AIR OFFENSIVE

Evening Star, Issue 25400, 3 February 1945, Page 7

AIR OFFENSIVE

KEY RAIL CENTRES BLASTED DISRUPTING TROOP MOVEMENTS (Rec. 11 a.m.) ' RUGBY, Feb. 2. " Once more the full force of the Allied air offensive was directed yesterday and last night against Rhineland communications, especially railways and river brdiges. A large number of 4,0001 b bombs were also dropped in two attacks on Berlin. Anglo-American Headquarters states: Escorted heavy bombers in great strength struck at objectives in Germany, including railway marshalling yards at Mannheim-Ludwigshafen and Rhine bridges at Wesel, north-west *of the Ruhr. Other escorted heavy bombers attacked the railway junction at, Munchen-Gladbach, west of Dusseldorf. Medium and light bombers, with fighter escort, attacked communication centres at Schleiden. Brandschied, and Prum, railway bridges spanning the Rhine at Engers, the Lahn River at Nassau, and the Moselle River at Eller, and road junctions at •Blankenheim, south-east of Schleiden, -and at Wittlich. Several barges on the Rhine, north-west of Coblenz,' were destroyed. Rail traffic in the North Ruhr, in the areas of Bocholt, Dulmen, Coesfeld, and Burgsteinfurt, and guri positions east of Coesfeld were attacked by fighterbombers and rocket-firing fighters. Last night heavy bombers in very great strength _ made heavy attacks on the main railway centres at Mainz, Ludwigshafen, and Siegen, and light, bombers struck at the rail network in the North Ruhr. Berlin was also bombed. One enemy aircraft was shot down during the day, and night fighters destroyed another during the night. One of our heavy bombers and three fighters are missing from the daylight operations." BIG FLEETS OUT. The Air Ministry, giving an account of the night's operations, states that last night aircraft of the R.A.F. made heavy attdcks on three railway centres in Western Germany. Two separate forces of Lancasters attacked Ludwigshafen and Siegen, and strong forces of Halifaxes bombed Mainz. Large fires were left burning in all three objectives. Two attacks were made in Berlin and a large number of 4,0001 b bombs were dropped. Night fighters and intruder aircraft supported the bombers and attacked airfields. At least two enemy aircraft were destroyed by Bomber Command aircraft. Yesterday afternoon Lancasters', escorted and supported by Mustangs and Spitfires, attacked the communications centre of Munchen-Gladbach. In all these operations nearly 1,450 aircarft of Bomber Command were involved. Twelve ' aircraft, all of Bomber Command, are missing. Mosquitoes of the Second Tactical Air Force made one of the longest sorties from Continental bases on Thursday night, when they once again attacked the German rail network in the Ruhr area Some of the aircraft patrolled as

far as 350 miles from their base, striking targets within 80 miles of Berlin. Their object was to destroy and harass German troops moving east over the railways north of the Ruhr. A secondary task was to harass the evacuation traffic moving west from the Berlin area. Bad weather prevented observation of all the results, but the first reports indicate that three railway yards, over 100 trucks, and four trains were' attacked with bombs and cannon fire. The flak was intense. Berlin had two attacks _ during the night—the first (and heaviest) shortly before 8.30 p.m., and the second in the early hours of Friday. More Mosquitoes bombed Berlin last night than on any previous night. • The attack on iMunchen-Gladbach, in the afternoon, and three attacks on Ludwigshafen, Mains, and Siegen, in the darkness, were all designed to prevent the enemy from hurrying troops and equipment from the west to the eastern front. Ludwigshafen, Mains, and Siegen are all key railway points in the southern part of the front, and troop trains were known to be passing through them oh their way east. The flak was not 'particularly heavy, but fighters and fighter flares were reported both over the towns attacked and along the routes, though never in such strength as seriously to interfere with the bombing. _ Fires sprang up—the fires in Ludwigshafen could be seen from 100' miles away—and there were explosions, particularly at Mains.