HEAVIEST YET

Grey River Argus, 29 April 1944, Page 5

HEAVIEST YET

BLITZ IN FRANCE

Over 3000 Planes on Thursday [Aus. & N.Z- Frees Assn.] LONDON, April 27. On Thursday nearly 750 Fortresses and Liberators with nearly 500 escorting Thunderbolts, hurled probably between 1800 and 2000 tons of bombs in daylight, to-day, on military installations in Northern France. About 500 Marauders and Spitfires unloaded another 350 tons on similar targets. Bostons and Mitchells also bombed military targets in Northern France. Lightnings, Thunderbolts and Mustangs strafed German-held airfields m France while Mustang and Thunderbolt fighter-bombers without loss hit railway yards at Haine, Saint Pierre, and four other targets in Belgium. The Luftwaffe did not attempt to break through the escort forces when Marauders operated in Northern France.

Spitfire pilots said that about 500 Allied planes were over the same trea at the same time. The ground was so covered with smoke by exploding bombs that they were unable to asses the results achieved by the planes they were escorting. Strong forces of bombers which crossed the Channel late this afternoon attacked aerodromes at Nancy and Toul, and also railway marshalling yards at Blainville and ChaloneSur Marne in Eastern France.

I The enemy had few fighters to I spare for the defence of the railway yards at Villeneuve, St. Georges,, near Faris. The sky was clear and a strong force of Halifaxes and Lancasters reported that the bombing was well and accurately concentrated. Bostons escorted by Spitfires, today attacked the railway centre of St. Phinlain, while Mosquitoes, Typhoons and Spitfires attacked objectives in Northern France, Belgium, and Germany, destroying one enemy aircraft. Two .of ours are missing. Bostons and Mitchells covered by R.A.F., Dominion and Allied fighters, to-day also attacked military objectives in Northern France. United States headquarters state that Lightnings, Thunderbolts, and Mustangs carried out strafing and bombing attacks on aerodromes in France to-day. Reports from the coast state that waves of United States, R.A.F. bombers and fighters went out across the Straits of Dover again on Thursday evening for almost an hour. Almost continually since early morning the roar of formations of aircraft flying to and from the Continent had been heard.

Keeping up the anti-shipping offensive, Beaufighters of the R.A.F. Coastal Command again attack enemy vessels off the Dutch coast yesterday evening. One medium-sized merchant vessel was hit bv torpedo, and the debris flew 1050 feet into the air. A larger vessel was seriously damaged and set on fire. Cannon strikes were also obtained on several escorts. The Paris radio stated that Allied bombers violently attacked the town and district of Louvain, last night, destroying several districts of the town. " There were many casualties (Rec. 9.10.) LONDON, April 28. The German controlled Paris radio declared that the Allied air offensive over Northern France and Belgium on Thursday was the heaviest so far. The Press Association’s aviation correspondent says: The Allied forces raiding in France late on Thursday afternoon consisted of nearly 750 Fortresses and Liberators, with about the same number of escorting Lightnings, Thunderbolts and (Mustangs. This means that with the seven hundred bombers and nearly five hundred fighters earlier in the afternoon the Americans alone sent out during Thursday over France probably up to 2,750 heavy bombers and fighters in two big bomber operations. Prooably nearly fifteen hundred were heavy bombers, representing a new peak in United States heavy bomber effort. These figures take no ac~, count of medium bomber forces sent out during the dav bv the R.A.F. and the United States force, or of fighter formations escorting medium bombers. Targets attacked on Thursday included railway yards in Cambrai, Arras and Creil. Marauders and Havocs alone dropped over 750 tons of high explosives during the day.

Plight of Paris

DISRUPTION OF RAIL TRAFFIC. (Rec. 7.35.) LONDON, April 28. The "New York Times” Berne correspondent states that the devastating bombings of the invasion coast pre reported to have disrupted tho entire railroad traffic, making jt impossible to evacuate the population oi Paris as planned, because there are not enough trains left to take care of German troops, much less French civilians. He adds that another vacation of the disruption of rail trail.c is found hi the fact that the authorities have announced that food supplies for Paris will be carried by canal routes. Sabotage has intensified transportation di fliculties. AIR COMMANDER’S ESCAPE LONDON, April 28. Sir Sholto Douglas, Air Officer Commanding the Coastal Command, recently narrowly escaped serious injury during an inspection trip at coastal bases in Northern Ireland. A Lockheed plane in which he was travelling crashed during a take-oit. One motor cut out, and the plane’s nose ploughed into the ground, Sir S. Douglas escaped with a cut leg and a bad shaking.