Evening star., 1943-04-18

blast the vital Skoda armament works
in Czechoslovakia in the most effective
of all raids, and the rest centering
nicely on their objectives in Mann
helm and Ludwigshaven where hundreds
of tens of bombs were dropped with very
satisfactory results. Because of the
fierceness of the anti-aircraft fire, SIS
bombers were lost, the largest number
in single night since England started
returning Goering's visits with interest.
The week began with number of small
reprlsal raids on England, none of which
was able to penetrate as far as London.
Some slight damage was done in small
towns on the way inland toward the
capital. While the Germans were strik-
ing at England, Russian planes for the
first time since last summer came over
Poland to smash at Koenigsberg, the
important supply center in East Prussia
Hundreds of bombers winged their way
across the Channel Wednesday and
Wednesday night to attack airfields, rail-
road yards and warehouses at numer-
Gus places in France,
Stuttgart Hard Holland and Belgium
Hit In Roid to be followed by an
other of the concen-
trated raids in great force Thursday
when Stuttgart, an important arma-
ment and manufacturing center with
a population of more than 100000, was
devastated At the same time, Russian
planes came across over East Prussia
again, once more striking at Koenigs-
berg while smaller British bombers
visited the submarine pens and repair
facilities at st. Nazaire and Lorient.
More evidence of Axis expectation
of early attempts at invasion OF the
continent came with the announcement
that LIE Havre has been ordered evac-
uated of all but essential civilians in
order to clear the way for expansion
of defense facilities. In Italy, prepa-
rations for defense of Sicily and Sardinia
and even the coast of Italy have been
pushed with many areas convenient
for invasion declared military zones
and cleared of civilians. There have
even been reports that Mussolini is ready
to move the capital from Rome
temporarily.
In the Balkans, according to infor-
nation in Turkey which keeps a very
attentive finger on the pulse of that
tempestuous area, the Germans have
concentrated 10 divisions and the 1tal-
ians 30. This, coupled with rumors
that Rommel and italian chief of staff,
Gen Vittorio Ambrosio, have flown to
- ,;,l.
appointment of Ronmel as commander
in the Balkans is expected to come,
indicate how concerned Hitler and his
associates are about invasion by this
path.
Whether fed up with war against
Russia, worried about their own safety
or preparing for a neighborhood war,
both Hungary and Rumania have with
drawn hundreds of thousands of troops
from the Russian front.
Stockholm reports that despite de-
mands by both Hitler and Mussolini for
more men at the front, Premier Nicholas
Kauay of Hungary has called 100000
troops back home of whom 10000 are
all that are left of the First Army, the
others being the I'd Reserve Army.
Kallay declines to agree to the use of
Hungarians to defend the Balkans until
such time as Hungarys own interests
are threatened. Much the same posi-
ton is declared to have been taken
by Premier Ion Antonescu of Rumania
whose troops have been badly battered
in the Caucasus. The Rumanian stu
alton is especially interesting to Hitler
for the oil fields of that nation are
about the only remaining source of
natural petroleum, even though the quail
ity is not all that it might be, to which
Hitler still has access