AIR ASSAULT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25797, 19 March 1945, Page 5

AIR ASSAULT

PRESSURE MAINTAINED HEAVIES AGAIN BUSY (Rec. 9.30 p.m.) LONDON, Mar. 18. Oil targets, tank plants, and railway yards in Germany were attacked on Saturday by more than 1300 Liberators and Fortresses of the United States Air Force, with an escort of more than 750 Mustangs. Objectives included synthetic oil plants at Bohlem and Ruhland, a benzol plant at Moblis, a tank factory at Hanover, and marshalling yards at Munster. _ T On Saturday afternoon R.A.F. Lancasters, escorted by Spitfires and Mustangs, attacked two benzol plants, one near Huls and the other north-east of Dortmund. , .. It is officially announced that Mosquitoes last night carried out another attack on Berlin. ■ , , ~ R.A.F. Bomber Command aircraft were over Germany in strength on Friday night, with Nuremberg and Wurzburg as their main objectives, says an official announcement. Large fires were left burning, with smoke rising to a great height. Berlin was also attacked, and objectives at Hanau. Mines were laid in enemy waters. At least nine enemy fighters were destroyed. We lost 30 bombers. Ten-ton Bombs An examination by experts of photographs taken after daylight attacks on the railway viaduct at Bielefeld against which the R.A.F.’s new 10-ton bomb was used for the first time show that the damage was even more complete than was first realised. There are two parallel viaducts at Bielefeld and three spans. One had already been destroyed in an earlier attack. Now, as a result of the attack on March 14, both viaducts have been wrecked over a length of more than 100 yards, nearly a third of the overall length of the structure. The great piles supporting the seven spans of the southern viaduct have entirely disappeared, and only the stumps remain of the piles which carried the seven spans of the other. The 10-ton bomb is a scaled up version of the six-ton earthquake bomb first used in June, 1944, which sank the Tirpitz. says the Ministry of Aircraft Production. In its great length it contains a destructive force more powerful than 10 flying bombs or V-2 rockets. It is the most destructive lethal weapon ever made. German Headquarters Bombed LONDON, Mar. 16. American headquarters in France states that the headquarters buildings of the German Army General Staff at Zossen and nearby rows of barracks were hit by the first wave of heavy bombers in Thursday’s attack. Photographs taken during the attack show that the first bombs also blocked roadways in the headquarters area and hit a tank depot. Great fires were burning in the target area when the second wave came in. These bombers placed six heavy concentrations in the target area. More staff headquarters buildings and barracks were hit in addition to administration buildings and a storage depot.