AIR OFFENSIVE

Grey River Argus, 19 August 1942, Page 5

AIR OFFENSIVE

ON THE CONTINENT Americans Now Joining In U.S. BOMBERS OVER EUROPE. RUGBY, nig. 17. American Army Air Force bombers were over enemy occupied France late on Monday afternoon. They were escorted to their 'target and throughout the operations by a fighter force of R.A.F., Dominion, and Allied squadrons of the American Army Air Force. All the bombers returned safely. The full text of the communique has been issued by Headquarters of the European 'theatre of operat’ons. The United States Army and Air Ministry states that United States Flying Fortresses, escorted by R.A .F., Dominion, and Allied fighters, made a high altitude attack on railway marshalling yards at Rouen late on Monday afternoon. The attack was successful, all the Fortresses releasing their entire bomb loads on the target. Enemy pursuit planes were encountered, and one was shot down by the gunner of a Fortress. Brigar dier-General Eaker, CommandingGeneral of the United States Army Air Force Bomber Command, led the attack in a Flying Fortress. Meanwhile, other escorted Fortresses were conducting diversional operations. All of the Fortresses returned safely. Our fighters had many combats with enemy fighters, two of which were destroyed. Two of the escorting fighters are missing. On Saturday an American fighter squadron accompanied Canadian fighters in a sweep over France, and took part in sorties and convoy-pro-tection work. This was the fourth time in six weeks that the United States airmen had been in action with the Royal Air Force.

Reports received at Istanbul from Vienna state that United States Flying Fortresses made a recent highlevel daylight attack on the important industrial centre of Wiener-Neu-stadt, near Vienna. During the following two days Vienna had five alerts, but no bombs were dropped. The Germans have recently transferred many war factories from the Ruhr to Wiener-Neustadt. U.S. Raid Plans FIRST ATTACK ON FRANCE (Rec. 8.45) LONDON, August 18. General Eaker, commenting on the Rouen raid, said he was well satisfied with the day’s work. Flying Fortresses had also attacked targets at Caen. It was the first all-Ameri-can bombing attack in occupied France. General Spaatz met the planes on their return. He said: “Tins is only a start. We expect to keep up these raids. Everything went according to plan.” , General Snaatz at a press conference said the American Air force wnuld begin operations against Germany as soon as units were ready. Thev would take full advantage of R.A.F. experience. They would raid separately or jointly with the R.A.r. as the case might require. But there would always be full liaison. The Americans’ air bases were coming along well. They would use their own bombers, but some American fighter squadrons were using Spitfires with United States markings, because they thus could go into action sooner. British and American bombs were standardised.