TEMPO KEPT UP

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 210, 2 June 1944, Page 5

TEMPO KEPT UP

Blasting Of Enemy War Potential UP TO 3000 PLANES (By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) LONDON, May 21. From west and south the Allies’ mammoth air forces today delivered .smashing blows against the enemy’s war potential at targets as far apart as Hamm, in Prussia, and Ploesti, in Rumania. It is estimated that they employed 2800 to 3000 planes in all attacks. It was the fifth successive day on which Fortresses and Liberators were over Germany in strength, and the fourth running in which the fighter escort exceeded 1200. The aviation correspondent of the British United Press says that American heavy bombers this morning pressed home their attacks against Hamm. Osnabruck, 70 miles west of Hanover, and Schwerte, south-east of Dortmund, iu spite of deteriorating weather. Schwerte and Soest, south-east of Hamm, which was also raided, have not been bombed for three years.

An enemy aerodrome at Uxduil, west of Mulhouse, in France, was attacked this morning by a medium sized force of Fortresses and Liberators of the Eighth Air Foree.

Continuing their attacks on the Seine River bridges for the sixth successive day, Marauders of the Ninth Air Foree struck nt three important highway bridges between Paris and Rouen at midday. One Marauder failed to return. Escorted by Thunderbolts, Marauders attacked an 840-foot six-span bridge at Courcelles-sur-Seine, 40 miles north-west of. Paris, a 575-foot steel girder bridge at Rouen, and a 450-foot bridge at Bennecourt, 30 miles north-west of Paris. At Rouen a highway bridge was left half under water by the first formations of Marauders ter attack. Attack on Rouen. Vichy radio, describing tbe attack on Rouen, said that the raid lasted an hour. “The centre of the town was hit and very grave damage was done,” it said, “and more than 1000 people were killed.” Between 500 and 750 Liberators and Fortresses attacked targets in the Ploesti area. Early reports indicated hits on at least one major refinery. Visual observations were obscured by smoke. There was intense anti-aircraft fire and numbers of enemy aircraft were met. Pilots of Mosquitoes which bombed Leverkusen, 15 miles north of Cologne, last night report that a large explosion lit up the buildings, says the Air Ministry news service. The enemy put up a strong defence, with scores of searchlights. Leverkusen is an important chemical centre.

Since the main elements of the Messerschmitt plant at Wiener-Neustadt, in Austria, have been so heavily damaged by previous attacks, the Germans have been adapting other factories in the neighbourhood. Medium forces of Liberators yesterday singled out five of these factories for attention. In all eases the results were good.