BIG RAIDS IN FRANCE

Grey River Argus, 22 May 1944, Page 5

BIG RAIDS IN FRANCE

BY U.S. AND R.A.F. PLANES German Ships Attacked LAus. & N.Z. Press Assn.l (Rec 6.30.) LONDON, May 20. A United States air communique says* 'l'nree German aerodromes in France, Orly, and Villa Coubley near Pans and Champagne, near Rheinrs, were’ attacked oy Liberators and Fortresses on Saturday morning. Railway yards in Rheims were also attacked. A very strong fighter escort accompanied the bombers. Late the same morning airfields and other military objectives in Northern France were attacked by R-A.I. aircraft, and Marauders and Havocs of the Ninth U.S.A. Air Force and Mitchells of the Second U.S. Tactical Air Force took part in these attacks. Early on Saturday afternoon, United States Ninth Air Force Thunderbolt lighter-bombers attacked railway targets in Northern France. Marauders and Havocs dropped a total of 3oU tons of bombs on Nazi airfields in thick cloud. Heavy enemy flak was encountered. Marauders struck at airfields in Evreux-Deauyille, forty, miles west of Paris, and Demam-Pro-uvy, twenty-five miles south-west of Havocs attacked an airfield at Be-auvais-Tille, thirty' miles north ot Paris. Other formations of medium and light United States bombers ranged along the French coast, attacking military objectives. A small number of enemy fighters were encountered. Five of the Allied fighters and two of the bombers are missing. The British Air Ministry says: Aircraft of the Bomber Command were over France in great strength on Friday night. They attacked the railway centres of Boulogne, Orleans, Lemans and Tours. Targets were clearly identified and bombing well concentrated. Military objectives on the coast of'France were also bombed. Mosquitoes attacked Cologne. Mines were laid in enemy waters. Seven of our aircraft are missing. In one’ of these attacks an explosion was caused which was so bright that crews were blinded. One aviator said it was the biggest explosion he ever saw. In another case, crews were unable to identify a target on account of heavy cloud, and rather than endanger French lives they brought their bombs back. In face of terrific A.A. fire, Beaufighters of the Royal Air Force Coastal Command on Saturday night made a low-level attack on enemy warships close to the French Biscay coast. A destroyer was severely damaged and a minesweeper left blazing from stem to stern. Another minesweeper was damaged. Escorted bv Spitfires, Beaufighters sighted an enemy formation, consisting of a destroyer and three minesweepers and a motor torpedo-boat shortly before dark, and went straight into the attack. Shore batteries, opened up at the aircraft and the warship’s guns put up an extremely "heavy barrage. One Beaufighter is missing. During an offensive sweep olf the Channel Islands early on Saturday light coastal forces manned by personnel of the French Navy torpedoed and sank an enemy trawler, states an Admiralty communique. LAus. & N.Z. Press Assn.l (Rec. 10.35.) LONDON, May 21. Over one thousand fighters and bombers, only one of which did not return, swept across the English Channel from dawn to dusk on Saturday in the most strenuous day’s operations in the history of the Ninth United States Fighter Command. They encountered a single enemy 'plane in the air. The Allied Expeditionary Air Force announced that Marauders and Havocs late on Saturday again crossed the Channel in considerable strength and attacked the port area of .Dieppe, and two airfields north of Paris; also military objectives in Northern France. This was the second mission of Marauders and Havocs on Saturday, and brought their day’s bomb tonnage to over 850. The bomber crews were under the cover of Lightnings and Thunderbolts. They reported heavy flak, particularly over Dieppe. Three Marauders did not return. All the fighters got back safely. The crews observed good results after the haze lifted, enabling them to see the bombs landing. Thunderbolt fighter-bombers, with a Thunderbolt escort, made one last attack during the day, hitting railway yards in Cambrai, Busigny and Bethune. One did not return. Spitfire, Typhoon and Mustang fighters and fighterbombers also took advantage of lopS hours of daylight to carry out widespread attacks on road and rail transport and 'other targets in France, i Successes included overturning and setting fire to a military train or thirty trucks near Estrees. also setting on fire five out of eight lorries in the vicinity of Crevecoeur.

■& 1 • Raid on Berlin

IBY 11200 PLANES.

125 PLANES DOWNED FOR LOSS OF 44.

(Rec. 7.30) LONDON, May 20. The Royal Palace in Berlin was hit during an American daylight raid there on Friday. Deputy German Press Chief Suendermann, speaking on the German overseas radio, said the Gobelin Hall in the Schluter Court in the palace suffered heavily. The German News Agency reported that a building housing documents relating to the last Olympic? games held in Berlin in 1936 was set on fire in a recent raid. Documents, however, were saved, and are being kept at the International Olympic Institute as a basis for next Olympic games. Between 500 and 700 bombers, accompanied by approximately an equal number of fighters raided Berlin on Friday, at midday. The German radio reported violent air battles over Osnabruck. Mustangs swooped down on the seaplane base at Saaler Bay, in north Germany and destroyed five flying boats and a small liaison aeroplane. The Germans speak of violent air battles over Berlin. The raiders shot down 125 German aircraft. The raiders lost 25 bombers and 19 fighters. R.A.F. OVER GERMANY. (Rec. 12.20.) LONDON. Mav 21. The Air Ministry, in a communique, states: Bomber Command ’planes on Saturday night bombed objectives in Western Germany and mined enemv waters. None is missing.