"ATTLE OF THE RUHR"

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23965, 4 June 1943, Page 5

"ATTLE OF THE RUHR"

RECORD BOMBING BY R.A.F. IN MAY (8.0. W.) RUGBY, June 2. “The Battle ol the Ruhr," as the prodigious operations by the Royal Air l i Force have been called by a commen- ' tator. helped to make last month by f-r the most successful bombing month ' of the war. There were four opera- ’ tions during the month, each of which , surpassed any previous effort. These ‘ were the bombing of Italian outposts the daylight attacks on Germany by 0 United States aeroplanes, the attack n on the Ruhr dams, and the Battle of the Ruhr. “ The Battle of the Ruhr included four >1 heavy attacks in one week. The Battle n of the Ruhr has been described as an d extension of the blockade inland, and 1- as paving the way for 'military operae tions. It also reduces the demand on >s fighting manpower, as the Allies drive is to victory. a. Train-busting operations by the i, Royal Air Force in German-occupied i- territory during May resulted in 150 e railway engines being destroyed or severely damaged, according to a i- Royal Air Force spokesman. He said y that May was by far the most sucis' cessful month that the Royal Air i- Force had had. both in the Mediterir ranean and over Germany. The four t- great raids on the Ruhr equalled or surpassed the big raid on Cologne. r S The damage done to the great indusv trial cities in the Ruhr had been de- „ vastating. ‘ More than 7500 tons of bombs were j dropped on the Ruhr in the week fol- “ lowing the raids on the Ruhr dams, .f which is 1000 tons more than the total , tonnage dropped on Germany during f the first four months of 1942. Official photographs taken after the raid on £ Dortmund on May 21. in which 2000 , tons of bombs were dropped, show ; e that a square mile in the heart of the :e city has been almost demolished. Little has escaped damage and the central railway station is about half demolie ished. Two engineering plants close by , y were very badly knocked about.