HEYDRICH DEAD

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24292, 5 June 1942, Page 3

HEYDRICH DEAD

HATED GESTAPO CHIEF BULLETS OF ASSAILANT INFAMOUS CAREER ENDS LONDON, June 4 The death of Reinhard Heydrieh, chief of the Gestapo for occupied Europe, who was shot in Prague last week, is announced by the German official news agency. Since the shooting there have been conflicting versions of the nature and extent of his wounds, but reports have indicated that his condition was serious. His assailants have not been traced. Heydrieh has left behind him in Czecho-Slovakia a grim record of murder and oppression. In addition a wave of terror was launched by the Germans as a reprisal for the shooting, hundreds of people being imprisoned and 132 executed on various pretexts associated with the incident. Rewards totalling over £120.000 were offered for the discovery of the assailants, but no one has come forward to claim them. One re-port of the shooting said two men opened fire with automatic rifles on Heydrich's car as it was leaving Prague for Berlin. Another message referred to the assailants having used a bicycle, which was subsequently recovered. A later report included reference to a bomb having wrecked Heydrich's car and said the explosion added to his injuries. Well-informed circles in Czechoslovakia expressed the view that members of the Nazi Party fired the shots at Heydrieh because of their resentment over his position in the party. It was believed that lie was a spy for the German General Staff, and that the execution of innocent Czechs was only a blind. The jealousy known to exist between the German Army and the Nazi Party reached white heat when Hitler assumed command. Known in Germany as "the Hangman," Heydrieh was 38 years of age. At 15 he entered the Nationalist Youth Movement. Then he became a naval officer. He was cashiered and entered the Nazi movement and through blackmail was brought by an official under the eye of Himmier, chief of the Gestapo, whose lieutenant lie became. He signed many of the warrants in the blood purge of June, 1934. RUSSIAN AIR WAR HAMMERING GERMANS LULL IN LAND FIGHTING LONDON, June. 4 The Soviet Air Force is hammering the German armies in the east. Messages from Moscow say that Soviet pilots are challenging the Ltuftwaffe to battle over the whole of the southern front. Last night's Moscow communique announced nothing of importance in the land fighting. Moscow radio says that in local actions on the Donetz front during the past few days 2000 Germans were killed. The Donetz front continues to be relatively quiet, but there , is much activity on the Kalinin and Leningrad fronts. The Russians are steadily improving their position round Leningrad. The Germans have captured several villages on the Kalinin front, but are unable to start an offensive. The Moscow radio says the present lull conceals the movement of vast armies behind the German and Russian lines. Here and there, particularly on the Kalinin and Leningrad fronts, these armies are sending out probing fingers, feeling for weaknesses in the enemy's lines. The weight of men. and metal now disposed along the various fronts is such that at any moment the engagements which are localised may spread into a general offensive. DOMINION PILOT BLACKOUT IN A SPIN NEWCOMERS TO SQUADRON (Special Correspondent) LONDON, June 8 ''l thought I was in bed and was just waking." said Pilot-Officer B. E. Gibbs, of Taihape, commenting on his escape from a diving Focke-Wulf 190. He was flying at 18.000 ft. with the New Zealand Spitfires, who were "'bounced" by a larger number of Huns. Pilot-Officer Gibbs turned to escape his attacker and then went into a dive, but began spinning which caused hira a "blackout" with lass of consciousness. He recovered—feeling that he was m bed while regaining his senses—and managed to pull the Spitfire out of the dive at 2000 ft. over Boulogne. Then he returned safely, although the Spitfire's wings were torn from alignment by the terrific force of the dive. Pilot-Officer Gibbs fought a Hun the day previously and when he returned there were three bullet and one cannonshell holes in the Spitfire. He is at present reeling from flying and is going on 48 hours' lea~e. Newcomers to the squadron include Pilot-Officer M. Rowland, of Wellington; Sergeants S. F. Williams, of Hamilton; M. N. Langlands, of Tirau; and R. V. Hendry, of Wairarapa. The squadron is carrying out patrols over shipping and lone raids over Franca shooting up German railway transportin addition to offensive sweeps. Squadron-Leader R. Grant, D.F.M., of Auckland, is commanding officer. He lias now carried out 110 offensive sweeps, while Wing-Commander E. P. Wells, D.F.C. and bar. has raised his number to 140. They both once did four sweeps in one day. Wing-Com-mander Wells is at present acting .station commander in the absence of Group-Captain R. L. P. Ateherley, former Schneider Cup race pilot, who was injured. There is a grand spirit in the squadron, of which all members are justifiably proud. They certainly are doing their share of work. DEHYDRATION SCHEME FOOD IN AUSTRALIA (Reed. 9.50 p.m.) SYDNEY, June 4 Mass production of vegetables, the drying of the Commonwealth's apricot crop, and the establishment of plants for the large-scale dehydration of mutton, are schemes under consideration by the Australian Food Council, which is concerned with safeguarding civilian food needs during the war. A special report on dehydration has been made by the Minister of Commerce, Mr. W. J. Scully. The Treasury recently authorised the expenditure of £IOO,OOO for equipment for the dehydration of vegetables and ' fruits throughout Australia. Air. Scully has announced that he proposes to ask Cabinet for a vote of £200,000 to establish dehydration plants for mutton. He explains that many hundreds of thousands of sheep were never converted into meat because it was not remunerative to transport them over long distances. With dehydration facilities in the country centres, Australia's meat production might be increased considerablv. The British Government is anxious to 'secure 25.000 tons of dehydrated mutton, states Mr. Scully. So concentrated is the dehydrated product that this would involve the treatment of about 10,000,000 carcases.