Word: interceptive
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...Rommel fled, Allied forces in central Tunisia jabbed at the Axis flanks, trying to slash through to the coast and intercept him. Along the edge of the Axis corridor, the fighting showed signs of developing into a major conflict. But at week's end determined German resistance still kept the corridor open for Rommel's escape. His junction with General Jurgin von Arnim, uniting some 130.000 Axis troops in a strong position, seemed certain...
...convoy was only 30 miles off New Britain, near Gasmata, when a B-24 Liberator on reconnaissance picked it up. A Flying Fortress escorted by eight long-range P-38 (Lightning) fighters flew in to intercept. They found that the convoy carried an umbrella of 14 Zeros. They shot down nine, probably got three more and damaged the other...
...usual Japanese raid at midday (known as Tojo Time) six more SBDs set out to look for the Tokyo Express (enemy warships coming down from Bougainville for night landing operations). Just before 4 p.m. they sighted six destroyers in parallel columns. Lou Kirn led nine' SBDs out to intercept them. Kirn, Weary and Frank got hits; one destroyer was seen to sink, another was left floundering. Forty minutes later Purdum and Russell led six more SBDs out and finished off a third destroyer. But the three remaining destroyers came on, so from time to time during the night eleven...
...armada of protecting planes, which neither saw nor was seen by the convoys, ran interference for the ships. The planes flew from Britain over the Bay of Biscay for 8,000 flying hours, pounced on subs that left bases in Occupied France to intercept the convoy. Said the British account: "Our bombers only thought they were out on the biggest U-boat hunt of the war. They had no idea that just west across the Bay our convoy was slipping through to Africa." As the convoy neared Africa, bombers from Gibraltar made an umbrella for the landings. Fifty submarines menaced...
More particular attention, however, was devoted by McFarlane to the conditions under which current high-altitude flying must be carried on. "It is necessary for the planes to climb to heights at which their equipment is not really intended to fly if they hope to intercept successfully the German planes, which have small supercharged cabins in the cockpits," he said...