DONETS BASIN FIGHTING

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23891, 9 March 1943, Page 5

DONETS BASIN FIGHTING

HEAVY GERMAN ATTACKS (N.Z. Press Association— Copyright) (Rec. 11 P.m.) LONDON. March 8. In the Donets basin south-west of Voroshilovgrad heavy fighting is in progress, and large German tank and infantry forces are in action. One German attack, in which infantry were supported by 60 tanks, was beaten off with the loss of a battalion of men and 12 tanks. . . . Fighting is going on in soft mud in the Donets basin and the Kuban country but no new developments have been reported in these sectors. ALLIED ACTION IN EUROPE "AXIS PREPARING TO MEET ATTACK" VIEW EXPRESSED IN LONDON LONDON, March 7. "Decisive Allied action against Europe may be expected at any moment," says the diplomatic correspondent of the "Sunday Express. "There is clear evidence that the Axis is preparing a double plan of campaign to meet the expected United Nations rittsck "Hitler and Mussolini have drawn up this plan, first, for the concentration of forces inside those parts of Europe dominated by them; and second, for a political and diplomatic offensive aimed at disrupting the United Nations and thus weakening their armed strength." -,,_,_ The correspondent adds: The main targets in the non-stop, air , attack against enemy Europe 'have been transport and supply facilities, with a view to preventing the speedy dispatch of reinforcements to the scene of attack. Mr Roosevelt has revealed that the Allies will attack in many places at the same time, and thus free transport will be a vital necessity to the enemy. "Largely for this reason Goering is holding hundreds of bombers inside Germany. He will not let them be risked in attacks on Britain. Whatever we do against Germany, these will be used in an attempt to hold our forces until Axis reinforcements can reach the battlefield. As part of the concentration of Axis forces, Italian troops have been recalled from Russia. They will stay in Italy, and it is regarded as certain that they will be reinforced immediately by German troops. This will stretch still more the depleted strength of Hitler's Army. "Authorities in London expect a sharp intensification of German naval activity and the use of both U-boats and surface craft to upset our convoys. This has been anticipated in our general plans. More difficult to handle will be the Axis diplomatic and political offensive, the main theme of which will be the Bolshevik bogy, which still frightens some of the smaller nations." GERMAN METHODS OF WARFARE LONDON, March 7. Germany is preparing for "a terrible sharpening" of her methods of warfare, says the Berlin correspondent of the Swedish newspaper, "Svenska Dagbladet." It is being said in Germany that "new weapons will be used until Britain and Russia ask for mercy." The correspondent asserts that before employing these weapons Germany will denounce all international conventions. He quotes a Berlin spokesman as saying: "England makes warfare against international rules; she will be given a corresponding answer." FOREIGN PAYMENTS BY GERMANY EFFORTS TO OVERCOME DIFFICULTIES (Rec. 9 p.m.) LONDON, March 7. "Germany is finding increasing difficulty in obtaining foreign exchange financing her propaganda abroad, her diplomatic and consular services, and the importation of such war materials as can still be obtained from countries that refuse to allow her to augment the swollen adverse balances of her clearing account," says the correspondent of "The Times" on the German frontier. "Goering now proposes to seize all precious metals, including jewellers' stocks of unworked residues, and to order the surrender of all private ornaments. This would allow foreign payments to be made either in gold or in fpreign exchange obtained by purchase against gold. "The Gestapo for the same reason is redoubling its efforts to find foreign purchasers of vast stocks of diamonds seized in Amsterdam and Antwerp, the noiiinal value of which is £29.000,000. Gestapo agents in many countries have been offered 10 per cent, on the whole stock in order to stimulate their enthusiasm to And buyers. The Gestapo agents have so far met with no success, because foreign markets are well aware of the origin of the merchandise and fear being black-listed by the whole trade if they buy the looted stones." Work Of British Home Guard.—ln the Albert Hall, 5000 Home Guardsmen heard the Commander-in-Chief of Britain's anti-aircraft defences (Lieuten-ant-General Sir Henry Pownall) speak on their work of the future. Before the war ended, he said, guardsmen would be manning every type of anti-aircraft weapon. The anti-aircraft defences of Britain would largely rest on their shoulders. —London, March 7. Moslem League President.—The Indian Moslem League has re-elected Mr Jinnah its president for a further year. Mr Jinnah has accepted the apnointment.— Kpw Dplhi Marrh 7

