The Grey River Argus FRIDAY, October 9, 1942. THE R.A.F.’s SECOND FRONT.

Grey River Argus, 9 October 1942, Page 4

The Grey River Argus FRIDAY, October 9, 1942. THE R.A.F.’s SECOND FRONT.

The question of immediately opening a second front continues to be argued. There doubtless is plenty of room for argument, not only as to whether it would quickly relieve Russia, but also as to whether it would directly damage the fighting capacity of Germany. But there is no room for doubt upon the question of ■whether Germany is being struck directly and reduced in fighting capacity by the bombing raids being made upon her industrial territory. Doubtless the R.A.F. and United States bombers could continue these raids simultaneously with a land offensive but they would have to divert no little of their . .attention to operations outside of Germany, and the enemy might be thereby enabled to make good munition works havoc more quickly than is now feasible while the raids are so continuous. When it is’realised that during this year well over 1 one thousand British bombers have been reported lost over Germany, and at the same time recognised that the percentage of loss is nowise uneconomical, it may be inferred that the Reich industrial regions have undergone a blitz tremendously more destructive than Britain sustained at the height of the enemy’s own air offensive.. It is now semi-officially stated in Britain that the bombing of Ger.many is designed to “soften” that country until other forces , come into play, implying that it is the prelude to a second front. Incidentally, the Germans in Norway, Greece, France, the Low Countries and the Balkans b’etray anxiety over tile possibility of Allied invasion, and this uncertainty, is al. least partly the explanation of the intensified repression, and the renewal of executions on a large scale. But the fact is incontestable that no offensive action, against Germany is so effective or

so disintegrating as that of the Royal Air Force and the increasing number of American aircraft being brought to bear. Outside Germany the raids may have been defensive, but inside Germany they definitely are offensive. 1 11 the first three weeks of September main Avar industry centres iu Germany were bombed on t three nights out of every five. .The same ratio has this month been so far maintained, and in the winter months the onslaught is to be yet further augmented. German war production will largely decline during the next six months, even th ough works are being set up in places less within the reach o.r the bombers. A significant result of American assistance is the news of day raids upon thirty German centres during the past quarter.. Krupps are said to be shifting shop into the Balkans, and children have been transferred by the million from the vulnerable areas. The krone.i have again been warned to deal out of districts where plants arc producing for Germany. It takes time to ascertain the effects of the bombing by reconnaissance, photographs and other means, and it now is believed, for instance, that a couple of months back no fewer than five blast, furnaces in the upper Rhine centres of Duisberg and Saabracken were put out of action, while in the former centre the Thyssen rolling mill suffered greatly. Ono explanation of the warning given the French may be the report that the Germans have advised the French of their intention to replace Ruhr furnaces with those in T,on pw v and on the Luxembouig frontier. It is s'aid that seventeen furnaces are available in those places, but fourteen of them have been idle for a couple of years, and their restoration to use Avill entail extensive new construction. The fact that it should have been recently undertaken, however, points to the damage done by bombing in the Ruhr having been as great as the most optimistic hopes of the Allies had forecasted. The enemy opposition to the bombers is manifestly considerable, or else 1082 bombers would not have been lost this year, but the enemy is now obliged to admit that damage resulting is on a larger sdale than ever, and its nature is better evidenced by the transfer of Avar industry elsewhere than by the German allegations of civilian property suffering mostly. The present is essentially a Avar of mechanisation. The side whose manufacturing equipment is most restricted cannot hope to make up |>y men for the lack of fighting equipment. In actual battle, aircraft play a major, though not the determinant part, but on the industritl front it is undoubted that aircraft are the strongest weapon. Bearing in mind the moral as well as natural effects of constant and ever intensified bombing upon any population, the R.A.F. may justifiably claim to be operating a second front as important as any other that could be conceived.