WAR NEWS

Evening Star, Issue 23724, 4 November 1940, Page 3

WAR NEWS

SOLID AND UNDREAKADLE

TURKISH-BRITISH ALLIANCE PRESIDENT INONU’S DECLARATION ISTANBUL, November 1. President Inonu, in a speech in the Assembly, said that the war developments would possibly assume proportions with world-wide complications. The attacks directed against Britain after the defeat of France had met with an obstinate resistance, leading to a new phase of the war, which would most likely be of long duration. “ Our friend, Greece, whose_ territory lies in that zone which is of primary importance to Turkey, finds herself dragged into the war,” he continued. “ Amidst Turkish relations the present factor of intrinsic value is of not harming anyone. At a time when Britain is carrying on, under difficult conditions, an heroic struggle for existence, it is my duty to proclaim that the bonds of the alliance uniting us are solid and unbreakable.” Army leave has been suspended throughout Turkey.

SHIPPING LOSSES , FIGURES FOR THE YEAR LONDON, November 2. The Burnt Island ‘ Shipyard Journal,’ which is regarded as authoritative in Scottish shipbuilding circles, states that 396 British merchantmen, totalling 1,561,000 tons, were destroyed in the first year of the war, and estimated that in the same period Allied and neutral countries ■ lost 363 ships, totalling 1,235,000 tons. The enemy lost by capture, scuttling, and sinking, 330, totalling 1.300,000 tons, making a world total of 1,089 ships, totalling 4,096,000 tons. ' “ During the past few weeks.” the journal states, “ the published British sinkings averaged 13 ships, of 62,000 tons, weekly. If the British losses in the second year of the war do not exceed the first, it should be well within the capacity of our shipyards to make the loss good.” SINKING OF GREEK WARSHIP ITALIAN EVASIONS (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, November 2. When it could no longer be concealed that the Greek cruiser Helle was sunk by a torpedo of Italian origin, the Ital- . ians stated that the torpedo works at Fiume often supplied foreign navies, amongst which Britain received largo consignments. It is authoritatively stated in London that not since 1911 had Britain used the Fiume type of torpedo, and can definitely be stated that the British Navy had never fired a torpedo of Italian manufacture. In the infancy of the torpedo, Whiteheads; England’s torpedo experts, established a branch at Fiume for the manufacture of torpedoes for the Italian navy. FRANCO-GERMAN ACCORD M. BONNET'S DECLARATION VICHY, November 1. M. Bonnet said: “There can be no peace without German and French accord. A final peace between the two countries will inaugurate a new organisation in Europe in which Germany and France will each hold a place.” AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY REORGANISATION IN JAPAN TOKIO, November 1. The ‘ Asahi Shimbun ’ said the Government plans a fundamental reorganisation of the agricultural industry, abandoning the policy of dependence of overseas consumption. It said the Agricultural Ministry would submit to tho Diet in Japuary Bills whereby the production of high-grade raw silk for export would be controlled, and the protection for its domestic consumption as wool and raw cotton substitutes would be increased. Official prices would also be fixed for all grades. DELHI CDNFERENCE VICEROY'S MESSAGE TO PREMIER LONDON, November 1. The Viceroy of India, Lord Linlithgow, sent the following message to Mr Churchill: “The delegates to the Eastern Group Conference and the Roger Mission wish to express their admiration of the fortitude with which the British people are facing a violent and inhuman attack, and also their pride and confidence in, your leadership. They assure you of their determination to do their utmost to formulate_ a co-ordinated plan for the most efficient utilisation of the sources of supply and the potential productive capacity of the Empire east of Suez with tho_ sole object of strengthening tho Empire’s effort in order to bring the Avar to an early and successful conlusion.” AUSTRALIAN ARMY BUSINESS MANAGER APPOINTED SYDNEY. November 1. Mr A. C. Lewis, a Sydney business i an, has been appointed business manger for the army. Mr Lewis will be i member of the Military Board, and will have far-reaching control over all the board’s business activities.

The Prime Minister (Mr Menzies) said the system of business managers might be extended to the Navy and Air Force.

