MILITARY DAMAGE NOT SERIOUS

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23132, 23 September 1940, Page 7

MILITARY DAMAGE NOT SERIOUS

• U.S. General’s View Of Nazi Raids

EARLY DECISION

NOT EXPECTED

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT.) (Received September 22. 7.5 p.m.) NEW YORK, September 20. Thp United States Army mission has returned after a month in London. It reports that the intensive German bombings have not done serious military damage and have not affected the morale of the people. Brigadier-General George Strong, spokesman of the mission, said he did not believe there would be a decision this winter. “If the bombings continued for a year at the same rate as in the past 10 days the result would then probably be serious,” he said. “But the Royal Air Force is at its peak.” General Strong asserted from his personal observation and checking that British reports on the air warfare were substantially correct. When they erred, he said, it was on the conservative side. Asked whether the British claim to have shot down 185 German aeroplanes in a single day last week was true, he replied; “The actual count was 192 aeroplanes. The Royal Air Force now has better material and trained personnel than ever." A press message from Zurich gives an extract from a dispatch published in-the "Neue Zurcher" from its London correspondent, in which he describes what he has seen of London under repeated German night bombing. He says; “The calm courage of the people of London deserves The highest admiration. Even among those suffering most one can rarely hear complaints. One person consoles another, and their willingness to help one another and share their possessions, regardless of class distinctions, is wonderful to see. “The attitude of Londoners is all the more admirable, as they realise that the air raids are likely to continue and may become worse. They realise that they must stay at their posts, air raids or no air raids. They are proud to bear the brunt of the fighting and to show the world that the British will not be terrorised by German methods, I myself am convinced that Britain’s war industry has not been affected, and that the air attacks on London have no military object." A British Official Wireless message says that the heavy German losses in airmen over and round Britain compared with the British losses during September are well illustrated by the destruction on Wednesday of 48 enemy aircraft, representing a loss of more than 100 German airmen, against three British pilots lost. The aggregate September losses to September 18 are 776 German aircraft, compared with 21'7 British machines, with 116 Royal Air Force pilots safe. “I believe that if we could assemble all the evidence it would be proved that we have struck deadlier blows both at Germany’s war machine and the morale of the German people than Reichs Marshal Goering’s aif force has been able to strike at us,” states Mr John Marchbank, the leader of 410,000 British railwaymen, in the current issue of his union journal. “The shattering attacks we have made_ on Nazi concentrations in preparation for the descent on our shores has definitely disorganised the Nazi invasion plan. We are not as a nation cowering helpless and defenceless under the assault. We are fighting back with ever-growing power behind our counter-strokes and with everexpanding resources. The watchword is 'carry on.’ ’’ The Speaker of the Northern Ireland Parliament has sent the Secretary of State for Air (Sir Archibald Sinclair) congratulations on the work of the Royal Air Force, at the unanimous request of the members. The Minister replied as follows: “The tribute of the House of Commons of Northern Ireland to the gallantry of the Royal Air Force is an encouragement to us all in these stirring and strenuous days. It will be gratefully received by all ranks of the Royal Air Force."

U.S. AIRCRAFT FOR BRITAIN

RATE OP DELIVERY

500 A MONTH

(Received September 22, 9 p.m.)

LONDON, September 22,

The Ministry of Aircraft Production announced that deliveries of American aeroplanes to Britain were 500 a month. After a tour of United States aeroplane factories Mr H. F. James, emissary of the Minister for Aircraft Production (Lord Beaverbrook), said: “The delivery of aeroplane parts has greatly improved. American manufacturers are giving priority to British orders and are extending their plant to cope with a still greater output. The Packard company’s decision to manufacture Rolls Royce engines has considerably eased the problem of aero engine supply. The rate of delivery of complete aeroplanes will be stepped up rapidly in the very near future.” The British Purchasing Commission has spent £500,000,000 in the United States in the last 12 months, and this expenditure is expected to be equalled in the coming year. Aircraft contracts alone have amounted to £300,000.000.

It is pointed out by the mission, however, that probably not more than £125,000,000 of the first year’s contracts have so far been carried out. New factories, many of them paid for by Great Britain, have to be built before the delivery of orders can be begun. Ten new military aeroplanes a day for.Britain are coming off American assembly lines, and it is hoped that by next summer the figure will be increased to 70 a day. , Lord Nuffield, in a message to workers, said that in spite of malevolent air raiding the total output of war materials in Britain last week reached a new high level.