AIR ASSAULTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24971, 14 August 1944, Page 3

AIR ASSAULTS

RAILWAYS SUFFER TRAFFIC ON ROADS ENEMY SUPPLY LINES WAR CENTRES BOMBED (Reed. 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, Au£. 13 The R.A.F. was over Germany in great strength last night. Part of the force went to Central Germany to attack the big war production centre of Brunswick. The rest concentrated on Russelsheim, a suburb of Mainz, on the Rhine. Russelsheim was attacked less than a month ago by the United States bombers. It has among other war plants an aircraft factory. The attacks were carried out by Lancaster and Halifaxes. Other targets in Northern France were also attacked and mines were laid. Forty-nine of our aircraft are missing from tho night's operations. Strafing and Bombing Hundreds of American fighters and fighter-bombers strafed and bombed railway yards and trains and also road targets yesterday to prevent supplies and reinforcements reaching the Germans opposing the Allied armies in France. The attacks covered nearly all German-occupied France except the extreme southern part, the operations extending from Belgium and the Channel coast to south and cast of Paris. It was the sixth day of intensive, farreaching attacks by these planes. Fighters shot up 2860 freight cars, including 359 fuel-carrying cars, 320 locomotives, 172 carloads of ammunition, and destroyed or damaged over 400 trucks and other military vehicles. Other targets included a score of marshalling yards, seven bridges and four tunnels. Fighters strafed an ammunition train of CO cars and the whole train exploded. Fifteen of our fighters are missing.

American heavy bombers attacked tho railway yards at Metz and a number of aerodromes in Northern France. Tho weather was clear and tho results were good. Fortresses starting from bases in Italy attacked a German aerodrome fivo miles south-west of Toulouse and then proceeded to bases in England. These were the same aircraft which made a shuttle run from England to Russia on August (5. Tremendous Correlated Blows The Allies' tremendous correlated air blows yesterday constituted the greatest onslaught against the enemy's communications throughout the war, says the Press Association's aviation correspondent. From daybreak to dusk, hundreds of bombers and lighter-bombers swarmed over France and Belgium, smashing enemy equipment many miles from the battle fronts and strafing every typo of vehicle that could be used to bring up men or material to the ; frontline. Jn addition, railway tracks were attacked at innumerable points. American Marauders and Havocs were called in last evening to help to cut off German troops believed to be attempting a withdrawal from the pocket west of Argentan. Waves of planes saturated the escape roads to the rear with fragmentation and high - explosive bombs. Typhoons knocked out a bridge across the Orno north of Conde.

SHUTTLE BOMBING LITTLE NAZI INTERFERENCE (Heed. 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, Aug. 13 During last week, when Fortresses, escorted by Mustangs, completed Britain to Russia and Italy to Britain shuttle bombing operations, tho LuftwalTo made only ono major attack. Fifty Fooke Wulf 190's rose up over Germany, but the Mustangs beat them off and the Fortresses went on to Russia. Not a single Fortress or Mustang was lost during the thousands of miles of flight, mostly over hostile territory. MORE FLYING BOMBS (ReoL «.30 p.m.) LONDON, Aug. 13 Flying bombs were sent over tho southern counties, including the London area, during the night. Royal Air Force Mali faxes, escorted by Spitfires, again attacked flying bomb sites in Northern France.