GERMAN LOSSES

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24101, 21 October 1941, Page 7

GERMAN LOSSES

4,000,000 CASUALTIES ESTIMATE IN BRITAIN STRONG FORCE REMAINING (Reed. ft.s p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 19 A total of 4,000,000 casualties is the price that Germany has paid for the successes which she has gained since she wantonly overran Poland a little more than two years ago. This figure is a conservative estimate, according to Mr. George Hicks, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works, who spoke to-day to a Labour demonstration at Swansea, states the British official wireless. "The cream of Germany's fighting men," Mr. Hicks said, "lies rotting in unmarked graves in the plains of Russia. Ace tank leaders, para-troops, ace air pilots, the flower of German manhood—are dead. What a present from Hitler and his gangsters to the German nation! "Let us face the fact that there must still be some 8.000,000 German war effectives, a well-equipped, mighty and hideous force." Mr. Hicks continued. "Let us not dispute the vigour, daring and intelligence of their leaders. Those 6.000.000 have the task of carrying on the war against Russia and Britain, backed by America, and of holding down 250,000,000 people in tortured Europe. Revolt :.n Europe "Russia is still f'ghting and will fight bitterly on. And, rising from the misery and darkness of occupied Europe, a new force is being horn. We see it in attempts made on the lives of such traitors as Laval and J)eat. Xazi officers and soldiers are shot, machinery is wrecked, trains are derailed, factories and storage dumps are set on fire. "These are but preliminary symptoms —individual acts which will certainly be followed by mass actions. Indeed) in many places mass demonstrations are taking place. In Yugoslavia guerilla warfare is being carried on. The Quisling governments are hated, isolated and treated with scorn and animosity. They have become gross caricatures of what a government should be, and the peoples they assume to represent await tho opportunity to drag them down and rend them to pieces. Britain Not Idle "The Nazi reply is increased ferocity —foul murder of Nazi hostages. The tide of revolt is rising among millions impoverished, cruelly repressed and outraged. It is destined to form an explosive force which no power on earth will be able to restrain. One feels it. one senses it coming. It will spread from houses and factories, across streets and towns, across countries and frontiers.

'•Britain has not been idle." Mr. Hicks concluded. "We are sinking German ships and shooting down German aeroplanes wherever we can find them, hut Britain is also engaged 011 the mighty task of organising and equipping a tremendous land force. Europe looks to this island expectantly and hopefully. We are Europe's leaders of freedom. The duty is solemnly laid on each one of us to work as never before." HAZARDOUS FLIGHT RETURN FROM GERMANY AUCKLAND PILOT'S PART LONDON, Oct, 19 The pilot of a Wellington bomber last week brought his aircraft safely home from Bavaria on one engine, states the Air Ministry news service. This flight is claimed to be the longest distance —600 miles—covered by a twoengined bomber with one engine "dead" and calls for a tribute to the quality of the engine, as well as to the pilot. The crew jettisoned everything they could spare down the flare chute to lighten the aircraft. The second pilot. Sergeant L. M. Scott, of Epsom, Auckland, took the front guns to pieces and scattered them to make it more difficult for the Germans if they found them and thought of putting them together again. The crew also jettisoned their oxygen bottles, cutting the steel netting and tubes with an axe.

"It was liard work," said the pilot. "keeping that dead wing up for such a long time as I had to—in all I had done eight- hours' continuous flying when we got home—but I jammed my elbow against my thigh and managed to keep it up that way. We landed without any trouble. Two nights later 1 was out "once again."

Sergeant Leslie Mackenzie Scott, is aged 25, and is the only son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Scott, of 17 Atherton Road, .Epsom. He was educated at Ponsonby school, Wesley College. Paerata, of which he was dux, and Auckland Grammar School. Prior to the outbreak of war he volunteered for training for a short-service commission in the Royal Air Force. He completed his training at Levin. New Plymouth and Blenheim before leaving for England last December. Originally a Spittire pilot, he was transferred to a bomber squadron and has taken part iti several raids over enemy territory.

AMERICAN ENVOY

FREE FRENCH COLONIES (Rent. 7.40 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. If) At a banquet at Brazzaville, General Sice gave Colonel Cunningham, head of the United States mission inspecting the Free French colonies, a gold Croix de Lorraine, made specially for the occasion by a local goldsmith. Colonel Cunningham visited the St. Cyr military academy of the Free French forces and took the salute at a review of cadets. He left Brazzaville for a projected 40 days' inspection tour, including the Cameroons and Gabon.