FRANCE AND BELGIUM

Grey River Argus, 3 May 1944, Page 5

FRANCE AND BELGIUM

BLASTED HARDER « Monday’s Bombings [Aust, & N.Z. Press Assn. J (Rec. 7.5.) LONDON, May !• Marauders and Havoc bombers, escorted by Lightnings, Thunderoolts and Spitfires on Monday evening bombed the railway yards at Louvain, in Belgium, Valenciennes and Blanc and Misj&eron, in Northern France. They dropped over 250 tons of bom os. The ..bomber crews saw smoke lining to a height of 9,000 feet abo\ Louvain and Valencinnes. , U.S.A. Mitchell and Boston boaiD . er& escorted by R.A.F., Dominion Allied Spitfires, attacked way yards at Cambrai. 2- bbnde bolts afterwards dive-bombed Cambrai yards. The Paris radio announced that. _ area of Greater Pans was attacked late on Monday night by Allied bom b On Monday morning. U-S-A tan°- fighter-bombers attacked tail wavyards at Haine-St. Pierre also in B Monday morning’s ac^v ity f °the the Channel was the gieatest f Wt The Paris radio has described the widespread attacks as mult p e • The British United Press says dav’s attacks represented a neacy blow against German cb ™ mbn^ tions from the east and the south over enemy territory soon after dawn on Monday to bomb railway yards at Mans, Haine, St. Pierre and Namur, in Belgium. , _ The Luftwaffe challenged at Lyons with several dozen fighters. American fighter pilots shot down 18, and seven more fell to the bombeis. Ail-* craft were also destroyed on the ground. One American bomber and four fighters are missing • Tactical force squadrons, attacked the Hirson railway yards in Northern France. The whole target was enveloped in smoke to 300 feet. The flak was not particularly heavy. Fortresses and Liberators attacked railway marshalling yards at Brussels, R'heims, Troyes and Metz late oil Monday. They were escorted by strong forces of Thunderbolts, Lightnings and Mustangs. United States Headauarters states: The Eighth Air Force opened May with attacks on German military installations in the Pas de Calais area carrying out the fourteenth operation in fifteen days. Fortresses and Liberators escorted by Mustangs and Thunderbolts attacked without enemy air opposition, but encountered intense flak. Some bombers encountering ground haze and poor visibility returned with their bombs, while others reported bombing visually with good results. All returned. A Lightning group on Monday penetrated as far as Aachen in Germany without finding a single enemy fighter. • . , , R.A.F. ’planes on Sunday night bombed an ammunition dump southwest of Paris, and saw it blow up; railway yards near,Paris, and others near Arras. Other aircraft raided over Western Germany. Mines were laid. One aircraft is missing. In France, Tours was bombed by Lightnings. Gassicourt and . other places in Northern France, airfields at Creil, and Cormeilles, and other military objectives were attacked. Last'month Marauders in Belgium and France dropped 8,800 tons of bombs on 5,100 targets. They lost 1J Marauders and five Havocs. during the month. .