1000 BOMBERS OVER SOUTHERN REICH

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 249, 18 July 1944, Page 5

1000 BOMBERS OVER SOUTHERN REICH

Record Tonnage On Ploesti (British Official Wireless and Press Assn.) (Received July 17, 7 p.m.) RUGBY, July 16. More than 1000 United States Flying Fortresses of the Eighth Air Force today attacked communications over the Munich and Saarbrucken areas, and other places in southern Germany, it is officially announced. Bad weather was encountered on this mission—-the. fourth in the past six days—against this section, and the bombs were dropped through clouds by means of instruments. Some formations reported intense flak over the target, but only two enemy interceptors were encountered. Twelve bombers and three fighters have not yet returned. Up to 500 escorted Liberators and Fortresses of the United States . loth Air Force today attacked military installations in the Vienna area, reports a Rome correspondent. Intense flak was met over the target. The R.A.F. Mosquitoes which attacked Berlin last night were over the German capital for only 16 minutes, but in that time two-ton bombs fell at the rate of two a minute.

In yesterday’s raid on Ploesh, 750 American bombers unloaded the_ heaviest tonnage ever dropped on a single day, says the Rome correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain. Photographs reveal that four of the principal refineries were hit.

Ten enemy planes were destroyed in. the operations over Rumania, Yugoslavia, and Albania, for the loss of 24 of ours. The German news 1 agency reports that Allied bombers this morning attacked a number of places in Bavaria and the Wurttemberg and Palatinate areas. Bombs were dropped at 12 places. R.A.F. heavy bombers, made two attacks last night on a flying-bomb depot, 25 miles north-west of Paris. This is the place where tlie Germans carry out partial assembly of the bombs in caves, and previous attacks caused a partial collapse of. the hillside above the caves. The object' of last night’s attacks was to complete the collapse and to. smash up the road and railway facilities leading into the tunnels. Some 10 minutes after the attack opened there was a terrific flash in the target area, and there was another big explosion shortly afterward. The first, night bombing mission in force by American aircraft in almost two years of operations from Britain has been flown by Marauder medium bombers. it was revealed today by Major-Gen-eral Brereton. In the 12 months ending today Marauders have flown more than 29,500 individual attacks, and released more than 52,000 tons of explosives of all types on targets in France and the Low Countries in 276 operations. A total of 139 Marauders Jias been lost, principally to ground defences. Though they have not sought aerial combat, Marauders have destroyed 49 German fighters. Moro Flying Bombs. During the past 24 hours the Germans have sent more flying bombs over tlie southern counties of England, including (lie London area, causing damage and casualties. More flying bombs were shot down by fighters and anti-aircraft gunners last night and today. After seven hours of tunnelling rescue squads today brought out alive a whole family of four who were buried when a living bomb fell last, night a few yards from their homo. A doctor was lowered three times into a cavity to attend tlie family, who included an elderly woman and a 10-week-old baby. Others are still trapped under tlie wreckage. A child who was playing in a pool in a park when a flying bomb dropped nearby disappeared . today without a trace. An old man sitting on a seat, beside a child was blown to pieces. Four Otllers are believed to have been killed.