GREAT FIRES

BOW OF BERLIN HEAVIEST RAID OF WAR MANY IMPORTANT TARGETS HIT (British Official Wireless.) Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright RUGBY, November 2. Last night and in the early hours of tins morning strong forces of British bombers delivered two of the heaviest and most concentrated attacks Berlin has yet experienced. Power stations and rail communications, including throe of tho German capital’s main railway centres, were repeatedly hit and damaged by high-ex-plosive bombs of heavy calibre. Incendiary bombs falling among tho wreckage started some of the greatest fires yet seen by British raiders over Germany. The first raid, the earliest yet made on Berlin, began shortly after 8 p.m., British summer time, and lasted close on two hours. The Schlesischer station, about a mile and a-quarter from tho centre of the city, and the railway yards between the Potsdamer and Anhalter stations, still nearer the heart of the city, were the two main objectives, and were quickly located by parachute Hares, despite a ground haze. At 8.42. p.m. the first high-explosive bombs were falling on the Schlesischer station, and for the next 30 minutes the station was continuously attacked by relays of aircraft. Many tons of high-explosive bombs and hundreds of incendiary bombs were dropped on this one target alone, and when later aircraft unloaded their cargo great fires were blazing in many parts of the station. Observation of further damage was made difficult' by the intense antiaircraft fire and the glare of many searchlights, but more fires were seen to break out in the yards as the attacks . developed. , Other targets successfully located and attacked by the early raiders included the Tiergarten railway station, a main line junction a mile and a-quarter north-east of the Brunnerstrasse, and a goods yard between the Pulitzstrasse and Lehrtor i railway stations. ELECTRICITY WORKS HIT. Four hours after the first attacks ended, the leaders of the second wave of bombers were over Berlin, and for the next 40 minutes the city shook to the noise of incessant explosions. The important electricity supply stations at Klingenburg and Charlotteuburg were the objectives of 1 these raiders, and, though the clear sky of the evening was now half-obscured by cloud, both targets were definitely identified and attacked in force. Tho Klingenburg power station was subjected to 15 minutes’ concentrated bombing, at the end of which a huge fire covering a quar-ter-mile square was left blazing. The glow of this fire was visible, through two layers of cloud, and could be clearly seen from one attacking aircraft when 150 miles away on the homeward journey. In the opinion of the crew—all “ veterans ” with an aggregate of 56 raids over Germany to their credit—it was the largest and uost intensive fire any of them has seen in Germany. The fire spread rapidly, and later the crew of another aircraft attacking objectives in the heart of the city saw that the blazing area, of which the Klingenburg power station appeared to bo the centre, had grown to nearly a mile in length. OIL AND ARMAMENT WORKS. “ Bomber forces of the R.A.F. lasi night carried out successful operations against railway communications in Berlin,” states an Air Ministry communique. “ Several of the principal stations and goods yards, with other adjoining buildings, were bombed. “ Other targets attacked during the night included synthetic oil plants at Magdeburg, au industrial factory near Gelsenkirchen, the Krupps works at Essen, where a blast furnace was bombed, and a railway junction at Osnabruck. “ While these operations were in progress other forces concentrated an attack on aerodromes in enemy-occupied territory. Fifteen aerodromes were bombed and aircraft on the ground and about to take off for an attack on Britain were seen to be damaged. “ Coastal Command aircraft attacked gun emplacements at Cap Griz Nez. Two of our aircraft are missing. A message from Berlin states that British raiding bombers kept the population in suspense all night. The allclear signal was given at 5.50 a.in. The sirens caught tens of thousands in theatres, cinemas, and cafes or going home. Most of the theatre performances ended abruptly, the managers advising the audiences to go to the basements. Continuous crashing of antiaircraft guns, mostly on the outskirts of the city, marked the first half of the raid, but later resounding salvos from big guns rocked buildings in the centre of the city. NAZI VICIOUSNESS PERSECUTION OF POLISH JEWS LONDON, November 3. The Stockholm correspondent of ‘ The Times ’ says that Herr Frank, the Go-vernor-General of Poland, stated that 340,000 Poles were serving in Germany as forced labour. These did not include war prisoners. He added that Jews would be placed on road work in Poland as soon ns the weather was cold enough. The work was being delayed until it was ensured that the Jews would toil in uncomfortable conditions. POLICE STRIKE IN TIENTSIN DISPUTE QUICKLY SETTLED LONDON, November 3. Chinese police serving in the British concession at Tientsin went on strike. It is believed they were not satisfied with-their salary rates. British and European volunteers were called out to control traffic and patrol the streets in armoured cars. A later message states the strike has been settled, the British concession authorities promising immediately to consider the demands and not punish the instigators. J

