AIR ASSAULT KEPT UP

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24501, 26 February 1945, Page 5

AIR ASSAULT KEPT UP

Berlin Heavily Raided

SUPPORT OF ARMY OFFENSIVE

(N.Z. Press Association— Copyright) (Rec. 11.30 p.m.) LONDON. Feb. 25. Berlin was bombed, on Saturday night for the fifth night running, the raid being made by powerful formations of ’ Royal Air Force Mosquitoes., Allied aircraft from Britain are out over Germany In strength airaln to-day, and there, are Indications that low-level attacks are being made in western Germany. Yesterday bombers and fighter-, bombers of the 9th Force alone flew 1700 sorties, attacking targets in the Cologne plain in support of the All cd armies. Seven bombers and two fighterbombers were lost. “In one of its most massive single day efforts since D Day, the 9th Air Force on Saturday sent out more' than 1500 fighter-bombers and 400 medium and light bombers,” says the Exchange Telegraph Agency’s correspondent at Supreme Allied Headquarters. “They operated mostly in close support of the Ist and 9th Armies’ new offensive. The bombers concentrated on enemy armour concentrations between Dueren and Cologne and in the Pruem and Bitberg areas. “Pilots claimed the destruction of 173 tanks and armoured vehicles. The fighter-bombers destroyed or damaged more than 3000 railway carriages, 100 locomotives, 1000 motor transports, and 50 gun positions. They also made nearly 200 rail cuts, destroyed four and damaged six bridges, and shot down three enemy aeroplanes. Seventeen of our aircraft are missing." United States Air Headquarters in Britain announces that more than 1100 Flying Fortresses and Liberators of the Bth Air Force, escorted by about 500 Mustangs, on Saturday attacked an oil refinery at Hamburg, Misburg, near Hanover, U-boat yards at Hamburg and Bremen, and railway targets in north-west Germany. Solid cloud over north-west Germany obscured the targets, which were attacked by means of instruments.

Aircraft of the Royal Air Force Bomber Command, escorted by Mustangs and Spitfires of the Fighter Command, tore over Germany on Saturday afternoon, with the synthetic oil plant at Kamen, near Dortmund, as the main objective. The Air Ministry says that aircraft of the Royal Air Force Bomber Command on Friday night made a heavy concentrated attack on the communications and industrial centre of Pforzheim, in the upper Rhineland, Huge fires were left burning with smoke rising to a great height. Shipping in the German naval base of Horten, in the Oslo fjord, was also bombed.

Berlin was again attacked and mines were laid in enemy waters, while, night fighters and intruders supported' the bombers and attacked enemy airfields. At least seven enemy aircraft were destroyed by our bombers. On Friday afternoon strong forces of Royal Air Force bombers, escorted by Mustangs and Spitfires, attacked Essen and the Alma-Pluto benzol plant at Gelsenkirchen. From these operations, In which more than 1100 bombers took part, 13 bombers are blissing. The 2nd Tactical Air Force has announced that between 8000 and 9000 Allied aeroplanes participated in Thursday’s assault on German communications—the greatest attack of the war.

RUMANIAN RIOTS

GOVERNMENT BLAMES COMMUNISTS

“SITUATION IN HAND” (Rec. 11.30 p.m.) LONDON. Feb, 25,

"Riots have broken out in Bucharest arid other Rumanian towns,’’ says a Swiss radio reporter in Bucharest. “The Royal Palace, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Prime Minister’s office in Bucharest were also attacked. "General Radescu, the Rumanian Prime Minister, 'in ,a broadcast over the Bucharest radio said: “Stateless and Godless people led by Anna Pauker and the Hungarian Lukas (who, the Exchange Telegraph Agency says, Rumanians in London describe as Communists) , started trouble throughout Rumania, attempting to establish a reign of terror under the mask of democracy. The Government has the situation in hand. The army has been ordered not to use arms.”

CANADA’S SHARE IN PACIFIC WAR

EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

PLANNED

(Ree. 7 p.m.) OTTAWA, Feb, 24. Commenting on the official announcement that a Canadian signals unit has arrived in Australia, the Canadian Press says the Canadian Army is building up a sizeable force of specialists and observers in the Pacific. Nearly 1000 men are serving with the Australian. American, and New Zealand forces, and are ready to form the nucleus of the Canadian Pacific expeditionary force. Reliable sources believe the expeditionary force will comprise one mixed division of armoured and infantry brigades, and one division in reserve.

The Minister of the Navy (Mr Angus Macdonald) already has announced Canadian naval participation in the Pacific, while the Royal Canadian Air Force, it is believed, will operate 15 to 20 squadrons of fighters and bombers in the Pacific after the end of the European war.