BRIDGE TARGET

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 4, 29 September 1944, Page 5

BRIDGE TARGET

Luftwaffe Effort At Nijmegen MANY AIR FIGHTS <By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.! (Received September 28, 9 p.m.) LONDON, September 28. The Germans in the last two days have made an all-out attempt to smash the Nijmegen bridge, says Reuter’s correspondent ,at Nijmegen. The Germans have been using everything from bullets to pick-a-back type of bombs against the bridge, which is also under shellfire from rail-mounted guns. The Luftwaffe strafed civilians in Nijmegen all yesterday. An Allied communique says that 41 German planes were shot down yesterday on the western front for the loss of 10 of ours. The R.A.F. top-scoring ace. Wing Commander Johnnie Johnson, destroyed an Me.109 during great air battles which were fought out today along the Rhine east of the Holland salient, bringing his total of confirmed kills to 38, says Router’s correspondent in Belgium. Johnson’s wing up to lunch-time yesterday had destroyed 14 and damaged six fighters, bringing the wing’s total to 23 in a day and a half. Allied Achievement. The Germans, who are operating formations upward of 50 strong, are taking a terrific beating in every combat. They are using a mixed bag of planes for night attacks against the salient area, and are using in daytime some of the jetpropelled Messerschmitts, which are purely an experimental type intended for bombing missions. The Germans, with the Allied air forces by day and night attacking their communications, may soon reach a state of chaos. More than 1100 escorted American heavy bombers yesterday morning attacked railway yards and war industries along the Rhine and elsewhere in western Germany. Among the targets attacked were factories and depots at Kassel, Ludwigshafen, Cologne and Mainz. Forty-two bombers and seven fighters are missing. More than 100 enemy fighters singled out one bomber formation for attack, and in all the raids 30 of the enemy were shot down. A strong force of R.A.F. Lancaster bombers attacked the industrial town and railway centre of Karlsruhe on Tuesday night. Two bombers are missing. Last night Lancasters attacked Kaiserslautern