OVER THE REICH

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVI, Issue 22998, 15 September 1944, Page 5

OVER THE REICH

Bombers Search Out Oil Plants Devastating Attacks Darmstadt In Ruins By Telegraph—N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright (8 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 13. United States Headquarters state that more than 1000 heavy bombers to-day attacked a variety of synthetic oil plants and industrial targets in Central, Southern and Western Germany. The Fortresses and Liberators were escorted by medium-sized forces of Mustangs. Thunderbolts and Lightnings. All the targets were attacked visually in good weather.

The targets included synthetic oil plants at Mersberg and Lytzkendorf, both near Leipzig, and at ~ Ludwigshafen, the Daimler-Benz plant at Sendelfingen, south-west of Stuttgart, which manufactures medium trucks and components for aeroplane engines. Klockner-Humbolt-Duetz truck and armoured vehicle plant at Ulm, the Schwabisch-Hall airfield north-east of Stuttgart where photographic reconnaissance revealed activity with jetpropelled fighters, and an oil storage depot at Weissenhorn, near Ulm. Factories Ablaze R.A.F. bombers have also shown intense activity, and in the 12 hours between 1.30 p.m. yesterday and 1.30 a.m. to-day the R.A.F. Bomber Command dispatched more than 1400 aircraft. On Monday and Tuesday the RA.F. set six oil plants in the Ruhr ablaze in the Upper Rhineland, where Darmstadt has been almost entirely devastated. Strong’ forces of Lancasters dropped more than 400,000 incendiaries on Frankfurt and more than 200,000 on Stuttgart. Heavy bombers with fighter support, to-day struck a new blow against Germany’s oil supplies, states Reuter’s correspondent in Rome. They attacked the refineries at Odertal, 75 miles south-west of Breslau, and Oswiecim, near Cracow. Both refineries have a capacity of 172,000 tons annually. Generally good bombing was reported. More than 1000 R.A.F. bombers have hit Western Germany since mid-day yesterday, bringing the total of heavy bombers thrown into the new Battle of Germany in five nights to about 10,000. Thus General Eisenhower’s warning to Germany of devastating bombing of their own soil is being fulfilled with inexorable resolve. Enemy Strongpoints Pounded

Already this morning new processions of bombers and fighters have gone out to renew the great round-the-clock offensive. They included the Ninth United States Air Force fighter bombers which, since dawn, continued the assault against targets on both sides of the Siegfried Line, and on enemy strongpoints near Nancy, Metz and Brest. These operations followed a day of intense activity yesterday, m which about 40 enemy planes were shot down and much road and rail transport destroyed. Ninth Air Force fighters had their principal combat in the area of Strasbourg, where they shot down 30 planes for the loss of two. They shot down five others over Nancy. Their targets were road and rail transport south-east of Nancy, gun positions at Epinal, and two forts south-west of Metz. They silenced five gun positions at Brest. Second Tactical Air Force Spitfires and Typhoons attacked shipping in the Flushing area and sank at least four ships, eight barges, a tug-boat and a dredger in the Scheldt. Rocket-firing Typhoons, at the Army’s request, silenced gun positions in the Calais-Boulogne area. Eighth Air Force Mustangs, Thunderbolts and Lightnings escorting Fortresses and Liberators attacking German synthetic oil plants and other military targets to-day shot down 33 enemy fighters in combat and destroyed 20 on the ground. Twenty-seven of our bombers are missing. Strong forces of Royal Air Force heavy bombers, covered by fighters, in daylight this evening, attacked railway junctions and yards at Osnabruck, which is the Royal Air Force Bomber Command’s deepest penetration into Germany in daylight. They met no fighter opposition. Two bombers are missing.