MUTUAL EFFORTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24825, 23 February 1944, Page 5

MUTUAL EFFORTS

BRITISH AND AMERICANS BREAKING ENEMY FIGHTERS (Kecd. 10.20 p.m.) ■ L/ONDON, Fob. 21 The Commander of the United States Strategic Bombing Force in Europe, Lieutenant-General Carl Spaatz, has sent the following message to Air Chief ! Marshal Sir Arthur Harris, Com-mander-in-Chief of the Bomber Com-, inand: — "The great effort you made against Leipzig on Saturday night was a tremendous help to our successful mission on Sunday. As a direct result of your j bombing, the fires guided our planes ! to their objective and fighter opposition was minimised. _ I consider our joint bombings against the enemy during the last 24 hours are a real step toward final victory. My deep appreciation and hearty congratulations go to all members of your Command." Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris replied: "I much appreciate your welcome message and I congratulate you in turn on your most successful attack. Thanks are mainly due to our combined efforts on the previous day. The night enemy fighter force failed to achieve any successful defence of Stuttgart. which we hope has been heavily hit at small cost. By mutual help such as this we can impose a strain on the German fighters which will break them down. If we share the load we have power to reduce to impotence the greatest obstacle to complete and final victory."

NEW DEFENCE WEAPON ROCKET GUNS OF LONDON (Rml. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 21 German pilots over London last night observed grapelike explosions on tho outskirts of the city, indicating that the British were using a new type of defence weapon, says the Berlin radio. It adds that another weapon used was a so-called rocket gun. These rocket guns according to German air experts, nre batteries which fire large bundles of grenades with a rocket-like effect. RUSSIA AND POLAND INTEREST IN WASHINGTON (Reed. 7,30 p.m.) NEW YORK, Feb. 22 The Russian Ambassador, M. A. A. Gromikov, conferred with President Roosevelt to-day under circumstances suggesting that he delivered a message from Marshal Stalin, says the Washington correspondent of the New York Times. It is understood in diplomatic circles that Mr. Roosevelt sent a message to Marshal Stalin about 10 days ago on the Polish question, coinciding with Mr. Churchill's message to Marshal Stalin on the same subject, ,