CONTINUED BLITZING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 78, 24 June 1943, Page 5

CONTINUED BLITZING

R.A.F. Over Ruhr Towns

MULHEIM LATEST TARGET

Fires Still Burning at Krefeld

London, June 23. Bomber Command aircraft made a heavy attack on objectives at Mulheim, one of the smaller towns in the Ruhr, says the Air Ministry. Preliminary reports indicate that bombing was well concentrated. Crews reported large fires were still burning at Krefeld and Huls. Fighter Command aircraft also carried out intruder patrols over Holland and France. Two enemy aircraft were destroyed over Holland. Thirty-five of our bombers and one fighter are missing. Mulheim is a satellite town of Duisburg, on the river Ruhr, midway between Duisburg and Essen. It has a population of 1 36,000. It is a centre of chemical industry and also an important centre of the German steel industry. It has large railway wagon and locomotive repair shops. Mulheim is an important junction for the railways at the western end of the great Ruhr industrial area and one of the principal rail outlets from the Ruhr to southern Germany. Mulheim was last raided on the night of 21st December, 1940. A German news agency states that Oberhausen was also raided last night as well as Mulheim. Heavy damage is admitted.

Crews on the way to Mulheim last night passed Krefeld and saw fires there still burning. Night photographs of the Krefeld attacks show conclusively that the bombing was highly concentrated. The attack on Mulheim was only slightly less heavy than that on Krefeld. Near the target hundreds of searchlights were massed in cones and gunfire was a hot as anything ever experienced. Cloud was not sufficient to hide Mulheim, and many fires were started. Soon amalgamated flames and smoke were rising hundreds of feet, and all are convinced that the attack went well. En route many night fighters were seen and four of them were destroyed.

R.A.F. bombers and fighters crossed the Channel to northern France in the early part of this evening, and strong forces of American bombers were twice observed at Folkestone. —8.0. W.

LOSSES WELL COUNTERED

GREAT EXPANSE IN R.A.F. STRENGTH STILL MORE TARGETS IN RUHR (Rec. 10.20 a.m.) Rugby, June 23. The capacity of the R.A.F. to sustain losses incurred in the terrific bombing effort against Germany is made clear by an R.A.F. authority in London. Despite losses in both heavy and medium bombers’ strength, the R.A.F. has been appreciably expanded. The number of sorties carried out in May, 1943, was double those in the same month last year. The R.A.F. dropped four times the tonnage of bombs last month compared with May, 1942, and the loss of air crews per ton of bombs dropped was over one-third less than in May, 1942. In spite of the lull last month the R.A.F. dropped between May 22 and June 22, 15,000 tons of bombs. That is well up to the usual figure. The Bomber Command on 11 nights were out against 16 different targets, and on 11 days against 10 objectives, one of which was the Zeiss works at Jena. The United States Army Air Force also attacked eight objectives. Belief that the R.A.F. devotes too much attention to bombing the Ruhr compared with other important objectives was refuted by an R.A.F. commentator, who declared: “Since last January we have dropped about as great a tonnage of bombs outsidfe the Ruhr as were dropped on industrial and urban centres in Britain during the blitz of 1940-41. That signifies approximately 30,000 tons. The commentator added: “It is still true to say the Ruhr is the greatest industrial centre within effective range, and if we can knock it down and out we shall be making the biggest single contribution we can make to the Allied cause.”—B.O.W.

ENEMY’S ECONOMIC FRONT

CO-ORDINATED ALLIED OFFENSIVE AIR AND SEA FORCES (Rec. 10.30 a.m.) Rugby, June 23. Yesterday’s American air attack on Huls synthetic rubber plant draws attention to and underlines ,the co-or-dination of the widespread Allied offensive against the enemy Economic front. Five weeks ago the Royal Navy sent to the bottom 30,000 tons of natural rubber travelling from the Far East to Germany—estimated to be one-sixth the total of German annual requirements for all types of rubber. Now one of the most important synthetic rubber factories in Germany has probably been “sent to the bottom” by the U.S.A.A.F. Reconnaissance photographs show that no part of the factory escaped hits. The Germans have already been forced to rely in the main on synthetic and reclaimed rubber, whose joint annual output is not enough to meet military demands. Dutch coastal waters have become so dangerous as a result of combined air and naval offensive, that German coastal traffic which has been using Rotterdam, is now being transferred to Emden: also Swedish seamen are becoming disinclined to run risks on behalf of the Axis. Pressure on German shipping itself is another factor in the great economic struggle. The battle of the northern waters, which we have been waging since 1941 with increasing success, contributed to the position which recently drew from Germany’s shipping dictator, Dr Kaufman, a remark that the shortage of ships was so great that Germany’s exist ence was at stake.

A Ministry of Economic Warfare spokesman revealed that German shipyards, which have been concentrating entirely on naval construction, are now forced to resume a certain amount of merchant shipbuilding.—B.O.W.

ATTACKS ON DUTCH FACTORIES

ALLIED WARNING TO HOLLAND Rugby, June 23. The Allied High Command in a broadcast from Radio Orange, warned the people of the Netherlands that attacks upon Dutch factories working for Germany would shortly be executed with still more fierceness than hitherto. From now on those working in aircraft, locomotive, motor vehicle and submarine factories would be exposed to great danger. The announcer asked Netherlanders to take all possible precautions to prevent further sacrifices.—B.O.W.

SPITFIRES ESCORT FORTRESSES

London, June 22. The New Zealander. Wing Commander A. Deere, D. 5.0., D.F.C. and bar, led a wing of Spitfires escorting Fortresses returning home after raiding Huls. Deere said he only saw one enemy fighter fire at a bomber, out the squadrons of Spitfires “sitting” over them were hotly engaged.—P.A.