IN BATTLE ARRAY

BRITAIN ON ROAD TO VICTORY IN THE FIGHT TO THE END LONDON, November 3. The First Lord of the Admiralty, Air A. V Alexander, broadcasting to the Empire, said: “ Tho road to victory is beginning to define itself. British troops have landed in Greece, the Navy is there, and we are giving air support. The ordeal of blitz bombing has left Mr and Mrs John Bull more determined to terminate all that Hitler stands for. Onr bombing of German military objectives has been immeasurably more effective than Germany’s indiscriminate bombing of Britain. “ The German air force has been decisively defeated in battle after_ battle. Their machines and pilots are inferior to ours, and their losses out of all proportion to ours. On the dates August 13, September 10, and September 27 we won victories in the air which rank with the outstanding victories in the history of tho world. “ Our land forces are straining at the leash. Our production has increased beyond what we thought possible, notably in aircraft. The enemy's merchantmen have disappeared from the seas, except in the Baltic, which will soon be frozen. Food, munitions, and materials flow to us continuously, and reinforcements flow out to our armies and garrisons overseas. “ We are in the fight to the end. ,Thero is no turning back. We give all, dare all, endure all—or lose all. “ Let nobody imagine that peace negotiations are possible. Hitler dreams a worse fate for us than that suffered by any of his previous victims. The recent Axis protestations of peace were followed by the invasion of Greece on the pretext of cold-blooded lies. We honour our pledges to Greece. We are fighting the grossest and _ cruellest pagan materialism, and onr victory will rejoice and enrich the world.” MEDALS FDR ITALIANS " SUNK " BRITISH SHIP STILL AFLOAT (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, November 2. . The merchant ship Baron Erskine, of 3,657 tons, was attacked by a submarine, which fired five rounds at her and promptly submerged as soon as the ship defended itself with her gun. No doubt the crew of the Baron Erskine, which is still afloat, will be surprised to learn that not only is she an English auxiliary cruiser of 10,000 tons, but also that she has been “sunk” both by Italian and German propaganda. In recognition of their courage in a hard-fought battle, the commander and crew of the Italian submarine concerned have been awarded a silver medal, two bronze medals, and nine military crosses. Details of the “ sinking ” have been published both in Rome and Berlin. CONDITIONS IN RUMANIA NEW POWERS FOR IRON GUARD BELGRADE, November 1. The Iron Guard has officially become auxiliary police in Rumania, and is authorised to make searches. The new decree provides from five to 25 years’ imprisonment and the sequestration of property for profiteering, hoarding goods, reducing production, accumulating foreign currency, and damaging the State. A message from Bucharest states that a decree orders the declaration of holdings of gold and foreign exchange, which must be placed at the disposal of tho national bank. The hoarding of money or bank deposits is forbidden. Other decrees concern the minimum wages of workmen, the rationing of fats, oils, washing soap, sugar, cloth, leather, and other commodities. DUKE OF BEDFORD VALUABLE ESTATE LONDON, November 3. The Duke of Bedford left an unsettled estate of £1,412,241. The duty amounts to £816,864. Most of the estate has been left in trust for tho Marquess of Tavistock. AMERICAN SHIPS CHARTERED TO RUSSIAN INTERESTS NEW YORK, November 2. The Maritime Commission’s records reveal that since July 25 it has approved of the chartering of 10 United States tankers to Russian interests, despite its announced policy of disapproving of such charters outside the western hemisphere. In the same period it also rejected six applications to charter tankers to Japanese interests, approved of the charter to Russia of 11 freighters, and rejected two similar Japanese requests. Russia in the last four months has bought 1,000,000 barrels of high-grade automobile petrol, which is easily convertible into aviation fuel.

"A LONG WAR " ITALIAN ADMISSION LAUSANNE, November 1. The ‘ Tribune’s ’ Rome correspondent says the Italians no longer expect a decisive result from the attacks on Britain. It is admitted that the offensive has not produced the expected results. Italian airmen continue to collaborate in the attacks against Britain, but the chief task is considered to be the removal of the British from the Mediterranean. Rome and Berlin now envisage a long war

