DARING R.A.F. RAID

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXII, Issue 119, 20 April 1942, Page 5

DARING R.A.F. RAID

AUGSBERG FACTORY GREAT DAYLIGHT FLIGHT. (United Press Association —Copyright.) RUGBY, April 18. It is officially stated that in daylight yesterday 12 of tlie new four-engined Lancaster bombers flew more than 1000 miles over enemy and enemy occupied territory to bomb the Machinenfabrik Augsberg Nurnberg _ factory, which manufactures Diesel engines for submarines. Augsberg, which is 40 miles northwest of Munich in Southern Germany, is the home of the huge Messerschmitt works and it was from there that liess flew to Britain ~n May 10 last year The Lancasters crossed the Channel in the afternoon and reached Augsberg in broad daylight. The town is 400 miles deeper in Germany than any target previously attacked in the daytime, lb was one of the most daring flights of the war. Our bombers came in over the factory at chimney height and the aircrews saw the burst of bombs on this target. The factory was heavily defended by anti-aircraft guns, and there were even gunposts on the roof, the crew of one of the planes reporting having seen more than one wiped out by bursting bombs. Almost from the start of the outward journey, the Lancasters experienced tierce engagements with enemy fighters and four of our bombers were shot down south of Paris, but the remainder pressed on to their objective. Three other Lancasters were shot down by anti-aircraft fire after making thenattack, but the remaining five landed safely at their bases well before midnight.

LEADER TELLS HIS STORY

A squadron-leader who led the first section, giving his own account of the raid, said: --As soon as the French coast came into sight 1 took my formation clown to 25 to 30ft, and we flew the whole of the rest of the way to Augsberg at that height. Soon after we crossed the coast enemy fighters appeared in fairly big numbers, and a fierce running fight developed. "It was our job to pierce straight through to the target, so we kept in the tightest possible formation—wing tip to wingtip—so as to support each other by our combined fire. VVe vent roaring on over the countryside, lifting over hills and skimming down valleys. Fighter after fighter attacked us from astern. Their cannon shells were bursting ahead. "We were continually firing at them from our power-operated turrets. AVc rushed over the roofs of a village and 1 saw cannon shells which had missed us crashing into the houses, blowing holes in the walls and smashing the gables of roofs. The fight lasted lo minutes or so and aircraft were lost both bv ourselves and by the Germans Then their fighters gave up, probably running out ol ammunition Alter that we had no more trouble till we reached the target. ..•■ "We swept in across I'ranee and skirted the border of Switzerland into Germany. I pulled the nose of my aircraft up a trifle to clear a lull, pushed it down on the other side and saw the town of Augsberg.

"We charged straight at it. Our target was not simply the works, but certain vital shops in the works. W<- ; had studied their exact appearance from photographs and we saw them just where they, should be. . Lowangle flak began to come, up thick and fast. We were so low the Germans were even shooting into their own buildings. They had quantities of quick-firing guns. All our aircraft had holes made in them.

"Tho big sheds which were our targets rose up exactly ahead of me. My bomb-aimer let go. Our bombs, of course, had delayed action fuses or thev would have blown us all up. We roa'red on past the town and I had the painful experience of seeing one of mv formation catching fire. T was thankful to sec it make a, perfect forced landing. "At that moment all our bombs went up T had turned and so could sec the target well. Debris and dust were flvin" in the air. Then T set course for home. The light was beginning to fail. T was not attacked again. I ill dark we again flew a few feet above the ground. Then we rose to normal height and got home without further incident.

HAMBURG ATTACKED

Last night a strong force of K.A.F. bombers also attacked the port ot Hambur", and this afternoon a small force of "Hurricane bombers, escorted by squadrons of lighters, attacked targets in Northern France. A communique says that a strong force of Stirling, Wellington, Manchester and Hampden bombers made a heavy attack on the port of Hamburg. Many fires were left burning. The submarine base at St. Nazaire and the docks at Lc Havre were also bombed and mines were laid in enemy waters.

FRIDAY'S GREAT SWEEP

An Air Ministry communique said that during Friday morning lighters swept over the Cherbourg Peninsula. They also escorted bomb-carrying Hurricanes to Marquise, where a shcilfilliug factory was hit. In the atternoon° the fighters made big sweeps inland toward St. Omer and along the French coast escorted Boston bombers in attacks on targets at Calais, Rouen, and Cherbourg. Bombs hit the main railway line at Calais and at Rouen a power station, shipyards, and fuel tanks were hit. At Cherbourg the docks were bombed. Generally, little opposition was encountered from enemy fighters, but in one operation two of .them were destroyed. One of our bombers and two fighters are missing. An Air Ministry bulletin says that the main feature "of the morning and afternoon sweeps was the German reluctance to fight. The leader of one of the Spitfire wings reported: "Considerable numbers of enemy fighters flew back parallel with our wing but they were apparently content to remain out of range. Though they were equal to us in number. 2000 ft higher and in an advantageous position, only three of a formation of Focke-Wulf .190 s made any attacks." Other fighters escorting Hurricanes saw their bombs drop right on a shellfilling Factory at Marquise, near Calais, and when the smoke cleared large holes were seen. The Hurricanes went into a power-dive over the Marquise, tactorv from 9000 to 2000 ft. 1 here is no doubt the buildings were given a thorough knocking about. \s the afternoon sweeps continued further bombers were escorted, but verv few ont'.mv fighters were seen Of'several hundred fighters which took part in these operations, only two are missing. . Pilots who attacked Cherbourg reported smoke rising from the area o! the basin: It was impossible, however, to sec the full extent of the damage because of fighter opposition.—Official i Wireless.