The Waikato Times MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1944 GERMANS’ FEAR OF BOMBING

Waikato Times, Volume 195, Issue 22492, 30 October 1944, Page 4

The Waikato Times MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1944 GERMANS’ FEAR OF BOMBING

Goebbels has told the Germans that the Nazis’ greatest anxiety is caused by Allied air raids; otherwise the Germans are consolidating their frontier defences and Hitler “was never more confident of victory.” The propaganda minister adroitly conditions his publicity to the needs of the hour. It is true that the Allied offensives have at least paused on the German frontier, excepting the latest Russian drive into East Prussia, and that as far as the mass of the German people is concerned the most apparent menace at the moment is the continuing shower of bombs that is causing great havoc in German industry. The Nazis’ power to beat off these air attacks appears to be dwindling, or the Allied technique and equipment have improved, for raids of unprecedented weight in recent times have been accompanied by extraordinarily light losses. On several occasions lately the losses Jiave been no more than would normally be expected from accidents. There is just a possibility, however, that weather and other conditions have been contributing factors. Well might Germany look upon the aerial war with grave anxiety. It must be apparent that even if the Allied armies do not move another yard forward the Germans henceforward will be subjected to a terrifying ordeal. The Allies have moved in on all sides toward the German boundaries and the reduction of hundreds of miles in the distance to be flown by fighters and bombers to attack the Reich has enormously increased the weight of the bomb load and the general efficiency of the attack. Moreover, the bases have been brought so close that fighters can accompany the bombers to any part of Germany. This is probably one of the main reasons why the bombers have been suffering fewer losses. For the same reasons the toll of German fighters will mount higher and higher and decrease the Luftwaffe’s chances of making a recovery in the coming winter. The strain of this ever-increasing assault on the Reich must have its effect on the German war potential and eventually persuade the people that Hitler’s alleged confidence in victory is mere whistling in the dark to maintain the courage of himself and his people.

It has been noted of late that increased numbers of German fighters have been taking the air. Whether this is due to a recovery in the strength of the Luftwaffe or a more reckless risk of aircraft is not clear. Larger numbers of jet-propelled aircraft also have been encountered, as well gs some flying bombs launched on the fighting fronts. But the flying bomb is of only limited use against anything but a large fixed target such as a city, and it may soon be' that the Germans will have little use for the weapon if they wish to avoid destroying their own property. Fighting on German soil is a vastly different proposition from the carefree use of foreign battlefields. Of the potentialities of the jet-propelled aeroplane not much is yet known. The weapon can be employed by the Allies as well as the Germans, and there is no reason to expect that the preponderance of capacity to inflict damage will not remain with the Allies.