Evening star., 1941-09-18
Soviet Bulletin
Claims Evidence Of
Nazi Morale Decline
Embassy Says Letters
Of Captured Germans
Show Tension

Declining morale of both German
soldiers and Germans as they face
the prospect of a long war is "in-
creasingly evident" among Nazi
prisoners and letters captured by
Russian Army forces, according to
an information bulletin issued by
the Soviet Embassy here.
The Embassy quoted reports from
Moscow that one captured German
airman said everybody at home was
asking, when will this accursed
war end?" and that one woman
wrote to her brother in the Nazi
Army that Hitler and Goering
would never have gotten away
alive" if 1t had been known that
the NaZi leaders were visiting a GER
tain bombed town.
Downed Pilots Quoted.
The article released by the EN-
bassy said:
"A Soviet anti-aircratt gun brought
down a Junkers-88 in one sector of
the western direction recently. The
crew-Pilot Emil Frost, Observer
Alfred Becker and Mechanic Verun-
man-bailed out and were captured
by collective farmers. Two of these
men made the following statements
to Red Army officers:
Frost: Our air unit lost rs per
cent OF its planes in the first two
months of the war. The replace
ments we received failed by far
to cover our losses. Besides, we were
beginning to receive planes of old
makes, such as Junkers-52s, PZL-
24s and Arado-47s.
Matters are still worse with our
personnel. Our present flying staff
consists of youngsters from II to %
years old. The German command
Is deeply worried by the problems
of replenishment Of flying per-
sonnet
S0viets Bomb Cities.
Becker: Russian aircraft have
been repeatedly appearing over Ber-
lin, Koenigsberg, Stettin, Allenstein
and other German cities. Recently
l witnessed bombardment of Ber-
lin by Soviet planes. Numerous fires
broke out and frequent bomb ex-
plosions were heard throughout the
city. I know that a munitions plant
was hit.
The German people are de-
pressed over Soviet and British air
raids. Everybody asks the same
question:: When will this accursed
war end?"
Letters found on dead or cap
tured German soldiers in the GomeI
direction show that these are not
isolated cases. Heinrich Lamp of
Neuklrchen wrote to his son, Lance
Corpl. Hans:
Mother is getting more and more
agitated, especially after talking to
the neighbors and hearing them re-
late the horrors of the war such as.
for instance, that dead bodies of our
soldiers are piled meters high, that
none OF our men will return, that
many have been taken prisoner
Escaped Censor's Stamp.
Helen Gerricke of Aachen writes
to her brother, Lance Corpl. Ger
hardt, the following letter bearing
no censor's stamp, which probably
means 1t was delivered by a soldier
returning from furlough:
To-day we had a visit from the
English. Not single anti-aircraft
gun was fired, not a single fire bri-
gade was to be seen-nothing. Bomb
after bomb fell. I shall never for
get their terrible whistling. When
we came out of the shelter the whole
town was in flames. Whole streets
vanished. 1t was horrible!
" The old town is now a heap of
ruins. They say Hitler and Goering
came to see the insignificant dam
age It's a good thing nobody knew
about 1t or they would never have
gotten away alive. Casualties are
heavy. About 10000 people are left
without shelter. One thing is clear
these are critical days for Ger
many,'"