FRENCH FACTORY HIT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 60, 11 March 1944, Page 5

FRENCH FACTORY HIT

Four German Aircraft Centres

Almost Devastated

FEW LOSSES IN BERLIN RAID N.Z.P.A. and British Wireless Rec. 12.30 p.m. LONDON, Mar. 10. R.A.F. Lancasters last night flew 600 miles to bomb a factory at Marignane, near Marseilles, which builds six-engined flying-boats and converts French aircraft into German troop-carriers. A large explosion occurred a minute after the raid began, and considerable fires were started.

The bombs included 4000 and 8000-pounders. Much of the bombing was from a low level. No fighters were encountered, only flak.

An Air Ministry communique says the target was clearly identified arid first reports indicate that the bombing was accurate and concentrated.

Mosquitoes bombed objectives in Western Germany. None is missing.

A study of reconnaissance photographs of Leipzig reveals that four important German aircraft factories have been almost completely devastated. The Luftwaffe training station was also severely damaged. At Erla the Messerschmitt 109 component and assembly plant, targets of the very highest priority, and 42 buildings were destroyed or partly destroyed. Of approximately 35 buildings of the training station nearby 23 were destroyed or partly destroyed by high explosives.

Drain on Enemy Resources

Although the Germans have shown a remarkable capacity quickly to repair, and rebuild industrial targets heavily damaged or destroyed, the man hours and materials needed to get the plants back into production will be a great drain on the already overtaxed labour and supply of material, not to speak of the loss of aircraft that otherwise would have been built.

It is revealed that American bomber losses in yesterday's raid on Berlin were seven aircraft, or about one per cent. Some of the thousands of men who service the aircraft in these daylight raids worked more than 47 hours on end, except for breaks for coffee and food, refuelling them and bombing them up. More than 2000 lorries were used to carry the great bomb load dropped in the four attacks.

Nine per cent of the British airmen bombing Berlin and other German centres are Australians, states Sir Ronald Cross, British High Commissioner in Australia, according to a Sydney message.