THE RUHR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24348, 12 July 1940, Page 6

THE RUHR

TO THE EDITOR '' Sir—During the past weeks we have been accustomed to hear commentaries on the progress of the war, at the close J of each radio broadcast, from statesmen, soldiers, sailors, correspondents, journalists, and ordinary civilians. One commentator recently said that even the scepticism heard regarding the British air arm's successes when compared with German efforts on Britain was healthy, and he carefully explained how the efficiency.of the. British Air Force was greater than that of the enemy. Not one of us doubts the efficiency of the glorious work of these men who go where and do what they are told unflinchingly. But there is one aspect cf their operations which must strike many as wanting some explanation, and that is the apparent immunity of the Rhur from concentrated air attack. This district, which is the mainspring of Germany's military strength with its coal fields, iron, stee] and heavy armaments works, occupies but a relatively small area of all Germany.- It is Closely studded with coal fields, blast furnaces, and heavy armaments factories. Here is the heart of Germany's, military strength. In the last war it suffered nothing. In this war, from what we hear, it ha J suffered little. Recently a report spoke of a blast furnace having been put out of action. A blast furnace among howmany? Yet now with German occupied territory intervening the whole area is in direct crow flight. ' Can it be less, vulnerable than Kiel, Sylt, Heligoland, the Elbe, Hamburg, or any other part of north-west Germany? From the Ruhr hundreds of thousands of tons of coal have to pass daily to Italy, mostly for munitions and armaments, for coal is more essential even 'han oil, in modern warfare. The seeming,' nmunity of the Ruhr.in this war is altogether singular. In total warfare it cannot be claimed that such a district, though industrial, is not a military objective. The putting out of action the greatest source of the enemy's military supplies would be surely more effective 'han even the incessant destruction of the finished products. Constant bombings could destroy the pit heads and seal the mines as well as smash the blast furnaces and steel works. It is public knowledge nowadays that aerial photos of vital points i'n enemy territory, including this district, have been made, and in most cases used effectively for air attack. Many of these pictures appeared from week to week in English: pictorials and many were taken during

leaflet distribution; patrol? for tfujfaiff, use, '. Surely the time. 4? more than t 0 : bomb this ruthlessly-, lessly, and: remorselessly.-^l. am, etc., •.■:;; ;17 Rpslyn. ' J. M,^ [Daventrjr . .broadcasts and official-. British communiques. have made "ice~, quent reference to bombing raids overv the Ruhr and the Rhineland. The Ruhr. is, of course, heavily' protected against* air attack, and bombing accuracy must also be "affected by the smoke pall that hangs over a mining and industrial area. The Royal Air,.Fopcsus..cpntin\i~;. ally bombing -enemy objectives " ruth-" lessly, relentlessly, and remorselessly,-' and, there can be no reason to'suppose that the important industrial''plants in the Ruhr are enjoying any special im--munity from attack.r-Ed. 0..D.T.] r