BOMBING RAIDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24775, 24 December 1943, Page 7

BOMBING RAIDS

FRANCE AND GERMANY DAY AND NIGHT ATTACKS AMERICANS LOSE 25 PLANES (Heed. 8.15 p.in.) LONDON. Dec. 23 Four Royal Air Force fighters are missing from an air offensive over Northern France, which continued until long after dusk. The offensive has now been progressing for three days against targets that have not been named. There has been nothing like it since the 11. A.F. battered the enemy's invasion ' ports across the Channel in 1940. Royal Air Force bombers from .Britain again last night attacked targets in Northern France and Western Germany. Others laid mines in enemy waters. None of the aircraft is missing from these operations. Mosquitoes, Bostons and Typhoon bombers, escorted and covered by Royal Air Force, Dominion and Allied fighters, yesterday attacked military objectives in "Northern France. Cloud hampered the operation, but the results where observed were good. Observers in the Folkestone district say that waves of returning aircraft continued for long periods. Yesterday's offensive appeared to be at least as heavy as on Tuesday. A large formation of American Flying Fortresses and Liberators, escorted by Thunderbolts and Lightnings swept out from Britain yesterday to attack targets in North-west Germany. The heavy bombers destroyed 23 enemy fighters and the American fighters destroyed 15 more. The Americans lost 21 bombers and four fighters. Air Marshal Sir Richard Peck, Assistant Chief of Air Staff, said there was overwhelming evidence that the R.A.F. is doing immense injury to the enemy's war production and therefore his fighting strength. The R.A.F. had sounded the sirens in Germany on more than half the nights of 1943.