GREAT AIR ATTACKS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 May 1944, Page 8

GREAT AIR ATTACKS

AMERICANS STRIKE AT KIEL IN DAYLIGHT DUISBERG BLASTED HEAVILY BY R.A.F. MINE-LAYING AND OTHER OPERATIONS LONDON, May 22. The Allied air offensive against targets / in Germany * was kept up today, when American Flying Fortresses attacked the great naval base of Kiel. They were strongly escorted by fighters. This attack was made not many hours after R.A.F. Lancasters had dropped 2000 tons of bombs on Duisberg, Germany's biggest inland port. An attack was made also on Hanover and extensive mine-laying operations in enemy waters were carried out. Thirty bombers failed to return. American Liberators today attacked targets in the Pas de Calais area. There was no fighter opposition. Thunderbolts attacked locomotives, trains and railway bridges. Five American boffibers and eight fighters arc missing. Canadian Spitfires in a sweep over France and the Low Countries shot down four German planes without loss. Marauders attacked targets in Northern France. They were covered by Allied fighters. LIMITED NAZI EFFORT BOMBS DROPPED IN KENT' (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.45 a.m.) RUGBY, May-22. There was slight enemy activity last night''over parts of north and northeast Scotland and south-east England. Bombs dropped at one point in Kent did little damage, but caused some casualties. FIGHTER SWARMS MET BY LANCASTERS OVER DUISBERG ENEMY USING NEW TYPE OF FLARE (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.5 p.m.) RUGBY, May 22. Swarms of enemy fighters came up to defend Duisberg last night, when the German inland port was attacked shortly after 1 a.m. by a strong force of Lancasters, which dropped well over 2,000 tons of high-explosive and incendiary bombs. The bomber crews reported the use of a new type of “rocket” flares. According to some of our crews these travelled across the sky horizontally, burning out in an explosion. The flares moved across the sky, said a bomb-aimer in a Lancaster. They were dropped from various heights and did not appear to be attached to parachutes. One, glowing with an orange light, fell some distance away and moved towards us. before dropping several thousand feet and exploding.’’ Another bomb-aimer said: “One flare was dropped below us and moved from the port side to starboard. Another, which was dropped well ahead, shot well away to our rear. They seemed to be going at about the same speed as a rocket. They shot out red sparks and exploded with a bright red glQw, which lit up quite a large area.” SUCCESSFUL FORAY MADE BY CANADIAN SPITFIRES (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.25 a.m.) RUGBY, May 22. Canadian Spitfires, on offensive patrol over Northern France and the Low Countries, this morning destroyed four enemy aircraft, damaged at least one Focke-Wulf 190 and shot up four railway engines. All the Spitfires returned safely.