PLANES STREAM OUT FROM BRITAIN

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 2, 28 September 1943, Page 5

PLANES STREAM OUT FROM BRITAIN

Great Allied Operation

(British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 20. A large 'fleet of bombers and fighters of the R.A.F. and the U.S.A.A.F. took part in a great operation from Britain early tonight. Observers say that waves of machines crossed the coast between Dover and Dungeness toward France in a continuous stream for some time. Highflying fighters left many vapour trails, which made unbroken lines in the sky from Folkestone to well inland from Boulogne. Two great formations of bombers were observed crossing the coast in the Dungeness area. Some fighters, after sweeping the skies over northern France, returned in about three-quar-ters of an hour. Flying Fortresses attacked an airfield at Rheims late tonight, states a joint British and United States communique. American Thunderbolts and R.A.F., Dominion and Allied Spitfires supported the bombers. None of our aircraft is missing. Two R.A.F. fighters are missing from an offensive patrol over France earlier in the day.

Four Mosquitoes of the Fighter Command engaged eight Ju.BB’s in the Bay of Biscay last evening. Two of the enemy were destroyed and several others damaged, some seriously. One Mosquito was lost.

Photographs show the securing of torpedo hits on a medium-sized merchant ship in the course of an attack on enemy shipping off the Dutch coast yesterday. Beaulighters of the Coastal Command also scored a hit on a smaller merchantman. In addition, three escort vessels were set on fire by cannon shells. When last Seen, the medium-sized vessel was down by the stern.