A DESERTED LAND

Evening Star, Issue 25173, 12 May 1944, Page 3

A DESERTED LAND

" INVASION COAST " AREA

ENEMY DRIVEN BACK BY ALLIED AIR ATTACKS (Rec. 1.20 p.m.) LONDON, May 11. " Half an hour ago 1 was flying over a huge area of the ' invasion coast' extending 30 to 50 miles inland. It was completely deserted," said a Typhoon pi.ot to the ' Daily Telegraph's ' correspondent, who asked him for a pilot's view of the coast. The pilot added that the British-based air forces had now succeeded in driving the enemy right back from the positions he had occupied so long. He had been compelled to abandon not only important airfields, but a great majority of antiaircraft pbste. " The effect w.hen i was just now flying over was rather eerie," he said "There were no trains running, no human beings observable, no guns in action, and no enemy fighters anywhere near us. We had .the sky to ourselves. 1 remember when we went train busting a few months ago there were 'all kinds of targets. Now there are only scenes of desolation. Where railway lines are not broken they are idle. Whatever military forces may be there they must be'well dug in. It seems to me that everything that could be pulled back has gojie,,...AVe-jstill drop bombs on reputed sites of ' secret weapons,' but all that can be seen to-day are the big craters we have left."