AIR ASSAULT BN BRITAIN

NAZIS’ UNPROFITABLE TACTICS; TURNED BACK FROM LONDON LITTLE DAMAGE AND FEW CASUALTIES LONDON, November 2. Contrary to the recent practice of following a defined course across the capital, London’s raiders attempted to come in from all directions, and gunflashcs encircled the outskirts tor a long period. The Air Ministry news service says the Germans, after a lull, returned to-day to their old tactics ot raiding shipping and harbours. . Little damage and no It.A. t. losses were the features of the reports to-day on enemy raids over Britain. A communique states: “Since dawn to-day two strong formations of enemy aircraft, mostly fighters and fighterbombers, crossed the coast of Kent and flew northwards towards London. An earlier attack which took place about 8.45 a.m. B.S.T. was met by our fighters and turned back before reaching Loudon. During this raid bombs were dropped in Kent, but caused little damage and few casualties. A second attack developed about an hour and a-half later and on a larger scale, consisting of about 100 aircraft. The main formation was again dispersed by our fighters and anti-aircraft defences, but a few planes flew over the Lonoou area at a great height. A few bombs were again dropped in Kent, but the damage was slight and the casualties were very small. “ Later in the morning several raiders attacked the Thames Estuary and dropped bombs on two localities in Kent and Sussex. Some damage was done and a small number of people Mere killed and injured. So far as is known nine enemy aircraft were destroyed today without any loss to British fighters.” RAIDERS DESTROYED,

Five enemy bombers were destroyed' over Britain last night, this being the largest number destroyed in any night since the aerial onslaught on Britain began. It is now known that 11 enemy aircraft in all were brought down during yesterday’s attacks on Britain. Seven of our fighters were lost, but two of the pilots are safeAn Admiralty communique states that confirmation has been received that two German aircraft were destroyed yesterday during dive-bombing attacks on shipping in the Thames Estuary. One was shot down by the antiaircraft vessel Royal Eagle and seen to explode on striking the water. There ivere no survivors. A British plane shot down the other raider, from which one survivor was picked up and landed. German raiders over London last night dropped Haros and then sent in figUter-bombers. Anti-aircraft batteries on the Thames Estuary and other south-east regions put up a fiercer barrage than ever and shot down flares and diverted many raiders. Night raiders over Scotland attacked south-west, south-east, and north-east areas, and also bombed Liverpool, East Anglia, and other provincial centres. An Air Ministry and Ministry of Homo Security communique dealing with last night’s raids over Britain, says: “ While rather more widespread than for some nights past, the attacks were not on a large scale and by midnight had almost ceased. A small number of bombers made further short attacks on the London area ’in the early hours of the morning. The attacks were directed mainly against the south-east and included the London area, and a small number of bombs wore also dropped in a district in east Scotland, on Midlands towns, and a few districts on the Merseyside. The damage throughout the country was comparatively slight and was mainly confined to private houses. Casualties were not heavy, but some persons were killed.” KENSINGTON PALACE DAMAGED. One of Loudon’s famous historical buildings was damaged in a recent raid when fire bombs fell on the roof of a part of Kensington Palace. Little damage was done to the State apartments, and no members of' the Royal Family were in residence. No casualties were reported. STREETS MACHINE-GUNNED. A raider swooping down at tremendous speed on Saturday night machinegunned a busy thoroughfare in the London area, where shoppers were making last-minute purchases. Tho raider fired two short bursts. Women dashed to take cover in shop doorways and streamed out into the streets again after the plane’s departure. There were no casualties. A plane earlier flew over a London suburb at a height of 500 ft. People rushed to shelters, but no bombs were dropped. A bomb demolished several houses on the outskirts. Only one man was injured.

COOLNESS AND RESOURCE WOMEN'S BRAVERY IN WARTIME ROYAL TRIBUTE TO W.A.A.F. LONDON, November 2. The Queen paid a tribute to the bravery of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force during a recent visit to an E.A.F. Fighter Command station and described as magnificent the record of their courage and fortitude displayed during bombing attacks. These W.A.A.F.’s are doing many jobs to relieve men for active service duties. A typical example of their coolness and resource in an emergency occurred when a squadron-leader at one fighter station was wounded by a bomb which fell near the entrance of a shelter he was about to enter and his legs wore badly injured. A girl, who was a nurse before the war, ran to him, improvised a tourniquet, and stopped the flow of blood. Bombs were still falling near, but she helped to take the injured officer to the sick quarters. The doctors later declared that but for the girl’s prompt action it would have been necessary to amputate the officer’s legs. In another case a woman transport driver was driving a squadron commander and others when a raid began. The girl saw a bomb coming directly down upon the vehicle, and swerved violently, thus saving the passengers, for the bomb fell exactly where the car would have been. _ Another woman driver was filling a car with petrol when a delayed action bomb went off a few yards from the petrol pump. She just carried on and shortly afterwards set off on another 100 miles journey.