DEEP INTO GERMANY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 43, 19 August 1943, Page 5

DEEP INTO GERMANY

TUESDAY'S RAIDS

LONDON, August 17. American heavy bombers, operating from this country, flew deep into Germany today to attack industrial targets in Bavaria, southern Germany. Strong formations attacked an important industrial target at Schweinlurt and a Messerschmitt factory at Regensburg, says the United States Eighth Air Force headquarters. Marauders, supported by R.A.F., Dominion, and Allied Spitfires, hit German airfields at Bryassud and Poix, in occupied France. The attack on Regensburg nieant a round trip of nearly 1200 miles for the Fortresses, mainly over enemy territory. The Fortresses afterwards flew on to North Africa. They fought fierce running battles, at times with upward of 200 enemy fighters, some of which had Italian markings. Regensburg has been raided twice before the last time being in January, 1941. Schweinfurt has not previously been attacked. It was the Fortresses' biggest raid and also the deepest penetration into Germany, and it celebrated the first anniversary of the dropping of American bombs on Europe. Schweinfurt has a large ■ ball-bearing and roller-bearing works. Fortresses returning from Schweinfurt report that smoke billowed up 10,000 to 20,000 feet over the target, drifting for 10 miles. Schweinfurt produces more than half, Germany's ball-bearings. Spitfires escorted the Fortresses as far as Antwerp, where they also met them in returning. Other Spitfires escorted British and American medium and fighter-bombers which attacked enemy airfields in northern France, including Saint Pol. Poix, and Lille and also the marshalling yards at Calais. PARIS SUBURBS RAIDED. Rome radio says that the Paris suburbs of Le Bourget, Pantin, and Saint Denis were bombed in daylight today. Hundreds of people were killed and about 180 were injured, the radio said. Paris radio said that British planes dropped a large number of bombs on a small town in central Holland and killed 80. They destroyed 100 buildings- ■ , . An official message from Algiers says that a large formation of Flying Fortresses carried out the first raid on southern France from new Allied Mediterranean bases today. The Fortresses attacked airfields at Istres, Salon, and Letube. These three airfields are bases from which enemy aircraft operate against Allied shipping. Only a few enemy fighters came up, but there was some anti-aircraft fire. It is the first time American heavy ''bombers from the Mediterranean area have attacked targets in France.