AERIAL POWER

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25085, 26 December 1944, Page 5

AERIAL POWER

ALLIES STRIKE GREAT BOMBLOAD 10,000 TONS DltOITEI) MANY ENEMY CENTRES (Reed. 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. L'u The most striking change on the Western Front in the past 24 hours, says a correspondent, has been the resumption of Allied air operations on a large scale over and well behind the battlefield, and over the Rhineland.

A correspondent says that the fact that between 6500 and 7000 sorties were made by aircraft yesterday had an appreciable effect 011 the German thrust. The Allied planes dropped approximately 10,000 tons of bombs. In all these operations 178 enemy aircraft were shot down and nine were destroyed on the ground. Eight Allied heavy bombers, L' 6 lighters and fighterbombers and 39 medium and light bombers have not yet reported, although some medium bombers may have landed away from their bases. Huge American Force

United States headquarters announces that the greatest force of heavy bombers ever flown in a single mission by any air force —more than 2000 Flying Fortresses and Liberators of the United States Eighth Air Force —yesterday attacked communication and supply centres feeding the German offensive, a number of aerodromes in the Frankfurt area, and other military installations in - Western Germany. More than 900 Mustangs and Thunderbolts, which escorted the bombers, brought the total number of planes engaged to about 3000. The bombers left the English coast in the morning in a column 400 miles long, says the headquarters statement. As the head of the column entered Germany, the tail was just leaving England. Road and Rail Junctions After crossing the Continental coast, over which the procession roared lor two hours, the bombers split into three forces. Liberators attacked a series of road and rail junctions and supply centres from Euskirchen to Trier. These are vital for supplying the reinforcing German units in the battle area. Two groups of Fortresses hit Germanairfields around Frankfurt, just across the Rhine from the battle area. These fields had been extremely active as bases for the Luftwaffe's tactical fighters. Photographic reconnaissance showed as many as 50 fighters concentrated on one of these fields. Fortresses, carrying 5001b bombs, aimed at hangars and permanent installations to render the fields temporarily unserviceable. The weather was favourable, and all the bombing was visual. n, r One Mustang group shot down Zl ot r>o German fighters encountered east of Coblenz Another group of Mustangs destroyed 11 of a swarm of 50 German fighters in the Frankfurt area. Thunderbolts shot down eight German planes near Giessen. Blows by R.A.F. Bombers The Air Ministry states that yesterday afternoon strong forces of Halitaxes and Lancasters, escorted by Spitfires and Mustangs, made concentrated attacks in clear weather on two airfields in the Ruhr, and on the communications centres of Essen and Pusscldorf. With brilliant moonlight and improved weather, R.A.F. fighters and bombers were able to operate last night against railways leading to the front. Heavy bombers attacked the railway centres of Bonn and Cologne. The R.A.F. and the American Tactical Air Force dropped more than ' IOOO tons each on the battle area. The Ninth American Air Force destroyed more than 30 armoured vehicles and wrecked hundreds of transport vehicles. The R.A.F. Second Tactical Air l'orce blocked transport lines and attacked German troop movements, where the Germans were trying to move up supplies by road. It appears that the Germans have been using captured American petrol, and our aircraft wrecked at least one large dump ot 86.000 gallons. Gorman radio reports this morning speak of Allied bombers over Western Germany and Austria. SAAR AND VOSGES (Herri. 0.30 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. '-'I Allied forces in the Saar Valley repulsed a counter-attack by enemy infantry who crossed the Saar south ol Saarlouis. , , Slight further progress has been made in the Vosges west of Col mar.