WAR IN THE AIR

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 October 1944, Page 5

WAR IN THE AIR

ESSEN AGAIN BOMBED.

LONDON, October 25. The daylight assault on Germany was continued in full force to-day (Wednesday), when rail' and industrial centres were bombarded by 2200 British and American heavy bombers.

In the afternoon more than 1000 Royal Air Force heavy bombers attacked the industrial centre of Essen. They were over the target for half an hour and when they left great fires had been started. Two nights ago, the Royal Air Force' dropped 4500 tons of bombs on Essen. GERMAN WORKS BOMBED. RUGBY, October 26. The Air Ministry states: “R.A.F. Lancasters, escorted by R.A.F. Mustangs this afternoon attacked I. G. Farbenindustrie Chemical Works, Leverkusen. None of our planes are missing.” United States Headquarters states: Over 1200 heavy bombers attacked industrial targets at Bielefeld, ■ Munster, Hanover, and elsewhere in Germany to-day. The Liberators and Fortresses were escorted by over 650 Thunderbolts and Mustangs. Within a little over 24 hours to dusk to-day over 5000 British and American bombers and fighters carried out daylight assaults over Germany for the cost of nine planes, .says the Press Association’s aviation correspondent. These losses —less than one .for every 500 planes —are the lowest ever recorded in major air offensives. It is now known that six of the 10 fighters reported missing from the escort, provided by Fighter Command for the R.A.F. bombers yesterday afternoon landed, away from their bases. LUFTWAFFE’S STRENGTH NEW YORK, Oct. 26. American Army Air Force officials have acknowledged that Germany has made a surprising come-back with her air strength in spite of the many one thousand plane attacks against the German air production centres, says the New York “Herald Tribune’s” Washington correspondent. “It is admitted that the Luftwaffe now has more planes than it had in 1943. However, the Luftwaffe still is largely-ineffective because the Allies have predominantly superior air power. One official said: “The Luftwaffe no longer has first-class pilots. We can go after them and knock them down any time.”