Manawatu Evening Standard. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 11, 1940. AIR WARFARE INTENSIFIED

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 243, 11 September 1940, Page 6

Manawatu Evening Standard. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 11, 1940. AIR WARFARE INTENSIFIED

Hiixer’s promise of an intensification of tlie aerial warfare on London Jias been fulfilled in the past few days. On Saturday attacks muck exceeding' in scale any that preceded them were launched from across the North Sea and many casualties caused, the killed and‘injured reaching the highest number then recorded from a single raid. General Goering, we are informed, directed these operations personally from Northern France, but the glowing accounts he sent to Berlin of their progress were not substantiated by the facts. It was a harassing and destructive time for London and other places which suffered, but a great victory was scored by the Loyal Air Force fighters and the anti-air-craft batteries. One hundred and three Nazi aeroplanes were destroyed as against 23 British warplanes, but again quite a number of our pilots escaped with their lives. The raid,was aimed chiefly at London’s dockland, and tremendous damage was wrought. It wus plainly a skilful onslaught, well directed, and calculated to bring widespread destruction, but it by no means was the instrument of annihilation that the Berlin High Command would have the world believe. A sharp distinction was drawn between the raids on Sunday, when again the German airmen came, over in large numbers, subjecting London to a terrific bombardment for nearly half a day. But this time there was a distinct difference —the bombing was really haphazard and did not present the same skilful plan of Saturday. Well may it be said.that the loss of over 100 machines and their personnel must have upset Goermg’s plans; such tremendous losses as have been recorded during August and this month cannot fail to have a destructive effect upon the Nazi, morale and their aerial strategy. Monday witnessed another repetition of bombs aimed with barbarous intention to reduce London to destruction and panic.

These are Hitler’s reprisals for Britain’s night bombing of military objectives in Berlin. They have been directed to deal a crushing blow against Britain in a minimum of time and with as little cost as possible, to dislocate the war effort, to impair the Royal Air Force’s strength, and to destroy the people’s spirit. Londoners. however, have the quiet courage and spirit of endurance that cannot be overcome by these attacks; on Sunday they were going quietly about their tasks and on Monday, “sleepy-eyed but stouthearted,” went to their work. Their ordeal may hardly be fully appreciated at this distance, but their spirit can be sensed in its fullest strength. If is a rock upon which Nazism will wreak its fury in vain. The Port of Lon-'

don, in spite of its damaged docks, is carrying on, being far from an immobilised state. Utility services in parts of London were impaired but not destroyed, and the.gallant men and women, to whom is entrusted the work of repairing the damage, whether material or to human beings, carry on their tasks. The war has been brought by Hitler to London, but he and liis Nazi chiefs are receiving harder blows than they give and without cessation. With skilful execution of well devised plans the R.A.F. are still striking at military objectives wherever they exist and from the skies are raining destruction, adding to the vast amount of damage caused these many months in Germany and elsewhere. The war in the air has reached a stage givinsr emphasis to the King’s words spoken soon after war was declared: — “The task will be hard. There may be dark days ahead, and war can no longer be confined to the battlefield, but we can only do the right as we see the right, and reverently commit our cause to God.”