“SQUARE OF DEATH”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 June 1943, Page 4

“SQUARE OF DEATH”

IN VITAL RUHR AREA GRIM PICTURE OF SMASHED FACTORIES. GERMAN FEAR OF INVASION OF ITALY. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.50 p.m.) LONDON. May 31. Germany’s vital Ruhr area has become a “square of death,” on which 15,000 tons of bombs have fallen within a month. Duisburg, Dortmund, Dusseldorf and Wuppertal stand as the corners of the square. The “Daily Express” Stockholm correspondent calls it an area of lost men, in the heart of Germany, over which desolation has spread, and adds that news from Germany builds up a grim picture of idle factories, railways thrown into chaos, homeless people wandering the streets and angry Nazi officials shouting orders to demonstrators who are protesting that their relief is inadequate. What Germany fears is an invasion of Italy, as this will give the Allies air bases from which attacks can b~ launched against the Reich and Austria —where big industries are now established—as well as attacks from the west. The “Daily Mail’s” aviation expertsays the exponents of the win the war by bombing theory are seeing their ideas tried out. If the present, offensive fails in that supreme objective, no harm will be done, for the Allies will then have put into operation the wishes of another school which regards the bomber as a great softener up of the enemy, preliminary to ground forces going in. That is the inner meaning of the masses of air raids launched from all quarters, which might to the layman appear haphazard and unrelated. AN IMPORTANT DETAIL SYNTHETIC OIL PLANT OUT OF ACTION. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.35 a.m.) RUGBY, May 31. Among targets hit in a recent R.A.F, raid on the Ruhr was a synthetic oil plant and chemical works of considerable importance to the enemy—-a factory capable of producing 100,000 tons of synthetic oil annually. This was the plant of the Ruhr Cheme A.G. and an associated company, Ruhr Benzin A.G., at Sterkrade, about six miles from Duisburg. Air photographs show that important sections of the factory were damaged, including the main storage silo for nitrogenous material, a group of water gas generators and the main gasholders, as well as other buildings, offices and workshops. Experts consider that the damage done will keep the factory out of production for a long time. About a quarter of the Axis oil production is synthetic and there is evidence of a growing shortage of oil m Germany. HEAVY EXPLOSIONS SEEN ALONG FRENCH COAST. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.30 a.m.) RUGBY, _May 31. Explosions on the French coast, between Calais and Boulogne, believed to have been caused by bursting bombs, were seen from the English side of the Channel early this evening. According to Press reports, the explosions sent up high and dense smoke. Out over the Channel aircraft were also heard and the sound of anti-aircraft gunfire came from across the Channel.