Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-06-03
Worm Turns,
Allies Take
The Initiative
Cologne Libyo ForeteIl
Killers Defeat
BY PAUL MALLON

I AASltlING lOIN, June ~ ne
w worm has turned in this
war-turned completely over.
reached its feet and is galloping.
Evidence is available on every
front.
The mass raid on Cologne. for
instance, signaled the beginning
of the greatest air-bombing cam
pagn the world has ever seen.
The Nazis lost the air Battle
OF Britain because they could
not stand the losses. In their
heaviest bombing raids. they lost
as many as Ids 10 80 ships a
night, or about 20 per cent of
the force involved. They had 10
quit because, in five days. they
would have needed 100 per cent
air requirements.
But in the Cologne raid, even
If you accept the German claims
t47 shot down. and figure the
number OF British bombers in
volved as 1000, the rate of loss
was only Al per cent-which
means success, and bodies i'll for
Hitlers future.
THERE are several reasons for
Il this. For the first time in
history, Britain used night
fighter pursuit planes TO protect
the bombers.
The British apparently massed
their fighter pursuits along the
coast for a takeoff when the
bombers came along from
deeper inland. These fighters
were then able TO take care of
the Nazis' planes sent up from
the occupied Belgian and French
fields to intercept the bombers.
Never before had pursuits
been used in night raid, and
only once previously in a day
light raid over France.
But there is another greater
reason. Germany can not protect
adequately the vast region of
her homeland and occupied mill
tary detectives.
She can not provide sufficient
anti-aircraft fire at every vul-
nerable place. Nor can she shift
her air force around to meet
nightly challenges which may
be hundreds of miles apart. The
British can hit Rostock one
night, Cologne the next.
i COLOGNE was chosen for the
~ first mass blow, because it
is the biggest rail center of Ger
man communications behind the
western lines. 1t has a main rail
line from Germany to France
and the main line north and
south.
Also that rail center lies
within easy pursuit range. about
200 miles from the British coast
(half hour flying time).
Now when British raiding
is amplified by American as
sistance. with our better bomb
sight (the British prefer their
own swifter acting but less &C.
curate one) you will find out
how far air bombing can 60
toward winning a war. The air
bOlNC IL a
optimistic in its hopes.
In Spain, Britain and else.
where, bombing usually strength.
ened domestic morale and
failed Of decisive results. OBJ
vious handwriting in the skies
now for Hitler might possibly
cause a different result in Nazi-
dom at this particular time,
although no one is counting on
it. Invasion will follow.
60 ALSO in Libya. The Brit
~ ish have achieved air
superiority there, the superiority
without which victories cannot
be won; the superiority they
did not have in France, Norway,
Singapore, Malaga. Conse-
quently, the crafty Marshal
Rommel is confronted with a
problem in extricating himself
from his recent offensive.
His attack was no doubt aimed
only at capture OF Tobruk, in
expectation that il could be
litld duiilb the sulIlultI On
jumping-off place for the fall
campaign against the Suez.
Rommel planned it with his
customary skill, somehow get
ting through the protective
British mine fields. This was
done presumably by ascertain
ing their location from spies,
then bombing path through
them by airplane, before send
ing his tanks through.
However, when he once got
through, all his gasoline, food
and other supplies had 10 fol-
low the same channel. and the
British. with superior air power,
were able to concentrate their
attack and destroy an unprece-
denied number of vehicles.
Thus. II appears Rommel will
have 10 capture Tobruk to save
himself from n disastrous re-
treat through the same narrow
roads.
TIIE Kharkov fighting cannot
Il be aSsayed yet If the Ger
man claim of 100000 prisoners
captured is true, the Nazis won
an important victory, the effects
of which will be evident in the