GERMAN PORTS ATTACKED

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23538, 16 January 1942, Page 5

GERMAN PORTS ATTACKED

Large Fires At Hamburg EMDEN ALSO RAIDED (Received January 15, 11 p.m.) (U.P.A.) LONDON, January 15. The Air Ministry has announced that aircraft of the Bomber Command were over north-west Germany last night. Hamburg, Emden, and other ports were attacked. At Hamburg, which was the main objective, very large fires were caused in the docks and shipyards. The docks at Rotterdam and aerodromes in Holland were also attacked. Five of the British aircraft are missing. Berlin has admitted that raiders caused some damage in coastal areas in north-west Germany last night. There was a little enemy air activity over coastal areas in Britain in the early part of last evening. Slight damage is reported from the south-west, but there were no casualties. One raider was destroyed. IXVASIQX OF BRITAIX Attempt Considered Likely GROWTH OF ROYAL AIR FORCE (8.0. W.) RUGBY, January 14. “I do not see that Hitler can give up the struggle until at some time, perhaps as a gambler's last throw, he attempts an invasion, preceded in all probability by renewed mass air attacks,” said the Under-Secretary for Air (Captain H. H. Balfour), in a speech in London, “The lull in the air warfare must not cause us to minimise, for one moment of the 24 hours, the need for increasing the efficiency of the civil defence services. Nor should we allow darkness to fall on any single evening without finding us ready in mind and in body to meet an attack that very night. Only by this constant vigilance shall we keep ourselves up to the standard which one day we shall find not one whit too high for the task ahead. “To-day we have an Air Force of equality in strength with that of Germany. It is true that this could have been done quicker, if only numbers were to count, but those responsible for our air policy have consistently refused to be tempted away by the lure of great totals on paper, and they have rigorously and forcibly insisted that the rate of our expansion should

be governed by the cardinal principle that never must we sacrifice operational efficiency of equipment for mere numbers of aircraft. We have a growing bomber force which, as the Minis-, ter for Air (Sir Archibald Sinclair} said last week, is ready for a powerful and lasting offensive against Germany when the present cycle of exceptional weather changes. “We have a Fighter Command ready to resist any swing of the Luftwaffe to the Western Front, and which, by its offensive sweeps over enemy-occupied territory, has succeeded in engaging a large part of the Luftwaffe, which undoubtedly Hitler would have liked, before now, to have sent over the Eastern Front, where he is facing defeat by the Russians. We have an Air Force in Libya which has given us a definite air superiority over the Germans and Italians. Air Force in Far East “As for the Far East. I will not say anything about this situation, except that our squadrons there are not going to be loft unsupported. Although humanity has tried for thousands of years past, no one has yet been able to get more than a pint out of a pint pot, and as the country has been told, if, over the last months, we had sent resources to the Far East capable of equalising the enemy in numbers, it could, only have been done at the expense of our help to Russia, our superiority in Libya, or the essential security of this country. “We have given real help to Russia by the continued dispatch each month of large numbers of aircraft. The value of this help is immense, for, as we receive reports of how the Russians are routing the Germans, we hear how our tanks and aircraft are rendering vital help in this about-turn and retreat of the enemy. It only needs such a visit to Russia as I was fortunate to pay to see at first hand the mechanical and technical efficiency of Russia’s production effort, the quality of the aircraft produced, the ability of the Russian pilots to fly their aircraft or ours, and. finallv. the absolute determination of M. Stalin and his Government and people that Russia shall drive out and utterly crush the invader. “As for the future, it is no gpod refusing to face facts or unpleasant possibilities, Need for Ruthlessness “The short-term position is that we may have to meet difficult and possibly dark days in the Far East campaign. In parts of this war we have not done 100 badly, but we can and must do much better before we are through. Constant ruthlessness is a quality which we must develop. We must be ruthless instead of squeamish and rather shocked as when a particu-' lar action by an Axis Power, such as the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, is described as ‘treachery,’ ‘not cricket.’ or ’not expected in decent warfare.’ “The hard fact is that surprise, deception, and fifth column treachery are the technique of the Axis warfare, in the same way as false news, lies, and the spreading of rumours are also weapons of war. We need not concern ourselves with the morality of any particular action by the enemy, because we know that they have no moral sense. What we have to concern ourselves with is the degree of our preparation for such moves.” Captain Balfour concluded by saying that young men from the services were the coming force in politics —bold realists and critical, having risked all for those things they will be determined to achieve. “After the war we must be ready to offer them at once a great share in our political responsibilities and opportunities. In this way only can youth serve and be served,” he said.