HUB OF RUHR

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 238, 8 October 1942, Page 5

HUB OF RUHR

OSNABRUCK BOMBED Enormous Damage In Recent Raids On Germany Rec. 1.30 p.m. RUGBY. Oct. 7. British bombers were over Germany in force again last night when factories and communications at Osnabruck were the targets. A strong force carried out a concentrated raid. Six aircraft failed to return.

This was the fourth raid on Germany in the first six nights of October and the 42nd on Osnabruck, which has many important war industries and is a key centre of the Ruhr railway system.

The Air Ministry has announced that Bomber Command Mosquitoes at dusk last night attacked a factory and power station near Hengeio. in Holland, at a low level. There was no opposition from either flak or fighters. Hits were scored on both targets. 1 The German news agency says the R.A.F. dropped fire bombs and explo-; sives on north-western Germany last night, damaging residential districts.' The bombing of Germany is regarded as a softening process designed to break down the brunt of the enemy's resistance until the other , forces come ihto play, it is stated on j good authority. Twelve raids were] made on Germany in the first 201 nights in September. These were i formidable and gave considerable! support to Russia by the damage j done to industries and the retention • of a large air force in Germany. Four impressive raids have been made on the first six nights of Octo-! ber. after a hold up due to adverse weather. While it will not be possible to go out every night during the winter, a steady improvement is being made and there is a determination to continue building up Allied bombing strength until it approachestwo or three times that of to-dav. The achievement of this aim depends largely on American production and transportation. The recent raids are known to have done enormous damage, and it is expected that this will have a serious effect on winter production in Germany. Daylight raiding is also having a valuable damaging effect. Thirty towns have been raided in daylight in the last three months, some several times. The Air Minister. Sir Archibald Sinclair, disclosed in the House ~f Commons that bomoer- ha\:been reported !o--i over German. in the la.-! nine munth-.