R.A.F.-U.S.A. OFFENSIVE

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 October 1942, Page 5

R.A.F.-U.S.A. OFFENSIVE

FIGHTERS’ NEW RECORD TARGETS IN GERMANY LONDON, October 22. Royal Air Force and United States aeroplanes made widespread attacks on Germany and occupied Europe yesterday. American Flying Fortresses with strong fighter escort made two big raids on Germany s Atlantic bases. One force went to Lorient. the U-boat base on the Bay of Biscay, and the other attacked an aerodrome at Cherbourg, from which enemy long-range bombers go out on Atlantic patrols. Three American bombers did not come back from the i*? ids C 'The Vichy News Agency announced that one hundred were killed and 350 injured during an R.A.F. raid against the port installations at L’Orient, today. Mosquitoes of the Bomber Command were in action over western Germany. Mustang fighters of the Army Cooperation Command made history to-dav by attacking targets in Germany. This is the first time on record that single-engined fighters based on England have reached Germany. The attack was made in daylight. Targets on the Dortmund-Ems canal, a factory, and other areas were attacked. This is the longest trip Mustangs have ever made. Other Mustangs and Mosquito bombers attacked targets in Holland during the night. AH' the' British machines returned. “Austerity is being introduced in all official announcements about the Royal Air Force as a result of stringent instructions from the Air Ministry,” says the aeronautical correspondent of the “Daily Mail.” “Superlatives are banned from descriptions of Royal Air Force exploits and cold, bare facts are demanded. Estimates of damage done by Royal AnForce raids must be couched m the most general and conservative terms. Specific claims are to be withheld until photographically corroborated. Recent communiques devoted no more than 50 colourless .words to bombing operations involving hundreds of aeroplanes, 1000 airmen, and sometimes the devastation of large areas of enemy property.”

NINE ENEMY PLANES LOST. RUGBY, October' 22. London headquarters of the United States Army Air Force states: In yesterday’s raid on Lorient, nine enemy fighters were destroyed by Flying Fortresses in a running fight from the French coast to the vicinity oi Quimperle. MORE DAYLIGHT ATTACKS. RUGBY. October 22. It is officially stated that this morning aircraft of the Army Co-operation Command attacked ground targets in northern France. This afternoon Fighter Command aircraft attacked two armed trawlers off the French coast. One aircraft of the Fighter Command is missing. CASUALTIES IN ENGLAND.

LONDON, October 22. Eight persons were killed yesteidav when an enemy raider bombed an East Anglian village. A town on the south-east coast was also bombed. During the night bombs were dropped on several places in eastern England, causing damage and a small number oi casualties.

LONDON, October 22. One raider was shot down last night, when the Luftwaffe bombed two East-Midlands and one East Anglian towns. , The Berlin radio claimed that the Luftwaffe bombed important war installations in several towns m Eastern England, and also a large supply ship in a harbour on the east coast. Direct hits were observed. RAIDERS’ LOW FLYING (Recd. 11.50 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. 22. Three raiders bombed a south-east coast town early this morning, and wrecked houses and business P re ~ raises. Rescue squads dug out trapped people. There were some casualties. The raiders swooped in low from the Channel, just skimming the water, with machine-guns blazing. The first bomb struck the beach, bounced over high buildings on the promenade, and then demolished a house below. Other bombs directly hit buildings, and lit tered the streets with wreckage. Two daylight raiders dived from low clouds and dropped bombs on an East Anglian village, causing a number of deaths. One raider came so low that the bombs were seen to hit the street and bounce over a row of cottages, then fall on a workmen’s housing site, where most of the casualties occurred. Nine bodies have thus far been recovered, also a number of injured. AXIS THREATS

LONDON, October 21. The Berlin radio announced that the German High Command is contemplating more severe measures against all prisoners accused of employing “gangster methods,” including airmen who intentionally attack civilian objectives and civilians. A New York message states the Tokio official radio continues to broadcast threats of severe punishment against United States airmen alleged to have been taken prisoners after the raid on Japanese territory. A Japanese spokesman said the pilots seized had already been sentenced by a Japanese military court, but the sentence might not be carried out immediately, ne denied that the action was a reprisal, and claimed that punishments were threatened only for the future in order to protect the Japanese civilian population against enemy terrorism. The American Associated Press says: “These statements suggest that the Japanese fear more raids, and that an effort is being made to discourage them. One Tokio broadcast said future raiders would be tried for their lives.”

MR. STIMSON’S STATEMENT (Recd. 11.35 a.m.) « WASHINGTON, October 22. “Four American airmen, whose names closely correspond with those broadcast from Tokio, actually were among the Army’s list of fliers missing as the result of storms encountered after the raid on Tokio in April was completed,” said Mr. Stimson. He added that there were relatively few men missing after this raid. Some fliers may have been forced down by lack of petrol in Japanese-controlled territory. One plane was interned in Russia. Several others were involved in a forced landing in China. Very few of these planes were missing. “Our fliers who attacked Tokio w’ere instructed to attack only military targets. Our reports indicate they did so with remarkable accuracy. We abide by the Geneva Convention governing war conduct, and expect our enemies to do the same. We are very loath to believe Japan is going to violate these rules. We have allowed the Red Cross to inspect the condition of all Japanese prisoners held by us, and are making every effort to see the rules of Geneva and the rules of humanity are carried out.”

FLYING FORTRESSES’ BAG

(Rec. Noon.) WASHINGTON, October 23

Flying Fortresses in the European and Pacific theatres have shot down 130 enemy planes, probably destroyed 92, and damaged 82, between August 15 and October 15. Mr. Stimson announced in the same period only six Fortresses were lost. In the Pacific area, Fortresses, shot down 45, with 13 probables and five damaged.

AWARDS TO N.Z. AIRMEN

LONDON, October 21

The Order of the Crown of Jugoslavia has been awarded to Flying Officers S. J. Madill, of Auckland, and J. A. Henry-Smith, both R.N.Z.A.F. The Jugoslav Government in London stated that no details are at present available of the exploits for which these awards were given. Mrs. Rabone, of Palmerston North, wife of Squadron-Leader P. W. Rabone, who is a New Zealander and Flight Commander of a Beaufighter Squadron, was received by the King at Buckingham Palace. A D.F.C. was won by her brother. Acting-Flight Lieutenant "Lindsay Buchanan, who has been missing in the Middle East since April 1941. The King handed the D.F.C. to Mrs. Rabone at a presentation of awards to next-of-kin at Buckingham Palace. He expressed his sympathy and inquired how long Flight-Lieut. Buchanan had served. He also spoke to Flight-Commander Rabone, who accompanied his wife.