DESTROYED COLOGNE

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 November 1944, Page 5

DESTROYED COLOGNE

ANOTHER MASS RAID OTHER CENTRES BOMBED LONDON, October 31. Five hundred Royal Air Force heavy bombers last night delivered another blow against. Cologne, the ninth since Saturday, including a raid by Mosquitoes earlier last evening. More than 9000 tons of bombs have been dropped on the city since Saturday. .Last night’s attack was made through cloud, the bombers being guided by Pathfinders. The Air Ministry has announced its intention of wiping out completely this important German supply base. Cologne is not only an important river port and rail centre, but it has also many factories supplying frontline equipment. The Air Ministry’s statement recalls that even in the most desperate stages of the siege of Stalingrad the factories of that city were still building tanks which went straight into action in the Russian front line. Cologne can still do the same, at present. Yesterday afternoon Royal Air Force Lancasters heavily attacked a German synthetic petrol plant in the Ruhr. The plant had previously been destroyed, but so important was its production that the Germans immediately started repairs, and they soon had output back to about half of the normal production. HAMBURG BOMBED RUGBY, November 1. While Mosquitoes, Lancasters and Halifaxes were making two attacks on Cologne on Tuesday night other Mosquitoes bombed Hamburg twice Night fighters and Intruders attacked. German airfields. Mosquitoes also attacked defences at Flushing m support of the land assault on Walcheren. The Air Ministry says that Cologne received 25,000 tons of high explosive and incendiary bombs on Tuesday night. The synthetic oil plants at. Gelsenkirchen and rail communications and targets at Hamm, Coblenz and elsewhere in Germany were attacked today by approximately 300 Liberators and Fortresses, states a United States Headquarters. The bombers were escorted by over 250 Thunderbolts and Mustangs. RAID IN DENMARK. RUGBY, November 1. Denmark’s Gestapo Headquarters housed in two buildings in the University of Aarhus, were destroyed on Tuesday in a spectacular low-level attack by Mosquitoes of the R.A.F. Second Tactical Air Force. British, New Zealand, Australian and Canadian personnel took part in the raid. With increasing signs of resistance and the rising wave of sabotage m Denmark, the Gestapo has been tightening its grip on the country. Two adjoining buildings formed the target. The attack was planned down to the last detail, accurate model target buildings being built before briefing the crews, who were told of their task under a curtain of secrecy. As in most of these attacks, a heavy responsibility fell on one navigator, who had to take the formation on a long sea flight right across Denmark to the east coast on to the target itself. The formation which operated in four sections of six each was timed to a second. Even the fusing of bombs .was arranged so that each section of the six aircraft could bomb without risk of being blown up by bombs 01. thenown section and yet leave little time as possible between the attack of each section. Going, in at zero feet they planted their bombs on the target and pulled up on the way to reform for the flight home. One pilot went in so low that he hit part of the university but he returned home safely. lhe pilots reported the operation as a success. ____________