BOCHUM RAIDED.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 63, Issue 220, 28 June 1943, Page 3

BOCHUM RAIDED.

HEART OF RUHR ATTACKED.

WEEK’S CONTINUOUS BOMBING. LONDON, June 27. The Royal Air Force finished „ a Week’s continuous night bombing w’itli yet another attack in the Ruhr area, on Friday, the fourth in five nights. The objective ivas Bochum and Gelsenkirchen district, which lies in the heart of the Ruhr . The defences of Essen, Duisburg, Krefeld, Mulheim, and Oberhausen, towns heavily bombed in the recent attacks, went into action. An intense barrage came up, but the huge searchlight belt of the Ruhr was handicapped because of cloud, and different tactics from those used in the reecnt raids had to be employed. Instead of trying to cone the bombers, the Germans directed the searchlights to the base of the cloud so that the bombers wjpuld be clearly silhouetted and picked up by fighters. There were running fights all along the route from the Belgian coast, through the Ruhr, and back again. In spite of the cloud, the night never became very dark, but the enemy fighters were no more successful in stopping the bombers than on the previous night, and the clouds over the target were soon glowing from the fires. A number of formations of American heavy bombers and Royal Air Force light bombers in daylight on Saturday attacked enemy airfields and industrial targets in France. Some of the heavy bombers encountered adverse weather. Those which were unable clearly to identify their tagets did not drop their bombs. Most of the heavy bombers were not escorted and they had many combats, destroying a considerable number of enemy aeroplanes. Thunderbolts supporting other bombers also had numerous combats, shooting down three enemy aeroplanes. Many squadrons of Royal Air Force, Dominion, and Allied fighters took part in these operations. Five of our bombers and seven of our fighters are missing. One fighter pilot is safe. Evacuation Ordered, The Allied air offensive has become so devastating that the German Housing Director (Dr. Ley) has ordered the evacuation from Western Germany of all the superfluous population. The order includes women, children, veteran workers, invalids, and the aged and infirm.

“The housing shortage is only one of the many problems resulting from the British and American raids,” said a German commentator, Bein', speaking on the Berlin radio. “It is becoming more evident that defence measures and the terrible and inevitablereckoning are now among the main preoccupations of our leaders.”

Broadcasting on the Paris radio. Jean Paquis declared: “The battle for the Ruhr lias become a second front. The Allied raids on Western Europe, particularly the Ruhr, have become so violent that they are no longer extensive propaganda but stark reality.” The- aviation correspondent of the “Daily Express” estimates- that the largest raid on Elberfeld brought Bomber Command’s total weight of bombs dropped on the Ruhr since the great experimental battle started three and a half months ago to between 25,000 and 30,000 tons. The Royal Air Force lost 532 bombers, and more than 3000 air personnel, many of whom must be prisoners, but the results have already exceeded expectations.

Major-General Davenport Johnson, commander of the 2nd United States Air Force, stated at Washington that the Germans had thrown everything they have against the American heavy bombers, but they were unable to inflict any critical losses. American losses in the European theatre had been approximately G per cent., which Kvas not too heavy.