DISASTER FROM THE AIR

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 278, 21 August 1944, Page 5

DISASTER FROM THE AIR

Pounce On Panzers (British Official Wireless and Press Assn.) (Received August 20, 8.15 p.m.) RUGBY, August 10. Vimoutiers. a village on a crossroads live miles south of Lisictix, has been the scene of one of the most disastrous episodes in the history of the German Seventh Army. The R.A.F. Second Tactical Air Force started to write the chapter on Wednesday, when the village was first mentioned as near the scene of an air attack on enemy transport. The T.A.F. score in enemy transport last night equalled the combined results of its previous best eight —the past eight days—with more than 2800 vehicles and 200 tanks disposed Of by a continuous shuttle service of Typhoons, Spitfires, and Mustangs. Pilots yesterday afternoon had spotted 7000 vehicles jamming the roads east of the old Falaise gap. Every available plane was turned loose, and by midnight the Allied planes completely destroyed more than.l2so vehicles and 99 tanks, and a great part of the remainder is almost certainly lost. Correspondents say that our heavy bombers were later turned on. During the later stages of the assault many units which had been detailed to attack in congested areas found so much chaos on the roads and so many other aircraft in the vicinity that when they returned to their base they could not make individual claims. At night the R.A.F. crews looked down on an unforgettable scene in the hell that was the Falaise gap during the early hours of today. It was the most amazing experience of their night-flying career. Artillery Results.

They saw parties of panic-stricken troops scattering for cover and running to escape the artillery fire. The gap was outlined by the flashes of the guns on either flank causing destruction and chaos in the ever-narrowing corridor of escape. “We had plenty of time to watch,” said one pilot. “We saw men and vehicles jamming the roads as they fled to the south-east while explosions ami fires went on among them continuously.’ The Typhoons attacking the Germans in the Falaise pocket yesterday operated so close to our forward, troops that some of our vehicles were bit in error. The Canadian army commander, General Crerar, issued a statement stressing the pilots’ difficulties owing to the convergence of the British, Canadian and American armies on the common objective. To avoid wrong conclusions he pointed out thnt the accomplishments of the Tactical Air Force up to 11 p.m. yesterday, on incomplete figures, were 77 tanks set on fire, 42 left smoking and 55 damaged, and 990 motor transports set on fire', 478 left smoking and 712 damaged. General Crerar said: “It the Canadians will compare their vehicle casualties with these figures they will get some idea of the balance in their favour.”