The Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Tuesdays and Fridays. TUESDAY, DEC. 21, 1943 BOMBING THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 35, 21 December 1943, Page 4

The Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Tuesdays and Fridays. TUESDAY, DEC. 21, 1943 BOMBING THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY

THE fact that the bombing raids on enemy country have lately become more frequent shows clearly enough that Allied air-power is reaching a higher potential. The big United States air bombing squadrons are now arriving in inceasing numbers, and in their smashing raid on the enemy's works in France: demonstrated their offensive capacity. Another big raid on French industry producing for Germany, by the Royal Air Force., was most destructive in its effects. But in both these raids,, it has been pointed out, the distances were: comparatively short, the weather favourable, and the element of surprise played an important part in the case of objectives that proved to have been poorly defended. Raids on German objectives have to be made in weather that cannot be depended upon the whole distance, the distances themselves are much longer, and the German aircraft defences are well organised and manned. It has been estimated, in fact, that at least a million and a half highly-trained Germans are pinned down in their own country for anti-aircraft defence alone. It is not possible to estimate with any degree of accuracy the amount of damage: caused by a raid on enemy country. Details, which may not always be reliable., leak out via neutral countries some time after the event. But it is known with considerable certainty that the destruction resulting from such big bombing raids as those on the large German industrial centhes, was immense. These raids caused not only great material damage, but were known to have had a drastic effect on the morale of the Germans. From the brief description of the latest raid on Berlin, it may be assumed that the: damage was devastating. Coupled with the raids on xhe German capital, the effects upon the morale of a people most certainly already depressed by the calamitous trend of events on the Russian front,, may well be imagined. A raid on Berlin is a difficult long-distance task, and the fact that it has now been raided at short intervals on no less than nine times is a most encouraging sign of our greater offensive power in the air. ♦