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CLOSING IN ON BERLIN
TIGHTENING THE NET
MOUNTING NAZI SETBACKS
Apart from the Italian campaign
the Allies have launched two distinct
offensives — air and diplomatic — as a
necessary prelude to further successful
operations against Hitler's ''roofless"
European fortress.
These offensives have gained increas-
ing momentum, until they have built up
almost to a climax. They give added
point to a statement by the British
Prime Minister (Mr. Churchill) on
November 11th, 1942, which is worth
recalling : — "Henceforward Hitler's
Nazis will meet equally well-armed,
perhaps even better armed troops.
Henceforward they will have to face
in many theatres that superiority in
the air which they have used without
mercy against others and of which
they have boasted all round the
world."
Three days earlier, on November 8th,
1942, the British and United States
Expeditionary Force had made large
scale landings in North Africa. Eight
days later, on November 19th, the Red
Army stopped the German advance on
Stalingrad. Those dates are worth
remembering, for they marked distinct
turning points in the war. Since then
the Allies have moved forward steadily
— at times sensationally — on all fronts.
Take the first bombing operations
undertaken at night by the British
Bomber Command, and during daylight
by the Eighth U.S.A.A.F. These show
a marked increase in range compared
with a year ago. The R.A.F. can now
drop double the weight of bombs on
objectives at 1,500 miles range (there
and back).
The effect on German industrial cen-
tres considered at one time as out of
range of heavy bombing — Berlin,
Munich, Stuttgart, Leipzig, Pilsen —
must be judged in the light of the fact
that the area of damage inflicted goes
up according to the "square" law.
That is, a 2-ton bomb does four times
as much damage as a 1-ton bomb, and
an 8,000lb., bomb sixteen times as much.
The penetration of U.S. bombers has
likewise greatly increased. On October
9th., Fortresses attacked cities as far
distantt as Marienberg, Danzig and
Gydnia, involving a round trip of some
1,600 miles.
Between January and mid-August,
1943, Bomber Command dropped 75,000
tons of bombs on Germany. During
the one hundred-day period from July
9th to October 17th, they dropped more
than 56,000 tons on Fortress Europe.
In the same period the total weight of
German bombs dropped on Britain was
only 480 tons. Thus the R.A.F. drop-
ped a nightly average of bombs on Ger-
many equal to the total enemy effort
over one hundred days.
When the war situation is summed
up from all angles, it need cause no
surprise that the Germans — though
still enormously strong militarily —
should now say that they have no more
territorial ambitions, but will concen-
trate on holding what they have
already conquered. The net is tighten-
ing round them. Here is a summary
of the European war evolution since
Mr. Churchill made the statement
quoted at the beginning of this
article : —
North Africa — The combination of
land and air power accounted for the
steady thrusting back of the German
forces, culminating, in the ultimate
clearing of North Africa of the Ger-
mans. This took six months.
Sicily (Italy). — The occupation of
Sicily took thirty-eight days. This
was preceded by "softening" operations
from the air, from May 18th to June
12th, 1943. The advance in Italy
started on September 3rd, when British
and Canadian units of the Eighth Army
crossed the Straits of Messina and
landed in the Reggio area. The
gradual northward push needs no
recapitulation.
Russia. — The Russians have suc-
ceeded in pushing back the Germans
from most of the rich territorial gains
they held a year ago. Conquest of
Russia has been turned from a dream
to a nightmare for the Germans.
Britain. — Air operations from
Britain are undoubtedly affecting the
progress of the war — so much so as
almost to constitute a ''front."
In the last six months the Allies have
made several notable gains on the dip-
lomatic front. During December they
culminated in the Teheran tripartite
talks, with complementary sessions in
Cairo.
The discussions of the three great
Allied leaders — Churchill, Roosevelt,
Stalin — put an end to any suggestion
of lack of unanimity, even though full
details of their agreed programme were
not announced. That Turkey should
have joined so wholeheartedly in the
series of December Allied conferences
was enough to give the German leaders
a bad attack of diplomatic nerves.
The picture that emerges from these
conferences put the seal on the mili-
tary, air and naval gains of the pre-
ceding 12 months. Above all, it shows
how the net it tightening on Berlin.
It shows that although the Nazis yet
fight desperately, they are trapped
beyond hope of escape.
Water Charges. — Copies of a state-
ment prepared by the Yilgarn Road
Board in connection with water charges
throughout the State were provided for
members of the Municipal Council at
its meeting last Monday night. The
Mayer (Mr. Carson) remarked that
this matter would probably be con-
sidered at the next meeting of the
Country Municipalities Association.
The statement would give them some
idea of what consumers in the country
districts were charged in comparison,
with those in the metropolitan area,
where there were 80 per cent, of the
customers. The Yilgarn Board claimed
that there should be a general flat rate,
and there was a great deal in their
contention. The Municipalities Asso-
ciation had brought the matter re-
peatedly before the Minister, but had
not got any further. It was agreed
that the matter be placed on the
agenda for the next meeting.
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