LATE MESSAGES

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 May 1943, Page 6

LATE MESSAGES

SMASHED DAMS.

RUGBY, May 18. “The War Cabinet has instructed me to convey to all who shared in the preparation and execution of Sunday night’s operations—particularly Wing Commander Gibson and his squadron—their congratulations on the great success achieved,” stated the Secretary of State for Air in a message to the Commander-in-Chief, Bomber Command. “That the attack was pressed home in the face of strong resistance is a testimony alike to the tactical resources and energy of those who planned it, to the gallantry and determination of the air crews, and to the excellence of British design and workmanship. The War Cabinet noted with satisfaction the damage done to German war power.” The great floods caused by the breaching of the huge Mohne and Eder Dams are still spreading. Reconnaissance photographs taken today show that the Eder waters have now reached some outlying districts of Assel, 35 miles away, and are covering the flat country around. On the way they flooded a generator house and transformer enclosure of the Bringhausen power station. Seven hours later most of this water was drained away, but photographs of the switch and transformer plant showed that it was silting up, with part of the northern section washed away. An embankment forming the northern edge of the compensating basin between Hemfurth. and Affoldern had been destroyed at several points and the whole valley was under water. At Affoldern the power station was flooded and the embankment demolished, while the whole area between Wabern and Flensberg, some 16 miles downstream from the dam, was completely under water. Railway station sidings at Wabern were flooded and the embankment was broken away. Isolated buildings could be seen above water, but railways, roads and bridges had been completely submerged. There appeared to be much water still pouring from the dam. The breach at the Eder Dam was as big as that made at the Mohne Dam. Though the full extent of the flooding caused by the breach in the Mohne Dam is not yet known the water is spreading towards the centre of the Ruhr. It must have covered a great area by now since the reservoir which contained 134,000,000 tons of water is now nearly empty, states the Air Ministry News Service. Even yesterday, it was known that much havoc had been caused. U.S.A. GAINS AND LOSSES ’LONDON, May 18. The United States Army Air Force Headquarters announced that their bombers shot down 121 enemy fighters during operations on May 13, 14, and 15. The bombers struck in force with good results against targets at Meaulte, St. Omer, Emden and other installations in north-west Germany, as well as Velsen and Antwerp. Twenty bombers were lost. CAMPAIGNJN RUSSIA. LONDON,. May 18. The Berlin radio claimed that strong Russian forces are concentrating in the Tula-Kaluga region, probably with the intention of attacking in the direction ol Smolensk. The Berlin radio’s commentator, Capt. Sertorius, says the Russians may be concentrating troops in the TulaKaluga areas for defensive reasons, but probably the enemy intends to attack westwards, hoping to unhinge the German positions around Smolensk. A second offensive alternative is an attack southwards, aimed to eliminate the German salient at Orel. The Russians in either direction will encounter German defences which they will not be able to overcome.

“Red Star” is carrying appeals, io the Russians similar io those during the Stalingrad fighting. “If the enemy attempts an advance, not one foot of ground should be yielded. Each village and each house must become a bastion of defence.”

The Russians improved their positions when small-scale fighting flared up in the Kuban, says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. The Russian military commentator. Vassiliev, declared the Red Army had reached new German defence positions seven to 20 miles from Novorossisk. The Red Army is bringing up heavy artillery to clear the way for infantry. 4 A correspondent says that the German counter-attacks north-east of Novorossisk failed completely. The Germans in the Lilichansk bridgehead sector are exhausted by heavy kisses, and are now limiting activity :o almost continuous shelling, aimed it hampering the Russians in the task of digging in and consolidating. The Exchange Telegraph’s Moscow correspondent reports that the local initiative in the' Taman ■ has shifted back temporarily to the Germans, but without change of positions. The Russians maintained . a hold on the important road which they intersected recently.