Fourth Day Of Assault On Nazi Fighter Plants

Northern Advocate, 25 February 1944, Page 3

Fourth Day Of Assault On Nazi Fighter Plants

(Received 1.30 p.m.)

LONDON, February 24.

A GREAT ARMADA OF BOMBERS AND FIGHTERS FLEW OUT FROM BRITISH BASES TODAY FOR THE FOURTH DAY OF THE RECORD-BREAKING AIR OFFENSIVE AGAINST GERMAN AEROPLANE PLANTS AND RELATED INDUSTRIES. Heavy bombers hit targets at Gotha Schweinfurt, says the Press Association’s aviation correspondent. Medium-bombers and fighter-bombers continued the non-stop blasting of the “secret weapon’’ coast of Northern France. Other medium and light bombers attacked Netherlands airfields at Leeuwarden and Gilzerijen, and near Arnhem. A British United Press despatch from a bomber base says one of the greatest air battles of the war was fought by Liberators and Fortresses cutting, across the heart of Germany to bomb Gotha Schweinfurt. Making round flights of nearly 1600 miles, hundreds of heavy bombers flew under cover of great tighter escort. The bomber force split before reaching their targets. Pilots said they were under fighter attack en route to the target for 90 minutes. Focke Wulfs and Messerschmitts six and seven abreast attacked nose on. and tried to sneak in between the waves of the escort, and also tried to sweep up from below. Anti-aircraft fire was very heavy and a smoke screen was laid in an effort to hide the target.

Suicide Tactics

A correspondent commenting on pilots’ reports of their concentrated bombing, says the Germans will restart reconstruction work carried out at Schweinfurt which restored 70 per cent, of the ball-bearing production after the plants were devastated by raids last autumn.

The raid against the Messerschmitt assembly plant at Gotha is described as a big success. The pilots reported that the German defenders used suicide tactics, but could not stop the bombers reaching the target. United States headquarters state that strong forces of heavy bombers of the Eighth Army Air Force attacked an aircraft factory at Gotha, a ball-bearing factory at Schweinfurt, and other targets in Germany today. A.A.F., R.A.F., Dominion and Allied fighters supported the attacking forces. Range Far and Wide

The offensive by the Allied expeditionary air fore# was continued this morning when R.A.F. Typhoon bombers attacked military objectives in Northern France, and Marauders of the United States Ninth Air Force attaeked airfields in Holland. The Marauders were escorted and covered by R.A.F., Dominion and Allied fighters. Marauder medium bombers of the United States Ninth Air Force also attacked military objectives in the Pas de Calais. They were escorted and covered by R.A.F. and Allied fighters. On Wednesday a small number of Typhoons and Spitfires, one of which is missing, attacked enemy shipping at Zeebrugge, states the Air Ministry. At night Mosquitoes of Bomber Command, attacked objectives in Western Germany without loss. Many German Fighters

One airman said that German machines came up from every airfield from the Channel all the way to tbv. target and beyond. They sometimes brushed wing-tips. Fortresses took long steady runs over their targets and hit them squarely.

The Italian-based raid was on a factory in Austria for the second day running. They were escorted by Thunderbolts and Lightnings. The attacked lasted only 18 minutes, but ti was a crowded 18 minutes and the entire target was covered with bombs. Other Fortresses attacked an oil refinery at Fiume on the Adriatic. At least 29 planes were shot down.