NAZI MILITARY POWER
Urgent Preparations By Allies (8.0.W.) RUGBY, August 22. The Germans, who were at the summit of their power on land and on the sea, and with their air fleets only slightly weakened, were trying to force a decision before the democracies could develop their full strength, the Secretary for Air, Sir Archibald Sinclair, said in a speech at Swansea. Despite the blows and bloody losses the Russians had succeeded in inflicting, the German Army remained the most formidable military force the world had ever seen and they had already seized great wheat producing areas and great centres of production. The Japanese ha‘d suffered heavily in recent months at the hands of the British, Australian and United States naval and air forces, said Sir Archibald, but they were holding an empire rich in resources and were still strong. Germany and Japan were aiming to join hands through the Indian Ocean to exchange goods and thus nullify the blockade and they were conducting a tremendous U-boat campaign. Sir Archibald appealed to all to strive for victory. Every effort was dominated by a sense of urgency. That was why Mr Churchill had flown thousands of miles to meet President Roosevelt and. M. Stalin. Mr Churchill, Mr Roosevelt and M. Stalin were friends and typified the friendship of the three great countries in the war and in the future peace. They were summoning all to action and they must not be let down. SERVICE CO-OPERATION
Emphasizing the co-operation that had been built up between the services, Sir Archibald referred to the Dieppe raid as an example of how the Navy, Army and Royal Air Force could work together in an offensive against the enemy
and also discussed the defence of Malta and the co-operation of the services in the Libyan campaign. The services were working in the true brotherhood of arms and neither the politicians nor anyone else should fall below their standard.
“At home the Army Co-operation Command is preparing to give to our army when it returns to the Continent, as return it will, the same close co-operation as the Royal Air Force has given the army in Africa,” he said. “Numerous squadrons in other commands, too, are being practised in close cooperation with the Army.” Sir Archibald added that the Bomber and Coastal Commands were growing in strength and attacks on U-boats were steadily improving. The Bomber Command had struck repeatedly at German ports and industries and had hampered Germany’s war effort with comparatively light losses to Britain. “We intend to press home our attacks on Germany ruthlessly,” Sir Archibald said. “It has taken, and is taking, a long time to build up the strength of the Bomber Command, but the harvest we have sown through all the months of patient, strenuous work is at least beginning to ripen. There is more than one urgent strategic requirement to be considered in deciding the employment of our heavy bombers, but we must not take our eye off the pounding of German war industry and transport. FOUR-FIGURE RAIDS
The defences of the German cities were strong, he added, but the bombers had been enabled to overcome the defences. In a few months time four figure raids would be less infrequent occurrences and in the meantime the forces that could be sent against Germany any normal night could drop a heavier load of bombs than the Germans had ever been able to drop on Britain. The range of attack was also extending and more and more German cities would feel the weight of Allied bombs. The disorganization and dislocation of German industry and transport would steadily spread. “The Bomber Command is preparing the way,” he concluded, “and the time will assuredly come when the armies of the United Nations will march along it to the end of the war. That is our aim. Meanwhile, the brutal Nazi power is still unbroken. When the weather breaks in Russia the Germans may bring their bombers back here. Prepare for them. Bring your fighting and civil services to concert pitch. You will need them and you wll stand as firmly next winter as you stood two years ago. You will not let the German Air Force distract you from our main task in the months to come. That task is to gather all the strength of the United Nations by land, sea and air and pass to the attack. Thus only can we win a definite victory and the victory is one indispensible to the foundation of a lasting peace of justice and freedom.”
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Southland Times, Issue 24830, 24 August 1942, Page 5
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760NAZI MILITARY POWER Southland Times, Issue 24830, 24 August 1942, Page 5
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