ALLIED STRENGTH IX PACIFIC "CONCENTRATION ON EUROPE FIRST" (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11 p.m.) NEW YORK, March 7. "Both General Mac Arthur and Admiral Halsey have been expected to do a big man's job with a boy's equipment," writes Joseph C. Harsch, military correspondent of the "Christian Science Monitor." "American and British service officials have realised this, and would like to send both commanders greater forces than they have been able to supply. "However, the Allied plan of strategy was worked out because it was felt absolutely impossible to fight simultaneous offensives both in Europe and the Pacific. To have divided the offensives evenly would have meant futility in each. Whether the decision to concentrate on Europe first was right or wrong, it has never since been possible to depart from it without jeopardising everything everywhere. "The decision was made with the expectation that General Mac Arthur and Admiral Halsey would be able to hold the Japanese at bay while the other campaign was going on," says Mr Harsch. "There has never been any absence of realisation of how much is being expected of them, and the appeals from down under have been accepted as more or less inevitable. But these appeals have not been acted on beyond the minimum estimates of what is necessary to hold that front. "While there is no doubt that the Japanese have been strengthening their positions throughout the islands north of Australia, these concentrations are still considered in Washington to be short of the size sufficient for an offensive attempt against Australia. The assumption here is that the Japanese have decided to concentrate on defence so far as the Pacific islands are concerned." POST-WAR PLAN FOR PACIFIC AMERICAN NAVAL AND AIR BASES (Rec. 11 p.m.) WASHINGTON, March 7. A master plan contemplating the use of Pacific bases after the war as "filling stations for a big Pacific Fleetand for American trade with the Orient" was described to the press by Mr W. G. Magnuson, chairman of the United States House of Representatives Naval Affairs Sub-committee. Mr Magnuson explained that the sub-com-mittee was determining what bases the Navy needed and what must be done to ensure American rights to their use after the war. Referring to the Japanese bases in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands, Mr Magnuson said: "We know some we need, and we are not going to worry about how to get them. We will just take them. However, the State Department must open discussions in other cases in order to see that the Navy's needs are met." Mr Magnuson emphasised that the plan did not intend to force or coerce friendly Powers into giving up Pacific possessions. He added that a sensible and equitable arrangement was possible. He caid that New Zealand, Australia, China, and Plolland were displaying a desire to participate in the programme. A Chinese military spokesman had informally welcomed American naval and air bases close to China, and Soviet officials had been disabused of the fear of imperialism. Mr Magnuson concluded: "The Pacific will be our post-war responsibility. Some say the programme smacks of Yankee imperialism, but that is not true. The United States wants only to assure peace in the Pacific. We must obtain the tools necessary to carry out this responsibility." USE OF LOCKHEED LIGHTNINGS PHOTOGRAPHING ENEMY BASES (Rec. 12.15 a.m.) SYDNEY, March 3. The fast Lockheed Lightning fighters are being used extensively in- the south-west Pacific area for photographic reconnaissance work. The men flying these aeroplanes have had narrow escapes, but have managed to out-manoeuvre, their Zero attackers and return safely. Their job is to avoid fighting and bring back their films intact. "Theirs is the tradition of high flying and high speed set in the bad old days of Allied air inferiority by Captain (now Lieutenant-Colonel) Karl Polifka, of California, whose huge moustaches were a feature of the Papuan scene, and who was 'pop' to the boys at the age of 33." writes the New Guinea war correspondent of the "Sydney Morning Herald." "He, too. flew a Lockheed Lightning and took on himself the whole burden of aerial photographic reconnaissance from the overworked Hudsons and Catrtlinas. He serviced his machine himself and slept under its wings. "Not knowing fear, LieutenantColonel Polifka was the first exponent of the art of 'Zero teasing.' He flew on his luck all the time and often came home with his aircraft full of holes. Once he had an engine shot out over Rabaul. In spite of this major handicap he evaded the Japanese and went on to Lae to take more pictures. Here he met more Zeros, but he escaped \hem by using the clouds, and landed at his base out of petrol. As a prelude to the American invasion of Guadalcanar. Lieutenant-Colonel Polifka stripped a Flying Fortress, filied every aperture he could find with cameras, and then photographed the Japanese-held island thoroughly. His pictures made the basic maps on which the invasion plans were made." Lieutenant-Colonel Polifka is now on duty in America, but the work of his successors has boon usod to pl.-in many successful aerial assaults oq enemy-held points. ll