HEAVIEST BLOWS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 126, 30 May 1944, Page 5

HEAVIEST BLOWS

MARAUDERS, HAVOCS Bridges And Airfields In Northern France N.Z.P.A, and British Wireless Rec. 1 p.m. LONDON, May 29. Simultaneously with the blows of the heavy bombers on Europe, Marauders and Havoc medium bombers from Britain carried out their heaviest attack of the war when 400 of them, escorted by Thunderbolts, attacked four bridges and an airfield in Northern France and Belgium. One bridge was completely smashed, another wrecked and a third had a row of craters across it. A fourth crossing over the Meuse River at Leigevalbenoit received at least 12 hits. An airfield attacked was at Achiet, north of Paris. Not a single enemy plane was sighted during these operations. Bostons and Mitchells this afternoon attacked a railway yard in Belgium, while other Mitchell squadrons attacked military targets in Northern France. These followed earlier operations, in the course of which rocket-projector Typhoons made a successful attack on a power station in Northern France.

The offensive against Germanoccupied railways in north-western Europe was continued last night by Bomber Command with a heavy attack on the important railway centre of Angers. 50 miles east of Nantes. The attack, made by forces of Lancasters just before midnight, was concentrated into less than ten minutes. A heavy load of highexplosive bombs left big fires in the target area and smoke rising over 15,000 ft. The force achieved a complete surprise. There were no searchlights over the target and after the attack had started only two or three guns continued to fire. Few fighters were encountered and though one crew saw three on the return journey not one made any attempt to attack.

The pilot of the first ah-craft to reach the target had perfect visibility and by the light of flares 'and markers the railway lines and adjacent river could be seen clearly. The area was soon covered in smoke, however, as the markers were repeatedly hit by sticks of bombs. One pilot reported a violent explosion as though an oil dump had been hit. Great flames followed the explosion and dense clouds of black smoke formed a pillar in the target area. This afternoon strong forces of Marauders and Havocs of the Ninth Air Force attacked four bridges in Northern France and Belgium, including one crossing of the River Meuse at Liege-val-Beoit and the airfield at Achiet, north of Paris. They were escorted by Thunder* bolts. AXIS PROPAGANDA ALLIED RAIDS ON FRANCE Rec. 2 p.m. LONDON, May 29. Paris radio, joining in the Axis propaganda campaign against Allied airmen, said: "Allied raids on France since May 26 have killed 4480, injured about 8000, and rendered homeless 100,000. Many persons in Marseilles were killed in the streets because they did not obey the advice to take shelter when the alert was given."