DOUBLE ALLIED DAYLIGHT ASSAULT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 39, 15 February 1945, Page 5

DOUBLE ALLIED DAYLIGHT ASSAULT

WEST AND SOUTH

Germans Report Stream

300 Miles Long

Rec. 1 p.m. LONDON, Feb. 14. German Achtung radio warnings this morning indicated that Allied air forces were carrying out a double daylight assault against the Reich from west and south. One stream of bombers, striking into Central Germany from the west, was reported to be 300 miles long. Reports issued during the day stated that enemy bombers were over Cologne, Dusseldorf, Magdeburg and Leipzig. Berlin radio announced at 12.15 a.m. that it was closing down owing to the approach of enemy bombers. A later message stated that planes of. Bomber Command last night attacked the synthetic oil plant at Bohlen, south of Leipzig. Magdeburg was also bombed. Bomber Command last night dispatched 1400 planes from bases in Britain, the main objective being Dresden. An official announcement says that Dresden, as the centre of a railway network and a great industrial town, has become of the greatest value for conducting any defence the Germans may organise I against Marshal Koniev's armies.

It is officially stated that only 12 R.A.F. bombers are missing from last night's operations. Of the great force of United States bombers that participated in to-day's raid on targets in Germany 450 went to Dresden, 450 to Chemnitz and about 400 to Magdeburg, while 50 bombed the bridge across the Rhine at Wesel. According to preliminary reports there was no enemy opposition over Magdeburg and only moderate antiaircraft fire. The escorting fighter planes found time to do some strafing, at least 64 locomotives and 139 railway cars being shot up in Southwest and Western Germany.