LEADERS WITH GOERING

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 108, 1 February 1943, Page 5

LEADERS WITH GOERING

“Memorable Hour’ (Received January 31, 7 p.m.) LONDON, January 30. The German propagandists bad given the occasion of Goering's speech from tlie Air Ministry, every possible publicity, and they were in such a burry that a German-language broadcast'to Europe began to describe the speech at 11 a.m. The announcer said that Goering was speaking at the same hour as when the Reich was laid in Adolf Hitler’s hands.

■'The high ranks of the armed forces, the leaders of party formal ions, and a deputation of 20 dignitaries of the National Socialist Party are rallied round Reichsmarshal Goering in this memorable hour,” said the announcer. What actually was happening in this memorable hour, from 11 o'clock onward, was revealed on every radio set in Germany and wherever any German soldier, sailor and airman was listening in, for at 11 a.m., when tlie speech was due to begin, there were a few muffled words after the opening announcement of the speech and then a confusion of many voices and an explosive sound in the distance. After that the microphone iu the Air Ministry was apparently switched off and a military march was played by the gramophone. Then there were several announcements. Goering was delayed, and it was noon before someone got him to the microphone. One report from a returned Mosquito said: “Bombed target 11.00 hours.” Only J 2 bursts of flak were encountered over Berlin.” Effect on Germans. (British Official Wireloss.) RUGBY, January 30. The first indication that Berlin had been bombed came from the city itself." At the hour when Goering should have started to speak strange voices were heard over Berlin radio, and sounds of bangs and muffled shouts were heard in London.

Four times within three-quarters of an hour the German radio announcer stated that there would be a few minutes’ delay. Finally it was announced that Goering had arrived at the Air Ministry aud his speech was begun.

Nor was the bad effect which the unexplained delay must have bad on the German listeners in any way relieved by the contents of the speech itself, as Goering had little that was cheerful to tell his audience. It. must have been somewhat galling for him to have R.A.F. bombers holding up a speech addressed to the whole of the German nation, and many Germans must have recalled his boastful promise and assurance that no enemy aircraft would ever drop bombs on German soil. Yet there they were, dropping bombs with impunity on the capital itself in broad daylight. In the second attack on Berlin, made just before Dr. Goebbels began his speech at the Sportspalast, there was a break of cloud right over the city, and tb fi crews saw everything clearly. "It was a very quiet trip," said one pilot. The only tiling that startled me was tlie stillness over Berlin. We saw only one squirt of flak on the way out. Over Berlin J noticed how clearly the lakes stood out. We made for the centre of the city and bombed, and we were well on our way back before we saw a lighter.”