Drop 10,000 Tons, Make 7500 Sorties

Northern Advocate, 7 June 1944, Page 5

Drop 10,000 Tons, Make 7500 Sorties

(Rec. 11.30 a.m.) LONDON. June fi

No opposition from enemy fighters anywhere over the Channel or beachhead was reported by the first 10 waves of Ninth Air Force fighterbombers to participate in non-stop operations since 4.30 a.m. to-day, states Reuter’s correspondent at Shaef, Surface Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force. Between midnight and 8 a.m, R.A.F. and United States bombers dropped over 10,000 tons of bombs in the target area, making 7500 sorties. Tliirty-one thousand Allied airmen were over France from midnight to 8 a.m., excluding airborne troops, whose operations were on a large scale. Thirteen hundred Bomber Command planes, which carried out the attacks last night, dropped over 5000 tons of bombs on 10 coastal batteries. It was the heaviest of all attacks in a single night, but members of the crew did not know that their attacks were an immediate prelude to the invasion. Air Thick With Planes Over 1000 heavy bombers continued attacks against French coastal defences in daylight to-day. Fighter pilots were briefed at 3.30 a.m. for their heaviest day operations. Thunderbolts were crossing the blazing French shore line scarcely an hour later, and strafing German troops moving in lorries to defence beaches. One group scattered a convoy of military trucks proceeding to the front, leaving most of the vehicles in flames, and German soldiers racing for cover. There were hundreds of other targets: “There were so many planes in the air to-day that you almost had to put out your hand to turn,” said a Thunderbolt pilot. Goering has issued an Order-of-lhe-Day in which he declared: “The invasion must be beaten off, even if the Luftwaffe perishes.” Continuously Aloft Bombing, strafing and patrolling, fighter aircraft of the Ninth Air Force have been in the air continuously since 4.30 o’clock on Tuesday. Not one of the 1300 crews of Bomber Command who crossed the Channel last night knew that their own attacks were an immediate prelude to invasion, states the Air Ministry A load far exceeding 5000 tons of bombs was dropped—the heaviest of all air attacks on a single mission. The first 10 waves of Ninth Air Force fighter-bombers which went into action, reported no serious opposition from enemy fighters anywhere over the Channel or beach-heads. Lightnings have patrolled the skies over the Channel continuously since dawn, guarding a fleet of naval craft and landing boats. Thunderbolts flew over the northern coast of France as a protective umbrella for troops moving into the Continent. Fighter pilots were briefed for their heaviest day operations at 3.30 a.m. Scarcely an hour later, the first formation of Thunderbolts were crossing the blazing shore line of Northern France, to dive-bomb enemy defences on the beach-head of the assault area. Wave Succeeds Wave Following steadily throughout th? morning, waves of Thunderbolts bombrailway and highway bridges, road necks and coastal batteries in the invasion zone. Supporting ground forces, which were the spearhead of the Allied invasion, Marauders this morning bomb-! ed important enemy coastal guns and installations in a three-hour assault, beginning at dawn. Over 350 Maraud- i ers swept across the Channel continu- j ously to blast a wide strip of coast line in zone operations, as large forces of Allied naval craft moved across the Channel.

Encountering icing conditions, which forced many of the flights below their normal medium altitude bombing level, Maurauders dropped so low that concussions rocked the planes. Returning crews reported that the Germans threw up tracers, light flak, and even small arms fire, in an effort to stem the assault. None of the Marauders encountered enemy fighters. Only two Marauders were lost in this initial co-ordinated attack with ground troops and naval craft.

Bridges, Locomotives Thunderbolt fighter-bombers this afternoon attacked bridges, locomotives and other railway targets at Conflans, Gisors, Mezieres and Beauvais, in Northern France, and Mons, in Belgium. Other objectives in Northern France were factories at Conflans and Mezieres, and a radio station at Louviers.

Three more French railway yards—at Saumur, Trappes and Tergnier—are now known to have been severely damaged by Bomber Command aircraft. Bombing has been particularly heavy at the north-east end of a siding at the south-west end, when 75 to 100 waggons were destroyed, damaged or derailed, and there were at least 20 direct hits on the main electric lines,