Daylight Air Supremacy
There is nothing perfunctory in the systematic attacks made by British bombers and fighters in their recent daylight sweeps aver France and Belgium. Though much destructive work is being carried out through night raids over industrial areas and ports—and the R.A.F. has been unremitting in its night attacks on the industrial Ruhr and the Rhineland and the coastal region farther north—it is war on a different scale of effectiveness when we can attack aerodromes, railway junc- tions, warehouses and munition-factories in full daylight. During last week and this week the R.A.F. has established air-supremacy over the Channel and all the northern regions of France and Belgium, doing great damage to aerodromes, communications and ports, and undoubtedly pushing the enemy's air-front farther from this island. Last week in these daylight offensives 98 German fighters were brought down for the loss of 23 R.A.F. fighters (of whose pilots 4 were saved). On Sunday and Monday the R.A.F., losing 5 bombers and 2 fighters, destroyed 5o of the enemy in their daylight sweeps. In these victorious movements formations of bombers, escorted by large formations of fighters, fly straight and accurately to their targets and work calculated havoc. Meantime the Luftwaffe is heavily engaged on the Russian front, losing large numbers of machines, and the Russian Air Force is in a position to attack eastern targets beyond our reach during the short nights. The R.A.F. has a great opportunity, and is taking it.
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