COLOGNE BATTERED

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 October 1944, Page 5

COLOGNE BATTERED

MAIN BRIDGE DESTROYED i BERLIN ALSO BOMBED LONDON, October 29. “Cologne, which is the most damaged city of the Ruhr and Rhineland, on Saturday afternoon received its heaviest Royal Air Force raid of the war,” says the Air Ministry News Service. “More than 1000 bombers went to Cologne and Walcheren. More than 400 Spitfires and Mustangs escorted the bombers. “This formidable attack was made in direct support of the Allied armies now on the German frontier or beyond. The Germans have a number of advanced bases at Cologne and other industrial cities close behind the front line. The railways of Cologne form a network of yards and junctions, which were expressly laid down for strategic purposes and to. serve the army fighting in the west.' “The Royal Air Force raiders found the sky cleai - over Cologne. Crews agreed that the bombing was well concentrated. They saw large fires. The last heavy Royal Air Force attack on Cologne was on the night of April 4, after it was learned that several key factories had been reconstructed. “Mosquitoes made two separate attacks on Cologne last night, when large fires were still burning. Royal Air Force Lancasters attacked submarine bases at Bergen on the coast of Norway. Five bombers are missing from the night’s operations. The iron bridge across the Rhine at Cologne, which links up the main part of the city with the suburbs op the east bank of the river was probably destroyed in the raid,” says the British United Press correspondent. “Canadian crews reported that bombs fell right in the centre of the bridge. The only other link between the two parts of Cologne is a bridge of boats.” Seven bombers and one’ fighter are missing from the Cologne raid. Royal Air Force Mosquito bombers on Friday night made two attacks on Berlin. ‘Objectives -in western Germany were also bombed. No aircraft are missing. Marshalling yards at Hamm and Muenster were attacked on Saturday by some 350 Flying Fortresses of the United States Bth Air Force. About 200 Mustangs escorted the bombers. ~ , The Air Ministry announces that strong forces of Royal Air Force Halifaxes and Lancasters escorted by Spitfires, on Saturday morning, attacked gun emplacements on the island of Walcheren. ' Visibility was excellent and reports indicate that the bombing was successful. The aircraft attacked from so low a level that they were constantly shaken by the explosion of their, bombs. LANCASTERS BOMB TIRPITZ. LONDON, October 29. . Roval Air Force Lancasters this morning attacked the 45,000-ton German battleship Tirpitz, making a round trip of 2400 miles. Cloud seriously hampered the operations, but a brief wireless message sent while the Lancasters were still airborne said that at least one direct hit with a 12,0001 b bomb had been made on the battleship. . With the Russian advance into northern Norway the Ger ™ans nave been forced to withdraw the Tirpitz from her base in Alten Fjord in at attempt to get her to Kiel. The Lan casters caught her. at her moorings at Tromso, which is only 160 miles from Alten Fjord.. They Pressed home their attack in spite of the escort of destroyers, smokescreen ships, and four anti-aircraft batteries. FLYING BOMBS. LONDON, October 29. After an eighty hours’ respite, flyiri* 1 ' bombs came over Southern Jhngiand, including the London area, on Saturday night, causing casualties and damage. A heavy barrage from ground defences accounted for several of the missiles. The Minister of Health (Mr. Willink) in the House of Commons, gave an indication of the damage suffered by London during th e flying bomb raids. There had been 24,000 houses destroyed up to September 12, and up to thc/n there had been 1,100 000 incidents of damage. The total loss of houses was now 109,000 in the London region. On September 22' thej estimated that there were 800 000 houses in need of repair to make them reasonably comfortable. He estimates that there was between £30,000,000 and £35,000,000 worth of work to be done.