Heavies Make Great Attack on Railways

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 128, 2 June 1944, Page 5

Heavies Make Great Attack on Railways

No Air Alerts in London During May IBy Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) Received Friday, 1.20 a.m. LONDON, June 1. B.A.F. bombers were over France in great strength last nigbt when attache vere made on the railway centres o£ Tergnier, Saumur and Trappes 16 miles southwest of Paris, reports an Air Ministry communique. A number of military objectives were attacked and mines were laid in enemy waters, .light bombers are missing. The Tergnier railway yards are one of tbe most important junctions and distriuuting centres for traffic between xrance and Germany, says the Air Ministry News Service. They are the focal point for traffic to and from Cologne via Liege and Charleroi and contain large locomotive repair shops. Trappes is one of the most important railway yards in the Paris area while Saumur is a large junction on the FarisNantes line. The bombers had to fiy through thunderstorms going to Trappes but the weather cleared over the target where the crews saw big explosions. There was slight enemy air activity over a district in East Anglia last night. Bombs were dropped in one place but no casualties or damage were reported. London did not have one air raid alert during May—the first month since 1942 that the sirens have not sounded in the capital. From west and south the Allies’ mammoth air forces on Wednesday delivered smashing blows against the enemy's war potential at targets as far apart as Hamm and Ploesti, employing, it is estimated, 2600 to 3000 planes in all attacks.

It was the fifth successive day on which Portresses and Liberators were over Germany in strength, and the fourth day running in which tbe fighter escort exceeded 1200. The British United Press’s aviation correspondent say 3 that American neavy bombers in tbe morning pressed home their attacks against Hamm, osnabruck and Schwerte, despite the deteriorating weather. Schwerte and Soest have not been bombed for three years.

The Vichy radio, describing the Rouen attack, said that the raid lasted an hour. “The centre of the town was hit. Very grave damage was done and over 1000 people were killed.” United States Headquarters state: Railroad yards at Hamm, Osnabruck, Schwere (southeast of Dortmund) and Soest (southeast of Hamm), also an enemy aerodrome at Uxduil, west of Mulhouse (France) were attacked on Wednesday morning by a medium-sized force of Fortresses and Liberators of the Eighth Air Force. The bombers were escorted by over 1200 fighters, Thunderbolts and Mustangs of the Eighth and Ninth Air Forces.

Continuing thel- attacks on Seine River bridges for tbe sixth successive day, Marauders of the Ninth Air Force struck at three important highway bridges between Paris and Rouen at midday. One Marauder failed to return.

Escorted by Thunderbolts, Ninth Air Force Marauders attacked tbe 840 ft. six-span bridge at Coureelles-sur-Seine (40 miles northwest of Paris), the 675 ft. steel girder bridge at Rouen and the 450 ft. bridge at Bennecourt (30 miles northwest of Paris). At Rouen the highway bridge was left half under water by the first formations of Marauders to attack it.