U.S.A. RAID ON KIEL

Grey River Argus, 8 January 1944, Page 3

U.S.A. RAID ON KIEL

37 ’Planes Lost 95 ENEMY LOSSES CLAIMED. LONDON, Jan. 6. On Wednesday American bombers again attacked Kiel. Swarms of roc-ket-firing Messerschmitts came up to meet the United States raiding force and the Germans had a smokescreen over Kiel. In spite of this pilots claimed that the combine: was accurate and that fresh fires were started. The Americans claimed 95 German fighters shot down. The bombers destroyed 52 and the escorting fighters 43. The Allied losses were 25 heavy bombers and 12 fighters. The Stettin Raid A HEAVY ATTACK. 15 ’PLANES MISSING. LONDON, Jan. 6. The R.A.F. night bombing raid on Stettin in the Baltic on Wednesday was described as heavy, exceeding 1.000 tons. The Luftwaffe sent fighter ’planes to defend Berlin, leaving the door wide open for a great force of Lancasters with a smaller number of Halifaxes to get through to Stettin. The Germans seemed hopelessly confused by a light force of Mosquitoes which bombed Berlin a quartei' of an hour before the attack on Stettin, which is under 100 miles from Berlin, and at almost any point on the last stages of the journey the main force might have turned and made for the capital. German fighters started to arrive at Stettin as the attack finished. The bombers had brilliant moonlight over the target. Pathfinders dropped visual markers, illuminating the target almost as brilliantly as daylight, and then laid target indicators. The flak was insufficient to interfere with the bombing, and Stettin was well alight, said a pilot. All the fires seemed to be in the middle of the target area, and the glow on the clouds was seen over 150 miles away. A R.A.F. Station Commander said the Germans had become so rattled whenever bombers approach that (Berlin comes first and the rest a long way behind. Royal Air Force Mosquitoes were over Berlin, Western Germany and Northern France. From these raids 15 aircraft are missing. / AMERICANS BOMB DUSSELDORF. LONDON, Jan. 6. A small force of Flying Fortresses yesterday shattered the vital Bauer and Schaurte factory near Dusseldorf, producing about half the highgrade nuts and bolts used in the German war industry. A British United Press corresponident at U.S.A.A.F. bomber station says: The Fortresses did not start out to bomb the factory. They found it through a gap in the clouds, after an unsuccessful attempt to bomb assigned targets. : Raids in France 8.0.W, RUGBY, Jan. 6. The Air Ministry states that no loss was suffered by R.A..F. and Allied medium bombers and R.A F. fighter-bombers which cn Wednesday attacked military objectives in Northern France. ' R.A.F. and Dominion fighters swept over a large area without incident Dominion and Allied fighters covered the return of the U.S.A.A.F. heavy bombers from an attack on the Tours airfield. R.A.F. light bombers and fighter-bombers, in small formations, again attacked military objectives in Northern France on Thursday morning. R.A.F. and Allied fighters escorted light bombers and destroyed an enemy fighter. Fighters flying in supporting sweeps, destroyed two enemy fighters. One fighter and one fighter-bomber are missing. There was little enemy opposition. One large formation of Spitfires sweeping over France, saw no enemy aircraft.