the same month last year. The R.A.F. '■ last month dropped four times the tonnage of bombs dropped in May,. 1942, and the loss of air crews per tonof bombs dropped was over one-third less than for May, 1942. In spite of the lull last month the R.A.F. dropped between May 22 and June 22, 15,000 tons of bombs. That was well up to the usual figure. Aircraft of the Bomber Command in eleven nights were out against 16 different targets, and on eleven days against ten objectives, one of which was the Zeiss Works in Jena. The United States Army Air Force also attacked eight objectives.