DEADLY ROCKET SHIPS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 75, 26 September 1944, Page 6

DEADLY ROCKET SHIPS

ACTION DESCRIBED

LONDON,- September 25,

The first detailed description of,a rocket-ship in action is.' : given by a "Daily correspondent, who says^that these rocket-ships were one of^feritain's '■■; secret weapons. They 'made their debut in Sicily. The correspondent, saw rocket-ships during the invasion of Normandy operating against .•. the: village of Franceville, which was then crammed with Gerf mans. ■ ■ • "•. . ■ .

i: --He says: "It was the most concen- ! trated bombardment in the. history of jwarfare. The: rocket-ships are known in the Navy as {pipe-racks,' from their (curious outline. They have been the subject.of awed discussion; throughout the -Fleet,' and incredible stories are circulated about their devastating effect. These stories are not exaggerated: The shoot was timed to last four minutes. Each craft-sent up a handful of ranging shots. They soared up with a tremendous .swish, were visible for several seconds* and' then smokeplumes on the water's edge showed the accuracy of the aim.: The .shoot then began in earnest. The nearest rocketship suddenly disappeared as a monstrous volcano of fire swept her decks. A> salvo of rockets, from this eruption i leapt into the air and. flew to the shore. The colossal'racket ,of their discharge had hardly subsided when the craft:'again! erupted. >Her sisterships joined iii. ■-It was a .terrifying sight..' Battleships, working .their big guns'are nothing like it. . I "Ashore it.seemed as though all the artillery in the' world had ■'suddenly | opened up against Franceville. ■ The ! entire village was absolutely blanketed by the explosions, and in a matter of seconds there was.just one carpet oi shell-bursts, fire, and smoke along a frontage' of about a mile and to a depth of half a mile. There could hardly have 'been a house, let alone a German, alive in Franceville after the second wave of rocket-ships came m arid added its deadly quota." .; •■