Evening star., 1940-08-13
u. 5. Reporters Watch
Fierce Air Battles
From Ringside Seats
Correspondents See Four
German Attacks Flung
Back by British Aces
BY VINCENT SHEEAN.

LONDON, Aug. 13 (N.A.N.AD-A
few American correspondents sat in
the control center for the southeast
ern group of fighter command
while operations were directed
against four important German at
tacks. We had gone there by ap-
pointment to hear details of pre-
vious large-scale air battle, but
before we arrived and while we were
there the Germans we're repeating
their performance.
Fighter operations are centralized
by complex, but Smooth-running
system of communications and
warnings. Information comes from
numerous sources in the navy, the
air force and the coastal command,
all of whom are centered at the
fighter command The fighter COM
mand has instantaneous commune
cation with a separate group COM
mand.
Our group command was that
which controls the most consistently
attacked part of England, that in
which both British and German
fighters can operate best because
each is operating within range of
its airdromeS. Our air vice marshal
called it the playground
"ScOreboard" in Office.
The central Office where opera
tions are directed is rather like the
chartroom of big ship, with many
maps, charts and scoreboards and
a system of constant reporting. 1t
runs so smoothly now that, within
a very short time of warning that
the Germans are coming, word has
gone out to the waiting Squadrons
and British fighter planes are ac-
tually in the air.
The battle we saw started like the
previous one with big attack from
the nearest coast-70 to 90 airplanes.
Hurricanes and SpitflreS got into
this cloud of German and did heavy
execution. The next attack was in
the same region, but a considerably
heavier raid was initiated 10 min
utes later on another coast.
The fourth attack of the day, in
volving between 30 and 40 German
planes, started shortly after noon
on the east coast In each of these
four battles, the group command
that 1 observed was able to get
squadrons into the air with record
speed and important results.
A statement on gains and losses
always must wait for an Air Minis
try communique. When we left the
control center, 18 German planes
were confirmed" as shot down. Is
German casualties were "uncon-
firmed," three were probable" and
13 were damaged" Pilots claims
are "unconflrmed" unless two or
more witnesses report on them, al
though many "unconfirmed" kills
are certainly true ones.
British Outright Foe.
English fighters are keeping up a
pretty steady average of four-to-
one superiority over German fight
ers-that is, they bring down four
Germans for each fighter they lose.
Hurricanes and Spitfires easily out
class Messerschmitts, both the 109
and ITO, in performance. The new
German fighter, the Heinkel lib,
which first appeared over Dun
kerque, is apparently now coming
forward in greater number since
last week.
In all recent attacks the Germans
have shown their healthy respect for
British fighters by coming over
with immense escorts. Nowadays
they think it wise to provide fighter
escorts in a proportion of S, 6 or
even 10 to each bomber. The Brit
ish system of a dispersal of air.
dromes is so good and communica-
tions here are so rapid that they are
able to give immediate combat
wherever the attack appears. Many
lessons have been learned from va
rious failures in France.
To hear the reports coming IN
and the orders going out is to ac-
quire renewed faith in the fighter
command here The system of charts
and report sheets shows the solid
basis for Air Ministry C0mlnunlqueS.