OUT IN THOUSANDS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 May 1944, Page 3

OUT IN THOUSANDS

ALLIED HEAVY & LIGHT AIRCRAFT ATTACKING ENEMY TARGETS IN EUROPE. MANY BLOWS AT AIRFIELDS & RAILWAYS. LONDON, May 9. Allied bombers and fighters —ip thousands rather than hundreds —have been ranging across the sunny skies of Western Europe in an all-day onslaught on enemy targets. Again and again they struck al railways and airfields and scores of other targets. Once again, the spearhead was a great American air fleet of more than 1,500 heavy bombers and fighters. For the third day running the Americans were out on this scale Today, instead of concentrating in force against one or two targets in Germany, the force split up and struck at eleven targets—eight airfields and three railway yards, in France, Belgium- and Luxembuig. R.A.F., Dominion and Allied fighters were out at the same time on offensive sweeps. The Americans report that the bombing was carried out in clear weather and that the results generally were good. Fighters claimed the destruction of five German aircraft shot down and others on the ground. The American losses were six bombers and seven fighters. In another big Allied attack, 250 medium and light bombers, with more than 200 fighter-bombers, struck at targets on the French Channel coast and a big railway yard in Belgium. R.A.F. medium bombers were also out in strength. The Second Tactical Air Force sent out the biggest flight of Typhoon fighter-bombers so far this year. These attacks followed moonlight operations by the R.A.F., mainly against airfields and railway tai gets.