ALLIED AIR ONSLAUGHT

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 67, 16 September 1943, Page 5

ALLIED AIR ONSLAUGHT

HEAVIEST YET FOR THE AREA Rec. 11' a.m. LONDON, Sept. 15.

The North-west African Air Forces, operating between Salerno and Eboli from dawn yesterday to dawn today, carried out over 2000 sorties in the biggest air attack in the history of the Mediterranean, says the Algiers correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain.

Balloons were used in the Salerno landing for the first time in order to protect the Allied troops and barges from low-flying bombers. Algiers radio said that the most concentrated air attacks the North-west African Air Force has ever made in one day were directed against enemy forces around the Salerno bridgehead. Hundreds of attacks from every type, of plane, ranging from Flying Fortresses to Kittyhawks, were put in along the 16-mile front - between Salerno and Eboli. American heavy and medium bombers in daylight flew nearly 600 sorties and dropped thousands of bombs. Night-bombers took up the attack at dusk, pounding two towns where the Germans were exerting the heaviest pressure against our ground forces. Large formations of Mitchells and two waves of Baltimores completely covered one town with bombs, and two waves of Baltimores spread a carpet of bombs everywhere at the other town. These were only two attacks of scores which subjected the enemy line to the heaviest air attack it has yet suffered. The Germans made little effort to oppose the bombers.

Six enemy aircraft were destroyed during the period. One of our aircraft is missing.

A Middle East air communique says that Liberators of the 9th U.S.A.A.F. bombed railway marshalling yards at Pescara, on the Adriatic coast of Italy, at daylight yesterday. The target was well covered by bomb bursts, direct hits being scored on an engine shed in the centre of the yards. Fires and explosions were caused. Some bombs burst near a railway bridge over the Pescara River. No opposition was encountered.

R.A.F. Liberators and Halifaxes bombed a road junction at Potenza, between Taranto and Naples, on Monday night. Bursts were observed, on the target. All our* planes returned.