GERMANY WITHIN

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24832, 2 March 1944, Page 5

GERMANY WITHIN

INTERNEES' OPINIONS INDUSTRIAL RESOURCES MORALE STILL UNBROKEN (Reed. 8.30 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. '29 Germany is well fed, she still has an enormous industrial potential, and her morale'is still on the whole unbroken, in spite of several million homeless people. The Times correspondent in Lisbon says this is the impression gained from trainloads of American citizens who are arriving in Lisbon from internment in Germany.

The travellers say the Minister of Labour, Speer, claims that in 1943 the output of tanks, arms and ammunition was 12 times that of 1941. A triple output of locomotives was obtained, Speer adds, using two-thirds the former amount of labour and material for each locomotive, by reducing 119 types to 13. Other arrivals say that, in spite of the appalling damage caused by air raids, many industries are functioning without interruption in the zones which have not been bombed.

Reports agree that it is nonsense to imagine that Germany is starving, although the extent of the German retreat in Russia will have far-reaching consequences on the food situation. It is stated that 4000 food trains are estimated to have crossed the Russian frontier last summer, bringing 500,000 tons of wheat, butter, eggs, poultry, pork, vegetables and oils to Germany.

The travellers hold differing views on the question of German morale, although most of them agree that the Army's morale is high, and some even assert that the aerial bombardment has raised civilian morale. The essential difference is that the army, or a large section of it, still believes the war can be won, whereas the average civilian, while prepared to hang on because ordered to do so, cannot see the way to victory. Himmler, Minister of the Interior and leader of the S.S., appears to have moved temporarily into the background, but the power of the Gestapo remains, and is strong enough to allow open criticism of Hitler as an outlet for civilian pessimism, provMed criticism is never made in public, (or on a serious scale.

GENERALS EXECUTED ORDERS FROM HITLER ASSERTION OF AUTHORITY (Reed. 6.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, Feb. 29 The commander'of the 163 rd Division General Engelbrecht, Major-General von Lindemann, and another unidentified German general were shot on Hitler's orders at Pskov, on the Russian front, a fortnight ago for insubordination, according to Berlin diplomatic circles quoted by the New York Times correspondent in Stockholm. The three men were accused of retreating without awaiting orders from the High Command, and so needlessly giving up ground and jeopardising the Wehrmacht s flanks and rear.

Many other generals are in disgrace as a result of the episode, .which, the correspondent says, is seen as an outward manifestation of the great crisis in the relations of the Nazi Party and the German war machine. Hitler, irked by the reverses in Russia, which are necessitating nerve-wracking retreats every day, has decided to revert to the more adventurous type of warfare he waged before the defeat at Stalingrad. Hitler, with Hinuuler's aid, is putting pressure on his generals to do his bidding blindly and the Pskov executions indicate that he has re-established whatever authority and prestige he lost at Stalingrad. Hitler is reported to be about to make a change in one of the most important key army posts to enable him to take big military risks to pull the Nazi chestnuts from the fire. Thus Goebbels' recent boast that the initiative would soon pass back to the Nazis may prove more than another piece of propaganda bluff.

DEATH FROM ILLNESS

GERMAN GENERAL LUTZ (Reed. 11.15 p.m.) LONDON, March 1 The Berlin radio announces the death from illness of General Lutz. It describes him as the creator and first commander of the German panzers and responsible for their development. BRUNSWICK RAIDED DAYLIGHT ATTACK PAS DE CALAIS TARGETS LONDON, Feb. 20 Flying Fortresses of the Eighth American Army Air Force to-day attacked Brunswick, one of Germany's major manufacturing centres for aircraft components and engines and an important communications centre. Protection was provided by American and Royal Air Force fighters. Brunswick was twice attacked in last week's recordbreaking daylight offensive. American Liberators, escorted by fighters, attacked German military objectives in the Pas de Calais area, France

Aircraft of the Allied Expeditionary Air Force to-day attacked military objectives in Northern France. Attacks were made by Marauders of the United States Ninth Air Force and R.A.F., Dominion and Allied medium, light and fighter-bombers of the Second Tactical Air Force. The bombers were escorted and covered by R.A.F., Dominion and Allied fighters. General H. H. Arnold, commanding the United States Army Air Forces, congratulating the Fifteenth United States Air Force, based in Italy, on the Regensburg and Steyr raids, said: "By your attacks on these two cities and other vital fighter factories, German fighter production is being wiped out and the foundation of final and decisive operations of the future are being j laid." i AIR DEFENCE CHIEF SIR RODERICK HILL FIGHTER COMMAND DISAPPEARS (Rccd. G. 30 p.m.) LONDON, March l it is announced by the Minister of Air, Sir Archibald Sinclair, that Air Marshal Sir Roderick Hill has been appointed chief of Britain's day and night air defences. His forces will be named the Air Defence of Great Britain. This means the disappearance of the famous R.A.F. Fighter Command. Fighter squadrons engaged in offensive action form part of Air Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mai lory's Tactical Air Force. Air Marshal Hill, whose 50th birthday is to-day, became a test pilot after the last war and was one of the pioneers of the Cairo-Bagdad section of the old Imperial Airways route. He was air officer commanding in Palestine and Transjordan from 1936 to 1938, and later became director-general of research and development in the Ministry of Aircraft Production. After a period in Washington with the British Air Commission, lie was appointed to command No. 12 Fighter Group.

BOMBERS OVER LONDON (Reed. 6.30 p.m.) LONDON. March 1 London had a brief air raid alert last night, when a small force of bombers crossed ihe south and south-east coasts in moonlight. At least two of the raiders were destroyed, and only a few reached the London area.