E-BOAT BASES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25564, 17 June 1944, Page 5

E-BOAT BASES

ANOTHER HEAVY BLOW BOULOGNE BOMBED AIR SUPPORT CONTINUES (Rec. 11 p.m) LONDON, June 16. Halifaxes and Lancasters delivered another heavy blow against German E-boat bases when they bombed Boulogne before dusk last night. Three hundred planes dropped 12,0001 b bombs on concentrations of E and R-boats in the harbour with excellent results. Other forces of heavy bombers attacked railway junctions in Northern France' and fuel dumps behind the enemy linas. Fourteen bombers are missing. Military targets in Western Germany were also bombed last night, and mines were laid in enemy waters, all the planes but one returning safely. American Bombers More than 1300 Fortresses and Liberators, escorted by strong forces of Thunderbolts, Lightnings, and Mustangs, attacked an enemy airfield at Bordeaux, railway marshalling yards at Angouleme, in Southern Farnce, airfields near Paris, and /railway bridges and other targets in France "and Germany early yesterday. The weather over most of the targets was favourable. One combat wing of Liberators attacking a rail target was met by about 50 single-engined German fighters, which made two sham attacks. Other bombsrs encountered enemy aircraft. Flak was light to moderate, most of the bomber units reported, but some flew through very intense ground fire to reach their targets. Two escorting fighter groups engaged Germans in combat and- destroyed five enemy planes. Seven more were shot down by bombers. In addition to escort duties, Eighth Fighter Command pilots carried out low-level strafing attacks against enemy transport., shooting up two locomotives, four freight cars, six flak cars, five trucks, and other ground targets. Three fighters and three, bombers are missing from the morning’s operations. In one attack carried out yesterday by the Tactical Air Force 16 out of a group of 40 storage tanks were com- . pletely destroyed. Spectacular Operation

The heavy bomber attack on Le Havre before dusk on Wednesday night was one of the R.A.F.’s most spectacular operations of the war, says a correspondent at Allied headquarters. Several hundred Lancasters in two waves attacked E-boat pens arid harbour installafions in daylight. They were escorted by Spitfires. The raid was most successful, being carried out with an extremely small loss. It was Bomber Command’s biggest daylight attack for weight of bombs dropped. Heavy bombers followed with another attack almost three hours later. The attacks against Le Havre are regarded as an outstanding example of the flexibility of air-power and its use on a completely co-ordinated tactical scale. The attack did not force the E-boats out, but for the first time since D-Day there was no E-boat action in the Channel last night. New Zealanders played- an important part in Wednesday night's operations against railway junctions and roa.l transport behind the battle front. Pilots reported more enemy movement than during any night since the invasion began. After using flares to pinpoint objectives, the bombers attacked concentrations of parked vehicles and store dumps from a low level with cannon as well as bombs,, Fuel stores exploded and trucks in the Mezidon railyards were set on fire.

Reconnaissance shows that the German naval force suffered severely in the attack on Le Havre. A British United Press correspondent at a Marauder base reports that a small force of Marauders was hurriedly despatched at dawn yesterday in answer to a call for support from ground forces. The Marauders dumped 50 tons of bombs on a road junction bridge at Villers-Bocage. Members of the crews reported tha 1 the bombs fel 1 squarely on the junction, which was apparently blocked. The bombers encountered no enemy planes and only moderate flak. None are missing. Airships in Normandy

Air Marshal Coningnam’s visit to Normandy shows the speed with which i e -n tactical Air Force is being installed ashore. Every advance means another airfield site. Several strips were under construction within a day of the first landings, and several are now m full operation. a(v co ?espbndent writes from the Allied lines: “As each few miles are taken engineers are on the spot. Bulldozers have been rushea forward, runways made, and R.A.F. commandos moved in with equipment. I have just visited a site for a new landing strip two miles from where the battle is raging. These few acres were in enemy hands only a short time ago, but now bulldozers churn a way up and down. The runway is almost levelled. “Hundreds of sorties daily are being made by fighters and fighter-bombers from completed airfields. There is a constant stream of planes landing and taking off. Supply lines must be kept open for this great advance of the Allied air forces. There must be no hitch in the supply of fuel, oil, ammunition, and spare parts for the airfields. R.A.F. beach squadrons, working day and night, make this possible.”