The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-10-29


 working on German war ordt by the United Press today II, non-British sources on the European continent, said the Germans were encountering increasing difficulties tn maintaining production in the northern France industries.
 More and more severe British air attacks have caused hundreds of workmen to quit their jobs, partieu- larly in exposed factories which are attacked several times each week.
 The loss of production was re- ported handicapping the Germans seriously because most of the ln- dustrial facilities of northern france have been geared to produce for the German armed forces.
 Industrial Sector Hit
 British air attacks, 1t was said, have reached their greatest effec- tiyeness in the big Lille industrial sector where the bulk of French tex tile production as well as coal mines and heavy industrial plants are ce1l- tered.
 The British bombers were said to nave concentrated on power plants and by scoring a number Of direct hits have shut down mdustria4 plants over a wide area.
 Damage to the big power stations at Conmines and Point Vendin, reportedly cut production of the twin textile centers of Roubaix and Tourcoing substantially. The near by French mines in the Denainlens- Valencinnes basin were affected by hits on other power plants.
 Around Habelbrouck, 1t was report ed, S6 per cent of the workers in war factories quit their jobs be- cause of the repeated air alarms 10 to i2 per day with direct attacks on the factories seven times in the past month. Each air alarm com Deiled the plants to cease produc- ton.
 British bombers are said to have scored direct hits on the Courrieres- Kuhl1nan Chemical plant which was turning out synthetic motor fluid for the Germans and the power plant of the Marles-Kuhlmann Chemical plant near Rethune was said to have been destroyed. An- other power plant at Lens was re- ported damaged but is now operat- ing.
 Almost Daily Attacks
 BrEish bombing attacks are re- ported in the Arras district almost daily and work in the Marles mines nearby was reportedly at a stand still.
 Importance of these attacks to the German war effort was eni- phaSized by disclosure of the vast extent of French industrial "collab- oration" with Berlin. The Roubaix- Toircoing textile mills in the past 12 months have turned out 24,O00 tons of finished cotton fabric for the Germans. These same mills are now at work on m order for about l,30O.OOO square yards of "Feldgrau the field gray cloth used by the Germans for uniforms. The Ger mans have specified that 300OOO yards be delivered by March and insist that the cloth be 55 per cent wool, a requirement. which Is drain- Ing France of the small amount of wool left after the Germans alreaoy had taken 5000 tons.
 French Mills At Work
 Sixty small French mills in the Calais area are working on NaN order for 320,0oO square yards of mosquito netting for use by the German army in Africa.
 The British air attack has been concentrated on csities like Le Havre, Cherbourg, Nantes and Bordeaux large French army stocks of raw and striking at the storehouses where materials have been requisitioned by the Germans.
 Tn these warehouses were stored most of Frances cotton reserves, although much had been carted off to Germany before the big RAF attacks started.
 Twelve French shoe factories in the occupied zone have delivered 4,800,000 pairs of shoes and 1,200,- OOOpairs of slippers to Germany in the past 12 months. France, in the same period, had less than 1000, 900 pairs of shoes for her own use. A F,renchman can get shoes only by pctitioning the local mayor and dem- onstrating that his only pair Is too worn for further wear.
 About 95 percent of French cement production now goes to Germany, 1t was reported. French building trade Is stagnant. The French can , not obtain cement, bricks, structural steel for their own use. Even the Vosages granite quarries are now working 100 per cent for the Nazi account.
 24 Hours A Day
 The great French German Bell gian-Luxembourg steel industry is reported working 24 hours day for pnTTrE rnNTTNTIE