ATTACK ON ESSEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25718, 14 December 1944, Page 5

ATTACK ON ESSEN

STRONG BOMBER FORCE MOSQUITOES OVER OSNABRUCK (Rec. 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 13. A stl-ong force of R.A.F. Bomber Command Lancasters and Halifaxes attacked Essen last night. Squadrons of Mosquitoes bombed Ornabruck. Railway transport and communications in Eastern Holland and Western Germany were again under attack on Monday by fighter-bombers, which ranged over the Dutch frontier east towards Osnabruck and south towards Stadt and Meckenheim, says an Allied headquarters communique. Locomotives and freight cars were destroyed and tracks were cut at a number of places. Heavy and light bombers, with fighter escort, attacked the marshalling yards and the benzol plant* at Osterfeld, and also the benzol plants at Meiderich and Bruckhausen.

The Leuna synthetic oil plant near* Merseburg, and the important railway yards at Hanau, Aschaffenburg, and Darmstadt were attacked on Tuesday by more than 1250 United States Eighth Air Force Fortresses and Liberators, eseprted by about 900 Mustangs, Thunderbolts, and Lightnings of the Eighth and Ninth Air Forces. The Leuna plant was attacked under adverse weather conditions. All the bombing at Hanau and Darmgtadt, and some at Aschaffenburg, was done visually. An Air Ministry communique says that squadrons of Bomber Command’s Mosquitoes on Tuesday night attacked Hanover and Hamburg, and also bombed objectives in Western Germany. One plane is missing. The R.A.F. night attack against Essen was made through thick cloud. Most of the crews were unable to see the results. The United States Air Force communique says that nine bombers and nine fighters are missing from the daylight attack on Merseburg and other targets. The Luftwaffe offered no opposition. The flak was intense over Merseburg, but less severe than previously. Elsewhere the flak was moderate to weak.