BLOWS AT GERMANY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 265, 7 October 1940, Page 7

BLOWS AT GERMANY

HUNDREDS DEALT. TELLING CAMPAIGN. (United Press Association—Copyright.) (Rec. 12 noon) LONDON, Oct. 6. How the R.A.F. is smashing Germany’s industries and war machine nightly while the Germans are bombing London’s houses and shops is shown by a huge map issued by the Ministry of Information. The map shows the vast- web of destruction woven by British bombers which have struck at over 200 military targets, while over 700 blows have been struck against Germany herself.

Beside each name of the bombed target is the number of times attacked—for instance, Berlin 15 times, Wilkelmshaven 20, and Frankfurt 12.

A map of the Ruhr inset shows every important town has been the victim of the R.A.F. Hamm has had over 60 raids, and Essen 16. The Ministry of Information, in accompanying notes stressing the significance of some of the targets, says: “We still bomb Germany’s aluminium plants. The R.A.F. in tbo past two months has continuously attacked oil plants in Western Germany, which normally produce 40 per cent, ol her total of two and a-half million tons of oil a year. bHiw the R.A.F. is paying attention to Central Germany, where over 50 per cent, of the oil production is carried on.”

The Ministry repeats the belief that the bombings have already appreciably reduced aircraft production, while the damage to Hamburg and Bremen has prevented the loading and unloading of ships there. The R.A.F. is also interfering with the internal water transport and rail traffic, resulting in entire industries often being interrupted. “The bombing of the invasion ports not only removes the threat of a German landing, but handicaps the inland waterways in the occupied territories, because, barges have been brought down from the Rhine and other German rivers which normally carry huge loads of her goods. The most telling proof of the R.A.F.’s damage is found in the German Press, which is now forced to make cautious admissions in view of public opinion.”