MUCH DAMAGE DONE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 January 1944, Page 3

MUCH DAMAGE DONE

AMERICAN DAYLIGHT ATTACK ON KIEL ACCURATE BOMBING IN SPITE OF CLOUD OVER TARGET DEMORALISATION IN BERLIN. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) , LONDON, January 5. It, is now confirmed that ( Kiel was the chief target of t ■ the United States bomber and i fighter forces which raided Germany in daylight yester- , day morning. The marshalling yards at 'Munster were ; also attacked. Good results are reported, despite t cloud over the target. At Kiel exten- r sive fires were started, and smoke I swirled up through the clouds. Eigh- \ teen of the bombers and two fighteis are missing from the attacks. High German military officers are amazed with the accuracy of the R.A.F.’s new secret navigation device which enables targets to be bombed with precision regardless of the weather conditions, says the Associated Press of Great Britain A Stockholm source with close connection in German military circles said the secret weapon caught the Germans flat-foot-ed.” SOLDIERS SURVEY RUINS. S The “Times” Stockholm correspon- * dent, says a German n.c.o. from the east front, writing in the “Allgemeine 3 Zeitung,” says he and his comrades ( spent hours after coming home to Berlin silently viewing the bomb ruins. "Berlin’s new face is like that of Kharkov, Kiev and Zhitomir.” A Swedish ' A.R.P. expert who witnessed the November raids on Berlin, sent the Swed- ‘ ish A.R.P. authorities a report revealing that the German comb-out for the J Army drained the A.R.P. manpower to ' such an extent -that three front line divisions had to be sent to Berlin to reinforce the rescue squads when the mass raids started. This report adds t-hat inefficient fire-watchers became demoralised and sought shelter, with the result that the incendiaries remained untackled for 90 minutes. ( “The Times” correspondent oh the (German frontier says the Munich •■Neueste Nacnrichten” in an article says: ‘Many Germans during the blazing nights of the last few months have asked the anxious question, ’How long will tiye civilian population be able to endure the horrors of air warfare?. How long must we wait till the counterblow is delivered, and why, when the war is total, are German leaders so hesitant about employing the means at their disposal?” “The answer can be deduced only from the fact that the progress of complete mobilisation of all forces for the war is now in a decisive stage. The war is now rapidly approaching the stage when the enemy, to achieve victory, must and will fling in his entire potentialities. Germany must be equipped for this moment. Everything points to the fact that the New Year will summon the combatants to a still mightier contest—perhaps the last clash of arms ending in the final decision.” The attack on military objectives ini the Pas de Calais and elsewhere ini France reached a still higher peak yesterday, when more than 1200 Allied aircraft carried out a dawn to dusk offensive. The R.A.F., Dominion and Allied fighters of the escort shot down five enemy fighters. Four of our fighters and one bomber are missing. ENEMY REPORTS. “A strong force of American bombers terror-attacked Kiel at midday yesterday under cover of thick cloud from a height of 20,000 to 27,000 feet,” says ■ the Berlin radio. “A great number of incendiaries and phosporous bombs ; were dropped, causing heavy damage, especially in the residential and un- ; iversity quarters. The historic castle ! was also damaged.” The Berlin radio also announced that 11,813 persons were killed in Paris as . a result of Allied air raids between i October, 1941, and December, 1943.

GOOD RESULTS

DESPITE HEAVY CLOUD. LARGE FIRES LEFT BURNING AT KIEL. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.0 a.m.) RUGBY, January 5. Yesterday’s attacks on Kiel and Munster were made by a large force of the Eighth U.S.A.A.F. heavy bombers, escorted and supported by United States and R.A.F. fighters. Good results were reported despite heavy cloud over the targets. At Kiel, large fires and much smoke were observed. Fighter opposition was effectively driven off by -the long-range escort, which destroyed eight enemy fighters. Heavy bombers destroyed four. Supporting sweeps were carried out by R.A.F. fighters, which destroyed five enemy aircraft. Eighteen of our heavy bombers and three fighters are missing. The Air Ministry states that the Bomber Command last night attacked targets in Northern France.

SUSTAINED ASSAULTS

ON TARGETS IN GERMANY & FRANCE. ‘ KIEL SHIPYARDS AGAIN BOMBED. LONDON, January 5. British and American Air Headquarters in Britain announce a series of attacks in daylight today on targets in Germany and France. A strong force of American heavy bombers attacked enemy Airfields in France at Bordeaux and Tours, and the shipbuilding yards at Kiel. On nearly all the American missions the bombers were escorted by American fighters and they were supported in ‘their withdrawal by R.AIF. as well as Allied fighters. The one exception was the raid on Bordeaux. Enemy fighter opposition varied from mediocre to strong. Military objectives in Northern France were also attacked today by R.A.F. aircraft.

Last night, following on attacks by 1200 aircraft in daylight the previous day—the biggest assault yet—Mosquitos dropped bombs in Western Germany and Berlin and more mines were laid in enemy shipping lanes.