RUHR INDUSTRY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 August 1940, Page 5

RUHR INDUSTRY

OUTPUT HEAVILY REDUCED AS RESULT OF CONSTANT BOMBING. MORE ENEMY ATTACKS IN BRITAIN. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright I LONDON, August 19. A communique in Rome Admits that Milan. Cuneo and Turin were bombed last night. A Zurich message says that the industrial output of the Ruhr region of Germany has dropped by more than 30 per cent as a result of constant bombing by the Royal Air Force. It is also added that the German authorities have granted workers in the Ruhr up to half an hour’s recreation after the all-, clear signal has been sounded. An official communique in London states that later information of the German air raids over England yesterday evening confirms that in general little damage resulted. The communique states that a number of high-explosive bombs were dropped in south-east England and caused damage to some houses. There were some fatal casualties. During last night enemy activity was on a large scale. There was little damage and few people were injured. A raider early this morning dropped high-explosive and incendiary bombs on a south-east coastal town and jettisoned other bombs as it was chased out to sea by British fighters. One house was demolished and the occupier and his wife were buried under the debris. It was an hour before they were released and both were taken to hospital. Other houses were damaged and some fired, but the flames were quickly extinguished. Several buses were damaged in a garage.

NO DAMAGE DONE ACCORDING TO ITALIAN REPORT. (Received This Day, 10.55 a.m.) ROME, August 19. During British raids last night, three bombs struck a dwelling house in Milan. Others fell in open fields. There was only insignificant damage done at Cuneo and Turin. No victims are reported. One person was killed and five were wounded as the result of a raid on Addis Ababa, where a bomb hit two sheds containing old equipment. VIRTUALLY COMPLETED DESTRUCTION OF PORT OF BOULOGNE. IN LATEST R.A.F. RAID. (Received This Day, 10.45 a.m.) VICHY, August 19. The R.A.F. raid against Boulogne on August 17 virtually completed the destruction of the port.

BRITISH BOMBING MANY SUCCESSFUL ATTACKS. FROM ITALY TO BOULOGNE. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.5 a.m.) RUGBY, August 19. An Air Ministry communique states: “Our bombers last night again bombed aircraft factories at Milan, and Turin. Other aircraft attacked the aluminium works at Rheinfelden and chemical works at Waldshut, near the GermanSwiss frontier. Buildings were wrecked by direct hits and left in flames. “Aerodromes at Freiburg and Rabsheim, near Mulhouse, were heavily damaged. “Coastal Command aircraft pressed home another successful attack on Boulogne Harbour, in face of intense searchlight activity and heavy antiaircraft fire. All our aircraft returned.”

It is now officially disclosed that two more R.A.F. pilots, making a total of twelve out of the 22 British fightres shot down yesterday, are safe. In all, 144 enemy aircraft were destroyed.