Biggest Day In Bomb Cascade

Northern Advocate, 28 April 1944, Page 3

Biggest Day In Bomb Cascade

(Received 1 p.m.)

LONDON, April 27

Luftwaffe Avoids Combat

The Luftwaffe did not • attempt to break through escort forces when Marauders operated over Northern France. Spitfire pilots said that about 500 Allied planes were over the area at the same time. The ground was so covered with smoke from exploding bombs that they were unable to assess results achieved by planes they were escorting. Strong forces of bombers which crossed the Channel late in the afternoon, attacked aerodromes at Nancy and Toul, also railway marshallingyards at 31ainville and Chalone sur Marne in Eastern France.j Paris radio stated that Allied bombers violently attacked the town and district of Louvain last nighgt destroying several, districts of the town. There were many casualties.

Stung By Mosquitoes

Berlin radio spokesman, referring to Mosquitoes, said: “There are no measures for dealing with nuisance raiders. These machines are full of tricks and cunning ruses. They change their tactics all the time. Their task iis to bluff the Luftwaffe defences They cause alarms in various nerve spots and cause additional strain to hundreds of thousands of civilians and make them lose valuable working hours.”

Bostons, escorted by Spitfires, today attacked the railway' centre of St. Phinlain, while Mosquitoes, Typhoons and Spitfires attacked objectives in Northern France, Belgium and Germany, destroying one enemy aircraft. Two of ours are missing.

Bostons and Mitchells escorted and covered by R.A.F., Dominion and Allied fighters, today also attacked militask is to bluff the Luftwaffe defences.

Fooled by Fighters

From about midnight to 1 a.m. was a dramatic hour over Germany lasi night when fighter packs, massed at various danger points, were trying to guess where R.A.F. attacks would fall. One large force of Lancasters was flying north and two others were coming south. The northern force seemed to be making for Hamburg although what actually happened was that Mosquitoes, many loaded with 4000 pounders, bombed this target. The enemy sent strong reinforcements to meet this attack, for, while the Mosquito crews were there, dozens of fighter flares were dropping over the city.

Meanwhile, the main force of Lan- 1 casters which bombed Schweinfurt had much less chance of giving the packs the slip. The route took them < on a round trip of some 1200 miles, • mostly over enemy territory and at any point Gei’man packs could intercept. Lancasters were nine hours in the air. It was still light when they left England and dawn was breaking when they returned. Schweinfurt is a most difficult target to approach and locate but crews are certain that their bombing was very accurate. Markers kept the target lit throughout the attack. The Germans’ extensive smoke-screen was of no avail and the target became one big mass of flames with no isolated fires. Essen Ablaze Two thousand tons of bombs were dropped on Essen and by the end the whole place seemed ablaze. Apart from one attack a month ago, Essen has been left alone for nine months, while the Germans have' industriously repaired damage done to Krupps and other targets during last year's battle of the Ruhr. Air Chief-Marshal Harris allowed this work to continue until there .was sufficient to merit another attack. Hard-pressed by attacks on Schweinfurt and Essen, the enemy had few lighters to spare for defence of the railway yards at Villeneuve and St. George’s, near "Paris. The sky was clear and a strong force of Halifaxes and Lancasters reported that bombing was well and accurately concentrated. Spitfires Over Germany R.A.F. Spitfires flew into Germany for the first time this afternoon. They were fitted with long-range tanks and operated without loss between Aachen and Cologne. They cannon-shelled four gliders parked on an airfield, attacked a goods train, and shot down an enemy plane. The Spitfire is thus the third single-en-gine Allied lighter to fly into Germany from Britain. The .first was the Mustang, the second the Thunderbolt. Both are now engaged in escorting American heavy bombers. Spitfires to-day must have flown at least 800 miles, whereas the oriinal comieast 800 miles, whereas the original com-U-boats Dispersed Strong forces of U-boats were attacked and dispersed, mainly by Leigh light aircraft of R.A.F. Coastal Command, during a recent period of renewed intensive activity by Admiral Doenitz’s forces. Üboats were attacked day and night for a considerable period and it is estimated that two were destroyed and others damaged. R.A.F. aircraft were prominent in the action, accounting for one of the two U-boats sunk and damaging two others. R.N.Z.A.F. and R.A'.A.F air crews also participated in several attacks. Off Lofoten Islands An Admiralty communique reports that carrier-borne aircraft of the Royal Navy attacked a German convoy off Bodo, south-east of Lofoten Islands. Full reports are not yet available, but preliminary indications are that our aircraft hit four ships in the convoy and one escort. Raiders Over Britain German planes last night bombed three . south coast towns. A bomb hit a shelter ' ' in one causing many casualties. Raiders aiso were over the south-east coast. Some flew inland. London had ' two brief alerts, but no incidents. One raider was shot down. The German News Agency says that German heavy bombers last night attacked concentrations on the south coast of England, particularly Portsmouth. Maintained at Night Reports from the coast state that waves of United States and R.A.F. bombers and fighters went out across the Straits of Dover again this evening lor almost an hour. Almost continuously since early morning, the roar of formations of aircraft flying to and from the Continent lias been heard. Reconnaissance photographs show that American heavy bombers severely damaged an PW. 190 components factory at Kassel and Bettenhausen on April 19. One components shop was nine-tenths

WITH NEARLY 3000 BOMBERS AND FIGHTERS ATTACKING TARGETS IN GERMANY, FRANCE AND BELGIUM IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS, TODAY, BY THIS AFTERNOON. WAS ONE OF THE PEAK DAYS OF PROLONGED AIR WAR FROM BRITAIN, AND THIS HAS NOT ENDED THE DAY’S ONSLAUGHT, FOR MORE WAVES OF R.A.F. AND UNITED STATES PLANES CROSSED THE ENGLISH CHANNEL THIS EVENING.

It is believed that by the time they return a new day record will have been established for cross-Channel flights. / In addition to over 1000 planes which attacked Essen, Schweinfurt and other targets in Germany last night, nearly 750 Fortresses and Liberators, with nearly 500 escorting Thunderbolts, hurled probably between 1800 and 2000 tons of bombs in daylight on military installations in Northern France. About 500 Marauders and Spitfires unloaded another 350 tons on similar targets. Bostons and Mitchells also bombed military targets in Northern France. Lightnings, Thunderbolts and Mustangs strafed German-held airfields in France, while Mustang and Thunderbolt fighter-bombers- without loss, hit rail-yards at Haine Saint Pierre and four other targets in Belgium.

destroyed, and the other severely damaged.

Keeping up the anti-shipping offensive, Beaufighters of the R.A.F. Coastal Command again attacked enemy vessels oil the Dutch coast yesterday evening. One medium-sized merchant vessel was hit by a torpedo and debris flew 1500 feet into the air. A larger vessel was seriously damaged and set on fire. Cwnon-strikes also were obtained on several escorts. Well over 1000 bombers last night raided targets in Germany and France, reports an Air Ministry communique. Heavy attacks were made on Essen and Schweinfurt ,and against railway yardsat Villeneuve and St, George, near Paris. A reconnaissance plane over Essen two hours after the main force left, observed a great area of fire, with smoke rising 20,000 feet. The attack against Schweinfurt was particularly well concentrated. Railway yards at Villeneuve - and St. George were clearly identified. Mosquitoes attacked Hamburg. Many mines also were laid in enemy waters. Twentynine heavy bombers and two Mosquitoes are missing.