HEAVY POUNDING

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24824, 22 February 1944, Page 5

HEAVY POUNDING

BOMBEBS _CIBCLE CITY BATTLES WITH FIGHTERS 'Recti. 8.30 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 20 A large force of Royal Air Force Lancaster and Halifax bombers gave the German city of Leipzig its biggest pounding of the war last night. Over 2300 tons of bombs were dropped. This is comparable with the heaviest raids on Berlin. Seventy-nine planes were lost ia last night's operations. The weather in the attack on Leipzig presented severe difficulties. Several bombers arrived before zero hour and circled the city, waiting for the first flares to go down. Junkers Collides With Lancaster When the markers were dropped the operation developed into a battle between fighters and bombers. Most of the crews agree that the fighter attacks were concentrated on them from the time they crossed the enemy coast. The searchlights did not get through the clouds, which were so thick that the glow beloiv was rather faint. Black smoke billowed up _ for 22.000 feet. Bomber crews saw a huge explosion near the beginning of the attack, when a vivid blue flash came up through an 8000-foot cloud, and illuminated the sky. A Junkers 88 which collided with "a Lancaster near the enemy coast -was seen to hit the ground in flames. The Lancaster got home safely with a large hole and other damage. Enemy fighters made 11 separate attacks on one Halifax, which, although severely damaged, was brought safely back. Large Railway Junction

Leipzig has many large war factories, including more than 20 making aircraft components. Since the war began the huge buildings, which housed the annual Leipzig Trade Fair, have been converted into workshops for the repair of Junkers aircraft engines. The city is also an important railway centre and one of the largest junctions on the German supply route to the Russian front.

The loss of 79 planes in last night's massive air blows at central and eastern Germany, France and Holland, is the heaviest the Bomber Command has ever suffered in any single day or night operation. The previous highest night loss was 58 against Berlin on August 23, 1943. Sixty American bombers were lost in daylight over Schweinfurt on October 14, 1943.