The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-05-18


 said railway traffic in the industrial Ruhr Valley was almost at a stand still, while state of emergency prevailed in the Kassel, DortInund and Duisburg districts.
 The air ministry said torpedo o-car- rying hampdens of the coastal com mand attacked an enemy convoy off the Dutch coast last night and left two ships sinking The crews were seen leaving the vessels. Beaufight- CTS had struck the first blow at the convoy yesterday.
 British intruder patrols attacked road and rail communications and enemy air bases in northern France and Belgium during the night.
 Planes of the bomber command laid mines in enemy waters.
 Two planes of the coastal com- mand two of the fighter command and one of the bomber command were missing from the nights operations.
 The preaching of two big dams and consequent flooding of the Ruhr and Weser valleys with bil- lions of gallons of water and the continuous day and night bombing the war plants and naval bases m Germany and occupied territory in- dicated that this new, record-break- ing phase of the air war was de- signed to tear out the deepest roots of Axis military power.
 Bombing attacks by American and British planes have been centered more on industry than on troops or weapons for some time. The Royal Air Force blasting of dams on the Mohne and Eder rivers demonstrated that Allied strategists feel that this blow to power and water supply was more important than blowing war plants to bits.
 The ministry of economic warfare selects the targets on the basis of real or potential bottleneckS to Ger man war production. It is no secret that the ministry has many other German targets in mind for future raids. The secrecy regarding the type of explosives used by four -engined Lancasters in blowing up the dams led to speculation that new and more effective mine was used. The air ministry would not discuss the matter.
 The RAF attacks on the industrial valleys and Berlin itself were fol- lowed by daylight raids by the Eighth U. s. Air Force against Ger man submarine bases and war fac tories along the western coast ot France. It was the fifth straight day that the Americans had been in &C., ton over the continent.
 A special announcement by the Russian high command in Moscow paid tribute to the British and American air forces. It said that letters taken from German dead and prisoners proved that recent raids had inflicted heavy damage.
 London had three air alarms dur. ing the night and bombs dropped by small numbers of German plane: killed at least 13 persons. It was be- lieved that the wreckage of houses and buildings might give up addi- tional victims.
 Three of the raiding planes were shot down over Britain. Severa waves of German planes sharply attacked a Welsh coast town witt high explosives and incendiaries Casualties were not believed heavy
 The nuisance raids on London extended into the early morning hours. A few bombs were dropped in each raid and anti aircraft gun. were in action.
 Two persons were killed when z town on the southeast coast wa. bombed.
 Violation Charged
 The Nad-controlled Paris Radio charged that British planes vio' lated Swiss neutrality last night. I reported that Zurich. Basic anC