The British Navy was left to carry on the war alone throughout the whole of the Mediterranean as At the "same time as it had to meet the threat of Invasion of Britain it had to cope with a new campaign against shipping by surface raiders, submarines and alr craft operating from enemy-occupied bases in conquered ferrite Every new method of attack troduced by the enemy has been countered, Extensive—mine-loying makes heavy calls on the mine-sweeping forces, which have discharged their duties with bravery and brilliance, German E-boats while a nuisance, have not proved the serious danger which" the Nazis hoped. German attacks on shipping, unrestrained by any consideration of, humanity oF Jaw, have assumed a grave proporlon from time to time, but on the lust day of 1940, the Admiralty was able to announce that for the sec-cond week in succession mercantile losses due to enemy action, though large, represent a marked' dealine from' the menacing totals of some ofthe preceding weeks, 'Moreover, destroyers and escort vessels are' being added to the fleet all the time as the naval construc lon programme bears fruit and in return for the.lease of bases 50 Jover-age destroyers were received from the United States—Reuter.
On August 16, 1,000 German bombers were Jaunched in the biggest attack in history of air Mghters. They were beaten off with heavy losses. On September 15 came another monster attack, and 184 enemy aircraft were destroyed, 177 by R.A.F. ghters, Only 13. British pilots were lost, This signal defeat of the Luftwatte may come to be regarded in future fumes as one of the decisive battles of the world, Many fighter squadrons won dis Ainelion in those September battles, but members of all British squadrons were loud in praise of a Polish squadron which in this month accounted for 300 enemy aircraft has sometimes been suggested, In review of those great encounters, that the British fighter forces was, "siretehed to the breaking point." This has been authoritatively denied, At the end there were more fighter Squadrons operating than at the beginning.
By October, reserves of aeroplanes and pilots were greater than they had. been before.
With the defeat of the day bembex, the enemy's invasion planes. werd robbed of one factor which might have assured their success. The problem of the night bombers remains and a complete answer Is still: to be found, "Tt can be said, however, that existing defence measures taken together show encouraging signs of increasing effectiveness, 'The first months of the year wore, for the Bomber' Command, atime of waiting and also of training in pamphlet raids and long patrols. the systematic raiding of targets of mili ary importance in Germany opened on May 15, Thereafter RAF, bombfers raided German's vital centres almost every night and often by day well, They were working to plan, from which they would be distracted by nothing except urgent necessity—as when German preparations for an Invasion of Britain required thew particular attention, When the Germans began their Giseriminate bombing of Britain, British air authorities were not shortsighted as to follow their example. German oil and German rail way systems and factories that It wa thought might be vital to her war effort were still the main targets of TAR. alrerat
again not symbolic Berlin jain und Importance as the German capital, but because it is the hub of all rultways.of central Europe and is a great Industrial centre as well. Heavy attacks were made on Germany's inland waterways and harbours, and these Included a brilliant raid on Dortmund-Ems oqueducts—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.