STORM OF ATTACK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 September 1943, Page 4

STORM OF ATTACK

ON ENEMY AND OCCUPIED TERRITORY IN PERIOD OF 24 HOURS HARDLY ANY OPPOSITION MET UNDISPUTED CONTROL OF SKIES. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.45 a.m.) RUGBY, September 9. It is officially announced that by midday today more than 1,000 fighter sorties had been made without a single loss over enemy and enemy-occupied country, and that the number of fighter sorties during the past 24 hours had reached 2,000. In addition, British and American medium bombers carried out a further 1,000 sorties. Today, as during, recent intensive operations, our aircraft had undisputed control of the skies and the number of air combats has been few. Casualties, consequently, have also been few. Pilots engaged in a number of operations speak of the bright moonlight helping them to find their targets and aerodromes. They say scores of our bombers were over targets at the same time.

When dawn broke, some of our forces were diverted to lay smokescreens and cover full-scale exercises in the Channel. These exercises, it is officially recorded, have been most successful and valuable lessons have been learned from them. A correspondent speaks of formations of landing craft far out to sea, moving in perfect order, unhindered and without a gesture from the Germans.