R.A.F. OFFENSIVE

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 April 1943, Page 5

R.A.F. OFFENSIVE

U-BOAT BASES BOMBED

ABBEVILLE 'DROME HARD HIT

LONDON, April 4. During an attack by fighter bombers of the Fighter Command on the airfield at Abbeville yesterday, a supporting Canadian Spitfire wing led by an English wing commander destroyed five Focke Wulf 190’s and damaged others for the loss of one Spitfire, states the Air Ministry News Service. All the fighter bombers returned safely. '•

The squadron leader who led the fighter bombers said: “We bombed the airfield and scored hits all over it. Judging by the bomb bursts it was a very successful attack. I got a small bit of flak in the tail of my aircraft, but that was almost the only damage the ground forces were able to inflict. After the attack one of our chaps shot up the aerodrome with cannon.”

The Air Ministry News Service adds that without loss to themselves or to the bombers they had as their charges, Spitfires of the Fighter Command also escorted Venturas of the Bomber Command to attack the docks at Brest at daylight yesterday. No enemy fighters were encountered. The Air Ministry states that on Friday night aircraft of the Bomber Command attacked the submarine bases at Lorient and St. Nazaire. Mines were also laid in enemy waters. Two bombers are missing. There was favourable weather for the bombing of Lorient on Friday night. The Germans still base more submarines there, in bombproof pens under some 15ft of concrete, than in any other Atlantic port. Only small fires were seen last night, but many high explosive-bombs were dropped and must have caused still more disorganisation and made life even more uncomfortable for the submarine crews ashore, and Germans who have to work maintaining and repairing the U-boats. The defences were active, particularly light anti-aircraft guns. , , . St. Nazaire. which was also bombed on Friday night, is the most important of the U-boat bases in the Bay of Biscay. It has not yet been so devastated as Lorient. In spite of some ground haze large fires and major explosions, too large for bomb bursts, were seen by several crews. Advices reaching Stockholm state that Hitler’s Chancellery was seriously damaged during the Royal Air Force raid on Berlin on February 2i.

EASTBOURNE CASUALTIES

LONDON, April 4. The main street of a south-east coast town, which the German Official News Agency says was Eastbourne, was thronged with shoppers gossiping in groups when suddenly from the blue sky seven or eight Focke Wulf 190’s swooped in and changed the scene to one of scurrying confusion as bombs crashed down and cannon shells whistled among the crowds. The raiders directly hit a surface shelter in which the occupants, believed to number 12, were killed. Forty persons in an underground shelter were not. hurt when the building above the shelter collapsed. A church, chapel, vicarage, and a big, unoccupied hotel were hit. Antiaircraft batteries claim to have hit a number of the raiders.

ESSEN AGAIN RAIDED

21 BRITISH LOSSES

RUGBY, April 4. Last night the Bomber Command dropped bombs on Essen and again hit the great Krupps’ Works, says die Air Ministry News Service. At one stage of the attack six 4000-pounders were falling every minute. Within half an hour a huge pall of smoke had rolled over the city and many fires were burning fiercely underneath. Many crews spoke of a tremendous explosion which was just as if somebody had thrown gallons of petrol on a fire. There were two such explosions. Photographs taken during the attack show the vast Krupps’ WorKS were hit again. They were badly damaged during two attacks last month, but there are 800 acres of them and the Germans had made an obvious effort to save the rest. There were more guns, more searchlights, and more night fighters defending the city than ever before. A pilot who had taken part in 28 sorties over Germany said he had never seen a more spectacular defence. The target area was covered with glittering white lights from incendiaries. Searchlights were working in cones of about 30 each. As soon as a cluster spotted an aircraft it held on to it with its beam. -Tben another cone would take it on. It was as if the planes were being tossed from one to another. There was slight ground haze last night, but the sky above the city was clear. Essen has always been rhe most heavily defended area in Germany. with the possible exception of Berlin. Il has a concentration of anti-aircraft guns and searchlights disposed over ms.ny miles in depth around it. All attacking aircraft have to fly for a maximum period through this super-defended zone. Last night's defences seemed much heavier than ever before. . Twenty-one bombers are missing.

U.S.A. BOMBERS NEAR PARIS

ENEMY’S HEAVY LOSSES

RUGBY. April 4. A large force of American heavy bombers attacked successfully the Renault factories at Billancouy, on the outskirts of Paris to-clay. The weather was clear, and tne target heavily and accurately bombed, and left on fire. Strong opposition by enemv fighters was encountered on the return, and 25 were destroyed by the Fortresses. The final total will not be announced until all combat reports have been assesses. Over the French coast, R.A.l<., Dominion and Allied fighters, covering the withdrawal of the bombers, joined in combat and destroyed eight enemy planes. Four bombers and seven fighters are missing.

FURTHER OPERATIONS

RUGBY, April 4

Fighter and Bomber Commands aircraft carried out large-scale operations to-day over Northern France and the Low Countries, says the Air Ministry. Bombers, escorted by fighters, attacked the aerodrome at Caen and railway yards at St. Brieue. Fighter-bombers bombed tne docks at Dieppe and railway yards at Abbeville. Other fighters made covering and diversionary sweeps and attacked enemy coastal shipping. Thiee enemy fighters were destroyed m these operations, from which two bombers and five fighters are miss--11 Coastal Command aircraft made several attacks to-day on enemy shipping off the Norwegian, coast. At least two ships were hit with torpedoes, and one of them sank. One Coastal Command aircraft is missing.