DAY AFTER DAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25458, 12 February 1944, Page 5

DAY AFTER DAY

GREAT AIR ASSAULT LUFTWAFFE ON GUARD BATTLES OVER GERMANY (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 11. The great daylight air offensive was continued to-day. The weallher was clear over the Channel, and large formations of Allied bombers, escorted by fighters, were seen flying out over the coast in bright sunshine to attack targets in Europe. Formations of heavy bombers of the United States Strategic Air Force in Europe yesterday bombed targets m the important aircraft manufacturing city of Brunswick, in Central Germany, and the fighter base of GilzsRijen. in Holland. Flying Fortresses attacked Brunswick objectives, and Liberators went to Gilze-Rijen. The Luftwaffe was obviously under orders to do or die, and gave the Flying Fortresses raiding Brunswick their greatest air battle over North-west Germany, says the British United Press correspondent at an American bomber base. The Luftwaffe put every available fighter into the air against the comparatively small force of bombers and their escorts.

The German fighter* attacked 15 abreast, and others dived in line astern through the formation, forming what a Fortress pilot describes as a “devii’s merry-go-round.” There were never fewer than 75, and sometimes 200 planes attacking the Allied planes. Fast single-seater fighters attacked Allied Thunderbolts, while the slower rocket planes attacked the bombers. Twenty-five Thunderbolts at one point engaged 35 Messerschmitt 110’s. The bombers flew on, leaving the fighters involved in a melee five miles above ground.

“It was like something from the movies, only worse,” a pilot said. “When a Fortress straggled all the fighters leaped upon it until it was battered down. The stragglers were dead ducks. Plenty of fighters fell, too. Parachutes filled the sky, mixed with puffs of flak and orange streaks that once were bombers and fighters.”

Six enemy aircraft were shot down in the neighbourhood of Paris by Typhoon fighters on an offensive patrol screening Typhoon fighter-bombers which were attacking targets in Northern France. Two of the Typhoons are missing.