GREAT INCREASE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 August 1943, Page 3

GREAT INCREASE

IN TONNAGE OF BOMBS DROPPED ON GERMANY AT LOWERED AVERAGE COST IN LIVES & PLANES. AIR MINISTRY GIVES FACTS. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, August 21. Anglo-American, bombing strategy now aims at seriously interfering with the production of German fighters and anti-aircraft defence equipment to pave the way to obliteration of the whole German war industry by day and night attack. Explaining how this is being carried out, the Air Ministry news service says that in July by far the heaviest series of attacks was conducted by the Bomber Command in any month, yet the R.A.F. suffered the lowest percentage loss recorded. Bombers dropped about 10.000 tons more than in July. 1942, for the loss of only 11 more aircraft, while the loss of personnel per hundred tons dropped was exactly half that of July, 1942. Special operations may frequently be more costly in themselves since, to ensure the destruction of a precise objective of high priority, they must be carried out in good visibility by moonlight or unclouded daylight. Examples of such attacks were this week's raids by the R.A.F. against Peenemunde in moonlight, and against aircraft factories in Bavaria in daylight. The loss of 41 bombers in the Peenemunde operation and some 30 in the Bavarian attack, though regrettable, may well show a good profit in the reduced losses in future day and night attacks. As the Germans’ defences become weaker so our already low average of bomber losses will become still lower.

The Berne correspondent of the Stockholm newspaper “Allehanda” states that Major-General Chamiers Gliesezenski, who Berlin radio yesterday declared was killed in an accident, was actually murdered at Peenemunde during the R.A’.F.'s raid. He is believed to have directed radio location research at Peenemunde. Dr Goebbels's reference to a new weapon which is being devised for the air offensive on Britain is thought to be connected with the death of the German officer at Peenemunde, where, it is thought, a secret weapon for the Luftwaffe was being developed. It is reported that Herr Himmler has ordered an inquiry into the officer's death, and algo as to how the R.A.F. came to know about the existence of the. factory.

The death of another military chief, Colonel-General Hans Jeschonek, was announced tonight. He was the chief of staff of the Luftwaffe. The German broadcast said that He died yesterday at Field-Marshal Goering’s headquarters after a serious illness. He was Goering's most intimate and faithful collaborator.