GIGANTIC FIRES IN COLOGNE

Southland Times, Issue 24760, 3 June 1942, Page 5

GIGANTIC FIRES IN COLOGNE

DEFENCE KNOCKED OUT (8.0.W.) RUGBY, June 1. At sunset before the British raid on Cologne lights on the flare paths of aerodromes sprang up. Two flare paths were used where one was used before. The bombers arrived over Cologne as fast and as promptly as they had taken off all over England and very soon Cologne was a beacon to guide incoming bombers all the way from the Dutch coast. A Halifax pilot said: “It was almost too gigantic to be real. Below us in every part of the city buildings were ablaze. Here and there you could see their outlines, but mostly it was just one big stretch of fire. It was strange

to see the flames reflected on our aircraft. It looked at times as if we were on fire ourselves with the red glow dancing up and down the wings.” One air gunner could identify every type of bomber in the force by the light of the moon and the fires. The plan for saturating the defence was an undoubted success. One pilot said: “We had the guns absolutely foxed.” Others had the same report to make. DEFENDERS DRAWN OFF Night fighters were seen, but there were never enough to interfere with the attack. A simultaneous swoop on many German aerodromes by squadrons of Blenheims had the diversionary effect intended and Bostons, Havocs, Beaufighters and other aircraft drew off yet more German defenders. A cloud of smoke, which to some crews looked like a towering thundercloud, hung over the city, rising to 15,000 feet. A pall of smoke was still • there this morning. At dawn reconnaissance aircraft , took off and returned with reports that a terrific cloud still hung over the city. The opinion of the captains and crews of the Manchester and Lancasters that took off from one station is that the raid on Cologne was “dead easy.” It was evident that German defence had either been overwhelmed or bombed and machinegunned out of existence. The crews were full of praise for the ground staff which toiled to ensure that the bombers should get away. The bombers which took off from this station unloaded a large number of tons of high explosive bombs and all returned. DANGER OVER AERODROMES One pilot, a New Zealander, said. “Looking on Cologne from 15,000 feet was like looking on Lubeck from 3000 feet.” He added: “The greatest danger was when we got home because there were so many kites milling around waiting to get down.” One 22-year-old squadron leader, after unloading his bombs, came down to 50 feet to have a crack at the searchlights. The bomber was badly peppered with light anti-aircraft fire, being hit in both wings, in the tail, the fuselage and one of its engines. A pilot officer, who was also at Augsburg, said: “We were blinded by the reflection of the flames on the glass in the nose of our craft. We were one of the few machines picked up by the searchlights. A cone of at least 30

caught us but we soon dodged them. We saw few German fighters.” In spite of the huge force employed in the attack the fact that other bombers were ready last night for a further attack against Germany indicates most forcibly the mighty air power Britain now has at her disposal. However, the weather last night oyer the Continent was unfavourable for large-scale operations and the planned raid was called off. The German newspaper Der Montag states that Mr Churchill wants to please M. Stalin by establishing this kina ot second front. One or more British towns will feel most severe punishment for this raid.” . It is learned in London that immediately after the raid on Cologne Heinrich Himmler, Chief of the Gestapo, assumed control of the entire air raid precautions services of Germany.

AMERICAN GENERAL’S CONGRATULATIONS

LONDON, June 1. Lieutenant-General H. H. Arnold h . as written to Air Marshal A. T. Har P s > Commander-in-Chief of the Bomber Command, as follows: “As commanding general of the United States Army Air Forces I desire to extend my congratulations to you, your staff and combat crews on the great raid last night o Cologne. It was brilliant in conception and superlative in execution. Please convey to your officers and men my admiration for their courage and skill and say that our air forces hope very soon to fly and fight alongside them in these decisive blows against our common enemy.” Air Marshal Harris hate replied: All ranks of the Bomber Command are highly appreciative of your message. We. too, look forward to the time, now so near, when the United States Army Air Forces which already so gallantly and effectively bear their share of the burden in the Far East and elsewhere, will commence operations at our side in this theatre of war. We are supremely confident that, with their aid, our common enemies, faced with the certain devastation of their own lands, will soon have cause bitterly to rue the day on which they forced our two countries into war.” “A wonderful exhibition” was the description applied by Lieutenant-Gen-eral Arnold, to the Cologne raid. ‘The sooner we have them going over nightly with the United States Air Forces forming a component part the better it will be and the sooner will Germany feel the effect of the war,” he said. “It is obvious that no offensive against Nazi-occupied Europe will succeed without air superiority and we mean to have it. In gaining air superiority in any theatre we have no time to wait for ideal aerodromes, planes or situations. It has been agreed that the best results can be achieved if American crews fly American planes and in American units, except when emergency conditions dictate another course. The allocation of planes is being arranged with this principle in mind.” General Arnold explained that his conversations with Mr Churchill and the chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal, and other service leaders which were now almost concluded aimed at further development of the original agreements between Britain and the United States and looked to the maximum impact of the combined air strength against the common enemy. “The chief considerations of our conversations,” he said, “lias been to ensure that American units’ increasing demands on United States plane production will not impair the British air offensive now or in the future. I hope my visit has hastened the day when our air arms will join in an air offensive against the enemy, which he cannot meet, defeat or survive.” CALL TO MAINTAIN OUTPUT (8.0.W.) RUGBY, June 1. The Minister of Aircraft Production, Colonel J. J. Liewellin, has been on a short visit to Northern Ireland. At the conclusion of his tour he said: “What we all want to see is the complete ascendancy of our fighters in the air and the effective bombing of enemy territory. Everyone welcomed the news of the 1000 bombers over Cologne. If we are going to keep that up, as we are all determined to do, we will have to keep up the output of aircraft, not only to increase the force, but to make good the inevitable losses which we must suffer.”

“When asked about the possibility of heavier raids on Germany, Colonel Liewellin said it depended entirely on the output the workers gave him.