Late News INTO HEART Of REICH

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 124, 21 February 1944, Page 5

Late News INTO HEART Of REICH

Heavy R.A.F. Raid On Leipsig 79 PLANES MISSING LONDON, February 20. The R.A.F. last night penetrated nearly 300 miles into the heart of Germany to drop more than 2300 tons of bombs on Leipsig. It was one of the greatest night-offensives of the war. To reach their target the bomber fleet had to fly over many miles of enemy territory and over some of the greatest concentrations of anti-aircraft artillery to one of the most heavily-defended targets in the Reich . Leipsig, which has a population ot 700,000, manufactures aircraft a s well as engineering parts, textiles and synthetic oils.- It is also one of the main railway junctions in central Germany. The city was last raided early in December when 1600 tons of bombs was dropped. After that raid it was reported that nearly one-third of the most densely built-up area had been devastated. Mosquitoes were over Berlin 104 miles away and other planes raided targets in western Germany, Holland and northern France, while at the same time there were extensive mining operations of enemy waters. From these widespread operations < J aircraft are missing, including 18 Canadian Halifaxes and Lancasters which took part in the raid on Leipsig. The offensive was carried on in daylight today when American Marauders attacked targets in Holland.