Evening star., 1941-02-03
Nazis 10 Lead Britain
In Warp|anes March |,
R. AT. Officer Admits
Superiority in Aircraft
And Pilots to Beut OFF
Mass Raids, He Warns
By DREW MIDDLETON.

Associated Press War Correspondent.
LONDON, Feb. s. Germany's
frst-line air strength will be meas
urably in excess" of Britain's on
March l, but Britain will again
beat back any return to mass day
light bombing as preliminary to
invasion" with superior aircraft and
pilots, high ranking officer of the
Royal Air Force declared today.
The officer said the recent lull in
the German air offensive against
Britain was not "the lull before the
invasion storm" but was due. first,
to dreadful flying weather.; seoond,
to repair and overhauling of large
number of German bombers dam
aged in night operations, and, third,
to diversion of considerable
number" of bombers to the Mediter-
ranean fighting zone,
There is no doubt" he SAID,
that the Germans are suffering
higher percentage of losses due to
weather than the personnel of the
squadrons like"
ANANo II
The Germans are mot sending
bombers over if the weather survey
indicates fog over airdromes in the
early morning when they return,
this authority continued.
He added that many airfields from
which the Luftwaffe is operating
against Britain are primitive and
unsuitable for heavy bombers."
Once the weather breaks, he said,
"the Germans can bring planes in
Sicily and other Mediterranean
bases back to France, Norway and
the LoWlands to participate in at
tacks on this country which perhaps
will precede invasion.
Every one here is waiting for the
happy event-invasion. When it is
announced, it is more liable to be a
French baby than British one"
He would not amplify this.
The Germans may try mass bomb
ing by daylight when invasion comes
to isolate battlefieldS on beaches" "
the officer said, but he declared
mass attacks far inland to wear
down British fighter strength were
not expected because such attacks
failed last summer.
"The Germans" he continued,
have not developed fighters superior
to those of the British which beat
them last summer, while we have
gone steadily on"
He said the end was not IN sight
on either side in night bombing, but
in the long process of experimental
ton we are a little ahead
Discounts New Nazi Plane.
Of a new German plane, the
Focke-Wulf Zoroaster: I'VE don't
think much of it from what we have
seen" he commented. 1T does not
outclimb British fighters of equiv
alent date of production (summer
of l940). British fighters will con-
tinue their technical superiority over
German fighters throughout l94l."
Of American planes he said: I'VE
do not find their maneuverablllty
much affected by added weight due
to increased armament. The Amer
lean plane we will like best is the
one we get soonest in large num-
bers."
There is no danger of the supply
of pilots tagging behind the supply
of aircraft, he reported, since the
fighting is over our own country and
we manage to save a good many.
The rate of consumption of aircraft
was described as far higher than
of crews.
More and more aircraft is the
problem not pilots he declared.
aircraft manufacturers are the
most optimistic people in the world
You will find the total aircraft sup
plies to Britain from the United
States this year won't be what we
expect to get, certainly below what
we'd like to have