BOMBINGS CONTINUED

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 May 1944, Page 5

BOMBINGS CONTINUED

BOULOGNE MAIN TARGET SIXTEEN RAF. LOSSES LONDON, May 12. The Royal Air Force kept up its offensive against communication centres in France, and Belgium last ni'ffit for the sixth night in succes--sion. The German radip reported this morning that stiong forces of Allied bombers were making their way towards South-west Germany. Today is the twenty-filth day of the' laree-scale bombardment of Europe. The principal target of the Lancasters and Halilaxes last night was Boulogne. This French seaport has not been mentioned in a communique since last Septembei. The attack disorganised the anti-aircraft defences. Pilots speak of two particularly big explosions. Light and heavy anti-aircralt guns defending Boulogne yards were soon disorganised by the rapid bombing and their lire became erratic. Several crews ended the target to make sure aim and wait until the dense clouds of smoke over the target indicators rolled byOther targets included a railway junction about 12 miles east of Brussels, and mines were laid in enemy waters. From the night’s operations 16 bombers are missing. ATTACKS ON RAIL CENTRES RUGBY, May 12. Railways, airfields and other tarjgets in France and Belgium were attacked by bombers and lighter-bomb-j.ers of the Allied Ail Force through‘out yesterday, states the official Air Ministry announcement. Fighterbombers flew a large number of sorties during the day. Spitfires, Typhoons, Mustangs and. Thunderbolts attacked many targets including railways in France and Belgium. Marauders and Havocs escorted by Thunderbolts bombed airfields and military objectives on the coast of France and railway centres. Mitchells and Bostons escorted by Spitfires at-' tacked a railway centre at Douai. One bomber and four fighters are missing, but the pilot of one fighter is safe. Last night Intruders attacked enemy airfields in France and the Low Countries and destroyed enemy bombers. One ol' our aircraft is missing. The Vichy radio announced that Allied planes bombed Orleans at 1 p.m. yesterday. BOMBS BROUGHT BACK RUGBY, May 12. When one target on the French coast was bombed .there were very violent explosions and debris was thrown a thousand feet up. Several ci ews thought an ammunition dump hud been touched off. The weather was difficult with strong variable winds and a great deal of haze over some of the targets. Both in France and Belgium some of the targets were near built-up areas, and a number of the crews came back with -their bombs. Weather visibility was too indifferent over the target areas. Though night fighters were about and more were likely to come up to the targets every minute, the crews circled the objectives several limes in the hope of finding a precise aiming point, but eventually had to return with the bombs as instructed. The “S for Sugar” bomber, a veteran Lancaster, making the hundredth operation last night, was one ol the aircraft which returned with, a lull load after reaching the target in Belgium. On the way back, with bomos still aboard, the crew had a grim struggle with two JUBB s, which together made seven attacks in ten minutes, but they brought tne anciait home safely, to receive the warmest welcome at their own base.

AM ER (CAN ACTIVITIES LONDON, May J2. . The United States Strategic A'.r Fore-?, in a communique, says: Ihe Eighth Air Force Fortresses and Liberators carried out two r bombing operations on Thursday. They at tacked eleven German marshalling yards in France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Western Germany. Bombo were dropped in clear weather with generally satisfactory results. Enemy fighter opposition was weak. Our bombers shot d'own three enemy 'planes. Fighters destroyed fifteen ’planes in combat. Sixteen of our bombers and ten of our fighters aie missing. GERMAN OIL PLANTS RUGBY. May 12. German oil was the target for attack by vast numbers of American aircraft to-day. Up to a thousand bombers, escorted by a comparable force of fighters, took part. A statement says that four major synthetic oil plants in the Leipzig area of Germany, and one at Brux in former Czechoslovakia, were attacked .today by very strong forces of Fortresses and Liberators. Other targets in Germany were also bombed. Equally great forces of Thunderbolts. Lightnings and Mustangs provided the escort and support. Targets in Germany included the big Leuna oil plant at Mersburg, 18 miles west of Leipzig, and other plants at LAitzkendorf, 14 miles south ol Halle, Bohlen, just outside Leipzig, and Seita, 25'miles south-west of Leipzig. AXIS HUGE LOSSES _ RUGBY. May 12. British, American and other Allied Air Forces, excluding Russia have shot down about twenty-six thousand German and Italian aircraft since the beginning of the war, stated Sir Archibald Sinclair, in the Commons. He added that figures could not be given of the aeroplanes destroyed on the ground. RADIO CONTROLLED AIRCRAFT LONDON, May 12. Reuter’s Stockholm correspondent, quoting “Svenska Dagbladet,” reports that a German aeroplane which crashed near Kivik, in Sweden, yesterday, had no crew and was radio controlled. It carried two magnetic mines. BOMBED DOCUMENTS LONDON. May 12. A Dutch newspaper published in London lias revealed the nature oi.' the special documents contained in tiic' house in The Hague that the Netherlands Government asked the Royal Air Force to pinpoint and destroy. On May 3 the Royal Air Force ’ successfully blotted out the house. The documents were full lists of all Dutchmen the Germans intended to deport to Germany. HELIOCOPTER FLIGHT. NEW YORK, IWay 12. A new type of heliocopter, a Dipper, circled in Upper Buffalo the 60foot ceiling of a drill hall in what R. claimed to be the first indoor heliocopler flight in the United State's.