NAZIS STRENGTHEN DEFENCES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 78, 28 June 1943, Page 2

NAZIS STRENGTHEN DEFENCES

ONE FIGHTER FOR EACH R.A.F. BOMBER VICTORY PREDICTIONS FOR ALLIES SOAR UP (Rec. 1.20 p.m.) London, June 27. Considerable strengthening of defences in western Germany and great evacuation of the same area show the severe effects of R.A.F. raids. The Germans are putting a night-fighter into the air for every bomber we are sending over the Ruhr—a standard of defence not dreamt of six months ago, says the aviation correspondent of British United Press. Twelve major raids on the Ruhr and Rhineland since 23rd May add up to the most amazing bombing achievement. It is estimated that more than 17,000 tons of bombs were dropped on targets where the population totals 5,000,000, Goering to secure this effect would have needed to bomb London 54 nights successively on the scale of his biggest raid—one in which 500 tons of bombs were dropped on 8,000,000 people. We lost 334 aircraft in twelve raids. This is a considerable loss, but the fact that we are able to employ such forces, suffer such losses and yet maintain bombing, indicates the rate of production of our factories. The losses are due mainly to the enormous concentration of fighter planes over the Ruhr. Washington observers believe that the 1000 fighter planes which Mr Elmer Davis, Head of War Information, says Germany has assembled in the Ruhr in an effort to check the R.A.F.’s blows, comprise more than half Germany’s total fighter strength. Observers consider that the Allies are well on the way to winning the battle of Europe. They say the weight of the Allies’ air blows is greater than the most optimistic forecasts of two months ago. The predictions of victory have been revised sharply upward because of the devastating results of the Allies’ systematic and scientific aerial bombardment.—P.A.