Another Shattering Blow Struck By R.A.F.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 13775, 19 October 1942, Page 3

Another Shattering Blow Struck By R.A.F.

[ENT works pounded in biggest ■ tf DAYLIGHT RAID OF WAR

R EDS OF TONS OF BOMBS DROPPED i! ON SCHNEIDER FACTORIES

taNES BUT ONE RETURN FROM FLIGHT INTO SOUTHERN FRANCE

London, Oct. 18. p.y-h Lancaster bombers struck a shattering blow at Giant B" | uct j ol] w hen they bombed the huge Schneider : ' : " U " r -k■ at Le Creuzot in occupied France yesterday even--IBient, W °the biggest daylight raid of the war. ; ' 1W | lS asters'are the world's fastest and most powerful ''"' ithevflew 300 miles unescorted to attack the Schneider itr,am i 170 miles south-east of Paris and less than 100 .-, Hfhicli are ■•••» ■ the Swiss border. ill not bomb in formation but came in singly over the "'''V/ lerfect timing and the attack was all over in 20 : ' lUl () U r pilots showed great determination and precision in • r home the attack. \\ .Creuzot works cover an area of 287 acres and are the ? a rmament works in France, being comparable to Krupp's Ist Essen in Germany "fi' attack was delivered at 6 p.m. by a large force of Lannd only one failed to return. It will be recalled that it Lancaster bombers which carried out the long flight to JJL in southern Germany in April last. There are no con- • [landmarks at eL Creuzot "so that it was considered neces-. ir that'the attack should be made in daylight to avoid casualties L the civilian population. " nis is the first time that these armament works, the most BOrtant in France, have been attacked. The Germans left the 4 unmolested during the battle of France, although the target .id] within the range of the Luftwaffe. It was intended that ■C should be reserved for later use to produce arms for Germany < 'The factory is capable of producing guns of very heavy calibre, ;,iarmour plate and locomotives. The works are one of the most grist owned by the Schneider International Cartel. This raid will further hamper the maintenance by the Germans Europe's already over-strained railway system. The last big raid on German occupied territory was made at 310 days ago when we lost four planes. In the attack on AugsSh» made last April, we lost seven out of 12 Lancaster bombers -ah took part in the raid. Our Mustang planes were also out over Holland and Spitfires wated over France.

Two New Zealand pilots over the English Channel spotted two cke-Wulfe 190's and concentrated on one of them which they shot ;•) the sea.