REGENSBURG HIT

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 127, 24 February 1944, Page 5

REGENSBURG HIT

Two-Way Attack On Germany

RAID FROM ITALY (British Official Wireless and Press Assn.) (Received February 23, 8 p.m.)

RUGBY, February 22. The United States Eighth and 15th Strategic Air Forces carried on the offensive against fighter aircraft factories and other targets in Germany today in the first co-ordinated attack from bases in the United Kingdom and Italy. It was the third major daylight 'bombing operation in as many days aimed at the destruction of Germany’s capacity to maintain an aerial defensive against further bombing. The biggest force of bombers ever sent out from the Mediterranean engaged in an attack against Regensburg, 85 miles north of Munich, involving a flight of 1500 miles.

The attack on Regensburg is officially described as the heaviest daylight raid of all time against a single target. Forty-one bombers and 11 lighters of the United States forces which went out from Britain are missing. Fighters from Britain shot down 58 enemy The raid on Regensburg which houses an important Messerschmitt factory, was the longest mission flown by bombers based in Italy. Fortresses and Liberators scored hits on the main 'factory buildings at Obertrauling, the nquth-east-ern suburb of Regensburg. Lightnings and Thunderbolts engaged German fighters which attacked . the heavy bomber formations when ntaring Regensburg, Simultaneously, othqr forces bombed Zagreb, capital of Croatia, which has a big airfield used by the Germans as a staging base for aircraft attacking the Allies in Italy. Other targets attacked were the Dalmatian coast ports of Zara and Sibetnik, the latter one of Yugoslavia’s biggest naval bases. The German news agency claimed that at least 111 American planes, mostly four-engined, were shot down. Earlier, the news agency said that particularly grim air battles developed over centra! Germany. M eather conditions favoured the defence, the radio said, and therefore it could be assumed that the enemy suffered considerable Marauder medium bombers of the United States Ninth Air Force flew 60 miles inside Holland to attack an important air base. They were backed up by R.A.F., Canadian, and Allied fighters. In addition to today’s two-way air offensive. home-based R.A.F. Mosquitoes, with Typhoon fighters in support,, attacked military objectives in northern France. The Moscniitoes were from Air Marshal Coningliam’e Second Tactical Air Force. . , . , ... The American bombers which raided Holland came from the Bth and loth. Air Forces, and were escorted by American fighters, together with R.A.F.. Dominion, and Allied Spitfires . , It is now known that in yesterdays operations a total of 51 enemy fighters were destroyed bv the Americans, 18 more than were first announced.. When R A.F. reconnaissance planes were over Stuttgart yesterday fires were still blazing unchecked after the Bomber Command’s attack of the previous night. Great volumes of smoke were billowing up from the Robert-Besch works, which produce the bulk of the ignition equipment for German aircraft engines, rhe main foundries of tins works were buimin, fiercely.

FIERCE BARRAGE

Raiders Over London

LONDON, February 23. At least seven German raiders of a force which came over the south and south-east coast of England last night flying toward London, ( were destroyed. High explosives were dropped, but mainly it was another effort to fire the capital. , , .„ Over London, the barrage was terrific, it was described in one district as the heaviest of the war. At one time six raiders were pin-pointed by the searchlights while shells burst among the twisting aircraft. Houses, shops, schools and other buildings in London and other districts were set on fire, but the fireguards were' at their posts, and London this morning, though a little more battered, looks pretty well as it usually looks. MOSQUITOES RAID REICH LONDON, February 23. Mosquitoes without loss bombed targets in south-western and western Germany last night.