PARALYSING REICH

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 73, 23 February 1945, Page 5

PARALYSING REICH

MIGHTY AIR ASSAULT MORE THAN 6000 ALLIED PLANES LONDON, Feb. 22. More than 6000 Allied aircraft last night and today struck a shattering blow at railway targets throughout the length and breadth of the Reich in the greatest air assault in history. More than 40,000 men took part in this great onslaught, which was designed to paralyse German communications. Every target hit by the British and American heavy bombers was the junction of at least two railway lines. Berlin tonight says the raids have not stopped yet. A new technique was used by the heavy bombers which, instead of dropping their loads from five miles up, swoopec to within 1300 feet of their targets to carry out the attacks. Most of the bombs used were of 5001 b, considered the most effective for railway attacks. A direct hit will destroy at least 40 feet of track. Squadrons of Mosquitoes t onight bombed Berlin to round off the greatest day in the history of bombing.

The assault began last night when more than 1100 R.A.F. heavy bombers attacked the big rail centres of Worms and Duisburg. Last night’s attack against Duisburg, which is the main western exit of the Ruhr, followed within 24 hours the attacks against Dortmund, the Ruhr’s eastern entry. By attacking both ends of the greatest railway network on the Continent, the Allies struck a, double blow against the route by which the enemy brings up reinforcements and supplies which are now urgently needed. Worm's, which was a new target for the Bombei Command, is an important railway centre. With so many of the larger industrial towns in Western Germany heavily damaged, the industries of small towns such as Worms have become increasingly important. Berlin was twice attacked during the night. The escorting R.A.F. fighters destroyed 14 enemy planes. Early reports show that 39 R.A.F. planes are’ missing but some may have landed on the Continent.

Soon after noon today more than 1400 American heavy bombers, escorted by 800 fighters, dropped more than 3000 tons of bombs on over two dozen marshalling yards and other railway targets on Germany’s great central network. . \

From Italy more than 1000 heavy bombers attacked targets in Southern Germany, Austria, Northern Italy and Yugoslavia with the loss of 25 planes on 2300 sorties. Reconnaissance of the Zeitz synthetic oil plant, near Leipzig, shows that exceptionally severe damage was done in the R A F.’s attack on February 16. The plant is still a mass of debris, with no major repairs yet undertaken.