ON FULL SCALE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 62, 14 March 1942, Page 5

ON FULL SCALE

BOMBING OFFENSIVE ON GERMANY HAS BEEN RESUMED GROWING IN INTENSITY Rugby, March 12. With the return of favourable weather, the full-scale bombing offensive against Germany has been resumed, and it is intended that it shall grow in intensity. It is recalled in authoritative quarters in London that last year heavy attacks were made on German industries during the short summer nights, and heavier ones are predicted this year. No large-scale removal of German industrial centres from west to east is possible, and indeed the Ruhr factories, like those elsewhere in Germany, have increased during the war. The Ruhr area, of course, is vital to the maintenance of the Axis wai machine. The bombing now being inflicto.l on Essen is as heavy as anything experienced in Britain in 1940-41. That experience confirmed the conviction of the British Air Command of the efficacy of this type of strategic night bombing. The bombing of Essen several nights in succession is an example of the well-proved policy of concentration on one target, which produces excellent results. At the same time there remains the alternative of bombing several targets on one night, so as to spread the destruction over the widest possible area. Both methods have given good results, and are used according to circumstances Similarly, alternative use is made of precision bombing and area bombing of industrial targets according tu circumstances. Moonlight nights ara favourable to the former. The choice and method ot attack on the target and the night is the responsibility of the Bomber Command after the general policy has been deck'.*! by the War Cabinet and the Defence Command. Bombing policy in recent, months has been governed by the two dominant purposes of giving the utmost help to the Russian operations on land and to the Royal Navy in its task of protecting the Allied maritime supply routes.— 8.0.W.