RAIDS IN GERMANY

Grey River Argus, 1 July 1944, Page 6

RAIDS IN GERMANY

OIL SUPPLY AFFECTED AIRCRAFT FACTORIES ATTACKED. LONDON, June 29. A communique issued at Advanced Allied Headquarters in Italy stated: So much damage has been done to oil plants in attacks from the Baltic to the ißlack Sea that the enemy’s stored reserves are now his main “cushion” against having his military machine brought to .a grinding halt. These reserves, now that the fighting is in progress in France and Russia as well as Italy, are being used up at a faster rate than ever before. Between April 1 and June 15, 29 .attacks were made by Mediterranean bombers against 22 refineries and two oil storage depots. Of the 22. refineries only two were possibly active on June 15, since when there had been other attacks. Nearly 4800 aircraft dropped 11,000 tons of bombs After eight attacks on the Ploesti refineries, which accounted for 60 per cent, of the total refined output and 35 per cent, of the whole enemy oil production, the output is at a low ebb and many plants will be out of commission for months. More than half the total German synthetic oil production has been knocked out by attacks from Britain.

Air photographs show that the Gelsenkirchen synthetic oil plant was completely inactive eight days after the Royal Air Force Bomber Command’s attack on the night of June 12. Every day’s stoppage cost the enemy more than 100 tons of oil. Expert opinion is that the plant’s future capacity must be seriously curtailed.

Very strong forces of United States Flying Fortresses and Liberators on Thursday morning attacked aircraft factories at Leipzig, Oschersleben, Aschersleben and Fallersleben (near Brunswick), synthetic oil refinery at Bohlen near' Leipzig and a number of other military and industrial targets in Central Germany. The bombers were escorted by very strong forces of United States Mustangs, Thunderbolts and Lightnings. The factories at Leipzig, Oschersleben and Aschersleben were severely damaged during the attacks in February. and since have been partly rebuilt. The Leipzig-Heitrblick factory manufactures components for ME 109’s, Aschersleben makes components for JU 88’s; Oschersleben manufactures components for assembling FW 190’s. The JU 88 components and wing-repair plant at Fallensleben was damaged on June 28. The Bohlen synthetic oil plant was damaged on May 12. Fortresses and Liberators’ targets on Thursday also included aircraft factories at Berneberg, Magdeburg and Wittenberg, the German airfields at Celle and Stendalburg, west of Berlin and also two marshalling yards, says a U.S.A.A F. communique. Visual flak ranged from moderate to intense There was consider-

able enemy fighter opposition. Fighter escort destroyed 33 enemy planes in the air and 16 others on the ground. Bomber crews shot down three. Fifteen bombers and. two fighters are missing. Allied Air Activity NEAR VIENNA. (Rec. 11.40.) LONDON, June 30. The Berlin radio announced that strongly-escorted American bombers this (Friday) morning, met heavy I anti-aircraft fire over the outskirts or Vienna. German and Hungarian fighters intervened and fierce battles Went on over the Danube and the German-Hungarian frontier. RAID IN ROUMANIA, (Rec. 11.10.) LONDON, June 30. In Thursday’s Allied raid on two oil refineries in Bucharest area —Prahova and Itan, and also Chitila railway yards were attacked. A force of fifty-one Mustangs swept the Bucharest area, and scattered about fifty M.E. 109’s massing for an attack on bomber formations. They also acted as escorts to bombers. Fighters destroyed seventeen of a total of twentythree shot down out of 135 enemy 'planes encountered. ENEMY OIL SHORTAGE. (Rec. 10.0.) NEW YORK, June 29. Lack of oil resulting from determined Allied boinbing of German refineries and synthetic oil plants is be lieved by military authorities to be one of the principal reasons why the! 1 Luftwaffe is not flying, says the New ’! York “Times’s” Washington corres- i pondent.. It is known that the Nazis < still have ’planes and oil, but appar- I ently they are worried abouLfuel re- i

serves, for which reason they 1 , are hoarding the Luftwaffe for somtj particularly vital defence. Authorities pointed out that Allied strategic bombing of Europe was back in, full swing, and that for this reason-Ger-man hopes for a breathing spell while Allied air forces are engaged in supporting the invasion evidently are doomed ,to disappointment. !