GREAT HARVEST OF TANKS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 260, 31 July 1944, Page 5

GREAT HARVEST OF TANKS

Allied Combat Teams AIR AND ARMOURED CO-ORDINATION (British Official Wireless and Press Assn.) (Received July '3O, 8.40 p.m.) RUGBY, July 29. Combat teams made up of fighterbombers of the Ninth Air Force and American mechanized columns have been highly successful in the opening phases of the Normandy offensive. For example, on Wednesday and Thursday fighters operating with the armoured columns destroyed 57 .tanks, many of them Tigers, probably destroyed 21 more and damaged at least 101. R.A.F Spitfire bombers in an attack from tree-top height this morning wiped out the enfcmy occupied village of pengnac (36 miles from Brest), which was believed to be occupied by the German headquarters. The Germans had evacuated the civilians. ' • The pilots reported that the only building apparently intact after the attack was a church. All the Spitfires returned. One wave of the Spitfires was led by the New Zealander Squadron Leader J. N. Mackenzie, D.F.C., Balciutha. In spite of unfavourable weather. Thunderbolt fighter-bombers throughout today kept up incessant attacks on German tanks, troops and transport heading south and cast from the American battle sector. In support of the American armoured columns advancing south of Coutances they destroyed 17 tanks, 60 motor trucks, four staff cars, four horse-drawn guns, nine horse-drawn trucks and an armoured car. Congested Roads. Reports of congestion among the retreating Nazi columns and of great damage inflicted by the lighter-bombers continue. Trains and troop movements over an area extending from Granville on the Atlantic coast to points 120 miles south and east of Paris were the targets for bomb and cannon attacks by R.A.I-. Mosquitoes during last night. Eighteen trains were bombed and strafed, and rolling stock, bridges, and junctions provided other targets. Harassing attacks on troop movements were made on roads behind the lines m the areas of Granville, Tours and laris. Most of the attacks were made on roads radiating from Tours, and fires were lett burning in nine road convoys. Avengers of the Fleet Air Arm in a one-minute attack outside St. Malo just before spndown last evening bombed and machinegunned three armed minesweepers and four landing-craft, all crowded with German soldiers. The ships are believed to have been on route to Granville to reinforce Rommel’s line facing the Americans. One landing-craft was sunk and one minesweeper damaged, while the other ships were attacked with machinegun fire. All our aircraft returned Flight Lieutenant P. F. L. Hall and Flying Officer D. N. Robinson, both ot Gisborne, destroyed three out of live Junkers over the Normandy beach-head last night. An Allied communique says that Hall got two and Robinson one. Hall's total is now six ami Robinsons three.