Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1940. STRIKING BACK.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 3, 15 October 1940, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1940. STRIKING BACK.

While Germany continues to strike at Britain’s civilians and to unload bombs on houses and other non-mili-tary objectives, Britain is striking back with severe blows at the heart of Germany’s war industries. The Nazi aim is always to terrorise its prospective victims; it has achieved remarkable results on the Continent with tactics of this kind; but it is slow to realise that the British people are made of» sterner material. They will stand a great deal more of the type of blitzkrieg that has been filling the news for several weeks and still be completely above subjection. Indiscriminate bombing has been the chief aim of the German air force since it started its attack on Britain early in August and thousands of civilian lives have been sacrificed, but the morale of the Londoner, who has been bearing the brunt of the attack, may be said to be on a higher plane than when the onslaught started. On the other hand the Royal Air Force has been carrying out a series of raids that must have caused incalculable damage to Germany s war time industry and hampered the output of many factories that are engaged on vital work. Last week there were no fewer than 146 raids on targets in Germany and in territory occupied by the Nazi forces. In most cases the names of the towns and factories concerned have become familiar to readers because of the number of times they have been bombed, and while the Germans send out reports that seek to tell the world that the results have been negligible there has come from other sources evidence that the Royal Air Force has been devastating industries on all hands and playing havoc with shipping centres. The Air Force has been able to gather its own evidence as to the damage done in the raids on the Channel ports and fr >m this it seems. that the Germans have been given something that will make them think deeply. The Germans, it is reported, still have faith in their Leader, and believe, thanks .to the propaganda put out by the ingenious Dr. Go?bbels, that the war will not last through another winter. The growing strength of Britain indicates ti’at the German nation is soon to be given a rude awakening. Air raids will un-

doubtedly become more frequent and of greater duration, as well as of greater striking power, des.aite the coming of less suitable flying conditions, and it remains to be seen how the Germans will withstand the shattering realisation that initial successes gained by Hitler’s strategy have been a mere myth.