LONG ASSAULT

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 171, 16 April 1942, Page 5

LONG ASSAULT

R.A.F. Over Northern France TARGET NEAR CAEN i British Official Wireless I (Received April 15, 9 p.m.) RUGBY, April 14. British fighters made several large sweeps over northern France today. In one of these, a squadron of bombers was escorted in an attack on a target in Normandy, it was learnt in London. An air Ministry communique states that a power station and other objectives near Caen, in Normandy, southwest of Le Havre, were bombed. Three enemy fighters were destroyed during this operation and a fourth in a later sweep over the Calais-Boulogne area. The Air Ministry news service states that the Fighter Command carried out the longest offensive so far this year, between 10 o’clock in the morning and 7.30 in the evening many squadrons of Spitfires were active. During the last sweep of the day, in which one enemy aircraft was destroyed, two American pilots were ordered from their squadron to attack eight FWl9o’s below them. Each took his man, but they were unable to see the final results of the attacks and claimed their opponents as damaged. An enemy aircraft which was destroyed in this sweep was seen by its victor and the squadron leader to crash into the sea.

One MelOO which tried to break through tlie protecting fighters crashed into the sea with its tail shot away.

Two squadrons were returning with the bombers when three Mel Ob’s attacked the left-hand side of the formation, while two attacked the right. One of the three was sent down in flames. A Hying officer attended, to the Messerschmitts on the other side by shooting one down and driving off the other after damaging it.

Meanwhile, more enemy fighters Hying below, apparently decided not to join in the fighting and rhe bombers Hew back untroubled. Once again the lighters had done their job and enabled the bombers to carry out theirs. All the bombers returned safely. The Germans lost four fighters and the British losses were Hie same.

A small number of enemy aircraft wan over eastern ami north-eastern England on Monday night, mainly in the coastal districts. One raider, however, Hew inland some distance toward the north-west. Bombs were dropped in several points. The casualties were not large, but there were some fatalities. Some damage was caused, principally to houses in two coastal towns, but nowhere was it extensive. New R.A.F. Incendiary.

The Royal Air Force is dropping a new type of fire-bomb over Germany, which is causing considerable damage and trouble to the Germans, reports the Berlin correspondent of the Stockholm “Tidiiingen.” In many ways it i.s more effective than the old type. It contains phosphorus, ami is more difficult, to extinguish than the ordinary incendiary bomb. The new bombs are either dropped simultaneously with explosives or are Listened Io small balloons.